Here's a great video of Joe playing 'Available in Blue'. A beautiful tune!

Here's a really quick and simple 4 mallet version of invitation.

I talk about coming up with a quick version of the tune that fits with the melody, just something to get you going. Here's a version of that. Just really simple.

I would use this if you're having trouble coming up with your own version.

This is a great week! After getting fresh news of Emil Richards, we are honored by some recent and cool "postcard" of Bobby Hutcherson! And they could hardly be fresher, as it was taken during the Monterey Jazz Festival which took place this week end!

I got the chance to come across this great picture through Facebook this time. And beside the Master is not less than journalist Leroy Downs, "The Jazz Cat". If you look at the newbies, LeRoy even joined the site!

I just happened across this and I thought it was too cool! Needless to say, I want one :)

He's got a few other videos up too if you like it.

A cliché Tony pointed out inspired me on this post: "Accordion is old fashion. People make easily fun of it".

Like most people, I used to think so… up to the day I met some French masters. With Gary we talked about Astor Piazzola and French Richard Galiano. I'd like to present you two other masters from my country.

Francis Varis:
He used to teach in a school near my home, where a good friend made me know him. He plays with guitarist Titi Robin, a multi-instrumentist, specialised in "eastern" guitars like oud, bouzouk…

Hi Tony!

I've been messing around with Lou Reed's song Perfect Day and tried to do a jazz interpretation of the harmonic progressions but I got in trouble with the Fmaj and Dm bar.

Am/D7/Gmaj/Cmaj would be a II/V/I/VI progression in Gmaj.

I tried to use a Fmaj scale for soloing over the next two bars F(maj)/Dm as this would be a I/VI progression in Fmaj but this does not sound good.

So maybe you can give me a tip which scale to use on the three bars F(maj)/Dm/E7?

12 kEYS!!!!!!!

Here's me and Randy Sutin playin at the vibe hang Sept. 19th, 2009.

The thing I like about this is that it's 2 vibes together and it doesn't sound horrible! I've heard and played some duets that were terrible, from the aspect of the instruments. But I thought this sounded cool. I was surprised.

Also Randy plays great and is a great musician. So that's cool. He knows what to play and when.

FYI - I have the brighter sticks. Randy plays the melody and solos first. We had technical difficulties in the beginning of the tune so I was running back and forth for a second.

Here's lesson 4.

Hi all,

French vibist Jean-Michel Davis, an old pal of Joe, is among my myspace friends. Some weeks ago, I came across a pic of him w/ Emil Richards: he had recently visited him!

Emil, whose guest found in great health, nicely gave his agreement for posting one of those pix on vibesworkshop.

So, here he is: the smiling, sparkling, shining Emil Richards, taken by Jean-Michel last July in his home, in front of his incredible "octave vibraphone" with double head mallets!