The Man Who Taught the World to the Official Publication Of

Home , Jazz education

JANUARY 2012 • $5.00 JANUARY

THE JAZZ EDUCATOR'S MAGAZINE

JAZZ EDUCATIONNETWORK JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

Jamey Aebersold The Man Who Taught the World to The Official Publication of

JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

The Official Publication of The Official Publication of

JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

Basic Training: Latin Music – A Primer JamThe Official Publication of

Focus Session: Learning Swing JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK via Afro-Cuban Style The Official Publication of The Official Publication of The Official Publication of The Official Publication of JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

Change Service Requested Service Change

Needham, MA 02494 MA Needham, 21 Highland Cir. Ste. 1 Ste. Cir. Highland 21

CoverFinal.indd 1 12/19/11 4:50 PM The Man Who Taught the World to

Jamby Matt Parish

36 JAZZed January 2012

SpotlightFinal.indd 36 12/20/11 2:19 PM Play-A-Longs Innovator and Jazz Camp Chief Jamey Aebersold On Decades of Simple Educational Greatness. In a small town in southern Indiana, a small publishing company called Jamey Aebersold Jazz runs quietly out of Jamey Aebersold’s basement.

The 72-year-old jazz vet lives a block from where he was born and an hour’s drive from all the places he used to give private lessons as a music school graduate. He operates his famous Sum- mer Jazz Workshops just across the river at the University of Louisville.

JAZZed January 2012 37

SpotlightFinal.indd 37 12/20/11 2:19 PM But with his ever-expanding Jazz band going writing some arrangements even getting into improvising. So on Play-A-Long book series, which is top- and trying to improvise. I didn’t have certain days, instead of having three ping 130 volumes, Aebersold has in- any direction. So I went to Indiana or four kids for a half-hour lesson af- fluenced several generations of jazz University because I heard about it ter school, we’d have a combo. Satur- musicians, young and old, across the through my older brother, who played days would also be combo day. Then world. Virtually every jazz student has some trumpet and wasn’t a jazzer, but I after while I got it down to where I spent time in the pages of one of Ae- had heard him say that they were jam- didn’t really teach any private lessons bersold’s books, working out new the- ming in the halls all the time at IU. I at all – all I was doing was combos in ory ideas and experimenting over their went there and then found out they my basement. Many of those people trusty recordings of patient rhythm didn’t have saxophone program either. coincidentally went on to become sections. A lifelong jazz educator who professional musicians in New York has worked with students of all ages, JAZZed: Did you have a preference for or teaching at various colleges. They Aebersold pioneered the idea of teach- performing or teaching? really got into it. ing students to improvise using scale and chord structures as melodic blue- JA: I was going to be a jazz musician JAZZed: With your background in a pro- prints and has steadily refined his ap- and make a record for Blue Note at gram that didn’t have a full saxophone proach to the series as ages of his stu- some point in my life, and when I got to program, how did you hook up with the dents have grown both younger and school I heard other people who were concepts being explored by people like older. His efficient summer workshops in music education practicing in the David Baker at the time? have remained largely the same, fo- little rooms next to me. I never heard cused boot camp-style on getting new anybody play who I thought sounded JA: After I enrolled, Roger Pember- jazz students on their feet with music very good. So I told everybody that I ton – who’s a very fine saxophone play- theory and improvisation and, above wasn’t going to be a music educator. er – came there for his Master’s. They all, learning how to listen to each other I made sure ev- and to great jazz masters of the past. erybody knew It’s a formula that’s worked for decades. that, too. “I’m JAZZed recently had the pleasure of not going to be

I think listening is the key element. If they’re not listening to records, they’re not practicing. I don’t see how they’re going to end up being a jazz player.

speaking to Aebersold from his home like these other in New Albany, Ind. about the devel- people.” opment of the long-trusted Aebersold Four years approach to jazz education. later, an oboe player named Gene Montooth came up asked him to teach me the saxophone. JAZZed: You’ve built a long career to me in the parking lot and he said Then, at some point, I began taking changing the way musicians educate he taught privately in Seymour, Ind., private lessons from David Baker. I’d themselves. How was your experience about 50 miles away, every Saturday. drive up to Indianapolis for that and as a young musician trying to wrap your He had a high school job that fall and that was when he was studying with head around jazz back in the ‘50s? he was going to stop teaching in a few George Russell and played with the weeks and wondered if I wanted to do George Russell Sextet. So David Baker Jamey Aebersold: Coming up out it. Of course, immediately my mind passed on the information to me and of high school, I wanted to go to New said, “Jamey, you told everybody you I’d try it out and come back. I was like York – the Manhattan School of Mu- would never teach!” I’m standing there a guinea pig for him. sic, which I applied for. I waited sev- in the parking lot thinking, “I’m go- eral months until I finally got a letter ing to get married and I could use the JAZZed: Were you doing a lot of private back that was one sentence long. “Dear money. Is private teaching really teach- lessons at the time when you developed Mr. Aebersold: We do not offer the ing?” I decided it wasn’t, so I took the the first Play-A-Long book? saxophone.” My dreams were crushed job. It was one of the best things I ever because at that point I’d been reading did. JA: Yes and, in fact, it was through DownBeat and Metronome magazine, I eventually got students who were different private lessons that I found listening to records, and I had a little playing well and some of them were out the mantra I have – “Anyone can 38 JAZZed January 2012

