Wes Montgomery

I had direct contact with Wes when I was sixteen. He had an outstanding feel for jazz and was able to successfully integrate blues into jazz without becoming a blues guitar player.

http://guitar.about.com/od/guitaristsktoo/a/wes_montgomery_profile.htm

Johnny Smith

Johhny Smith had a flawless technique and was one of the first to use the straight arm picking technique. In the long run, his technique may have become his downfall. He was almost too clean. He didn’t have the dark, blues vibe in his playing but he was a superb jazz guitarist. It’s amazing how little today’s jazz writers recognize Smith. He won 10 consecutive Downbeat Magazine Best Jazz Guitarist awards.

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=29

Joe Lano

Joe Lano is probably the greatest little known jazz guitarist. I knew Joe as a student of jazz teacher Dennis Sandole. He was very kind and inspirational to me. His leaving Philadelphia opened up the staff job at the Latin Casino which was pivotal in launching my career as a professional guitarist. Joe settled into the Las Vegas show scene and remains in Vegas to this day

http://www.jazzinternet.com/vegasjazz/artists/joelano/index.html

Jimmy Bruno

Jimmy Bruno had developed a commercial recording and playing career in LA and Las Vegas. He reached a point where he decided to return to his native Philadelphia and pursue the jazz direction. Jimmy is a versatile, highly musical jazz guitarist. He always concentrated on the sound and the music he was making and didn’t get hung up on theory and technicalities.

http://www.jimmybruno.com/

Pat Martino

Pat Martino is a strikingly original jazz guitarist. Using a horn like blistering attack, Pat carved out a niche for himself that established him as a unique and important force in the jazz guitar world.

http://www.patmartino.com/

Jim Hall

Jim Hall was noted for his probing, introspective style. A master of the small chord and the lyrical melodic line, Hall proved that you didn’t have to be extremely fast to be successful.

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=16

Tal Farlow

Tak Farlow was a talented but somewhat reclusive player who never quite made the ultimate public commitment to his career as a jazz guitarist. The music was never in question but Tal didn’t particularly like the public identity that his ability warranted. Unusual chord voicings and a strong bebop influenced style carried Tal Farlow to the top of the jazz world before he settled into the quiet life of Seabright, New Jersey.

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=13

Kenny Burrell

Kenny Burrell was a Detroit based, blues influenced jazz guitarist who developed a significant reputation for taste and style as a jazz guitarist. His reputation as a gentleman and jazz guitar icon carried him to great popularity throughout his long and successful career.

http://www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/people/burrell.htm

Joe Pass

Joe Pass was a legend in jazz guitar circles. Performing with jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and many other major jazz singers and artists, Joe was an outstanding supporting guitarist as well as a dynamic solo performer.

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=55

Dennis Sandole

Dennis Sandole was a jazz guitarist who focused his career on developing a teaching literature which he then passed on to many developing musicians. Noted as John Coltranes’ teacher, Dennis was clearly focused on jazz as an aesthetic art form. He actively discouraged the “commercial” pursuit of music and always encouraged each student to develop his or her own original voice.

http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpost2.php3?edit=971426621

1. Do you think that someone’s technical ability on an instrument dictates how creative they will be?

Technical ability does not dictate how creative you will be. It does however allow you a potentially greater range and depth of expression. If we parallel this to language, a better vocabulary and command of language gives you an enhanced opportunity to express yourself. It does not however guarantee that you will have anything of substance to “say”.

2. Those who choose NOT to perform, although they may be competent musicians, are they selling themselves short in terms of fulfilling their potential?

I would say that they are not selling themselves short by choosing not to perform. Music comes in many callings. Musicians also don’t sell themselves short by not teaching or not composing or not writing books etc. The goal is to find the direction within music where you can do the most good and find the most fulfillment. Different directions can and should evolve over your career.

3. In order to empathize with learners, does being a  successful musician make you a better teacher or does being a successful teacher make you a better musician?

Probably being a “successful” musician contributes to being a better teacher than vice versa. A musician who has succeeded in his craft in the real world has many “real world” skills to bring to his or her teaching.

