Fall in love with the bebop the lingua franca of modern jazz with Sean Conly
Someone might come across this listing for a bebop workshop, who might be new to playing jazz and think “This sounds exciting, I want to learn bebop, but what is it?” Bebop quite simply, is the lingua franca of modern jazz. Developed in the 1940’s through jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse, and was unleashed on the world by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and others. Bebop (or bop) remains decades later the lingua franca of modern jazz vocabulary, and signaled a shift from jazz as a popular music from the swing era to something more abstract. Sean Conly’s weekly bebop workshop will familiarize students with the inner workings of what makes this so essential to performing jazz.
Taught by veteran bassist Conly and taught at New York Jazz Workshop at 265 W. 37th street (on the corner of 37th st and 8th avenue) and conveniently located by Penn Station, the goal of the bebop workshop, open to intermediates is to play as much as possible. Bop concepts such as advanced harmony, how to play as a band, and interaction between all instruments are explored. Enduring classics from the likes of Monk, Powell, and Sonny Rollins will be analyzed. Students will be able to learn in an environment conducive to addressing strengths as well as honing weaknesses to make them stronger.
Today’s musicians require a diverse skillset for multiple genres. The New York Jazz Workshop offers many classes, intensives, private lessons in several boroughs: Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as Europe. Great musicianship knows no borders or genre.
I have been the staff writer for the New York Jazz Workshop School of Music blog in midtown Manhattan since 2014, and that has broadened my freelance writing skills considerably. In addition to writing artist bios, and articles of interest that pertain to the mission of the school, I have interviewed (in print on the site) legendary guitarist and NEA Jazz Master Pat Metheny, trumpeter Cuong Vu, and in 2015 embarked on producing a podcast for the school where I have achieved my dream and interviewed jazz giants such as Dave Liebman, Lenny White, rising talents like Thana Alexa, Logan Richardson, guitarist and bassist Brian Kastan, among others. I also work on SEO optimization for the blog. In 2015 I started my blog Jazz Views with CJ Shearn, and have written liner notes for 5 time Grammy winner and Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, Antonio Sanchez (for his latest recording “Channels of Energy”) and guitarist Gene Ess for his latest recording, scheduled to be released in November 2018.
My passion for jazz music is what drives me, which is an interest I’ve had since I can remember. I initially began writing about jazz at the age of 13 for my high school newspaper, and in my late teens contributed occasionally to jazzreview.com. In college I was member of the Harpur Jazz Project which brought jazz acts to campus. I’ve also contributed in the past to AllAboutJazz where I was mentored by John Kelman. I decided to focus on my passion for jazz music journalism after a job in the social services field as a caseworker went south, and as a person with a physical disability I work on going against the odds, living independently and having accomplished things people had said I’d never do.