Hi,

I recently took part in a project at my college making a piece for BBC Radio 3's "Discovering Music" programme and we worked with the drummer, bassist and a viola player from the BBC Phil - who are all really into jazz when outside the orchestra! It really inspired me to have a look into jazz myself, as I play the clarinet, a jazzy instrument(?), and have never thought of it before. I'm all "classical" and can't improvise or anything..!

Any jazz lovers out there (particularly clarinettists) got any tips on who I should listen to, or any good (method) books I could try? I'm grade 8 standard but don't have a teacher at the mo so any help or pointing in the right direction would be really great!

Thanks for listening to my rambling! Caroline x

There's a huge variety of different types of jazz, and lots of ways in. First thing I'd recommend is to start listening to some and see what appeals to you. There's a new digital radio station launched called theJazz that is playing quite a variety of stuff, you can listen online, via sky/cable TV or with a DAB radio. Why don't you listen to some of that, find something you really enjoy then go searching for similar styles, the same artist etc - that way you're following your route rather than someone else's preference. Listening and beginning to get a feel for the style is definitely the first step towards playing.

I would agree with TSax's advice

When I decided to learn to play the clarinet just over a couple of years ago, one of my friends gave me a CD called "presenting The Great Clarinettists" recorded by Signature. It has recordings by some of the great jazz names of the 1920s-40s like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Johnny Dodds. I couldn't get enough of it, and that was the start of my jazz addiction (I'd previously been strictly classical as well) Having said that, this is just one style of jazz and there are many others.

Can you get see some live jazz? The Keswick Jazz Festival (New Orleans style jazz) is coming up in mid May - would you be able to get to it? There's some really exciting clarinettists going to it If you think you might be able to go, even if it's just for the day, send me a PM and I'll let you know which concerts/day has the best clarinettists

I'm the opposite of skylark - I go for post 50's jazz, the 20s to 40s stuff just doesn't do it for me - which helps show you need to find for yourself what you like. Going to see some live is an excellent suggestion, best way to listen to it. I'm sure there must be jazz venues in and around Manchester - there's a jazz festival in July, it would be worth checking some out, you might even find yourself a jazz teacher that way.

Thanks for the advice - I didn't think of the obvious of looking around for live events in Manchester. The Music Tech teacher at my college plays double bass in a jazz group so he's bound to know of some event too.

Thanks a lot!

Hi

With regards to your playing, (I'm a trumpeter) I found the Jamie Abersold CD playalong books excellent when first staring out with jazz. Maiden Voyage in particular (one of Abersolds) has great tunes like canteloup Island, Doxy - Sonny Rollins, Watermelon man - Herbie Hancock.

Another good book is Dominant 7th workout. Just keeps going round the same chord for about 5 mins and you can practice improvising in all the keys. Theres other tunes in there as well.

Hope this helps!

Ooo yes, thanks a lot. I'll have a look into it - especially the Dom 7th thing. My boyfriend's a guitarist and is SO good at improvising in many styles.. he told me he learnt to by just learning scales and exercises and then adapting them into his own improv - so that sounds like the kind of thing I'm after. Thanks very much!

Caroline x

My daughter is using this one too!