Jamey Aebersold has  helped beginning, intermediate and advanced jazz  players for years with his play-alongs, instruction books and DVDs. I had an  opportunity to attend his camp this year and I must say, it was one of the most  beneficial and enjoyable experiences of my musical life. Below is brief  description of what I experienced.

Theory & Ear Training

Every morning started with theory classes. Placement in these classes was  based on the results of short theory test taken on Sunday. There are five levels  of classes which cover all levels of theory knowledge. I found myself in Jamey’s  theory class and it was a good placement for me. I knew a lot of the stuff  discussed but not on a deep level. Jamey showed us several ways to improve on  our knowledge with clear examples and exercises. The popular class was David  Baker’s. From what I understood most of material was based on his Bebop books. I  was tempted to go there but I wanted to stick with my game plan of making my  basic knowledge more solid (especially based on my difficulties completing the  theory test). Maybe next year I will be ready for his class.

Emphasis was not just on scales, chords and the like. There was a lot of  discussion about the importance of training your ear. We worked on recognizing  major vs. minor chords, intervals and even chord sequences (ascending &  descending chromatics, major & minor thirds, whole steps, etc). My ear wasn’t as  bad as I thought and the suggestions for practicing to improve the ear were very  good.

Master Classes / Instructors

Every day we attended a master class that talked about the specifics of your  instrument and the challenges associated with playing jazz on it. We had a  chance to talk with Jim Rontondi,  Jim Ketch,  Pat Harbison and others. The final  day was a Q&A session with all of the instructors and it was really helpful.

You also see instructors in the halls and during lunch or dinner. Everyone  that I ran into was always prepared to talk music and answer any questions you  may have. One of the best things that I got during the camp was an impromptu  lesson with Jim Ketch on recognizing various bebop phrases in solos.

Combo Classes

Everyone is placed in combos based on audition performance. On average most  of the groups had 6-7 players. The combos were lead by faculty musicians and  they provided feedback on everyone’s playing. Group concepts were the focus but  we also got some great advice on attacking specific tunes, styles and changes.  Each combo member received a write up of what the instructor thinks they need to  work on at the end of the week. My instructor was a wonderful guitar player  named Craig Wagner.  Craig could really play.  I could listen to this cat strum chord changes  all day long.  Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to play this horn and I  can ask him to join me a gig.  He’s a big Jim Hall fan and  I love Art  Farmer so it’s a match  made in heaven.  He was also really cool and offered some great  advice to everyone.

In addition to playing in the student combos, each class had an opportunity  to play with the instructors. Rhythm section players played with professional  horn players while horn players played with pro rhythm players. This was pretty  intimidating but also very cool. It is amazing how easy it is to sound good with  a great rhythm section. I found myself playing less because they sounded  fantastic without me!

Concerts

If you want to learn to play jazz it is very important to attend live  performances. You certainly get your fill listening to some of the finest  players in the world at Jamey’s camp. During lunch we were treated with music so  good you forgot you were supposed to be eating. Evenings were always wrapped up  with a concert that sent you to bed on fire and hungry to learn more the  following morning. There were several different musician combinations including  piano, guitar and even a hammond B3 organ.

It was great to see an instructor show by example the direction he provided  in the classroom. It was also nice to see the musicians interact and enjoy  themselves on the bandstand. Some of my favorite players included Jim Rotondi,  Pat Harbison,  Jim Ketch, Bobby Floyd, Ralph Bowen, Steve Davis (trombone),  Steve Davis (drums), Tim Armacost,  David Stryker and the electric  Antonio Hart.  There were several others but I wasn’t smart enough to get their names. The  music alone was worth the camp fees. It was really, really good.

Best of all, recording these performances was encouraged. I’ve got some great  stuff to listen to over the next few months.

Miscellaneous

A few random thoughts…

My sight reading is horrible and it showed in the combo classes. In many  instances we played tunes by breaking up portions of the melody. I tanked on  just about every song we covered and I know my band mates were sick of me. The  good news is I usually got it right the second (or third) time around. Needless  to say sight reading is on my list of things to work on.

You see a lot of negative press about young people in the news today. Most of  the kids I met here were respectful, cool and just downright great to be around.  The US needs to look at the direct connection between the deterioration of music  programs in schools and how that relates to some of our problems with youth.

I need to work on playing my patterns, licks and tunes at faster speeds. In  many cases I knew the songs but not at a fast speed. At one lesson I remember  Graham Breedlove telling me that I should prepare for tunes at a faster speed  than usual. He equated it swinging two bats before stepping to the plate in  baseball. It’s great advice that I have to remember in the future.

Being a 40 year old man who considers himself a bit of an introvert, I wasn’t  looking forward to dorm life. At the camp you share your room with another  camper and your bathroom with four other campers in an adjoining room. All in  all it turned out great. My roommate was cool and they keep you so busy you are  only in your room to sleep and wash up. It really was a non-issue.

Combo and master class rooms can be cramped.  Be sure to take a shower  and wear deodorant.

When I got off the plane at camp we were greeted by folks who work with  Aebersold.  The woman who met me (Gigi) recognized my name because I order  so much stuff.  I thought that was hilarious and proof that I need to put  myself on a book/play-along budget.

The camp had people from all over the world and different age groups. My  roommate was from Japan and there was a woman in my combo from Switzerland. I  played in a jam session with a man in his 80s and Friday night I played  Watermelon man with a 11 year old from Korea. Everyone got along great. There  was a universal friendship there that I don’t think I’ve found any where else.  The world could learn a ton about foreign relations watching Jamey’s camp.  Someone told me that a kid said we should be dropping play-alongs and  instruments instead of bombs to solve the world’s problems. I think they’re on  to something there.

Jamey Aebersold is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. His love for jazz  and people is obvious as you watch him work. He also has a great sense of humor  and his energy level is incredible. When people start talking about ambassadors  of jazz his name must be at the top of the list. God bless him.

Yes, I will be going back next year. I hope to see you there too.