The Jazz Authority Is All Of Us

I'm keeping my chops up playing in a local R&B/classic rock band. Teaching a bit as well, and feeling inspired to do some real work on my jazz chops lately. Wish there were more jazz players out here...

I'm still hoping to build on the Jazz Authority project. The concept of 'The Jazz Authority' was not about me; it is meant to be about our collective knowledge of music and improvisation. The authority is YOU.

I might be moving out of this quiet Alberta town to live back out on the West Coast. If so, I'll be gigging and teaching regularly again.

You can email me at camsax(AT)gmail(DOT)com

...replace (AT) with @ and (DOT) with . in my email address above...

Update

Videos below were found on Youtube, and I'm putting together a larger collection at my Youtube spot. I will host more vids in the future.

Just wen't on holidays back to my hometown Victoria, B.C. and was inspired to really start busting my buns to get into a regular practice schedule. When there's nobody to jam with it's hard to make the time to practice, and while Aebersold playalongs are great, they're no substitute for real people. Anyways, with the hope that one day I'll be living in the city again, I'm getting my chops back in shape and so far I'm having a blast.

While I've been working to create an online presence with my political life, I think I'm going to step it up a bit with music as well.

Anyways, as always, check out the archives for tips and articles.

L8R

Video: John Coltrane - Naima

Footage of Coltrane performing the beautiful piece Naima. From this website:
In 1957, after the age of 30, Coltrane began to shift spiritual directions. He married Juanita Naima Grubb, a Muslim convert, (for whom he later wrote the piece Naima), and came into contact with Islam, an experience that may have led him to overcome his addictions to alcohol and heroin; it was a period of "spiritual awakening" that helped him return to the Jazz scene and eventually produce his greatest work. The journey took him through Islam (particularly Sufism). Bassist Donald Garrett told Coltrane, "You've got to go to the source to learn anything, and Sufism is one of the best sources there is."

Video: Trane & Miles live '58 - So What

Miles Davis & John Coltrane, in "So what", live, 1958. Great footage. Great music.