Report on the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camp July 2007

I attended the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camp in July 2007 mainly because my development had sort of flattened out. Working intensively eight hours a day as a database engineer with only a 1-hour a week lunchtime Jazz Guitar Lesson only got me so far, even though I practiced consistently. I needed some total immersion in jazz, preferably away from the daily routine of corporate life.

I had known about Jamey Aebersold and his Summer Jazz Workshop for years from his ads in Downbeat Magazine.

Paul Moore, my Guitar Teacher, had recommended that I at least work occasionally with a bass player and maybe a drummer to develop a sense of real time interplay and interaction. Trouble is, I didn't know any drummers or bassists. Paul knew one, a classical player, who wanted to learn jazz. However, our schedules were not compatible.

I don't get out a whole lot, but I did have some vacation coming up. So, "I thought why not do the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camp?" I registered late and they were full. I got on standby, someone cancelled, and I was accepted within a month of the workshop.

The camps always run in 2 sessions around the 4th of July. I attended the second session. I also opted to attend the weekend pre-session Guitar, Bass, & Drums workshop. This turned out to be very helpful in getting some rhythm section exposure prior to the full session in which each student gets assigned to a combo for the week.

The pre-session work allows the combos to get down business sooner since the rhythm sections have been fully briefed and primed on their role. It worked well. Steve Erquiaga, one of the Guitar Instructors, supplied useful handouts of Guitar comping chords and substitutions that were not immediately obvious at first, but once applied made a whole lot of sense.

Bass Players and Drummers were also briefed with tips and pointers from their respective instructors. There was also a sax instructor/player who gave us a steady reference as to what jazz rhythm section support is all about.

More will be forthcoming on the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp in Part 2 of this report ...