One more day in Buenos Aires. Today is our tenth. We've seen, tasted, smelled, heard, and otherwise felt grand and new sensations. It's difficult to classify the energy here. The words "loco," "intense," "perilous," "kaleidoscopic," "irresistible," and, "consuming," come to mind, thinking about the last ten days. Within the relatively small geographic area we've had the pleasure to explore, variety abounds. Each neighborhood has it's own flavor and history... I suppose similar to New York's boroughs. We're living in an apartment in the neighborhood called Recoleta.

It's an elegant neighborhood with tons of cafes , and parks. It's one of the safer neighborhoods to walk around. We've been so fortunate to have our own personal guide, and native Porteña, Josefina Mendez, setting up our living arrangements, helping us communicate with taxi drivers and waiters, and showing us each sight from a local's perspective. She also arranged several gigs for us, and sought out all the cool jazz spots and jam sessions. Our typical day starts around noon, and goes until two or three in the morning! June has done amazingly well hanging out with the musicians. Josefina's family has, predictably, fallen in love with June, who loves to communicate thru English, español, or charades, as needed.

 

I've learned tons playing with and listening to some fantastic musicians. The rhythmic intensity with which each tune is performed has, at times, left me reeling. Included among some of the fine players I've met and played with are:

 

Alvaro Torres, piano

Quintino Cinalli, Drums

Andrès  Pellican, Bass

Jorge Negro Gonzàles, Bass (and legendary owner of Jazz Y Pop club)

Pablo Motta, Bass

Gustavo Bergalli, Trumpet

Gabriel Santacchia, Saxophone

Abel Rogantini, Piano

Tomás Fraga, Guitar

Victor Sanders, Bass and Piano

 

and many others.

 

We hung out and played at:

Dain Usina, in Palermo

Jazz Y Pop

Notorious

Biblioteca Cafe

 

We hope to return to BA in the very near future.

 

 

I'm currently in the middle of an incredible journey to Buenos Aires with my dear June and our lovely Porteña companion, guide, fellow musician, event planner, and friend, Josefina Mendez. We've listened to, and played music every night since our arrival. Here are some  of videos of us during our stay.

At Jazz Y Pop:

{videobox}4wdCL22lnS0|Wave|,5_EeD-UcwyQ|Dindi|,5j5zOhTaml4|My Funny Valentine|,mNeCZgpKiKI|Beautiful Love{/videobox}

At Dain Usina Cultural:

{videobox}rBVAw2JDTNE|East of the Sun|,MyDMm1yWSTg|Wave{/videobox}

In La Boca:

{videobox}http://youtu.be/nIi6qiSAwjg|Corazon Mirando Al Sur{/videobox}

Been having great fun playing with Josefina Mendez and the Intervention Band at the Westin Snowmass Resort. This recording of "Tu Mi Delirio" was made March 7, 2013. Play it from the Music Player, or check it out on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/timmyfox/tu-mi-delirio

I'll be facilitating a "Survey of Jazz Styles" class at the Third Street Center, Carbondale, CO., June 16th, 2011, from 6:30-8:30. For information on attending, click here. The following, is a tentative outline for the class.

A necessarily succinct survey of jazz styles, with guest, Bob Levey.

We'll listen to and put a little context to the following styles of jazz:

• Blues (call and response)
• • Mississippi Fred McDowell; "Soon ONe Mornin'"
• Traditional Jazz (Hot Jazz)
• • Louis Armstrong; "West End Blues"
• Swing
• • Duke Ellington; "It Don't Mean a Thing, If It Don't Have That Swing"
  • Coleman Hawkins; "Body And Soul"
• Bebop
• • Bob Levey; Stories about Stan Levey, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, etc.
  • Bebop; Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Levey, Stan Getz, etc
  • Charlie Parker; Just Friends
• Hard Bop
• • Doodlin'; Horace Silver & The Jazz Messengers
  • Joy Spring; Clifford Brown - performed by Bob and Tim
  • Giant Steps; John Coltrane
• Modal Jazz
• • So What; Miles Davis
• Avant Gaurd/Free Jazz
• • Acknowledgment; John Coltrane
• Jazz Fusion
• • Birdland; Weather Report
• Some of today's artists and their "amalgamated" music
• • Joe Lovano
  • Tim Hagans
  • Kenny Werner

My notes on Jazz Styles - click here.
My Diigo Jazz Appreciation list of links - click here.
My Diigo Webslide show - click here.
My Jazz Appreciation Bibliography - click here.

Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://db.tt/yrF28xq

I use Dropbox for a bunch of stuff. I can:

• put a file (e.g. a pdf) from my computer in to Dropbox, and read it later on my iPhone
• put a pdf of sheet music in to Dropbox, and play from it on an iPad
  
• do an "offsite" backup of important files
  
• share files that are too big to share as email attachments
• share file systems with other Dropbox users

Download it and install it from here: http://db.tt/yrF28xq

We'll be firing up the Roaring Fork Jazz workshop again in late September or early October 2010. Until then, keep woodshedding those bebop scales!

On Monday, September 15, we're going to fire up the Jazz Workshop again.  We'll meet from 6:00 until 8:00, and make a plan for the fall.

Here's a little video that I'd like to share of me playing with a little trumpeter.  Note her complete lack of inhibition, and how closely she listens and watches.  She, without any prior knowledge of jazz practices, is hanging in there with trading fours.  Okay, so the notes aren't quite there, but she plays with such reckless abandon, and has some serious phrasing going on.  After the session, I wondered who learned more, ALG or me.

Thanks to Carol K. picture taken Summer 2008, at Steve's Guitars in Carbondale, CO.

I'm going to adjust the RF Jazz Workshop's schedule a little bit.  I'd like to continue the 1st and 3rd Mondays at the new Roaring Fork High School band room, as usual, but change the format a bit.

First of all, I'd like to make clear that, at this point, the Workshop is just that.  It's not a rehearsal for a band.  It's more like a group lesson in jazz improvisation.  If you all get inspired to make some connections, and start a group, that's awesome!  I hope that the Workshop will help equip you with some foundational skills to make your group sensational.

OK.  Now for the schedule.  I'd like to have the High School students and adult beginner/intermediates meet from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM.  Then from 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM, have a group practice session, which I'll lead.  I'm going to treat it as I would my own practice sessions, focusing on a creative approach toward working on scales, tunes, and improv.  If you'd like to sit in, you're welcome.  It'll be geared toward advanced stuff, so watch out!

See you on April 7th!

I heard Pat Metheny, Brad Meldau, Larry Grenadier, and Jeff Ballard last night in Grand Junction, CO. The concert was the quartet's first since their recent formation. It was enlightening to see how well prepared these world class musicians were. They played with no intermission for over 2 hours. I was struck by what a good musical pair Pat and Brad make. Their penchant for building melodies from each tune's thematic material made for some high moments of collaboration, and exploration (even on the first gig!) As my friend Michelle put it after the concert, "Mmmm... that was yummy!"