First run through of Society Red. Very stiff, but it got better!

The title track to my first “Cubist” CD opens with an African Balafon vamp using 4 heavy mallets. The melody is played on glockenspiel, with other percussion layered inside. The tune features Indian rhythmic cadences called “tihai” that I play on tabla, clay drum and vocals. The great Randy Roos plays guitar and bass.

Beautiful isn't it?

Did I post this already???? Damn!

I like this. We talk about a lot of notes. Here is a lot of notes, but I love the playing, the interaction and all the vibistic stuff. The instrument kind of sings in a way. The pedal work is great and add phenomenal dampening and pedaling and this is some great stuff. I wonder what Methany thinks. I watch his face during the solos. Gary is very busy. Does he dig it? I would imagine he does.

What do you guys think??

Applying the solo vibraphone technique of Dual Function LH over Rhythm Changes with Charlie Parker's composition "Anthroplogy". Gary Burton taught me this technique way back when I studied with him in the 70s at Berklee College of Music. I was revisiting this technique while working on my solo vibraphone book. It's a nice technique that allows us to play two handed lines while also keeping some left hand accompaniment going under the lines. Regarding the concept, we play lines between the two hands.

by Jimmy Van Heusen

More from a series of solos I recorded in early August with an old design of leather mallets. Working on a new mallet design that I'm hoping to share with the world.

Pretty cool!

Improvising with Upper Structure Triads on “Have You Met Miss Jones” – I was working with a few of the students today on utilizing Upper Structure Triads along with one passing/approach note. The extra note can add more possibilities in creating lines as well as adding interesting notes and additional color. For example, the Db triad (with the b6), sounds the 9 and #9 over the Gb Maj 7th chord in the bridge. Most often using only the three notes of the triad can be very limiting. I uploaded the lead sheet along with the USTs that we were using today.

Check out Dewey Square. It's a Parker tune. It's an AABA tune where there's no melody on the bridge, so you have to solo. I did a chord melody on the A Sections. You figure out something for the bridge. I can help if you are stuck. I played it and talked about it here.