This past summer I recorded some of my favorite standards as individual tracks and strung them together in a number of “mini-concerts.” This second video in the series features three ballads: Everything I Have is Yours (Burton Lane), I Thought About You (Jimmy Van Heusen), and My One and Only Love (Guy Wood).

Here is my December 2018 Mini Concert performed on my Deagan 580 (narrow bar) Vibraharp. I made two versions with different mallets. The posted version is with Tony's soft 46Rs. The attached version is with Mike Balter 23Rs.

I think the vibes sound really great in a church, and after playing a couple things at my friend's wedding this summer I decided I'd like to develop some wedding repertoire. So...for my mini concert I recorded arrangements I'm making for two standard weddings pieces. Didn't feel ready to play them in concert, but yet here they are!

Two songs, You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You, and Moonglow. 2X each. Love to play the Omega when I get the chance.

I'm playing I Love's You Porgy and Falling Grace.

I love doing mini concerts because of the challenge of playing 2 or 3 tunes without stopping.

No matter what level you are at, try doing this. Even if it's just the melody to two tunes. It's great practice!

Improvising on “All The Things You Are” using chord tone soloing along with one tension. For the Major and Minor chords, I’m using only tension 9 and either 9 or b9 for the Dom 7 chords. In most cases, I’m using the b9. The improv can also incorporate other tensions like the 11 and 13 as well as diatonic and chromatic approach notes. This is a fundamental and valuable improv technique covered in Volume One of The Complete Guide to Improvisation. The concept allows us to clearly sound the changes since most of the notes are chord tones.

4-octave pentatonic Balafon from Burkina Faso. Solo concert at a club in Cambridge, MA. Just jamming with energy and groove, and adhering to the 3-minute maximum youtube required in the early days. Cheers!