WELCOME TO JAMEY AEBERSOLD JAZZ REVIEW
"As anyone knows who has tried to improvise or has spent time listening to any professional jazz musician, it quickly becomes obvious that the performer has certain skills under control. These skills are not bought, acquired as a gift, or stolen from another, but rather are the product of countless hours of study and practice"
- Jamey Aebersold
To All Jazz enthusiasts young and old, beginner or pro...
My name is Marty Lehr. I have been a musician since grade school, a music educator and I have performed off on and as a professional over the years. I recall my early days in high school: I had exceptional training as a "legit" classical trumpet player. I was taught excellent fundamentals to good trumpet playing and good wind playing in general. Things like proper embouchure formation, breath control, fingering technique, sight reading ability and the like- and I did well, that is until high school stage (jazz) band. I remember quite vividly the first time the director looked at me and said those ominous words: "Ok Marty- take a solo!" Where were the notes?-I thought panic stricken! All I saw on the page were a series of slash marks (////) with funny symbols over them like: Bbm/F#m/Cm7 and so forth! What was I supposed to do with those? Needless to say my first jazz improv solo was a disaster even though it was comprised of mainly rests!
Later on, my director was very understanding and handed me an LP (you know, a vinyl "record" played on a "turntable"?- well if you don't know what I'm talking about "Google it"!). It was entitled "Nothin' But the Blues" by a jazz educator by the name of Jamey Aebersold. It was a "play-a-long" record. It had bass, drums, and piano playing what I learned later were called the "chord changes" or changes for short, to a twelve bar blues "progression". I supplied the lead or improvised melody solo line. Well that record changed my musical life and focus. I wore that record out . Now I own the CD, and YOU can too...
