Jerry Bergonzi

Developing a Jazz Language, is the sixth volume of Jerry Bergonzi's series, Inside Improvisation. Learning a language requires listening on many levels to the meanings, the sounds, the intentions, and the inflections or nuances of the language. The first chapters of this volume on learning the language of jazz focus on the prerequisites of chord scales, approach notes to chord tones and target notes, scale motives and sequences, and lines. Part two qualifies improvisational techniques into three areas; melodic, harmonic and sonic (rhythmic devices are the focus of Vol. IV, Melodic Rhythms) and it is designed as a menu of soloing devices from which you can select your personal course of study. Over 100 specific devices are discussed and conceptualized so as to give the improviser more depth of expression and a greater well from which to draw ideas. Among the numerous topics presented are: guide tones, voice leading, chord substitutions, three tonic system for composition, tritonics, hexatonics, tonal expansions, whole tone playing, augmented symmetric scales, double diminished scales, limited range and large range playing, shapes, blues melodies, accents, comping as a soloing device, common tones, articulations, laying back on the... The book includes free downloadable audio tracks of twelve standard chord progressions, each played in two different tempos.

This new book celebrates the creative plasticity of musical improvisation. Aimed at those who want to delve into the new dynamics with line phrases that help develop and strengthen their personal style as a performer. These line phrases have been produced from transcriptions with the Post-Bop Style applied by the virtuoso Jerry Bergonzi, with whom I have had the honor of sharing this and many of my works, receiving wonderful feedback that invites me to continue with these works, fueled by the creative impulse. These lines and exercises have been executed in 12 keys and, at the same time, rhythmically reconfigured and reinterpreted with my personal stamp, which responds to the notion that there are no fixed patterns. That interpretation is constantly evolving, moving us away from static and repetitive phrases that could stagnate or stifle our creative gene. This method can perfectly be applied to all instruments. It is written in 8th and 16th notes patterns and executed without a given key signature. An open concept that also provides exercises to promote linear, intervalic, ascending and descending execution. While this book can be a source of inspiration for many and their craft, it is an honor for me to dedicate hours of personal study as well as deciphering the language of Jerry Bergonzi to offer a new and organic tool as a contribution to universal jazz improvisation.

Jazz Pentatonics is for intermediate to advanced players wishing to expand theirmelodic and harmonic vocabulary. The music is in standard notation as well as tablature and audio is included in which the more difficult exercises are played at a slower as well as faster tempo. The audio was recorded with live drums, acoustic bass and guitar. All the exercises are included on the audio recording as well as play-along tracks that enable the student to play with a rhythm section.The book covers the minor 7, dominant 7, minor 7(b5) and major (b6) pentatonics and gives the student many etudes and exercises from which to draw improvisational ideas. Includes access to online audio.

A novel approach to jazz improvisation with 12 tones by the saxophonist John O ́Gallagher. The author is an active member of the New York avant-garde scene and a popular workshop lecturer. His new method combines jazz harmonies and twelve-note melodies into an exciting new tonal language. The edition is completed by numerous exercises for all instruments.

The intervallic system presented in Inside Improvisation Series, Vol. 5: Thesaurus of Intervallic Melodies is a means for creating original lines and themes. Each page concentrates on three, four, or five specific intervals. Combining these intervals with all of the possibilities for moving in ascending or descending direction creates an infinite variety of very distinctive melodies. The play-along disc includes 19 tunes and eight vamps for productive practice. English/German Edition.

This practical and enlightening book gives insight into almost every aspect of jazz musicianship---scale/chord theory, composing techniques, analyzing tunes, practice strategies, etc. For any level of player, on any instrument. Endorsed by Jessica Wiliams, Jerry Bergonzi, Bill mays, etc.

Body & Soul, a song with music by Johnny Green and lyrics by Frank Eyton, Edward Heyman, and Robert Sour, was first published in 1930. It became a popular tune for jazz musicians. This volume presents transcriptions and analyses of recorded solos by Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Michael Brecker, and Chris Potter. With a foreword by Chris Potter.

Jazz from Detroit explores the city’s pivotal role in shaping the course of modern and contemporary jazz. With more than two dozen in-depth profiles of remarkable Detroit-bred musicians, complemented by a generous selection of photographs, Mark Stryker makes Detroit jazz come alive as he draws out significant connections between the players, eras, styles, and Detroit’s distinctive history. Stryker’s story starts in the 1940s and ’50s, when the auto industry created a thriving black working and middle class in Detroit that supported a vibrant nightlife, and exceptional public school music programs and mentors in the community like pianist Barry Harris transformed the city into a jazz juggernaut. This golden age nurtured many legendary musicians—Hank, Thad, and Elvin Jones, Gerald Wilson, Milt Jackson, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, and others. As the city’s fortunes change, Stryker turns his spotlight toward often overlooked but prescient musician-run cooperatives and self-determination groups of the 1960s and ’70s, such as the Strata Corporation and Tribe. In more recent decades, the city’s culture of mentorship, embodied by trumpeter and teacher Marcus Belgrave, ensured that Detroit continued to incubate world-class talent; Belgrave protégés like Geri Allen, Kenny Garrett, Robert Hurst, Regina Carter, Gerald Cleaver, and Karriem Riggins helped define contemporary jazz. The resilience of Detroit’s jazz tradition provides a powerful symbol of the city’s lasting cultural influence. Stryker’s 21 years as an arts reporter and critic at the Detroit Free Press are evident in his vivid storytelling and insightful criticism. Jazz from Detroit will appeal to jazz aficionados, casual fans, and anyone interested in the vibrant and complex history of cultural life in Detroit.