Saturday, February 11, 2012

Learn Piano Songs For Jazz - 5 Quick Tips

Anyone can learn piano songs for jazz, especially if you take the time to really listen, appreciate, and dissect the characteristics of this upbeat style of music. Some would think it's a really hard style to master, and they could be right. However, jazz can also be considered the most expressive, emotional, and customizable style you can play on the piano.

The beauty of jazz songs translates even more in the ability of pianists to change their speed and style. This leaves plenty of room for jazz pianists to experiment and improvise on the same song, later creating a totally new yet familiar sound.

If you've been playing the piano for a while now, you may have always wanted to learn piano songs for jazz but were just too intimidated by it. You're definitely not alone. You should know, however, that once you start familiarizing yourself with common jazz melodies, rhythms, and harmonies, you'll have so much fun playing it.

Here are some piano-playing tips and tricks which you'll need to become a really good jazz musician:

1. Utilize your hearing. Jazz pianists rely heavily on their sense of hearing. As you start off and learn piano songs for jazz, it could all be about mastering standard dotted notes and chord progressions. But as time goes on, you need to have sharp listening skills to improve and create even more beautiful music.

Developing an ear for jazz isn't as complicated as you might imagine. Start by exposing yourself to jazz music and listening to the many jazz piano greats that have produced countless of moving masterpieces. Take a load of both contemporary and legendary jazz pianists so you can appreciate, compare, and even hone on their individual styles. As you discover the artists and songs that appeal more to you, you can take note of their commonalities and maybe even infuse them in your own style of playing as you progress.

2. Familiarize yourself with common jazz rhythms and harmonic structures. Jazz music certainly uses a lot of eighth notes, dotted notes, and seventh chords to give it flavor and a rather distinctive quality. Now, depending on where in the piece you often use them and how fast or slow you go, you can end up with a rock feel, a blues feel, or a swing feel. Getting familiar with these characteristics will definitely help you learn piano songs fast.

3. Master the 12 major scales. Reading sheet music may appear boring to some, but it is essential in playing piano well. Knowing basic piano theories, scales, and chord progressions will make learning to play jazz piano really effortless.

4. Consider signing up for a short jazz piano course to learn piano songs. More often than not, learning can be a lot faster if you have the right teacher. If you don't have the luxury of attending prestigious music schools, a quick jazz piano tutorial or online piano course ought to do the trick.

5. Experiment. Don't hesitate to add a little of your own style to the music you make. After all, that's what jazz is really about - spontaneous, passionate self-expression and rhythmic music that's inviting to other listeners as well.

There's certainly more to mastering jazz, but with these 5 quick tips in mind, you'll find it much easier to learn piano songs and even have fun doing it.


Best Jazz Christmas Music

Send Jazz Christmas greetings and give your friends a holiday delight for the season. There is nothing as pleasing as Christmas jazz music playing soft and subtle on a winters evening. Get jazz downloads on your mp3 player, iPod, computer, or your phone, so many ways to listen to great jazz Christmas songs. Jazz download options are all over the web with easy applications, making melodious music available for everyone. Jazz Christmas music sets off the season of celebration and reflection. Best jazz songs are smooth and easy creating any mood the listener wants, celebrate or think of old times and this silky music will take you there.

Listen to jazzy music in the car, in your garage, your bedroom or while out on a run. There is no special time for this listening pleasure. Sounds of Christmas are heavily described by this line of melody. With jazz you love to listen to every note, the ups and downs and the emphasis on the notes that make you remember, the season, the day, and what you were doing at the time you heard the son. This music helps to organize your memories,the smells and sounds of Christmas. Any time you want to harvest your recollections turn on a jazzy sound and it will take you back to what ever point of time you chose.

Use these great songs for telephone ring tones. Get really creative and build an intercom system and fill your house with jazz tunes. Tunes are good for long drives and working on a busy day, they keep you focused and moving in the direction you want to go.

People all over listen to great music, there is no special social group, and listening is a special treasure. Some tunes are so popular once you hear the first few notes you know the song. Television Shows have made a fortune off the love people have for music. Now, downloads are so simple to get and to listen to whether you want to get one or only a few.

Picture your favourite jazz song for Christmas and download it to your MP3 player use it the whole holiday season and even after. There will be no commercials interrupting your listening and no scratchy noises, only the music; this is the beauty of download. With great songs keeping fit is easier usually the body will get busy from the beat or you will relax all together. Melodies are soothing or exhilarating, and you get to decide with the songs you choose.

Everyone knows music has the power to make you happy or sad, it can help get a person through a bad situation or it can help you come to grips with life. Music is a special gift and it is available at very reasonable prices, and yes, much of it is still free but there are times when you want a particular piece, this is when getting music sent to your mechanical gadgets is helpful. Getting the music you want for the holiday season does not have to wait; get it when you want.

