"Improvisation for beginners", that was the titel of a Jazz-Workshop I made in Wesel-Germany about 16 years for musicians of all instruments. The first step was to learn the melody from Ellingtons C-Jam -Blues, just one note to play over the three akkords of a 12-bar-blues. There were a lot to learn: Why three times 4 bars? We've looked at the typical blues lyrics. Why the cadenza - form " I-I7, IV7, V7 and back to I" ? What notes shall we use? The minor Pentatonik sounds bluesy, but the third(Eb) and the flat seventh (Bb) are sounds strange. For the rhythm- group b, dr, git, p there was a lot to learn: how to make a swing-feel, timing, how to set the chords in notes ( b ) or in voicings? for the melody-section: How to play the melody-line and for all: how to improvise? The first typical solution were playing the notes from the pentatonic as a non-stop line and loose the contact to the other musicians and loose the form and lost completely.
What can we do to structure the whole session?
A very helpful prototyp for improvisation was the normal-everyday- "conversation" , a chain of call-response; call-response with little motives up and down. Another helpful prototyp makes repetions from the motivs on every 4 bars and play only the first 2 bars and let the rhythm-group play the 3,4 bars.
To hear how the masters make Blues-Improvisations and focus the listening every times on an other instrument (dr,b,git, p ,ts,cl and so on) makes clear the complexity of jazz-music and gives the learning a strong direction. To record the own solo and hear the difference to the masters makes the progress possible.
When I began to make music with a skiffle band (ukulele&guitar&vocal) and after that with clarinet in a Dixieband, there was only one possibility: the audience! No teacher could explain how to improvise, I took a pencil and transcibed solos from the record motiv by motiv only by ear. That gaves the ears good "muscels".
With modern styles in the beginning I had a problem with the clarinet...always I stuck in old time phrasing and sound. So I made a new start with the flute and heard only Herbie Man. Years I walked the two ways with the Altsax in the middle. But my teacher Wolfgang Meyer-Tormin ( a composer, clarinet-player and genial teacher ) in the conservatorium makes me hungry to study the backgrounds of all styles of music.
Rena Janßen were our Vocalist with Septett the " Swing Affair" and with Trio "Tri Jazz" over many years. the picture is from Altstadtfest 1995 in Dinslaken NRW. Rena is unforgotten , we are very thankfull playing with her.
Her last session with Scala Band was 2019 iin Weseler Kulturhaus Scala. Listen at mp3 below
