SATURDAY, MARCH 24TH, 2018 – 10am – 12:30pm

On March 24th I want to start talking about a composer’s intent – how a writer’s vision is carried forward and realized. This will be the first in more than a few installments of this broad topic – we’re doing more than analyzing the music, we’ll be trying to “decode” it. Even improvised “free” jazz can have strict form and recognizable intent.

We’ll look at three contrasting works: “Black, Brown and Beige” by Duke Ellington, “Pharaoh’s Dance” by Joe Zawinul from Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, and “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane. Despite their obvious stylistic differences, these three works share an evolved sense of “composed” performance. Duke, Miles and Coltrane were composers and instrumentalists. They all played like writers and wrote like players. How does being a player affect one’s intent in composing? Let’s see if we can decode some of these great recordings’ magic.

The premiere 1943 Carnegie Hall Concert of “Black, Brown and Beige” was just the beginning. The piece has been chopped up, reworked, rerecorded and orchestrated, both by Duke himself and others. We’ll check out the original, and compare it to an interesting and evocative symphonic treatment of the work by the late conductor Maurice Peress with the Buffalo Phil. We’ll hear how both versions really lean on the players to make the magic happen – the score is just a point of departure.

Miles was playing and composing, calling the shots, and even arranging and “recomposing” others’ original tunes when he recorded the seminal Bitches Brew in 1968. A lot of it sounds like free blowing, but there is definite structure and intent.

Trane’s 1965 masterpiece “A Love Supreme”, well, what can I say…

Then after a short break I’ll bring to the stage our guest speaker, guitar virtuoso and Emmy-nominated composer Mr. Grant Geissman. Grant has had a long and prolific career, and we’re going to hear all about it. Let’s try and decode him while we’re at it!

You’re definitely going to get your money’s worth on Saturday. And there will be free food and … oh yes, coffee. See you there. Scott

Cover charge: $15 includes continental breakfast

Purchase tickets in advance on Eventbright or at the door.
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Vitello’s E-Spot Lounge – 4349 Tujunga Ave Studio City, CA 91604

About Grant Geissman

Grant Geissman is a guitarist and composer with fourteen albums released under his own name, the latest being the jazz trilogy of Say That!, Cool Man Cool, and BOP! BANG! BOOM!, for which he wrote and arranged all of the songs (Futurism Records). Geissman also co-wrote the music for all twelve seasons of the hit CBS-TV series Two and a Half Men and all six seasons of Mike & Molly. He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2004 for co-writing the Two and a Half Men theme (“Men, men, men, men, manly men”). His other TV credits include playing the Django Reinhart-style acoustic guitar solo on the theme of the hit sitcom Monk.

Geissman recorded the now-iconic electric guitar solo on Chuck Mangione’s 1978 mega-hit “Feels So Good.” Over the years, the versatile guitarist has recorded with such artists as Burt Bacharach, Inara George, Joanna Newsom, Lorraine Feather, Julio Iglesias, Quincy Jones, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, David Benoit, Van Dyke Parks, and Ringo Starr.

PLEASE NOTE NEW SATURDAY TIME and EXTENDED FORMAT

HARMONIC RHYTHM AND SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER BRENT FISCHER

On Saturday May 6th at 10am we’ll continue our exploration of harmonic rhythm, focusing on how jazz players and composers use chord movement…this topic comprises much more than cool chord substitution and complicated altered harmony. Harmonic rhythm defines phrases, form and pacing, and your heightened awareness of the flow of harmony will direct and focus the emotional content of your writing. We will refer to examples from Ellington/Strayhorn and Bob Brookmeyer.

Then after a break I’ll introduce our special guest Brent Fischer. Brent is the son of the late, great composer and pianist Clare Fischer, who was one of our most prolific and innovative jazz composers and performers. Brent is a fantastic composer and multi-instrumentalist in his own right. He collaborated frequently with his dad, but also has developed his own unique musical voice as a composer and performer. Brent will present some Clare’s harmonic and orchestration concepts, and how he’s carrying on his dad’s legacy. This is deep stuff people, so bring your analog or digital notation aids and put on your thinking caps. We will have some handouts, and I will project all scores and examples, and they will be available online for your laptops or tablets. Please see https://www.ellingtonstudygroup.com for more details, and we’ll see you there.

Grammy®-winning producer, composer, arranger and recent Record of the Year nominee Brent Fischer credits his late father, Clare Fischer, for creating a family tradition of writing with a rich harmonic and orchestrational palette that has become the Fischer brand. A multi-instrumentalist (vibes, keys, bass, drums), Brent Fischer moves easily between genres. His arranging credits for pop, R&B and jazz royalty include: D’Angelo, Prince, Michael Jackson, Usher, Al Jarreau, Elvis Costello and The Roots. Brent Fischer directs all the Clare Fischer ensembles and produced the last eight Clare Fischer albums, including: Grammy®-nominated 2011 release ‘Continuum‘, 2012 Grammy®-winning ‘¡Ritmo!‘ (Best Latin Jazz Album) and 2013 Grammy®-winning ‘Music for Strings, Percussion and the Rest’ (Best Instrumental Composition). The new Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band release ‘¡Intenso!’ features Sheila E. and Roberta Gambarini.