Ron Carter Esperanza Spalding - Downbeat

Jamey Abersold’s Jazz Guitar Volume 1
New Tools for Jazz School
Jamey Aebersold is a pioneer in the field of
jazz education and one the most prolific publishers
of instructional materials in the world.
Aebersold has dedicated himself to teaching
the fundamentals of jazz improvisation and
his book How To Play Jazz And Improvise has
gained international acclaim, helping countless
aspiring musicians take their first steps into
the complex world of jazz. Based on his highly
successful improvisation method, Aebersold
has released Jazz Guitar Volume 1, a new version
of the How To Play Jazz And Improvise
book rewritten specifically for guitarists.
Jazz guitarist Corey Christiansen is responsible
for adapting the book for guitar. As with
all Jamey Aebersold Jazz publications, Jazz
Guitar Volume 1 includes a companion CD featuring
Christiansen plus a world-class rhythm
section providing backing tracks for the various
exercises in the book. In true Aebersold style,
there is a strong emphasis on fundamentals;
patience, practice and diligence are all stressed.
Major scales are the first challenge presented in
the book, which are laid out in various fingerings
and also shown in the two most commonly
used modes, Dorian and Mixolydian. Play-along
exercises are next, and the student is run
through a series of drills beginning with simple
whole-note scales played over minor-seventh
chords. As the book moves along, the complexity
is gradually increased as new scales, modes,
melodic phrases and rhythms are introduced in
order to develop both fretboard mastery and
the player’s ear.
Throughout the book, there is a strong
emphasis on playing over chord changes, introducing
some basic jazz theory and presenting
some solid examples in print and on the CD.
There is no doubt that these exercises, along
with the numerous insightful tips offered by
Aebersold, are a highly effective learning tool
for the aspiring jazz guitarist.
For those looking to develop their chording
skills, Jamey Aebersold Jazz has also released
Easy Jazz Guitar, which focuses primarily on
chord voicings. Utilizing standard tunes, this
book-and-CD package presents sample chord
arrangements for both straight rhythm playing
as well as comping. —Keith Baumann
Ordering info: jazzbooks.com
Korg Kronos
Do-it-all Hardware Synth
The Kronos grew directly out of Korg’s flagship
Oasys workstation, and in many ways
has eclipsed its venerable ancestor at a more
affordable price point.
Like the Oasys, the Kronos is based around
Korg’s HD1 synthesis engine, which combines
sample-based synthesis with wave sequencing,
but it also contains seven other synth expansion
instruments that you can mix and match to create
the most diverse palette available in any hardware
synth today. It’s designed to be expandable,
not only in libraries, but in completely new
engines. Kronos X, released this summer, adds
some RAM and a larger SSD; owners of the original
Kronos can upgrade fully to the new model.
The HD1 engine is deep and complex,
although it’s fairly easy to use. But let’s look at the
other included expansions. The SGX-1 Premium
Piano expansion includes a non-looped multisampled
Steinway D and a Yamaha C7, both of
which sound incredible, and are treated in various
ways to offer 32 presets that you can edit further
to create that one piano tone that you love.
The EP1 instrument models electromechanical
keyboards and includes three Rhodes and
three Wurli varieties. It has a full array of amazing-sounding
amps and effects to put them
through, too. I wish there had been a few other
flavors to build on, but I cannot complain about
the tones. Then we come to the AL1 virtual analogue
synth. This synth engine can generate
some convincing and fat analog-type sounds,
but it is not for the timid user—with so may
choices, it can be hard to dial things in quickly.
Thankfully, Korg has included a ton of great
sounds that can get you started.
The STR1 plucked string synth models all
manner of plucked, hammered and bowed
instruments—everything from violin to clav to
sitar. This is an area where Korg had really taken
a step forward, as nothing in the company’s lineup
outside of the Oasys could sound like this
before. The MOD7 is a modular synth that has
a strong basis in FM synthesis but incorporates
sampling and waveshaping, along with additive
and subtractive synthesis. This may be the most
unique and deep aspect of the Kronos altogether.
Korg also includes its most recent incarnation
of the CX3 engine, which sounds very good
as clonewheels go, and you can use the front
panel sliders as drawbars. Lastly, the vintage
sounds do not end at the AL1, as Korg has included
the MS20EX and PolySixEX instruments. As
a former PolySix owner, I spent hours tinkering
with it—and it sounds just like I remember.
There are simply too many functions of the
Kronos to list. I haven’t even mentioned the full
Karma 2 arpeggiator/performance generator,
the full sampler, the 16-track hard-disk recorder,
the well-designed sequencing engine, or the
myriad of great-sounding effects available on the
Kronos—not to mention that it can function as
a MIDI and audio interface for your computer.
The only drawback is that it takes a long time for
it to start up—a pretty small complaint considering
all the Kronos does once it’s powered up.
Consider this a quick overview to illustrate
how amazing this synth is in preparation for a
review of the expanded Kronos X in the near
future. I would recommend this board to any
serious player or programmer who wants a do-itall
workstation that will last a long time.
—Chris Neville
Ordering info: korg.com
DECEMBER 2012 DOWNBEAT 107