Clip from a show we played a few weeks back at Agenda.  That was a fun night!  As I have played more salsa, I started simplifying my note choices and getting into the groove more.  I think, especially in a setting like this for dancers, the groove is more important than complex harmony, but as you are able to groove better you can get more interesting note choices in there and keep grooving.

Of course what I wrote above is not a step by step guide. But simplifying what you play is an important piece. Really listening is another part of it. And for salsa, knowing how to dance can help.  A solo with one note can sound better than a much more harmonically  complicated solo, depending if the other dimensions of music are happening.

One of the greatest saxophone players. He influenced many musicians and helped pioneer bebop. In 1958, jazz critic Ira Gitle, coined the phrase ‘sheets of sound’ to describe his music. He played a lot of fast music, but also some beautiful ballads. “Naimia” is a great song by Coltrane, named after Juanita Naima Grubbs – his wife at the time.

Got a question from Robert the other day about sax and improvisation.

Hey Neal, what do they mean ” playing over a chord”…I sound thick and i am, but what’s that..”playing over a chord”..??

Thanks
-Robert

Neal:

Hey Robert, that’s a pretty good question actually. It’s not something you learn in a beginning sax method book.  Although something like an Aebersold book will get into it.

Basically you’re playing with other musicians who can play chords – like the piano and bass. So if you stop playing, there are still chords being played. You play ‘over’ it since you add to what’s going on. You are improvising ‘over’ the chord changes.

You should know the chord changes very well for this to work correctly.

So playing over a chord just means playing what you want to play in your solo on top of the chord changes.

A chord has at least three tones.  The triad uses the root, third, and fifth.  Seventh chords use one more note and there are many variations of harmonies.  You can play the chord tones and the notes from the corresponding scales.  And actually you can get outside of them too when you know what you’re doing.  But even then, you generally want to ‘resolve’ or come back to a note that sounds nice with the changes.

Playing melodically, grooving with the rhythm section, creating music is what you’re really doing.

You’re spontaneously composing as you do this, it should just fit with the chord changes if you want it to sound pretty.

Giving it tension with some notes that create color is cool too.  But a solo that’s dissonant from the beginning to end might not be all that relaxing for the audience!

Happy Birthday to great tenor sax man Sonny Rollins!  Turning 81 today.  I have had the fortune of seeing him live and he still puts on a great show!  Here he plays ‘Tenor Madness’.

Not too long ago I was asked if I could play Jamaica Farewell.  At that point, I thought I might have recognized the title, but didn’t really know the song.

Went and listened to it and liked the tune, so I learned it.  It’s a traditional song from Jamaica.  I was listening to the Harry Belafonte version a bit.  (He sings it in another key).

One of my friends said this, “it’s got a complicated feel to it: like, it’s upbeat but also sad. kind of a bittersweet feel”.  I liked that description.

This video is dedicated to Tissa in Los Angeles.  And thanks to Sachi for the photo of him!