Skip to main content

Scandinavian Scenes (Malletkat)

hey, long time since i´ve been posting something.i´m busy doing a new program with my duo partner on sax and we added an actor who is reading poetry. this is just a part of a very long complex tune and i left out the poetry because it´s in german only. i only play the malletkat and it´s just very simple but perfect to create atmosphere.

hope you like it...
tarik

Sassy Samba, a Jimmy Heath tune

This tune is a tribute to Sara Vaughn. I've always loved it, but as far as I can tell it never really made it into the popular fake books. A friend of mine transcribed it back in the the late 1970s. I recorded this version for piano and marimba a few years ago.

The form is kinda long and a lot of fun to improvise on. It's usually done in even 8ths. I checked Youtube and found several covers by a variety of great jazz players. There are also lyrics for the melody, although I don't know who wrote them.

A lead sheet is included.

Here's a great treat from vibist Joe Doubleday

Joe Doubleday was an early subscriber on the site. He used to post his gigs when he was in high school and just beginning on vibes.

His mom was an airline stewardess so he would fly around the country for free taking lessons off of vibe players and fly home later in the day. Amazing!

Fast forward 8 years and he's graduated Berklee and Juliard and is a great vibe player! He did a cd with a really great clarinetist.

He said I could post a Soundcloud link to the CD for Vibesworkshop Subscribers to check out. It's great!

8 Weeks of Ballads - Sentimental Mood - Skating

So here's the deal.

I wrote an etude of all eighth notes. It's important for us to be able to weave through the changes, up and down and up and down. It's important for us to move the line in seconds. We do it much more easily with 3rds, but 2nds is where the magic happens.

  • If you're going to do this right, write in the changes and study the lines.
  • Play the etude down.
  • Memorize the etude completely.
  • Throw away the music.
  • Play the etude in other keys.
  • Smile at how much you've learned