“Bluesette” by the great Toots Thielemans from Brussels who passed in 2016 at the age of 94. I’m a big fan of Toots and his beautiful harmonica playing. I’m improvising here on his most famous song with a focus on using the top three mallets along with a few improv concepts. I think it’s important when practicing to isolate the parameters and techniques/concepts. My students and I will work in the lessons this way with good results. Gary Burton did the same with me when I was studying with him.

So, in this chapter of mic wars, there is a clear winner and it is not the mics or the signal path. It is the Omega vibraphone. Tony brought his over to my place and we recorded a couple of short passes so I could work out some kinks in some of my new recording hardware without playing at the same time. The nearly complete lack of noise, the beautiful pure tone of the instrument, and Tony's playing together gave a perfect backdrop to test the mics, because all the tests sounded good.

Here's the gear involved...

Since we're talking about chord melodies I thought I'd play a tune that I love to play. Since it's a ballad I can do a rubato kind of thing and take my time!

Are you working on a tune? Post it here and let me see a chord melody/solo tune from you.

Tarang means “wave” — the flowing wave of sound. This improvisation features 6 high tabla drums played in a melodic style like a raga. From my recent CD "Crafty Hands."

Hi All,

by Henry Mancini