Alan Wanted Me To Post This!

Dear Alan: Thank you for responding personally – to get a message from the master is a blessing and I thank you profusely! Believe it or not, I sat down and looked at the entire DVD as soon as I got it! There is no way to digest everything at one sitting but that’s how exciting it was to me! After doing some research on the masters of the instrument, like Beethoven, Liszt, etc. it would appear that improvisation was a large part of their music and their gift(s). I can appreciate learning music to be played a certain way, like Rubenstein, Horowitz, Shostakovich, Gould, or you Alan, etc., but for the life of me I can’t understand why there is (or should be) a conflict between what jazz pianists do and what classical musicians do, based on the research I’ve done. For one thing, all the best jazz pianists (Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, Phineas Newborn, Herbie Hancock, Bud Powell, etc.) all seemed to possess astounding classical “chops”, yet classical musicians still call the “art of instant composition”, “that noise”. Is that because they can’t do it? People often laugh at, or despise, that which they cannot understand or do! Personally, I can appreciate both – but I’m bothered that even though the roots of their art is improvisation, most classical pianists JUST CAN’T play jazz! I believe that for ME to progress in jazz, I’m going to have to tackle Hanon, Velocity Studies, etudes, and the like because that is where my technique is going to come from! Now, that being said, what else do you have for me to study, watch, and learn (smile!). Please tell me there is something else in the pipeline? Or if not yet, that there is going to be something else in the future. Perhaps something for guys like me who need to learn scales, arpeggios, the Letschetizky Method, etc., who have never gone to a classical teacher, etc.? Vernon M. Byron, Jr. -USA

Thanks for posting these comments, it is important that jazz be recognized for what it is: to my mind, THE classical music of the 20th century! By the way, I might add here some quotes from our earlier correspondence: my reply to you initial query: your response: and my reply, Thanks once again, and let me know how things develop! AFF

I once heard a story told about a conversation with Witold Kujken of the world famous Kujken Quartet, the best rennaissance music quartet on the planet. He was asked about jazz music and he replied, "oh, I was never talented enough a musician to play jazz" in this reverent tone of voice. All good classical musicians acknowledge jazz as a great art form, and closer in some repects to what the great composers did in terms of improvisation than the present-day, 'museum piece' type of classical music. The ones who don't are just snobs... By the way, most jazz pianists suffer LESS from the kind of problems I address in my film and book, because they haven't been so 'infected' by this wrong understanding of relaxation that undermines and disempowers ones physical connection to the key... I have another book in the pipeline, and EVENTUALLY a scales and technique book, but I have five other projects to finish first. I need five of ME to do everything that needs doing! Thanks for your comments and keep in touch. Why not post some of these thoughts to my forum at , they would be much appreciated! Best, Alan

Dear Alan, Please forgive me but I have to disagree with you here. Being a jazz musician myself and teaching at a Jazz music school, I can tell you with certainty that a huge number of jazz pianists suffer from all kinds of physical ailments, from tendonitis to carpal tunnel and others. In my opinion, the difference is that ,because Jazz is about personal expression, a lot of pianists that are very limited or in pain, end up changing what they play (as in just playing ballads, or just being an accompanist) and how they play(as in: I don't play any fast licks). Classical pianists don't have this privilege, since the repertoire is already set and if one wants to be a professional classical pianist, he or she will have to "deal" with all the pieces that demand a great deal of technical fluency. Best, Hancock

Please forgive me but I have to disagree with you here. Being a jazz musician myself and teaching at a Jazz music school, I can tell you with certainty that a huge number of jazz pianists suffer from all kinds of physical ailments, from tendonitis to carpal tunnel and others. I am really sorry to hear that! Of course I believe you because I only speak of the very limited number of jazz and pop pianists I've observed... I wonder if this was true in the old days when jazz was learned "on the street," or whether this is a phenomenon of jazz being introduced into the education system? By the way, more about jazz as the 21st century classical music, and of how all great classical composers were great improvisers: Kemal heard the Keith Jarret Trio in Miami last month and was so blown away he said they are not even making music but engaged in some sort of spiritual creation that's way beyond music... Check this out for instance... Look at his thumbs at 1:00 to 1:30... very indiviiduated, like we've been talking about elsewhere... There's one that I saw earlier that is even better than all these I post now, but I can't find it... well, these are pretty representative anyway... By the way, look at his hands at .... really great organization. You can see by the shape one of the reasons just why he has such great sound and such great dynamic range and control... AFF