SpotlightFinal.indd 38 12/19/11 5:09 PM improvise.” Through those lessons, blues and “I Got Rhythm” and “Chero- JAZZed: So right around then, you I found out that if you played a little kee” and so forth, the melodies that decided to make play-along records for background for people over one scale, come to your mind are based on bits your students to practice this method they could actually improvise and play and pieces of scales and chords. Then over. what they hear in their head. They you intersperse chromaticism, rests, weren’t afraid of it at all. I was baffled leaps, held notes, repetitions – things JA: Yeah, it was around 1962. The because I thought that in order to play like that to give variety to your solo. Play-A-Longs came along because the jazz, you had to have a big stack of re- When people are just singing in their students needed something to prac- cords that you listened to all the time, head, they’re going up and down bits tice with at home. So I made the first drink coffee, and be kind of grumpy. and pieces of scales and chords. You record, then I said, “Oh my gosh, if That was my view of jazz going through can’t avoid it. someone buys this LP, they won’t know college. That’s what I saw other people doing, and I didn’t drink coffee.

JAZZed: The books are known for using the chord scale system that was getting developed back then. How did you first pick that up?

JA: I first picked it up from David Performance and Baker. He was stressing learning each scale and each chord. I’d never really thought that way before. When I Luxury Redefined played, it was kind of by the seat of my pants. I’d look at the chord symbol and if it said “G,” I kind of knew the G chord and so forth and I’d listen to the ... sounds on the piano or bass and it was ...for 2011...does more than just introduce new saxophones. kind of hit or miss for a long time. Back in the ‘60s, if someone wanted to play jazz, you’d have them play the blues right off the bat. But if you play the blues scale, it’s got a couple minor thirds in there and if you’ve only gone up and down major and minor scales, Owning a Sax Dakota will make your choice even XG TYPE Saxophone more certain. The XG TYPE to play the blues scale is kind of dif- may be thrilling, but it’s the Sax Dakota series is ficult, especially if you haven’t listened connection between the designed to bring you to any records. So you don’t even know instrument and the player optimum intonation, most what this scale sounds like. that will impress you most. reliable mechanical action XG transforms beauty and plus a sound quality that But I tried it, and it wasn’t until I performance into outstanding goes beyond any sax on got them to play on one normal scale levels of personal satisfaction the market today. that it was easy and they felt some con- every time you go on stage fidence. That’s how I got it going and prepared for a flawless Our ergonomically shaped live event. keys, key arms and that’s why on the Play-A-Longs Volume spatulas are just the 1, several of the tracks are on Dorian Personalized Mother of Pearl beginning of the minor scales as opposed to starting out key tips that blend into the exhilaration you will with the blues or with “Just Friends,” luxurious hand rubbed key experience when you cups/trim, along with first road test a Sax Dakota or “Have You Met Miss Jones” or some- understated craftsmanship XG Alto or Tenor saxophone. thing like that, you know. of subtle artistic engraving

JAZZed: That must have felt like a XG TYPE SERIES in Hand Crafted Antique Rubbed Brass revelation. SDA-XG 303 $ 3, 250.00 | SDT-XG 505 $ 3, 550.00

JA: Once I started centering in my saxophone on the scales and the chords – ah, there were many more possibili- ties. When you’re playing music that’s VISIT US AT WWW.SAXDAKOTA.COM or CALL 1-877-541-4017 based on harmony and standards and JAZZed January 2012 39

SpotlightFinal.indd 39 12/19/11 5:09 PM what to do with it because there’s no of solos and so forth where he real- JAZZed: In addition to the large collec- melody. I better write a book.” So I la- ized that Charlie Parker and Dizzy tion of Play-A-Long books, you’ve also bored with the book for months and fi- and Monk and Bud Powell were stocked thousands of other supple- nally put out the first version – Volume playing bits and pieces of scales. He mental education books along the way. 1: A New Approach to Jazz Improvisation. got things started. That was like kin- What’s the general goal of the company? And it was new. dergarten. David Baker came along So I think the Play-Along records with his interpretation of it and gave JA: The main thrust of the company and the concept of scales and chords it to me and then various other peo- is to allow people to practice jazz at was not mine, but it was new back ple picked up on it and next thing home on their own with the Play-A- then in the late ‘50s and ‘60s. Russell you know, we’re all kind of teaching Longs. Then with the several thousand is to be credited for his transcription similarly. books that we sell from other publish- ers, we help them understand jazz and have fun playing music. All the other books we’ve taken on little by little over the years are items that help people to understand harmony, theory, ear training, arranging, playing in a combo – everything that applies to getting a person to the point where they can get up and take a solo on something and to play the music that they hear in their head.

JAZZed: As time has gone on, have you thought of new ways to improve that system?

