{"id":14,"date":"2008-07-14T18:06:57","date_gmt":"2008-07-14T23:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rozinblog.com\/etan\/?p=14"},"modified":"2009-11-28T14:43:45","modified_gmt":"2009-11-28T19:43:45","slug":"jamey-aebersold-summer-jazz-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rozinblog.com\/etan\/jamey-aebersold-summer-jazz-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just flying back from the Jamey Aebersold Summer jazz<\/span> workshop.<\/p>\n

Here is all I can say:<\/p>\n

Wow!<\/strong><\/p>\n

OK I can say some other stuff too:<\/p>\n

Quite an experience.<\/p>\n

This <\/a>is a jazz workshop held and the campus of university of Kentucky Louisville.<\/p>\n

A week of music and education with 400 other like minded people. Too much fun.<\/p>\n

Also very humbling. There are always people who play better than you. Lots of them. And they play much better. The lessons too show you how much you still are missing and how much you need to learn, practice and listen.<\/p>\n

\"Staff<\/a>

Staff Concert with Jim Snidero, Antonio Hart and gang on one of the evenings<\/p><\/div>\n

Then there are the concerts. Every evening there are three sets of really world class musicians performing (about 3 hours a night). These guys are superb, I am talking about James Moody, Eric Alexander, David Stryker, Andy Lavern and the like. For them it is also I imagine a blast. Usually in a jazz<\/span> club you have about 12% of the people plugged into the music while the rest eat, talk and generally check out the people at the next table. Here you have an audience of about 500 people who are there to listen to jazz<\/span>, and pick up on everything, Going nuts when there is a particularly nice passage or solo.<\/p>\n

It is also a throwback to college days living in a dorm with a roommate and eating in a collective dining hall (with of course live jazz<\/span> accompanying the meals).<\/p>\n

The days are wall to wall activity with theory and ear training starting the day, then combo practice, a master class for your instrument, another combo practice and evening concerts.<\/p>\n

\"Jamey<\/a>

Jamey Aebersold giving an ear training session<\/p><\/div>\n

It is very unique in that all these people share a common interest and drop all barriers so people just walk up and talk to you or exchange opinions about what they just heard.<\/p>\n

The faculty is really very supportive, with a lot of good pointers and suggestions of exercises, licks or ideas. I really don’t think I heard a put down or mean remark the whole week.<\/p>\n

Jamey Aebersold himself is a character. he is about 68 years old, not a gram of fat on him and a bundle of energy.<\/p>\n

He is the most amusing and unpretentious teacher. Great fun to take theory with him, he plays the sax, piano and sings during lessons, also remembers things and calls on his cell phone or just goes off on a tangent (“has anyone seen the new observation deck on the grand canyon? is it scary?”).<\/p>\n

And… he is involved in every single thing that happens there.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>

An amazing discovery for me. Ralph Bowen. Flawless technique, unbelievable musicality<\/p><\/div>\n

Sometimes you get the feeling he cloned himself. You see him in theory class then you look up he is taking pictures, adjusting the volume in the hall, setting up the video camera, making announcements. he really does not stand still very long.<\/p>\n

Many of the people I met there were repeat campers (most of them actually) returning for the 2nd 4rth or 10th time! The camp<\/span> has been going on for 40 years. Some have been there for 25 years…<\/p>\n

On the other hand there are the 17 year olds, about half. extremely motivated and doing things with ease that us geezers just try to figure out. It’s just not fair. On the other hand we have our wisdom…<\/p>\n

There really is no time for any extracurricular activities. It is completely immersive and a total break from the routine.<\/p>\n

\"Traditionally<\/a>

Traditionally at the last day Jamey takes out his banjo. He should stick to his day job...<\/p><\/div>\n

There were some things that could have been done better during this week, not many though. Here are a few that I would improve:<\/p>\n