Of course, this assumes that we’re using the word “successful” as a synonym for being a good musician. You can be “successful” without being well developed at your craft. The world is full of successful incompetents. In a world where notoriety and marketing are often more valuable to the public than the development of art, success can be measured in many ways – money, fame, fulfillment, life style etc.

4. How would you measure success in musicianship?

My measurement of success involves the depth of a musician’s development and the fulfillment he or she finds within music. Commercial and financial success may or may not follow.

Some people only measure success with dollar signs. If you are a professional musician, you must earn enough to make your living. I do not believe in the “starving artist” model.

5. Many of the arts can be described as a lifelong learning experience;. Would you think this is true of music, or do you think that musicians reach a peak and then tail off?

Music is absolutely a lifelong experience. Musicians never hit a peak and tail off unless they stop pursuing knowledge, technical proficiency and creative development. There are few arts that encourage life long development more than music. Even if you start music at age 60, you have at least 30 years to develop your art and craft.

In my 48 years of teaching, composing and performing, I have never seen anything but growth. I also have never been more enthused about music and its importance in the world. I plan on this continuing for the rest of my life. Students who have studied with me for over 35 years would share the same thoughts.

Chuck Anderson in Concert

The first program can be heard on www.riviera.fm from 5:00 pm to 7:00 PM EST on Wednesday January 4, 2012. The following programs can be heard each of the following Wednesdays at the same time – Wednesday January 11th, the 18th and 25th.

I hope you’ll tune in to these shows and share your reaction. You can reach me at ChuckAnderson202@comcast.net. I’ll pass your comments on to Jan and to Riviera.fm. The show is located in the South of England.

The format that Jan uses is to feature not only the music of a jazz artist but also to weave the evolution of the artist’s career into the program.

We’re looking forward to hearing this broadcast. Please share this link and the program with anyone that you feel might be interested!

Jazz guitarists have never had a way to organize the subject of rhythm in a way that would systematically benefit their solos and their comping. Modular Phonetic Rhythm offers a solution.

The concept of rhythm is simple. It’s the duration of a note, a chord or a pattern. Rhythm is integrated into every facet of music. A melody is a sequence of pitches with rhythm. A chord progression is a sequence of chords with rhythm. Rhythm impacts Melody, Harmony and even Lyrics. It’s also a subject in and of itself. Rhythm is so intuitive, that it’s often overlooked as an independent topic of study.

The difficulty in the study of rhythm has always been its abstract nature – and its mathematical approach. Rhythm has traditionally been taught as a function of math, particularly fractions. Though accurate, this approach has missed one of the most fundamental facts of rhythm. Rhythm is a sonic language and is, as such, phonetic not mathematical in nature. The average student exposed to the math orientation of rhythm has rarely absorbed the essence of rhythm. He or she rarely becomes proficient at sight reading or using rhythm effectively. This often remains a lifetime barrier to the developing musician.

Though rhythm can be explained in mathematical terms, this approach does not give you a practical command of the sounds of the rhythms. Rhythm is a series of sounds! How can these sounds be organized?

“The Modular Phonetic Rhythm represents a fresh and innovative approach that helps bring the abstract into focus, examining the core of the real, linguistically aligned processes actually involved in reading, understanding, interpreting, and executing rhythm.”
Arthur Bernstein, Head of Music Department, Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts

This approach to rhythm is based on the concept of Modular Phonetics. Modular refers to the interchangeability of rhythm syllables and Phonetics refers to the sound of the rhythm syllables. Phonics has always been the key to sound in language. Without phonics, we could not pronounce words. We could not hear the sound of the words. Without Modular Phonetics, we can not hear the sound of rhythm. Without the sound of rhythm, it is difficult to use.

There is a strong correlation between the ability to spell and strong fundamentals in phonics. Phonetic skills allow us to “sound out” words, even words that we’ve never seen before! We understand the principle of sound as it applies to phonetic combinations. The “sight” of the letter combination triggers a reflexive “sound” reaction. If rhythm could be broken down into a system of phonetic units similar to the syllables of language, then rhythm would become an easily recognized and applied aural language.

