Borrowing a nifty couple of chord changes from the jazz world can really elevate your songwriting, no matter the genre or style.
Tag: jazz
Shoutin’ Out: A Crash Course on Blues Shouting
A closer look at the tradition of “blues shouting” in the early 1930s and ’40s, which helped inspire the creation of rock ‘n’ roll out of jazz and gospel.
On August 17, 1959, Miles Davis’ “Kind Of Blue” Was Released
A brief history of how Miles Davis’ 1959 classic “Kind Of Blue” came to be, and the album’s impacts on all kinds of musical communities.
A Brief-ish History of the Drum Kit
Got 10 minutes to learn about the history of the drum kit as we know it today? We talk about how individual drums, players, and genres helped the kit evolve.
Tredici Bacci’s Simon Hanes on Making Space for Magic to Happen (and the ’70s)
Simon Hanes of NYC’s Tredici Bacci and Guerilla Toss stops by to tell us about his new record, composing Italian funk tunes, and more!
Why Are There No Saxophones in Orchestras?
A quick historical deep dive on the journey of the saxophone from French military pride to jazz band spotlight, but never the symphonic orchestra.
The Lasting Legacy of the Slave Trade on American Music
Today is the UN International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade, we honor this day by charting the legacy of African diasporic music in America.
San Fermin and Behaviorist’s Stephen Chen on Adding ‘Weird Colors’ to Pop Music
Stephen Chen of New York’s San Fermin and Behaviorist opens up about trying to write catchy pop melodies with subtle harmonic and rhythmic complexity.
An Introduction to Zappa’s ‘Black Page #2’: Modality, Polyrhythms, and Intervals
We explore the fundamental rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic concepts at play in one of Frank Zappa’s most lauded compositions.
John Coltrane and the Economy of the Blues
In the following video, courtesy of Soundfly’s free course, A Conversation with the Blues, veteran jazz…