The 2-5-1 progression is a great place to practice voice leading the 2 note shell voicings. Since the 2-5-1 progression is so commonly used, learning this strategy will make playing standard jazz repertoire very simple to do. Learn about the 2-5-1 Progression here. In this video I’m going to show you my favorite easy jazz piano …
Jazz and Improvisation
How to Practice with the iReal Pro
The iReal Pro is an amazing band-in-a-box app. Although it was initially created for jazz musicians, there are so many wonderful applications of it; it is perfect for singers and instrumentalists of any level and genre. In this tutorial, I will show you how to practice with the iReal Pro. I recently created another tutorial …
Tutorial: How to use the iReal Pro app
It’s #tutorialtuesday and this was a special request from some of the #theversatilemusician community. This week I created a step-by-step how to use the #irealpro app. The iReal Pro is an amazing band in a box app that I practice with almost every day and my students do too! While it was initially developed for jazz …
Shawn Maxwell’s Expectation and Experience Album
Shawn Maxwell is an amazing saxophonist and composer based in Chicago and his new record comes out on FRIDAY! We met back in 2000 on a cruise ship and have kept in touch over the years. He wrote 17 pieces and sent them to 30 musicians to record at home. I played on “Breathe”, a …
All About the Jazz Minor 2-5-1 Chord Progression
This tutorial is all about the 2-5-1 Progression in Minor. If you have already studied the 2-5-1 in Major, you will notice that they are almost identical outside a few changes. You can read/watch the tutorial on the 2-5-1 chord progression in major HERE. This tutorial is all about the 2-5-1 Progression in Minor. If you …
Random Songs I Like #15 – Ladies in Mercedes
Random Songs I Like Week #15: Ladies in Mercedes is a brilliant composition by jazz bassist and composer Steve Swallow, with hysterical lyrics by British jazz vocalist Norma Winstone. This song has always resonated with me, since I moved to the Uber-fancy Upper East Side of Manhattan. This is the performance that I captured on my …