To illustrate, take the word umbrella. This word could be expressed as 8 letters or as 3 syllables. Treating the word as 8 letters is similar to traditional rhythm teaching. A rhythm pattern could be described as a note lasting one half beat followed by a note lasting one beat followed by a note lasting one half beat. The “sound” of the rhythm is not part of this equation. But using the syllable parallel (umbrella has 3 syllables), the rhythm can be grouped into a phonetic syllable that does have a sound. Now, rhythm can be reproduced in the preferable “eye-ear-hand reflex” – the eye sees it – the ear hears it – the hands execute it!

Modular Phonetic Rhythm is based on 24 basic rhythm syllables. These rhythm syllables vary in length from 1 note to 6 notes and from 1 beat to 4 beats. The system is divided into 4 levels based on the subdivision of the beat. Level I does not subdivide the beat. This is the level in which all notes are struck only on the downbeat. Level II divides the beat into 2 parts. Level III divides the beat into 3 parts. Level IV divides the beat into 4 parts. The levels do not express progressive difficulty, just progressive subdivisions of the beat.

As you begin to use this material, you will find an expansive, new vocabulary which you can then apply directly to your jazz guitar improvisation, your composition and to your accompaniment.

Chords have traditionally been built in thirds i.e. every other note in a scale. Using the C major scale as an example, every other note from the root would produce C, E, G and B. This combination of notes is a Cmaj7 chord. If we used the scale C Dorian, every other note from the root would be C, Eb, G and Bb.This combination of notes is a Cm7 chord.

Quartal harmony builds chords in fourths i.e. every fourth note in the scale. Again, using the C Dorian scale, every fourth note would produce the notes C, F, Bb and Eb. This is a quartal chord built on the first note of the C Dorian scale.

Quartal harmony is especially effective when used with the modes. Apply this principle of quartal harmony to each degree of each mode.

Seven quartal chords will be available with each mode. These chords can be used as a specific effect or they can be used with the traditional chords.

My concert equipment is as follows: customized Gibson L5 guitar, Acoustic Image amp – Clarus series III, model IIR, two Raezer’s Edge Stealth 12 speakers which I elevate on speaker stands on each side of the stage.

I use virtually no effects unless the room requires some EQ or a little reverb. My picks are Fender Extra heavy and my strings are D’Addario EJ21 with some custom adaptations.

String gauges:

string 6 – 052
string 5 – 042
string 3 – .032
string 2 – .024

string 2 – .017 (instead of the standard .016)
string 1 – .013 (instead of the standard .012)

    
 
Readers of Just Jazz Guitar Magazine know how hard owner Ed Benson has had to work to bring the publication to the level it is at today. Having started JJG on the suggestion of a close friend, Ed has developed the magazine from humble beginnings into the premier jazz guitar magazine on the market. Each issue features articles, interviews, lessons and product reviews written by some of the finest jazz guitar players and educators in the world today.

Ed took time to talk to us recently about the genesis and evolution of Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, and where he sees the publication headed in the future.

MW: How did Just Jazz Guitar magazine begin and what were some of the challenges you faced during the early years?

EB: It began in 1994. Cindy Benedetto, wife of luthier Bob Benedetto, asked me to do some computer work for her on a project she was working on. At one point she changed her mind regarding the project and instead asked me “why don’t you do a jazz guitar magazine?” since there wasn’t any thing like that in circulation at the time.

My response was, “Are you crazy?” I had worked for 25 years as an executive in department stores, and had no background in publishing. I was concerned about where I would get articles, music, reviews etc for each issue. She said she had a number of endorsers that might contribute material, which would help get the magazine off the ground.

As I was retired at that time, my wife and I decided to give it one year, and then depending on the results we would make a longer term commitment from there. We would use our money as the start-up capital, and if it failed, after a year we would shut it down. That was in 1994 and we’ve been profitable every year since.

My concerns then were how to find content, how do I ship it, who will print it, can I do it all by myself with my wife handling the paperwork, and many other problems that I hadn’t faced before. My wife and I use to sit on the floor shipping out the first few issues which contained 67 pages compared to about 188 now. Since then I have found a mailing service in Atlanta and a printer in Alabama which has helped immensely.

I’ve been very fortunate to have found so many people who are able to submit material for each issue. After my wife passed away in 2003 my daughter in law joined me, as I could not run the magazine by myself. She and I communicate by phone and internet many times a day to discuss the magazine. I still run the whole operation out of my house.

