I have set myself the target of learning 400 songs in ten years, and whilst working through my list of 120 songs that I want to learn this year, I realised that a shortened version of this would make an excellent course for you guys.
This was the first solo of Lester Young I ever learnt. It was recommended to me by my mentor, Branford Marsalis. It is a perfect example of how to play the blues.
Zoot Simms was a pioneer of the ‘West Coast’ jazz movement. A tone that was easy to listen to and a harmonic language that stayed firmly, ‘inside’ the changes.
‘Take Five’ is one of the most recognisable saxophone melodies in jazz. Written by Altoist Paul Desmond this popular classic contains gems of language for you to learn.