JA: When we got to Volume 24, I slowed everything down and made a lot of the tracks bossa nova because we learned that the bossa nova beat relax- es the left brain, which is the thinking side, and makes things appear easier to do. Educators have taken jazz down Education Research to people who are very, very young, so I’m thinking about doing a new Play- A-Long called something like “Easy Paper Presentations Keynote Speakers Aebersold” or “Easy Jazz” and make the examples slow and not taken to all 12 keys and just make it simple and Roundtable Discussions Topical Sessions fun for people that are nine to 12 years old and maybe have never listened to a jazz record.

JAZZed: In those early years, was it just you at the company? SCAN FOR MORE INFO JA: Basically for the first ten years, it was just me. I was still playing jobs, working at night, teaching privately after school, filling the orders as they came in. Then I got a fellow named Matt Eve and he’s still working here The Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association Summit after about 33 years. He started when he was in high school, coming in after school. He and I just kept going and then finally we needed somebody else. Now we’re up to 7 or 8 people 40 JAZZed January 2012

SpotlightFinal.indd 40 12/19/11 5:09 PM JA: The students come in on staff, with students from 21 different Sunday, have a quick audition, countries. take a theory test, go eat supper to live music, hear three groups JAZZed: How often do you reassess the play that night, and hear the way those camps are run? rules given to them and so forth. Monday morning, we dive right JA: We’ve found the best thing to in with theory. Then we have a do with the camps is to just leave it listening, a jazz musicianship the way we have it. When we started class, then they’re in combo at the first combo camp, me and David 11 o’clock. They have master Baker and maybe Jerry Coker and class at 1:30 and combo again at Dan Hurley, we got together and 3 o’clock. Then they hear three said, “What will we do?” Someone more groups that night. By the said, “How about theory?” time they get to Friday and you I know I said this: “Ugh, no theo- can hear the students play, you ry. We don’t need that.” For me, five can definitely hear improvement and a half years of theory was the when each one of them stands most boring class in college because up and takes their solo. they didn’t talk about anything I was interested in. It was music of 100, JAZZed: Do you feel that there’s 200, 300 years ago. But we did agree a certain principle that’s most that we needed it. As soon as we did important to get young students it, my brain said, “We need more something to stand on first? theory.” The students didn’t have that work, including myself. And we’re an understanding of any of it, so shipping stuff all over the world. JA: I think the idea of what I do is we needed to talk about it and then Over these 40 years, it was never to prepare the students to become in- turn right around and try it in Com- supposed to be a business. It sort of dividuals. That’s the goal. Of course, if bo classes. When we set up that first just evolved into it and at some point I they gain independence and play with session way back there, we talked realized there were other people work- the Play-A-Long records at home, they things through and there have been ing here and they depend on this and develop the desire to play with hu- things we tweak a little bit but it’s they’ve got families and people seem to mans. basically the same. really want this. And I think listening is the key element. If they’re not listening to records, JAZZed: The general idea seems to be JAZZed: What do you find are the differ- they’re not practicing. I don’t see how a classic one at this point – master the ences in students now and back in, say, they’re going to end up being a jazz notes and study the greats, and students 1967? Are they looking to accomplish player. For instance, you have people will be able to find their own voice. different things? that come in and can play pretty well and play the chords and so forth. But say JA: I think we have a holistic ap- JA: I think so. I do my Summer Jazz they’re tonguing all the notes. You’ll ask proach. No good educator is trying to Workshops and we have 250 or 300 them if they’ve ever listened to Cannon- make them sound like them or some- people in each week and we get a lot ball. They’ll say, “Yeah.” Charlie Parker? one else on the record. It’s impossible. of adults. It’s amazing – the adults who “Oh yeah, I’ve got several records by I had students at camps where you’d listen to music want to play simple him.” I’d say, “Have you ever noticed that say, “Hey, you’ve got a nice sound tunes like “Perdido” and “Honeysuckle they don’t tongue every note like you’re there. Who do you listen to?” They’ll Rose.” The younger students – five, ten doing? You’re playing like you’re in a say, “Well, I don’t really listen much years ago, the one that have been prac- marching band or a rock’n’roll band.” It’s to records.” “Do you listen to Clifford ticing on jazz – they want to play the an issue with articulation, which can be Brown or Miles or Kenny Dorham?” more adventuresome jazz tunes, the slow and difficult and exasperating, but “Well not really. I don’t want to sound ones that are really jazz tunes. So many if they make that transition, they’ll make like them – I want to sound like my- people have absolutely no idea what it into the jazz arena. self.” jazz is even when they come to the To that, I say, “You think you can camp. You have them playing and they JAZZed: How many students are at a listen to a Kenny Dorham record and don’t know that it would be helpful to typical workshop? then you’ll end up sounding like Ken- know those scales and chords and the JA: We have had as many as 400 a ny Dorham? I think you’re making a order of the tune. week. This last time, we had 338 the mistake.” If it were that easy, every- first week and about 310 the second body would sound like him. JAZZed: How are the camps set up? week. Plus, we had 50 faculty and 18 JAZZed January 2012 41

SpotlightFinal.indd 41 12/19/11 5:09 PM