Independent Jazz Combos...

drummerfromtroy · Post by **drummerfromtroy** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 11:39 pm

hey, so who out there is in an independent jazz combo. Like a jazz band with your friends that is not part of any school or organization? Im in one myself and i was wondering if there were any other groups like mine out there.

Whats your band name? where are you from? Whats you favorite part about you jazz band?

VM Trumpet · Post by **VM Trumpet** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:16 am

Yeah, i'm in an outside jazz band! It's called Musicians workshop (then name's not too original because it is composed of a lot of different types of bands, orchestras, theater). I'm the advanced jazz band and were pretty good. we host a jazz festival every year. It is pretty cool because we bring in professional musicians to play with us

. the best part about jazz is your not too confined to whats on the page. if you wants to take it up of add a shake it ok and i like that. It all about jazz

...

TMRsaxyDM · Post by **TMRsaxyDM** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 12:15 am

ive tryed to put one togeather... but not everyone could meet on one day.. so then we tryed to get people from school to replace thse people and try to goto festivals.. that aint working out to wel either... so i guess not one for me for now.

drummerfromtroy · Post by **drummerfromtroy** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:07 am

what exactly is Musicians Workshop? is it like a music theatre in your community? how big is it. thank...

VM Trumpet · Post by **VM Trumpet** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:09 pm

it was started by a husband and wife team who had a dream of bring the arts to the youth of the community. it has now significantly grown from five (or six years) when it first started. It has an orchestra, several choirs (from 4 year olds to about 16 or 17), Shakespeare theater, and two jazz bands (intermediate and advanced). I'm in advanced. So, yeah this guy who started it is a professional bass player and has a band of his own. We've played at NAMM show (national assoc. of music merchants) not open to the public, Ray Charles, and we opened for Les Browns band of renown. So yeah it is big, big fun, and were good

...check it out at www.musiciansworkshop.org

drummerfromtroy · Post by **drummerfromtroy** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 8:14 pm

you can check out my band at www.JacksonSextet.com

that sounds cool, the Musicians Workshop thing. good luck with that. we are completely on our own. we arent a part of an organization like that. Though all of us are involved in other groups at school and elsewhere. later!

TMRMusicMaster · Post by **TMRMusicMaster** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:42 pm

indi jazz combos are great ways to put together a small group and focus on the aspects of jazz that you struggle with the most. I feel it can help you to master a personal sense of style and tone to your sound due to the many oppertunities to solo and play in such a small group. Combos also allow you to direct in a manner most fitting to you in fact it may be totally different from that used in your jazz program @ school and thats totally fine because you are workin to rehearse and play material that will help you to improve as a musician

WildMooseStyle · Post by **WildMooseStyle** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:57 am

I'm trying to start one here in San Clemente. Do you guys write your own music or do you purchase charts? If you buy 'em, where have you guys gotten them?

DJ Dilicious · Post by **DJ Dilicious** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 11:18 pm

The Real Book, baby! Hal Leonard actually put out a legitimate version of it, the 9th version. I don't know how good it is though. In the Jackson Sextet we use the 5th edition.

RBSnare · Post by **RBSnare** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 6:17 pm

i play drums in a 10 piece jazz band that some friends put together. if any of you have heard of the san diego-based Big Time Operator, we are students of some of the members, so we were able to get a lot of charts from them. our other option is to use any money we get in tips to save up and buy charts. a friend of mine plays in a "reading band"--a big band that just reads through different books for fun, and if they dont like a chart they usually donate it to a local community college or HS...i am going to try to get a copy of some of those charts.

yeah, jazz is fun to play with friends...there is so much personal expression involved, its great.