Blog

I've not posted recently, though I have been playing a lot. Summer workshop at UDel was awesome and for the first time, I felt like I at least understood the majority of the information, even if I couldn't play all the exercises. I'm playing for 3 weeks now with a band sponsored by the local Senior Center in Centre County PA. The "Second Winds" plays a lot of 30s and 40s big band and jazz tunes. We're booked in weekly for one rehearsal plus one performance at senior living centers throughout the county, also some outdoor fests, and the annual Bellefonte Jazz fest.

Hi everyone,

Tony and I discussed our new TOTMs. We thought it would be a good idea to include a ballad in this one, so we'll study You Don't Know What Love Is along with Green Dolphin Street.

I'm kicking off the new TOTMs with a dampening etude on Green Dolphin Street!

I forget to blog. I forget to talk about stuff. This is what helped me learn how to play the instrument. Talking and playing with people.

When I saw Tyler's post about blogging, I thought, OK that's what I needed. I loved doing a practice blog on here. So maybe I can get back to it.

Today:

Hi Folks,
I realize there is a ton of data, technical info and lessons on the site. All very valuable!
I wanted to start a series of blogs/discussions about some of the less black and white aspects of music and vibes. These blogs are intended as a way to share some personal experiences and be a platform for discussion of some of the less technical elements of music making.

Your Relationship with Practice

Hi Folks,
Haven't been as active as I'd like to have been this summer, but wanted to take a minute to write a short blog. I don't always feel efficient in my practice sessions, but just had a nice one today and thought I'd talk about what seemed to work for me this time:

My opinion: You're never done learning tunes. I used to know a lot more than I do now when I was doing more standards gigs. I feel that the ones I know know I'm much deeper on though. I always learn more about music by learning a new tune.

Here's what I did this morning to work on a new tune:

We are updating the site. Well we've (Stephen) been updating it for 2 years. The software upgrade from 6 to 7 is so dramatically different we've had to rewrite code (well Stephen does) and sort of work from the ground up. It's soooo much work, it's driving me crazy.

I'm a little light on my lessons for the site and this is partly why. Stephen has written a few thousand lines of code JUST to move the database. Drupal (software) is a drag.

It's really come close to giving up a couple times, but we're (he's) still at it.

“Faraway”
Rusty Burge/Steve Allee
Reviewed by Anthony Smith

Hi everyone, I'm playing a gig tomorrow in Paris
with the Bocle Bros. Keltic project and special guest
Anxo Lorenzo, a virtuoso Whistle and Galician Bagpipes from Spain

also Loic Bléjean on uilleann pipes & whistles; Simon Bernier on Drums
myself JB Boclé on Vibes, Mallet Kat & Organ & Gildas Boclé on bass.

all original music, some from our upcoming release, teaser here:

the concert is at 8pm and has no cover!:
June 18th
COLEGIO DE ESPAÑA

Just a reminder, I've got a cool community blog and website going, focused on jazz vibes in the NYC scene...

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nycjazzvibes

http://www.nycjazzvibes.com/BLOG.php

this week, check out Behn Gillece's new record, "Mindset," which is smoking! Behn is nothing short of a post-bop marvel on the vibes. If you want to study/understand modern, straight ahead vibes improvisation, transcribe Behn's solos! I encourage you to pick up the record and post a review at Amazon, like I have here (this will help Behn sell some more copies!):

Hey All,
For years I have wanted a marimba to play on occasional gigs and to have in my studio. But I didn't want a giant instrument that would take up a ton of room and I really didn't want to have to carry around a bunch of bars (at the two ends) that I only use occasionally.
The other day I had a Craigslist feeling and sure enough there was a 3 octave (interestingly G to G) Deagan Imperial for a few hundred bucks.