Jazz Music: History of Jazz Music in Kansas City

From its beginnings as nothing more than a simple trading post on the banks of the Missouri river, to its raucous heyday in the 1920's and 30's, Kansas City has retained the independent spirit of its frontier beginnings. Even though an assortment of colorful characters, cowboys, politicians, criminals, and even wagon trains populate the history of Kansas City, you can forget everything you've ever heard about it being a "cow town." Today, the outgrowth of that colorful history and frontier spirit radiates energetically throughout the city
and its populace.

Widely regarded as the birthplace of Jazz. KC's early reputation as a "wide-open, anything goes" city captivated and allured the musical performers of the day. It's central location and ease of access via rail were the other components which induced this musical migration. Kansas City became a haven for musicians and fans alike.

The musicians, who interpreted their experiences in KC's permissive environment through their music, were also creating the elastic techniques and musical license, which remain at the heart of Jazz today. The hub of this development was the
18th and Vine district. Many legendary musicians, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Turner and Charlie Parker to name a few, made their way to Kansas City. Their connection to one another and to the Kansas City "scene" brought about a unique musical expansion which enriched the city's history and initiated the genesis of Jazz.

Kansas City's affiliation with Jazz is celebrated daily at the American Jazz Museum
in the 18th and Vine District and nightly at clubs and restaurants throughout the city.
Live Jazz and Blues are still an important part of the Kansas City entertainment and nightlife scene.

Kansas City's early sports history, specifically its affiliation with Negro League Baseball, is showcased in detail at the Negro League Baseball Museum.

Also located at the 18th and Vine District, the museum documents the history of Negro League Baseball from its beginnings in the mid 1800's, to its demise in the 1960's. If you are interested in this facet of the histoy of baseball, a visit to this museum is highly recommended.

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Paul Hardcastle "Hardcastle 4" Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

Paul Hardcastle, the richly talented Smooth Jazz artist has released his latest CD titled Hardcastle 4 and Wow! It's really a good one.

I wish it weren't the case but, it's not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can't force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Hardcastle 4. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Hardcastle 4 has a pleasantly varied, mix of 13 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly talented artist.

Paul Hardcastle is one of those musicians that it's really a treat to be able to listen to.

Overall Hardcastle 4 is outstanding from beginning to end. One of those CDs that after a few listens the songs are just etched into your memory. A must have for the Smooth Jazz fan. Really sensational from beginning to end.

While this entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 2, Freefall, track 3, Smooth Jazz Is Bumpin, track 4, Keeping It Real.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 9, Where Are You Now. Outstanding!

Hardcastle 4 Release Notes:

Paul Hardcastle originally released Hardcastle 4 on Jul 12, 2005 on the Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Serene

2. Freefall

3. Smooth Jazz Is Bumpin

4. Keeping It Real

5. Moments In Time

6. Was It Love

7. Midnight Moon

8. Eastern Winds

9. Where Are You Now

10. Straight Ahead

11. Time To Reflect

12. Journey Of The Lost Tribes

13. Untitled - (hidden track)

Personnel: Paul Hardcastle (keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Maxine Hardcastle (vocals); Adam Drake (guitar); Snake Davis, Scott Brooker (saxophone).


Where Can I Hear Live Jazz Music?

Jazz is a dying breed of music. Today's genre of music has drifted from the classics and ran towards rap, pop, and rock and roll. Jazz will never be forgotten though. Jazz music is some of the greatest American music to this day.*The other day I was wondering where I can hear live jazz music? So I did some investigating to find out some options for those classic jazz lovers.

Jazz is still popular world wide, but you have to really look in some areas to find what you are looking for. Some times it is just best to go back to where jazz grew up. Get back to the roots of music itself to find some great jazz classics. Kansas City, Boston, and New Orleans are three major cities that pride themselves on their great jazz clubs. At these clubs you can hear live performances of originally made jazz music and live renditions of your favorite jazz artists from the past. Jazz clubs are a great place to have a few drinks and just step into a time machine. Jazz music is music with a soul of its own and gave birth to many new styles of music today.

Others have asked me, "Where can I live jazz music without leaving the house?" This is a very good question and not to difficult to answer either. If you want to hear the live styles of your favorite jazz musicians you can always look up some great jazz stations on your radio. It may not be as great as hearing them live and in person, but you can still hear great live performances from the comfort of your own home. Some of these radio stations can really bring jazz to life and by closing your eyes you can actually feel like you are at a true jazz concert with your favorite oldies.

Jazz is a style of music that really moves people. It is really catchy and great to move your feet to. A lot of major cities in America have areas commemorated to the time of jazz. In Chicago, one of my favorite places where I can hear live jazz music, you can hear great musicians playing jazz on nearly every street corner. Jazz has a lot of heart and will never really die and definitely will never be forgotten. You can find people on corners with their saxophone case open on the sidewalk as people leave donations while they play away the blues.

