Notes on Jazz!

Ted is my first Jazz Piano teacher. Although he and I have been in touch over the years, we haven’t actually talked for quite a while. Recently, we have been communicating more frequently, and I invited him to do an interview with me. I will post it here and on my podcast, Notes on Jazz . As a result, I’m taking some more lessons! Ted has continued to develop his skills an...

Alan Hall is a great drummer and composer who has been living in Asheville, NC for the last few years. Alan and I met through Art Lande. Alan and Art have a years long musical and personal association and have played on several recordings together. Art was staying at Alan's home last year when he came to Asheville to perform. I had the good fortune to spend the day with them.  In this convers...

This is a spontaneously improvised thing that I thought you might like.  Remember, I'm available for performances and I'm available for private instruction online and in-person. Keith Davis Music  I am available for online or in person study. Reach out to me at: keith@keithdavismusic.com Keith Davis Music Check out my new Substack: Sound The Gong: Music and Movement

Jim Ridl is a great pianist! He's also a composer and bandleader and teacher. I recently had the pleasure of hearing him play at Furman University with the Tim Armacost Quintet. (I just interviewed Tim recently. See Ep 44.) I was particularly struck by Jim's touch and lyricism, by his command of harmony, and by his ability to improvise at length on a theme. He played a beautiful solo piano intro t...

Tim Armacost recently brought his quintet to Furman, where I serve as an adjunct instructor. I was blown away! First, the band was great, world class. What brought it all together though, was Tim's wonderful playing and writing, and the conceptual approach he brought to the organization of the music. The thing that most impresses me about Tim's playing, is that it is thoroughly modern and contempo...

Gary Versace is one of my favorite contemporary Jazz pianists. He's equally adept at playing organ and accordion, and he's a composer. Gary has taken over the piano chair in Maria Schneider's Orchestra, after the sad and sudden passing of our mutual friend, Frank Kimbrough. It's hard to imagine anyone else filling those huge shoes. Gary has played with so many of the current Jazz greats. I had the...

Johnathan Blake is one of the busiest drummers around these days. Besides being an amazingly talented drummer, he is also a composer and educator. He plays with all of the best musicians on today's scene. In this great conversation, we talk about Johnathan's experiences growing up in a musical household, through his education and early development, all the way up to his many and varied current pro...

Teddy Adams! One of my oldest friends. Teddy is the Elder Statesman of Jazz in Savannah, GA, which is also my birthplace. We've known each other since 1984. I've learned so much from our association, and been given so many great opportunites to play and grow as a musician. Teddy is a fine trombonist, composer, and bandleader, and now author. He has one published book about his musical life, and a...

Potential students often tell me that they just want to learn to play songs that they like. Recently, someone actually said to me, "I want to learn to play the songs that I like without having to read the sheet music". This is a skill that can be learned, and that's what this episode is about. Coming up soon, I will be offering a free challenge, which will be a two hour online class addressing thi...

Einoe! is a new tune that I just finished recently. It was first inspired by Art Lande. Art is one of my music heroes whom I had the pleasure of interviewing for this podcast. He was in Asheville a few months ago, and I got to spend the day with him talking about music and hearing him play a gig. He shared some of his compositions with me and talked about how he writes and how thinks about playing...

"They Say It's Spring", is a tune composed by Bob Haymes and Marty Clark, and recorded by the great vocalist/pianist Blossom Dearie. My friend  Kristen introduced me to this tune, and we are preparing it to play on some upcoming performances. I really like this tune. It's a traditional standard type of tune, but has a good melody and interesting harmony, and the lyrics are great, too. This is...

Ron Free is a great drummer! He's another old friend, who I've known for at least 35 years. Ron is from Charleston, SC, and his life story is fascinating. He tells that story in his recently published memoir, The Lamb and the Dove: Memoirs of a Jazz Drummer . Ron recounts his story from beginning to learn to play as a boy in Charleston, through his life in New York City in the 1950's, and on into...

