TAKE ME TO SCHOOL
Hope everyone is doing well. I got a few things going right now. Along with the Dancing Show and some other music related activities, there's teaching at Cal State Long Beach and a handful of master classes around so cal. I was at UCLA for an afternoon. The focus of my master class was "Beginning Studies in Jazz Saxophone for Classical Saxophone Players." My good friend Doug Masek asked if I could come down and work with his students so basically what I talked about was the difference between classical and jazz ...which there really isn't one. They both require proper air and timing of the fingers. The style, articulation, embouchure and music concepts are what separates the two but the way you play the sax is basically the same. Thanks to Selmer and Vandoren Reeds for sponsoring the clinic.
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Looks like the Big Phat Band is going to perform for a week at the Blue Note in Tokyo, Japan at the end of January '08. Should be a great thing. If you're in the area, stop by.
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Fall '07 Check out the Jazz Studies Handbook at Cal State University Long Beach. Jeff Jarvis, Director of Jazz Studies has compiled an amazing curriculum that is in full swing which guides students through their “Jazz At The Beach” experience from start to finish. Furthermore, our newly updated jazz curriculum (9 new courses!) is set to go. I am proud to be apart of this experience.
Summer '07
Hey there. It's hot outside and I'm indoors just thinking about what to write. We just finished our first ever Big Phat Band Camp on the campus of Cal State Northridge and it was a blast. Probably about 150+ campers of all ages made up of people who wanted to just get together and play. I hope to get hold of some pix of the camp or even video if any attendees have some they can send, please do. The days were full but my favorite part was just hanging out and talking with everyone. They day started with master classes for all instruments of a big band, then rehearsal for 7 performing groups followed by improve classes, jam sessions and an evening concert. The guys in the Phat Band had a blast working, hanging and playing for that week and hope to do it many summers to come.
The rest of the summer is basically just working here and there and practicing.
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Feb. '07
A while back I played on a remake of a soundtrack for the film "The Cincinnati Kid". The movie feature the acting of Steve Mc Queen and the music of Lalo Schifrin. Lalo decided to remake the soundtrack with sort of a easy listening and jazz vibe put together. When we recorded it in 2002, he group consisted of Chuck Berghofer, Frank Capp, Pete Christlieb, Mitch Holder, Mike Lang, Warren Luening, Andy Martin, Tim May, Tommy Morgan, Jim Self and me. I remember the day before the session, the contractor calling and asking if I had a bass flute and if I could bring it. I said, "sure". I didn't own a bass flute and maybe played one 3 times before. I just heard it for the first time and forgot how terrifying it was even though it sounds easy.
You can check out part of it at Amazon. The tune is called "The Man"
Got a couple of solo concerts coming up at 2 school jazz festivals. Go to my events page for more info
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Jan '07
While in college in the early 80's I first heard of Michael Brecker. I couldn't believe my ears. His fire and energy was contagious and intoxicating. Probably the first album I had was "Back to Back" Followed immediately by East River, Heavy Metal Bebop, Straphangin... Oh my god I couldn't' get enough of this guy. One late night I was sitting at a restaurant in Long Beach, CA and Robert Plant was singing a song from the Honeydrippers on Saturday Night Live and Michael played a solo on the blues. I stopped what I was doing and ran to the TV. He was on fire. Little did I know that that's how he showed up. Playing with groups like Dreams and with Sly Stone in his early 20's.
What more can be said about this guy? Here's a clip on You Tube.com where he's sitting in with the Letterman Band at a jazz festival in Jacksonville Florida. Remember it's just the blues.
I heard him play live a number of times here in Los Angeles, clubs, big venues, the Hollywood Bowl. Never met. I understand he was sweetheart.
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Hey Folks!!
Learning tunes is essential for a musician to survive. I recently spoke with an orchestral clarinetist. This person wanted to start playing jazz in performance and inquired as to how to learn. I asked this person how they prepare for an audition. (Orchestral musicians study the art of auditioning as early as grade school) It is essential for a musician who is going into the field of classical music, to learn orchestral excerpts. Learn every piece that is important in the classical clarinet world. So you understand the form, different entrances from other instruments, etc. Playing them as much as you can is important but also listening to other musicians play them is equally as important. You get it inside your mind and soul so that eventually you can perform them at a moments notice.
