Top national artists appear at Jazz Workshop events
By Ron Wynn,
rwynn@nashvillecitypaper.com
April 07, 2006
Famed musicians drummer Ed Thigpen and saxophonists Houston Person and Jamey Aebersold are among the headliners at this year’s Jazz at the Workshop 2006: A Celebration of Jazz. The series of seminars and clinics begin Saturday morning at the Nashville Jazz Workshop’s headquarters, 1319 Adams Street, and festivities conclude with an all-star concert at the Belcourt Theatre later that evening. Thigpen and Person will be joined by NJW co-founders Lori Mayhem and Roger Spencer, and Marcus Finnie.
What: Jazz at the Workshop 2006: A Celebration of Jazz
When: 9:30 a.m-5 p.m., 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Nashville Jazz Workshop, 1319 Adams Street (clinics/seminars), The Belcourt Theatre, 2102 Belcourt Ave (concert)
Cost: `$40 (clinics), $20 (concert), $50 (all events), students with valid I.D. get 50 percent discount
Info: 242-5299
Thigpen now lives in Denmark, but during the ‘50s and ‘60s was well known for his role in several great jazz groups, most notably the Oscar Peterson Trio. The author of five books, who is also featured on two instructional videos, Thigpen made more than 50 albums during his years with Peterson, and also played with other famed pianists like Bud Powell and Billy Taylor. He’s being spotlighted in a clinic session titled “The Essence of Brushes” that begins at 11 a.m. Thigpen will demonstrate his approach to using brushes in various musical settings and discussing the proper approach in utilizing them.
Houston Person is among the finest ballad and blues players in recent jazz history. He’s made more than 75 albums as a bandleader, contributed to landmark dates by Lou Rawls, Lena Horne, Dakota Station, Horace Silver and longtime musical comrade Etta Jones among others, and also produced albums by Jones, Buck Hill, Staton, Freddy Cole and Charles Brown. His most recent release To Etta With Love was a tribute to the recently deceased Jones, with whom he played for 35 years. Person’s mastery as an interpreter and soloist will be on display during his clinic on “The Importance of Playing the Melody” at 1:30 p.m.
Aebersold is a member of the International Association of jazz Educators Hall of Fame and an internationally respected and admired authority on jazz education. His series of Play-a-Long books and CD sets extends over 113 volumes, and he’s been director of the Summer Jazz Workshops for more than three decades. Aebersold, who also plays piano and bass, will conduct clinics on “Combo Rehearsal Techniques” at 9:30 a.m. and “How to Learn Tunes” at 11 a.m.
Other jazz players and educators participating in clinics include trumpeter George Tidwell, saxophonist Denis Solee, trumpeter Rod McGaha, and vocalist Sandra Dudley. A complete schedule of all clinics is available at
http://www.nashvillejazz.org.
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