Last night, Ernie Bastin directed his last concert at Ohio University.

Two trumpet ensembles, two jazz combos and a jazz ensemble all performed at the concert. Bastin, director of the Ohio University Jazz Ensemble II, is retiring after 40 years at OU.

Bastin taught trumpet, directed Jazz Ensemble I for 30 years and Jazz Ensemble II for the past two years.

The concert began with a surprise trumpet ensemble honoring Bastin, who has been playing trumpet for 62 years. The ensemble was comprised of OU alumni who were all taught by Bastin.

Michael Parkinson, director of the Ohio University School of Music, will take over Bastin’s post next year. Parkinson said he met Bastin in the early 1970s while he was a director at Kent State University.

“I heard of his great reputation, and I knew that he was a tremendous musician,” Parkinson said.

The jazz ensemble started off their part of the concert with the piece “Easy Time” by Humberto Ramirez. Bastin said he especially enjoys this piece because the dancers feed off the musicians and the musicians feed off the dancers who are having so much fun.

“I’m surprised I didn’t see some of you dancing in the aisles,” Bastin said.

Jazz Ensemble II alto saxophone player Billy Foster said Bastin is the best band director he has ever had.

“He knows how to keep the rehearsals lively,” said Foster, a freshman studying music education.

Foster had his first solo last night during the salsa piece “Dancing Eyes” by Mike Tomaro. He said he was nervous but also excited because the solo went very well.

A member of two local bands, Bastin said he will still be quite busy after retirement.

“So, I’m officially retired, but it won’t be that much different,” Bastin said.

My last book review was Jazz Guitar Etudes by saxophonist Greg Fishman and now I have a review of LJI Functional Jazz Guitar by Ed Byrne who is a trombonist. Ed has performed and recorded with most of the jazz world’s leading musicians and is a trombonist, composer/arranger, and educator who has served on the faculties of Berklee College, Baruch College, University of the Arts, Greenfield Community College, and the University of Rhode Island. Many of his pupils have gone onto high-profile careers: Kenny Werner, Abe Laboriel, Chip Jackson, Freddie Bryant, Mark Elf, Papo Vasquez, and Gary Dial have all studed with Ed.

Functional Jazz Guitar (FJG) states in it’s preface that it “does not attempt be ground breaking.” Instead the text focuses on having the student play through the basic cadences and blues forms in every key. This is the quintessential material of jazz harmony that, once internalized, will allow the student to “be able to play real jazz with others.”

The examples in the book are what I’d call real “meat and potatoes” material: simple, powerful tools that sound great and are foundational rather than trying to be clever. Students working with the book are guided through dozens of exercises that demonstrate the use of guide-tone lines and various comping patterns including major and minor ii v i and blues cadences in all 12 keys. Learning all of the material within and FJG and applying it to standard tunes would give the guitar student a mastery of their instrument and the solid foundation of harmonic understanding necessary for jazz playing and creative improvisation. The book includes 18 files in MP3 and Finale format to practicing along with. Vist Ed’s website to view sample pages and sound files.

FJG also has several pages of advice, observations, and reflections from Ed on topics such as ear-training, transcription, sight-singing, reading lead-sheets and more. Although the strength of the of the book is in its’ musical examples, these comments by the author add even more value by suggesting further uses and activities for the included examples.

As you can probably tell, I really like this book and I’m also a big fan of Ed’s Linear Jazz Improvisation Method books which would be a natural next step for students who have mastered the basic concepts in FJG. The only misgiving that I have about the book is that it is entirely in standard notation and I fear that the lack of tablature may scare off intermediate-level guitarists who don’t read well – just the demographic that needs this book. Since the goal is to master the included material in every key and across the entire range of the instrument, the use of standard notation leaves students open to explore all range and fingering options for themselves. Guitarists, if you need to work on your reading FJG is the perfect book to struggle through. Most examples are not too difficult and and you’ll be a better reader to boot!

So, what’s up with all of these books targeted toward guitarists but not written by one? I can’t say if this is the start of a new trend, but I think that many music educators have recognized that there is a huge marketplace full of egghead guitarists and that we do like to buy instructional books and videos. Is it a problem that the instruction is coming from a non-guitarist? In the case of jazz and jazz improvisation, I’d have to say no. Because jazz is a language spoken by all instrumentalists, any musician that can speak the language has something to teach you. Also, because a non-guitarist may not be familiar with all of the technical aspects of the instrument they can help you to focus on the Big Picture. So, instead of worrying about the particulars of fingerings and picking techniques they can help you make sure you’re in tune, in time, swinging, making the changes, and providing adequate support for the rest of the ensemble. This is what LJI Functional Jazz Guitar is all about!