It is equally essential for a jazz musician to know tunes. Form, structure. It helps improvisation, ear training, technique and eventually, teaching.
Therefore:
Learn tunes. As many possible but for now, how about 2 week? 1 a week? 1 a month? Find them in Real Books, fake books or wherever else you can find them. Trade em, collect em. Whatever way possible. Once you find them. Play them, improvise over them, find jazz artists who have recorded these tunes and listen how they do it. Bring the tune in and the recording if you can to a lesson and tell the teacher you'd like to learn this. There are many many ways to find the recording (iTunes, emusic,etc...) Learning a tune by way of listening is fun to do. You get to hear what they had in mind and sort of get in their head. When I first gave this assignment to students, I came up with a list of tunes that I knew. This list is still getting longer because there are still tunes I know that I forget to put on the list.
If you’re gonna be a jazz player, you gotta know tunes. When someone asks you to fake “Satin Doll ” on a gig, it’s a good idea to know it. Even if they give you a lead sheet* on it. Know what the first note is, where that first note is in the given key or scale, what beat it starts on. What's the form? 32 bars? 34 bars? 12 bars? 16 bars?
You never know they might like your rendition and then hire you over and over again for a lot of money/music making opportunities.
I remember conducting a clinic a couple of years back and while discussing this very topic, someone in the audience said, "The next step from what they tell me is to learn the tune in all 12 keys."
That's fine but wait just a second, let's get into performance just a little.
When it comes to learning tunes, we also have an edge on orchestral musicians, because with many of these tunes there are lyrics. Learning the lyrics to a tune is extremely beneficial when it comes to performance.
Here's an example:
Find a copy of the tune, "There'll Never Be Another You" Play the above melody as written. Go ahead and put in some inflection. But keep to the page.
Now play it with the following lyrics in mind:
"There will be many other nights like this,
And I'll be standing here with someone new.
There will be other songs to sing,
Another fall ...another spring. ..
But there will never be another you.
There will be other lips that I may kiss,
But they won't thrill me,
Like yours used to do.
Yes, I may dream a million dreams,
But how can they come true,
If there will never, ever be. ..
Another you?"
These lyrics should outline the melody you are playing on your horn.
Sort of changes things around doesn't it? If you were to sing these lyrics using the rhythm given on a lead sheet in the Real Book, it would be sort of boring. Playing the tune with these lyrics in mind gives you more freedom with the tune which leads to better understanding of the song along with better communication with the listener. Try this with contemporary pop tunes. A pop ballad works nicely. Look at the sheet music and check out the lyrics. Combining lyrics with form, chord progression,rhythm and a whole lot of listening to other artists makes for a fine performance.
Ok now go ahead with the 12 keys. Quickly answer yourself these questions: On which note of the scale does this tune start? What note does it start if you were playing it in the key of E?
This exercise will also help in the contemporary pop music culture. FInd a tune that some popular artist sings and try to play it by having the lyrics in your head. Write it out. Take it up to a performance level and then try other keys.
*Chances are that lead sheet is in concert key which could very well lead to our next topic….transposition.
Sal Lozano
ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT I JUST SAID??? Email me
After a week of vacation it's back to work. Have you been watching TV on Tuesday and Wednesday nights? All of a sudden the director of "Dancing With the Stars" decided to change camera angles this season and yours truly is in the shot behind the host Tom Bergeron. I'll be right back after I do my hair.
Sort of busy right now with a few
Got to be involved in many great musical endeavors, met alot of great people and traveled a bit. After traveling to Orlando to work with Walt Disney World Collegiate All Stars in was on to Brooklyn NY to start recording with a trio in hopes of creating a CD. We recorded a handful of tunes including an original of mine. I hope to get this all on CD along with more West Coast performances and have something available in a year or so. In the meantime, I want to tell you that it was an honor to work with New York musicians: Bruce Saunders on guitar, Tom Patricka on bass and my good friend Eric Halvorson on drums. Thanks guys. I had a blast. It was a great experience hangin out in Brooklyn and playin.