Jazz will forever go down in history as one of the greatest styles of music ever created. As long as America still knows music jazz clubs will always be around. These clubs have become a shrine to the greats who started jazz and help keep these greats close to the heart of America. So the next time someone asks you, "Where can I hear live jazz music?" You can say, "Just around the corner."


Brian Culbertson "It's On Tonight" Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

Oh My Goodness!!!

These three words perfectly express what I think of Brian Culbertson's seductively titled "It's On Tonight" CD.

This CD, although mostly containing songs completely without lyrics, comes extremely close to being explicit. I mean it just drips track after seductive track with some of the most intensely suggestive smooth jazz music you'll ever hear.

It starts off HOT with track 1, Let's Get Started and only gets hotter.

Track 4, Sensuality, he should have just flat out named "Sex". It's that good.

These days it's a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs.

Smooth Jazz music fans will recognize some of the well known guests that have been assembled to play along with Culbertson on several of the tracks. Artists like Boney James, Kirk Whalum and the incomparable Chris Botti just to name a few.

Fans of smooth vocalists will enjoy the contributions made by Will Downing, Patti Austin and Marc Nelson to songs on this CD as well.

If you're a Brian Culbertson fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don't even have to be a fan of Culbertson, or even smooth jazz to know is good. It's just good music. Period.

The standout tunes are The Way You Feel [track 5], Dreaming of You [track 7], and Secret Affair [track 9]. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 4, Sensuality. Wow! Be very careful who you're in the room with when you press play on this one. Unless of course...

You were warned.

Release Notes:

This CD was originally released July 26, 2005 on the GRP Records label.

CD track list follows:

1. Let's Get Started

2. Hookin' Up

3. It's On Tonight

4. Sensuality

5. The Way You Feel

6. Forbidden Love

7. Dreaming Of You

8. Wear It Out

9. Secret Affair

10. Touch Me

11. Love Will Never Let You Down

12. Reflections


Jazz Music and Its Significance in US History

Jazz music which is thought to be an art creation of the American blacks during the early decades of the twentieth century has bedn an important subject of the social history of US. It gained popularity not only as an art form but it also helped the hapless blacks, who were the offspring of the enslaved African origin blacks brought into America by the white settlers to exploit them for their labor needs, to gain a social standing through the power of music. They, with the help of influential jazz music, brought to limelight the miseries that they are suffering because of the racial hatred.

Initially the jazz music flourished in the South American region. New Orleans was especially very dear to this art. From there it traveled to all parts of America. In the beginning years there was strong resistance seen on the part of whites who could not see the blacks progressing in some field. But despite all their malicious efforts to suppress the jazz music being spread into society, they themselves were vanquished by its influence. It made itself as a hallmark of the US culture. Whites and immigrants from other regions of world were seen getting into this music.

The music when adopted by people from different ethnic backgrounds living in the multicultural society of US groomed further and many other variations were developed of it. All these happenings with the jazz were signifying the growing influence of the Negroes. The lyrics of their songs, especially the improvisation technique used in the Jazz which allows the singer to sing without even the tune, were expressive of their true emotions and their social sufferings on being the isolated and neglected portion of the society. It, in a sense, played a considerable role in reducing the racial differences. Other people of different ethnicities also used it to raise their voice.

Jazz was setting its roots in the music landscape and became popular in all people. Because of its rapid development people started calling it the rise of 'Jazz Culture' in America.

It was just after the end of slavery in US the Jazz music started to grow. The slave trade, though it was ended by the American law, had profound effects for the US society. It generated a milieu of hatred for blacks toward whites and vice versa. This legacy had to last for generations and according to the recent studies there is still a huge tendency of racism that exist in American people. In addition to this there were immigrants from other regions of the world that further amplified the diversity and nationalistic feelings among people who were now living together in the multi-ethnic society of US. In such an atmosphere the empowerment of blacks through the help of their arts movements was a historic marvel. It was not just music that was their sole part of the black arts movement. Other genres of art like poetry, fiction, fashion were also distinctively used by them

In the city of New Orleans where the Jazz music was born there was a peculiar tradition among people. During the funerals the people were consoled by these jazz singers who used to play funeral songs that soothed the family and friends of the dead person. This practice was becoming more and more prominent and was taking a shape of a must element of funeral processions. Moreover the people of New Orleans were very fond of holding music parties, concerts, balls,etc. that further paved the way for jazz to get fame among people. In this way the city of New Orleans mushroomed jazz culture and is therefore called the mother city of jazz music. One of the most famous and much cherished jazz singer Louis Armstrong also belonged to that place.

From New Orleans Jazz was entering into the boundaries of New York and Chicago. These cities also proved to be welcoming for it. So large was becoming its influence that many recording companies, who initially were not providing equal opportunity to black artists to record their albums, started to give access to these jazz singers to prepare their albums in the recording houses. That rapidly boosted the growth of jazz music. Firstly the recording companies which were mainly owned by whites were skeptic that the jazz would be liked by the greater masses.