Back to School

[dadadreamer]

I have enrolled myself onto two evening classes, both of which started this week. On Monday I trecked down to Morley College in Lambeth to start a Jazz Piano course.  Morley is the politest Further Education college I have ever been to, it focuses purely on part time adult education courses, mainly in the arts and performing arts areas, so there

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[mzdt]

Radio 4's 'Great Lives' programme was about Nina Simone yesterday - not sure if she's one of your favourites, but an interesting listen (should be available on streaming).

Evening classes are great, though. I'm very glad they're there. Do you get to sit in one the bubbles in the 'Ideas Store'?

[dadadreamer]

Thanks, Ms Simone is a big favourite, and had a very interesting life, I'll make sure that I give it a liston.

Are you talking about Ideas Bubbles, or is this some feature of the building that I have yet to discover? I sat in a very regular looking classroom I'm afraid, all shiny and new, but it still managed to be way too small.

[mzdt]

I've a feeling I may be confusing it with Peckham library, which has little round meeting rooms suspended above the main book area...

[xtown_traffic]

the jazz piano sounds so much fun, I envy you! Ellington's Sophisticated Lady is one of my favourites.

hmmm, I wonder if youtube has any Thelonius Monk... phenomenal piano playing!

[xtown_traffic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEmFFzgGDFA

Thelonius Monk... and it's my favourite of his songs, Round Midnight.

[xtown_traffic]

I have a lot to learn about jazz pianists. What I know is only the tip of the iceberg. We were given a listening list to go away and familiarise ourselves with different styles of playing, from Swing and Be-bop to Latin, Brazillian and South African jazz. Its all very exciting, but I find it a little bit sad that none of the names on the list were female.

[xtown_traffic]

there are not a great number of female jazz instrumentalists... vocalists, but not instruments... I can think of a few, but not on piano! Joanna Macgreggor (classical) plays a little jazz sometimes (and she's a very fine pianist indeed!)

[mzdt]

JM was the one talking about Nina Simone in the radio programme linked above, btw... they talked about how NS could have been a classical pianist too given the opportunities, I think?

[guiripoet]

you're right, music theory is fascinating. I have a book about jazz theory at home that Montse bought me for my birthday one year. I struggle through bits of it but can't play the f***ing example bits!! grrrrrr but I CAN work out the chords and impro a bit w the easy ones ............... and incorporate some into my songs, and then be unable to play them and sing them at the same time ............. hmph but yes, it's lovely fitting all these bits of music together, a bit like building something (spacecraft, I used to make) out of lego in the days before it all came in canisters with isntruction manuals, and does make your neurons go pop fizz with pleasure

[dadadreamer]

If you could email me the details of the book that would be good. I do have a book which is aimed at introducing classical pianists to jazz playing, but I've always found it hard to just sit down and work through it. It seems to be much easier in a class where someone can demonstrate how it sounds to you. But keep at it, you're a good pianist!

And you've just reminded me of how much I used to love lego when I was a kid.

[guiripoet]

ps hasta luego, guapetona
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