Jazz camp - best week ever. + leaving again.
Jazz Camp was so good, I don't know where to begin.
I guess I'll start with the faculty. They're incredible. Each night, one or two of the faculty members puts on a show, and they teach other people the music, and learn it in like a half hour. And then the shows every night are wonderful.
Ben Waltzer. Where do I begin. He swings like no one else. His chord voicings are interesting and creative. His solos are beautifully melodic. His ability to articulate his ideas - both musically and verbally - is astounding. He's been such a great teacher, and I really hope he's back next year. He put on the faculty concert on Monday night, and afterwards, I was in a really strange place. I was in awe of his musicianship and his mastery of the piano, but not just in the sense of, "wow, that was awesome." I like... couldn't find words for how I felt, which is probably why I'm having a hard time trying to describe the feeling now. It was just... I was strangely emotional, thinking of how much time he's put into making music and how it has payed off. You can hear someone on a record pouring their heart and soul into their playing. But witnessing it before your very eyes and seeing someone have that much fun and be so deeply into their music is a priceless experience. And it wasn't just like, "wow, he's so good, I can't believe how good he is." It was something much, much more. Again, I can't really describe it.
That show began with a duet between Ben on piano and Alan "Big Daddy" Ferber on the trombone. Man. They were just fucking with each other's shit the whole time, and I loved every second of it. Then later in the show, he did a trio with the bassist Alexis Cuadrado and Pete McCann on acoustic guitar. It was such a fun number, and so well done.
My ensemble. Led by John O'Gallagher. Fucking awesome. I had such a good time in my ensemble. We played fun tunes - one of which is on a Joe Henderson Blue Note CD - and it was just over all a really great experience. I truly felt challenged, and I think I rose to the challenge.
The people. Lots of awesome people. Lots of great conversations. Great jokes. Good times. I love musicians.
Vardan Ovsepian tells the best jokes I've ever heard. He also plays the piano like nobody else.
I like John O'Gallagher's playing so much more this year than I did last year. Last year, while I respected his ability, I felt like he just played too fast and that very few of the individual notes in his solos mattered. This year, it was completely different. There were solos where I was just like YES YES YES because they were so rich and melodic, especially in comparison to Dave Scott's bumble-bee-like playing (very chromatic, not so melodic, not my thang).
The new drummer in the faculty, Owen Howard, was great. So great. His ensemble was stacked, and their performance was excellent. Dan Glaude and Dylan Anderson (new kid, great player) on saxes, Dave Prentice on guitar, Neil Pearlman on piano, Jesse on bass, and Dylan Kumnick on drums. They sounded incredible.
I'm leaving for Nicaragua tomorrow. That's so crazy. I kind of want to stay home and practice for the rest of my life, but going to Nicaragua will be great too.
I'm going to be gone from July 15 (tomorrow) until August 11. My birthday is the 25th of July. When I get back, I'll have to do all of those eighteen-year-old things.
Bye-bye.
I guess I'll start with the faculty. They're incredible. Each night, one or two of the faculty members puts on a show, and they teach other people the music, and learn it in like a half hour. And then the shows every night are wonderful.
Ben Waltzer. Where do I begin. He swings like no one else. His chord voicings are interesting and creative. His solos are beautifully melodic. His ability to articulate his ideas - both musically and verbally - is astounding. He's been such a great teacher, and I really hope he's back next year. He put on the faculty concert on Monday night, and afterwards, I was in a really strange place. I was in awe of his musicianship and his mastery of the piano, but not just in the sense of, "wow, that was awesome." I like... couldn't find words for how I felt, which is probably why I'm having a hard time trying to describe the feeling now. It was just... I was strangely emotional, thinking of how much time he's put into making music and how it has payed off. You can hear someone on a record pouring their heart and soul into their playing. But witnessing it before your very eyes and seeing someone have that much fun and be so deeply into their music is a priceless experience. And it wasn't just like, "wow, he's so good, I can't believe how good he is." It was something much, much more. Again, I can't really describe it.
That show began with a duet between Ben on piano and Alan "Big Daddy" Ferber on the trombone. Man. They were just fucking with each other's shit the whole time, and I loved every second of it. Then later in the show, he did a trio with the bassist Alexis Cuadrado and Pete McCann on acoustic guitar. It was such a fun number, and so well done.
My ensemble. Led by John O'Gallagher. Fucking awesome. I had such a good time in my ensemble. We played fun tunes - one of which is on a Joe Henderson Blue Note CD - and it was just over all a really great experience. I truly felt challenged, and I think I rose to the challenge.
The people. Lots of awesome people. Lots of great conversations. Great jokes. Good times. I love musicians.
Vardan Ovsepian tells the best jokes I've ever heard. He also plays the piano like nobody else.
I like John O'Gallagher's playing so much more this year than I did last year. Last year, while I respected his ability, I felt like he just played too fast and that very few of the individual notes in his solos mattered. This year, it was completely different. There were solos where I was just like YES YES YES because they were so rich and melodic, especially in comparison to Dave Scott's bumble-bee-like playing (very chromatic, not so melodic, not my thang).
The new drummer in the faculty, Owen Howard, was great. So great. His ensemble was stacked, and their performance was excellent. Dan Glaude and Dylan Anderson (new kid, great player) on saxes, Dave Prentice on guitar, Neil Pearlman on piano, Jesse on bass, and Dylan Kumnick on drums. They sounded incredible.
I'm leaving for Nicaragua tomorrow. That's so crazy. I kind of want to stay home and practice for the rest of my life, but going to Nicaragua will be great too.
I'm going to be gone from July 15 (tomorrow) until August 11. My birthday is the 25th of July. When I get back, I'll have to do all of those eighteen-year-old things.
Bye-bye.