Al Sergel is a master drummer/percussionist, composer, bandleader, and educator, among other things. He's also a great friend. I always look forward to the chance to play with Al, and this is a great conversation. He has lots of great things to share here about his experience, learning, teaching, performing. His energy is infectious and I know you'll dig it! Here's how to find him: Al Sergel I am...

Satoshi Takeishi is another old friend, who I'm happy to have here! Satoshi is a great drummer, percussionist, and composer. He has played, toured and recorded with lots of great musicians, including Ray Barretto, Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdes, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson, Eddie  Gomez, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Anthony Braxton, Mark Murphy,  Herbie Mann, Paul Winter Consort, Rabih Abu Khalil...

Thought I'd start putting some of my tunes up here for you to check out. This tune, Some September Sunday, I wrote last October...but seriously, I wrote it last September on a beautiful Sunday morning when I was getting ready to play at a memorial concert for a close musician friend who left us too soon and too suddenly. I woke up thinking about it on this beautiful August morning here in South Ca...

Sonny Emory is one of my oldest friends. He also happens to be a master drummer! When we were in college together, playing in the Jazz band, his dream was to play with Earth, Wind, and Fire. And he did it! Sonny currently tours with Eric Clapton, and also tours with Bruce Hornsby. His list of studio and performance credits is long and impressive. He's on a Steely Dan record, one of my favorite thi...

What's the most important thing to learn? I think it's preparing yourself to show up for that first gig, and be totally prepared for it. It means a lot more than just knowing all the bits and pieces, like scales, chords, technique, knowing tunes, etc. It covers all that and a lot more. This will be our first topic of conversation in this course and it will set the stage for all the other topics we...

Meet Martin Bejerano! Martin is an amazing pianist, composer and educator. He spent 20 years playing with the great Roy Haynes Trio. This band was nominated for a Grammy Award for the the recording, Fountain of Youth. He also played in Russell Malone's group for eight years. Along with these luminaries, Martin has played with a whole roster of Jazz greats. An award winning composer as well, Martin...

Here I talk about some of the students that I've helped to get into the Jazz program at their school. They all come to me from different backgrounds and with different interests. What they share is an interest in learning more about Jazz, but not only that. As you will hear, one student is a songwriter who wants to improve her writing and producing skills. One is particularly interested in Jazz. a...

Hi Parents and Students. I want to tell you about a new online program I will be offering. It's called Keys to Jazz Bootcamp. This program is for anyone who wants to learn to play Jazz! It's particularly designed for kids, middle school and high school age, who want to play in Jazz Band at school, or are trying to get into a school Jazz program , or just want to play music with their friends. You...

Rakalam Bob Moses is one of the most iconic drummers in our music. From his early recordings with Gary Burton (Dreams So Real is still one of my favorite records of all time), to the famous Pat Metheny recording, Bright Size Life, to his own uniquely beautiful recordings (Visit With the Great Spirit, When Elephants Dream of Music, and Devotion come to to mind immediately), Bob has presented us wit...

Hello Parents. Is your kid trying out for Jazz Band in the fall, or going into Jazz program at school? I offer online lessons to kids (and adults) who are learning to play Jazz. I would be happy to help your young student prepare for whatever kind of Jazz program they might be getting involved with at school. I have lots of experience both playing and teaching this music. There are several other e...

Marilyn Crispell is a an amazing pianist. She truly has her own voice in our music as a premiere figure in the Jazz "Avant Garde". Through her long association with legendary saxophonist/pianist/composer Anthony Braxton, and her own career as a leader, she has produced some of the most powerful and original music out there. My own favorites are her ECM recordings with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian,...

Are you a professional musician, or experienced amateur, but still feel like you have gaps in your knowledge that are holding you back? In this episode, I explore this in relation to one of my private students. He's an accomplished musician, but came to me looking for help in taking the next steps in his development. It makes for a very creative exchange between student and teacher. We're trying t...

Playing music is a blast! It's a blast for us as musicians, and it's a blast for our listeners. It's why we do it. Learning and practicing is fun, writing music is fun, listening is fun, rehearsing is fun, but actually performing  for an audience is why we do it. The energy exchange that happens when you're playing for people is really powerful. It can be a big crowd at a large venue, or play...