Saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter has not only left his footprints on our musical terrain, he has created a body of work that is a monument to artistic imagination. Throughout Shorter's extraordinary fifty-year career, his compositions have helped define the sounds of each distinct era in the history of jazz. Filled with musical analysis by Mercer, enlivened by Shorter's vivid recollections, and enriched by more than seventy-five original interviews with his friends and associates, this book is at once an invaluable history of music from bebop to pop, an intimate and moving biography, and a story of a man's struggle toward the full realization of his gifts and of himself.
One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, GQ, Billboard, JazzTimes In jazz parlance, “playing changes” refers to an improviser’s resourceful path through a chord progression. In this definitive guide to the jazz of our time, leading critic Nate Chinen boldly expands on that idea, taking us through the key changes, concepts, events, and people that have shaped jazz since the turn of the century—from Wayne Shorter and Henry Threadgill to Kamasi Washington and Esperanza Spalding; from the phrase “America’s classical music” to an explosion of new ideas and approaches; from claims of jazz’s demise to the living, breathing scene that exerts influence on mass culture, hip-hop, and R&B. Grounded in authority and brimming with style, packed with essential album lists and listening recommendations, Playing Changes takes the measure of this exhilarating moment—and the shimmering possibilities to come.
In Reaching Beyond, Buddhist thinker and activist Daisaku Ikeda explores the origins, development,and international influence of jazz with legendary artists Herbie Hancockand Wayne Shorter.Reflecting on their lives and careers, Mr. Hancock and Mr. Shorter sharethe lessons they have learned from their musical mentors, including MilesDavis and Art Blakey, and how the Buddhist philosophy they’ve learnedfrom President Ikeda over the past forty years deeply resonates with theemancipatory spirit of jazz.These wide-ranging conversations include such thought-provoking topics as:• Music’s mission for peace in a time of discord• The importance of the artist’s spiritual growth• The Buddhist concept of changing poison into medicine• Ways to make the “ideal America” a reality for everyoneReaching Beyond offers positive new ideasfor musicians and nonmusicians alike.
(Jazz Play Along). For use with all Bb, Eb, and C instruments, the Jazz Play-Along series is the ultimate learning tool for all jazz musicians. With musician-friendly lead sheets, melody cues, and audio, this first-of-its-kind package makes learning to play jazz easier than ever before. For study, each tune includes audio with: * Melody cue with proper style and inflection * Professional rhythm tracks * Choruses for soloing * Removable bass part * Removable piano part. For performance, each tune also has: * An additional full stereo accompaniment track (no melody) * Additional choruses for soloing. This volume includes 10 pieces, including: Children of the Night * E.S.P. * Footprints * Juju * Mahjong * Nefertiti * Night Dreamer * Speak No Evil * Witch Hunt * Yes and No.
Reissue of an acclaimed collection of images from photographer W. Eugene Smith’s time in a New York City loft among jazz musicians. In 1957, Eugene Smith walked away from his longtime job at Life and the home he shared with his wife and four children to move into a dilapidated, five-story loft building at 821 Sixth Avenue in New York City’s wholesale flower district. The loft was the late-night haunt of musicians, including some of the biggest names in jazz—Charles Mingus, Zoot Sims, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk among them. Here, from 1957 to 1965, he made nearly 40,000 photographs and approximately 4,000 hours of recordings of musicians. Smith found solace in the chaotic, somnambulistic world of the loft and its artists, and he turned his documentary impulses away from work on his major Pittsburg photo essay and toward his new surroundings. Smith’s Jazz Loft Project has been legendary in the worlds of art, photography, and music for more than forty years, but until the publication of this book, no one had seen his extraordinary photographs or read any of the firsthand accounts of those who were there and lived to tell the tales.
Offering artist transcriptions for soprano and tenor saxophone, this book was authored by Wayne Shorter himself. Each transcription includes Shorter's own commentary on the writing, crafting, and performance of the music. Titles include: Adam's Apple * Ana Maria * Footprints * The Last Silk Hat * Lester Left Town * Night Dreamer * Speak No Evil * Tom Thumb * Water Babies and more.
Dive into the heart of modern jazz with "Iconic Line Phrases from Transcription Solos and Linear Intervalic Chord Scale Exercises for All Instruments" by Olegario Díaz. This indispensable guide offers musicians a deep exploration into the techniques of post-bop and contemporary jazz improvisation. With a tribute to the legendary Wayne Shorter, Díaz interweaves the spirit of Shorter's groundbreaking work into each lesson, crafting a curriculum that extends beyond mere scales and arpeggios. This book is an assemblage of Díaz's refined educational methods, presenting an array of exercises that will enhance the chromatic and intervalic understanding of the aspiring jazz artist. The inclusion of transcribed solos morphs into inventive exercises, ensuring that each phrase will embolden your improvisational skills. For those dedicated to mastering the craft, every exercise is designed to be transposed into all 12 keys, facilitating a comprehensive practice routine. Whether you are an intermediate enthusiast or an advanced player, this book is your gateway to unlocking the secrets of jazz giants and infusing their essence into your performances. With its blend of rigorous training and homage to jazz royalty, this book is not just a study guide--it's a journey through the lineage of jazz. Embrace the challenge and let "Iconic Line Phrases from Transcription Solos and Linear Intervalic Chord Scale Exercises for All Instruments" be the key to your next breakthrough in the world of jazz.
No Beethoven chronicles the life and times of drummer Peter Erskine, with the legendary band Weather Report being the nexus to this first-hand account. Erskine was in the midst of the modern American jazz music scene as it underwent its most dynamic change. Peter Erskine is a musician of his times with incredibly rich stories to tell in this autobiography. Including never-before published photographs. No Beethoven includes chapters dedicated to Weather Report and the musicians Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius, and Wayne Shorter, plus the bands Steps Ahead, Steely Dan, and artists such as Elvin Jones, Joni Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard, Diana Krall, Steve Gadd, producer Manfred Eicher, composers John Williams, and Mark-Anthony Turnage, et al. The book provides a revealing look at the creative process involved in performing music on-stage and in the recording studio, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how the musical instrument industry operates. This is a book for all musicians and fans of music. As famed drummer and Rush founder Neil Peart writes: No Beethoven is among the best musical autobiographies I have read. Peter's story is absorbing and compelling, full of well-drawn characters and incidents both humorous and serious. It flows with the same ease and naturalness as his drumming, and under that good-humored gloss, it conveys the same profundity of experience and ideas. This book should be read not only by every drummer, but by every musician. Even amateurs of music performance will find it entertaining and worthwhile.
An intimate exploration into the musical genius of fifteen living jazz legends, from the longtime New York Times jazz critic Jazz is conducted almost wordlessly: John Coltrane rarely told his quartet what to do, and Miles Davis famously gave his group only the barest instructions before recording his masterpiece "Kind of Blue." Musicians are often loath to discuss their craft for fear of destroying its improvisational essence, rendering jazz among the most ephemeral and least transparent of the performing arts. In The Jazz Ear, the acclaimed music critic Ben Ratliff sits down with jazz greats to discuss recordings by the musicians who most influenced them. In the process, he skillfully coaxes out a profound understanding of the men and women themselves, the context of their work, and how jazz—from horn blare to drum riff—is created conceptually. Expanding on his popular interviews for The New York Times, Ratliff speaks with Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman, and others about the subtle variations in generation, training, and attitude that define their music. Playful and keenly insightful, The Jazz Ear is a revelatory exploration of a unique way of making and hearing music.