I just started teaching at my old Alma Mater,Cal State Long Beach. a few private students and I love it. The energy of the department feels great. I was very pleased to meet Jeff Jarvis, the new head of Jazz Studies. He is truly and great addition to CSULB and the students seem excited to play and teach music. More later.
I will be performing as a guest soloist with the Esperanza High School Orchestra (my daughter is in the cello section) on November 21st in Yorba Linda, CA. Any locals are more than welcomed to come down and check it out.
July and August 2005
I play in a band led by trumpeter Ray Anthony. We just recorded our yearly record and at age 80 something, Ray is still playing great. We did 2 days of recording and had a great time. I wish this band played more often.
Working with the All American College is always a summer highlight for me. Some of the most talented college and university students from around the country get together and play in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. They don't know what hit them until they're on their way home. I just finished 2 days of concert and clinics here in Anaheim CA and next week it's off to Orlando. I have alot of old friends out there so it'll be great to catch up 
Above is a shot of me with the 2005 All American College Band at Disneyland. There's more pix at my More School Gallery.
The Phat Band played at Hollywood and Highland right next to the Kodak theatre.
A big crowd was treated to a free 2 hour concert. Anyone catch it?
June, 2005
I love the energy of playing and working here in Los Angeles. I am very blessed and fortunate to work along side some of the world's greatest musicians whom I also have the pleasure of calling my friends. This is also true whenever I travel to perform. Sure it's alot of hard work keeping up my craft and maintaining this profession and yes, this is fun!!
I want everyone to know that.
There is a certain air of confidence in these musicians that fascinates me. I guess it comes from doing something over and over again and teaching your mind and body how to react to situations.
They say that the a studio musician's world is "90% boredom and 10% sheer terror." This is not just a cute line. It is quite accurate give or take a few percentage points. Those 90% times are when the music given the player is quite simple and offers no demanding challenges. We never get music ahead of time. It is most often written especially for the project. Often a producer makes endless musical changes with the composer and the entire orchestra might just sit waiting the better part of an hour. However while working on "Just Like Heaven" one 50 measure cue took about an hour and 1/2 to perfect and record only to come back the next day and continue to work on it for another 45 minutes. Turns out the director wasn't there to hear it and wanted to be there to give it the final ok. We were constantly performing the same cue over and over again. You never know which one they like so you have to offer up a great performance each time. The 10% sheer terror shows up when you least expect it.
Feb.
4 (Milwaukee, WI) concert for Brookfield Central High School
Feb. 5, 2005 New Trier Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL)
Feb.
6 Rolling Meadows High School (Chicago, IL)
October, 2004
I also played on the soundtrack for a motion picture entitled, "National Treasure" with a 75 piece orchestra . My chair was Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and Eb Contra Alto Clarinet. Most of the five days of recording were fairly routine. Later in the project, however a cue came up for solo clarinet I noticed some long phrases but nothing technically challenging.
Or was it?
During a 5 measure rest prior the solo, the orchestra diminuendos to just low strings and the clarinet is alone for 3 or 4 slow measures before the high strings accompany. Went fairly well the first time. Great!! Well...keep in mind that motion picture cues are usually played 5 to 8 times over for several reasons: timing with picture, making sure orchestration fits with the mood of the scene, etc. There are usually quite a number of people in the booth listening and giving their opinions (producer, director, composer, orchestrator, assistants, spouses) So this means having to perform the same thing over and over, at performance level each time.
A nice "easy" little solo has now turned into sheer terror because it doesn't look good to lose a take because of a poor performance. . Luckily in the end it was ok. If you see the movie, listen for it. A beautiful score written by Trevor Rabin.
July, 2004- I was a clinician and guest soloist with The All American College Band at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. What a pleasure it was to play and hangout with this talented group. Thanks to all of you for a great experience!