Educational Resources
Jazz for Piano by David Sharp
Whether you're a pianist, guitarist, saxophonist, bassist, or drummer, this comprehensive resource offers deep insights into the harmonic structures, rhythmic concepts, and chord progressions that define jazz. While many examples include piano voicings, the analytical approach applies to any instrument and any musician seeking to understand the language of jazz at a deeper level.
Explore detailed analyses of compositions and solos by masters including Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Nichols, McCoy Tyner, and many others who shaped the evolution of jazz from the 1940s through the 1970s and beyond.
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Blue Note Records @ 75: By CJ Shearn
Jazz Nerd June 17, 2014
Blue Note Records, now celebrating its 75th year, has always been a label that has been important in my listening […]
Small Group Jazz Performances: Part VI
Jazz Nerd June 1, 2014
Read Part V here. The time period of 1945-1965 contains four distinct stylistic shifts– bebop, cool jazz, hard bop and […]
Small Group Jazz Performances: Part V
Jazz Nerd May 15, 2014
Read Part IV here The time period of 1945-1965 contains four distinct stylistic shifts– bebop, cool jazz, hard bop and […]
Three Times Three: A Conversation with Antonio Sanchez by CJ Shearn
Jazz Nerd May 2, 2014
When one thinks of creativity, musicality, passion, and consistent challenge, the name of drummer Antonio Sanchez comes to mind. Since […]
Small Group Jazz Performances: Part IV
Jazz Nerd April 28, 2014
Read Part III. The time period of 1945-1965 contains four distinct stylistic shifts– bebop, cool jazz, hard bop and the […]
Dizzy Gillespie
Jazz Nerd April 20, 2014
In the nearly one hundred years of recorded jazz, it’s challenging to think about what innovations sounded like at the […]
Charlie Christian
Jazz Nerd April 8, 2014
Charlie Christian brought electric guitar to the forefront of jazz. Today, when electric guitar is so commonplace with distortion, synthesizers […]
Small Group Jazz Performances: Part III
Jazz Nerd March 25, 2014
Read Part II. The time period of 1945-1965 contains four distinct stylistic shifts– bebop, cool jazz, hard bop and the […]
Small Group Jazz Performances: Part II
Jazz Nerd March 16, 2014
Read Part I . Here are four more important small group jazz performances in recorded history. Lennie Tristano: Wow (Capitol, […]
Small Group Jazz Performances: Part I
Jazz Nerd March 11, 2014
This entry begins a series on small group performances in jazz history which are milestones for fans, and musicians. Many […]
Charlie Parker
Jazz Nerd March 5, 2014
Very few artists in jazz have had the impact of Charlie “Bird” Parker. “Bird” changed the music dramatically, and like […]
Marc Mommaas’ “Irreversible Momentum” by CJ Shearn
Jazz Nerd February 28, 2014
Marc Mommaas is a multifaceted saxophonist, and jazz educator who is free of boundaries; freedom is the very essence of […]