Are you just getting into jazz improvisation? Who should you be listening to?

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Are you just getting into jazz improvisation? Who should you be listening to?

  This topic has to do with listening and the advantage that listening too good musicians will give to your playing. It will help you with learning how to phrase properly and if you like a particular improvised line from a solo you just heard you can lift it by ear. Lifting a solo by ear will give you the benefits of ear training. You will discover the different  devices, motifs and scales that your favorite artist is using in their improvised lines.

  My intermediate level guitar students who are just getting into jazz improv often ask about who they should be to listening to music wise. My response is obviously listen to your favorite guitar players but you should also be listening to other instruments other than guitar music. If you’re only listing to guitar players you are missing out on a lot of good music. You should be listing too sax players, piano players, drummers, bassists etc.…  If you pigeon hole yourself only by only listening to guitar players you are really depriving your learning experience. So listen to all the greats and try to learn something from each one of them.

Here is a list of musicians or bands you might want to check out. I’ve include the download link to their music. If you like what you hear go ahead and support great talent buy buying the artists latest CD release.

Modern contemporary jazz guitarists:
My Top 4 favorite (Amazon Links)

1.  Kevin Eubanks    

East West Time Line

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2.  John Abercrombie

Timeless

 

3.  Steve Khan

Subtext

 

4. Scott Henderson

HBC

                                               Bebop guitarists:

              My Top 4 favorite (Amazon Links)

   1. Joe Pass

    

     2.  Tal Farlow

 

               3. Wes Montgomery

 

          4.  Kenny Burrell

             

Trumpet Players:

My Top 4 favorite (Amazon Links)

1.Miles Davis

 

2.  Lee Morgan

 

       3. Wynton Marsalis

 

4. Clark Terry

 

Piano Players:

My Top 4 favorite (Amazon Links)

1.  Oscar Peterson

 

2.  Bill Evans

 

3.  Herbie Hancock

 

4. Art Tatum

Sax Players:

My Top 4 favorite (Amazon Links)

1.   John Coltrane

 

2.   Lester Young

 

3.  Dexter gordon

 

4. Charlie Parker

By Phil La Viola                                   

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