IRONTON — The Jazztet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, as part of the Ohio University Southern Campus Performing Arts Series.

The performance will take place at the Riffe Center Mains Rotunda. Admission is free.

The Jazztet, Athens’ Premiere Jazz Quintet, consists of Ernie Bastin on valve trombone and percussion, Guy Remonko on drums and percussion, Matt James on saxophone, John Horne on guitar and Terry Douds on bass. A Jazztet performance evokes the classic two-horn quintets of Miles Davis and Horace Silver while embracing the most durable, standard tunes in the jazz canon alongside more contemporary works by composers such as Wynton Marsalis and Pat Metheny.

Bastin is professor emeritus of trumpet at Ohio University. He has a bachelor of music degree from West Virginia University and a master of music degree from the University of Illinois. He currently works part-time teach jazz improvisation and brass methods.

Remonko is professor emeritus of percussion at Ohio University and teaches part-time. He has performed with a variety of well-known artists including Pearl Bailey, Diane Schuur, Eddie Daniels, Marvin Stamm, Gene Bertoncini and Bucky Pizzarelli.

James is a professor of saxophone and jazz studies at Ohio University teaching saxophone, jazz theory, jazz arranging and directs the jazz ensembles. He has degrees from Northern Illinois University and the University of North Texas, where he was the lead alto saxophonist with the acclaimed One O’Clock Lab Band.

Horne is professor of guitar at Ohio University and the University of Rio Grande in addition to having a private teaching practice. He has a degree in guitar performance from Duquesne University. He has taught classes and workshops for Ohio University, the National Guitar Workshop, Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp and Athens Community Music School.

Doud is a broadcast technician for Ohio University and teaches audio courses for the Ohio University-Lancaster regional campus. He is a sought after bass instructor, performer, clinician and engineer/producer. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he performed on four award-winning albums with The OSU Jazz Ensemble.

For more information, contact Pat McCoy at 740-533-4541.

Tuesday April 14 2009 8:00-10:00pm
2nd Tuesday Jazz Series
The Front Room
Baker University Center
Ohio University
One Park Place, Athens, OH 45701
740-593-4020

Jazz Guitar Etudes is the first of two books I’m going to be reviewing that is NOT written by a guitarist. It turns out that Jazz Guitar Etudes was originally written by Chicago-based saxophonist Greg Fishman as a collection of saxophone etudes that has recently been adapted for guitar. Fortunately for us guitarists, Fishman did not simply transpose his sax studies for C instruments and leave it at that. Instead, he brought a guitarist on board. The guitar edition relies heavily on contributions from guitarist Mike Allemana who provides guitar tablature and relevant ideas of fingering and articulation options. The book also contains detailed notes from both Fishman and Allemana on how intermediate, advanced, and professional level students can use the etudes to further their improvisational skills.

Beyond these few pages of text the book gets right down to business with 12 etudes based on a variety of familiar chord progressions including blues, rhythm changes, and the changes to standard tunes such as “Alone Together”, “Body and Soul”, and “Have You Met Miss Jones”. The melodic lines in each etude are fantastic examples of classic bebop phrasing. Fishman makes the etudes thematic to a point, but doesn’t go so far as to make them sound like sound like tunes so much as really well-constructed solos that are hip and fun without ever straying from the underlying harmonies. There was obviously enough thought put into each etude that you could do an analysis of the material identifying common elements in bebop phrasing. However, just playing through the etudes will provide guitar players with a lot of great ideas to add to their vocabulary.

Once players get the etudes under their fingers they can play along with the included CD. Probably the most useful tracks to play along with are the tenor sax tracks. Playing along with Greg on the sax is a really fun and satisfying experience that will challenge your timing, tone, and articulation. Guitarists who are working to get that horn-style phrasing into their playing will especially benefit from this feature and this is the only book on the market that offers this option.

Below is a video of guitarist Mike Allemana demonstrating this feature with the etude “Halsted Street”:

I really enjoyed working with this book and I hope that Greg Fishman will eventually make some of his other books available for guitarists as well. I think his books Jazz Saxophone Duets and Jazz Phrasing for Beginners would also translate particularly well for guitarists.

We really hope you can join us, playing with Kris is sure to be a blast!

On January 13 we’ll be welcoming vocalist Angela Blair. Angela was originally scheduled to perform with us in the Fall but had to reschedule due to illness. On February 10 Ernie will be showcasing some talented Ohio University string students he’s been working with and on March 10 we’ll be welcoming back the fantastic Kris Keith on flute. We hope you can join us!

Tuesday September 9 2008 8:00-10:00pm
2nd Tuesday Jazz Series
The Front Room
Baker University Center
Ohio University
One Park Place, Athens, OH 45701
740-593-4020