That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

seconds, filling the space behind a melody or solo. A guitarist can play each
chord in several positions on the neck, so he can place it in the low, middle,
or upper range of the musical spectrum. He can play chords using anywhere
from two to six strings, depending on how much texture or sound he needs.
He can also play a melody or counter-melody along with a saxophonist, trumpeter,
or singer, which adds another musical dimension.
Some of my favorite jazz guitar music comes from small groups where the
guitarist is the featured player, filling many roles at once, and especially on
solo albums, where the instrument’s full potential is realized. Here are a few
albums for serious guitar-heads (like me):
� Barney Kessel: Solo (Concord): Kessel was a great rhythm guitarist and
a phenomenal improviser. On this recording, his multi-talents come
together without any other instruments in the way of his brilliant sound.
� Joe Pass: Virtuoso (Pablo): Wow, can this man play. This recording
stands as an all-time great testimony to the potential of jazz guitar, as
Pass transforms the instrument into a one-man group on great tunes
such as “Cherokee,” “How High the Moon,” and “Stella by Starlight.”
� The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow (Polygram): On this late ’50s trio
session, Farlow showed his stuff on songs such as “Yardbird Suite” and
the romantic “Taking a Chance on Love.”
Pound Away: Percussion
Chapter 4: Tools of the Trade: The Instruments of Jazz
On cymbals, drums, vibraphones, and handheld accessories, percussionists
provide the pulse that keeps jazz moving. They strike surfaces with sticks
and mallets to produce sounds that contrast with the smoother, flowing
sound of bass, guitar, piano, and wind instruments. I cover different percussion
instruments in the following sections.
Drums through the ages
A good drummer is a jazz band’s glue. While bass players (or tubas or trombones
in early jazz bands) anchor the beat, the drummer has a multi-purpose
role: Utilizing his bass drum pedal, he can emphasize the beat, but he can
also embellish it with accents or bass drum kicks. Using an array of drums,
cymbals, and accessories, the drummer fills in with accents, flourishes, rolls,
cymbal crashes, and rhythmic combinations.
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