Berlin Jazz Festival - 1985

I’ve been listening to this solo for years now! The first time I heard it was probably freshman year at Juilliard. Carl Allen, who was running the Juilliard Jazz program at the time, was actually on this live recording (Berlin Jazz Festival 1985) which featured Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Ira Coleman, and Kenny Garrett. I remember I wanted to impress him and learn something he played on and since I love young Kenny Garrett (back in his bebop days) I figured I would learn this one. I’ve since rewritten and relearned this whole recording again including the Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw solos that come after!

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         The Marsalis Family Album

I love working on my upper register and altissimo register and I find playing along with Trumpet solos or Piano solos are a good way of extending my range. Here, Wynton takes a masterful solo on Swingin’ at the Haven. This track comes from the Marsalis Family record and there are a bunch of gems on that album. Also Ellis really sounds amazing as well!

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For the average listener, the Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto Bossa Nova album is the greatest Bossa album ever! However, if anyone has ever heard this Cannonball Adderley and the Bossa Rio Sextet (Featuring Sergio Mendes) album, they would know that this album should be THE quintessential Bossa album!! I stand by that!! LOL No, music isn’t a competition but I just love Cannonball. Anyways, hope you enjoy his solo on “Minha Saudade.”

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I love this era of Coltrane because his articulation is so clean!! This particularly recording comes from Miles Davis’ album Round about Midnight.

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