MW: JJG publishes articles and interviews with jazz guitarists of all styles and backgrounds. How do you manage to keep a balance between offering content for fans of Bebop, and other traditional styles, and fans of more modern genres like Fusion?

EB: That’s a tough one. I’ve received some criticism that I don’t print enough of a certain style like fusion or bebop, while other readers ask me to print more articles dealing with basic material and chord melody arrangements. I’ll never be able to make everyone happy, so I try to include various types of material in each issue that cover various levels of difficulty.

MW: JJG has become a go to resource for jazz guitar teachers and students, as each issue contains lessons and other educational materials. What role do you see JJG playing in jazz guitar education, and what role do you see it playing in the future?

EB: I never thought about JJG being a resource for educators and students. I’m thrilled that it is. If that’s the case I may start publishing more material specifically geared to students in jazz guitar programs at the university and college level.

MW: How has technology, specifically the internet changed the way you run JJG, and do you have plans to expand your internet availability in the future?

EB: The net has helped us to reach subscribers worldwide. I keep adding more material to the website such as the Bob Conti and Howard Morgan video lessons, and will continue to add more in the future. I thought about putting the magazine on the net, but if I did that I’m afraid it would be downloaded and copied, which would put us out of business very quickly. There are also numerous copyright problems with offering material on the net that make it a cumbersome endeavor to pursue.

MW: What are some of your long term goals for JJG, and have these changed since your first begin publishing the magazine?

EB: Long term I’d like to remain a small, quality niche publication. I have no interest in tripling the size of the business as I couldn’t handle it. I’m pleased with where we are now, and hopefully we can continue to grow in a manageable way. I’ve never felt that bigger is necessarily better, especially in the publishing world.

MW: Running a magazine requires an enormous amount of work and dedication. After over a decade of publications, what motivates you to continue to devote the time and energy required to publish each new issue?

EB: I still have fun putting each issue together, and I have enjoyed the benefits of meeting many of the greats in the jazz guitar world. If it wasn’t fun, or if I was losing money, I would not be able to work as hard as I do. It is truly a labor of love.

MW: JJG is geared towards a small, niche market. Has the economic downturn affected your business, or does having a niche market allowed you to weather these precarious financial times?

EB: While the economy has affected all aspects of the media-print, radio, TV, magazines and newspapers in terms of loss of advertising revenue and subscribers-we had a very good year in 2008. As matter of fact, it was the one of the most profitable years since the magazine began fourteen years ago. While I cannot downsize if I had to, since there are only two of us, I have learned to control the costs aspects of the magazine. I am hoping 2009 will continue this profitable trend, but no one really knows. I’m as susceptible to the downturn as any other business is.

MW: What advice do you have for any one who is thinking of starting a music related magazine, either in print or online?

EB: When I started out I asked some other publishers what they thought of my idea. Everyone said I was crazy and would fail quickly, as there was no market for a magazine dedicated to jazz guitar. While I knew the jazz market was small, I felt it wasn’t being served to any degree with the other guitar publications. Meanwhile, I’m still here after 15 years. I would tell anyone if they have what they believe is a good idea to go for it and don’t listen to all the negativity.

MW: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today.

EB: My pleasure.

This brought back many memories for me as this was the year I started on staff at the famed Latin Casino. By 1974, I had left the Latin and formed the original Chuck Anderson Trio with Al Stauffer on bass and Ray Deeley on drums. Our first album was called “Mirror within a Mirror”. It’s now included in a compilation CD called “The Vintage Tracks”

The current Chuck Anderson Trio continues and extends the tradition begun so long ago. Eric Schreiber on bass and Ed Rick on drums are creating their own sound and style while the trio develops new traditions,

Chuck Anderson and the Gibson L5

On a break, Wes came up to our table, introduced himself (as if that was necessary) and sat down. He asked if I had any questions – which I did. I asked how he played octaves. He went back to the stage, got his Gibson L5 guitar and brought it over. Putting it in my hands, he showed me how he played octaves. So I learned octaves directly from Wes Montgomery.

When he asked if I had a request, I said “How about “Pied Fries”. It was, of course, called “Fried Pies”. Nevertheless, when he played the song for me, he announced it as “Pied Fries” – a highlight of my young career.

I have his picture and autograph in my studio to this day.