Hey, I just wanted to share a link that’s been helpful to me. http://www.myguitarsolo.com/jazz_comp.htm It contains midi files with a standard IIm – V7 – Imaj7 progression (among others), and it circulates through all the scales on the instrument. I think it lasts about 5-10 minutes, and it is a work-out! The greatest thing is [Continue]

PGMusic announced today that they are out with the latest, greatest version of BinaB for Windows (no new Mac version yet). Nothing really “whoa” in this version, other than if you upgrade from the previous version you can get ALL the RealTracks. Some of the highlights of the update I found interesting are: Plug-in mode….generate [Continue]

The Apple iPhone/iTouch software market is amazing. Games, tuners (like the great Strobe tuner). Even AutoTune things like I Am T-Pain. Now, there is the Pitch Primer for the platform. It is amazing. Transcription tool? Sure it could be. Amazing practice tool? YES! Amazing idea? YES! It is easiest to see a demo of it. [Continue]

After few busy weeks, I finally got some time to update the “Downloads” section of my little webpage at www.jkchang.com with a new project titled “Chromatic Transposition of II-V-I Coltrane Lines.”  This project, similar to the previous project “Chromatic Transposition of II-V-I Bebop Lines,” focuses on [Continue]

Finally, after few long days of struggling against my sluggish computer, I was able to get an old project “50 Minor II-V-I Bebop Lines,” about 100 pages, uploaded to my little website at www.jkchang.com.  The project focuses on II-V-I in minor and the lines are transposed to all twelve keys as usual.  These lines were [Continue]

This is an older video, from 1996, and is still worth looking at. [Continue]

Boots Randolph’s Rock and Roll Saxophone – Techniques and Fundamentals for Today’s Players by Boots Randolph and Mike Shannon is 63 pages that try to show you how to play rock and roll like Boots. Not that Boots playing could in any way be condensed down to so few pages. The first part of the [Continue]

This was posted yesterday on PGMusic.com. We’re looking for current users of Band-in-a-Box 2007 to help us test some of our latest features. In order to qualify as a beta tester, you must be: A current user of Band-in-a-Box 2007 For Windows. Seems the Macintosh version will languish another year without an update (yet again). [Continue]

I came across Create Digital Music’s discussion of Native Instruments BeatPort SYNC. It has a lot of interesting features such as: Two-deck mixer with manual/automatic crossfader Pitch control Time-stretching and tempo detection, for smooth crossfades even if you don’t know what you’re doing (or you’re, say, folding laundry or cleaning [Continue]

First off, I need to apologize to Bob Taylor. He sent me this book a while ago. Months ago, and I just plain got busy. So, finally, here is a review of the book. Sightreading Jazz is a 130 page, spiral bound book that addresses jazz sightreading. Being able to come to a musical situation, [Continue]

There are a number of books out there that are for Oboe that have been adapted for Saxophone. Ferling’s, and Rossari’s books would be two examples. Another great book to check out is “Vade-Mecum of The Oboist” by Albert J. Andraud. The 200 page, over sized book contains 230 selected studies (some from Ferling) and [Continue]

The idea, which I have had for years, was to have a digital studio where I didn’t go through reams of paper every year. I finally did it. Using an iMac, and it’s video spanning capabilities, I made a digital music stand. While the technology has been there, the costs were way too high. The [Continue]

Every month, I make it a point to buy new music. New music including books in addition to recorded media. I have quiet a backlog of things to review. So, first up are Approach Note Velocity Studies. I’m not sure when I found these on the net, but Steve Neff’s Approach Note Velocity Studies are [Continue]

There are a couple of programs I always update when a new version comes out. Finale, Digital Performer, anything from Apple, and, of course, Band in a Box. Yes campers, a new version of Band in a Box is out for PC. 2007. The Mac version, sadly, is still languishing in limbo at version 12. [Continue]

I had rave reviews of Greg Fishman’s “Jazz Saxophone Etudes” book. I really like the tunes in that book. They are melodic, sound great, and are idiomatic of good jazz solos. The concept of including two CDs (one for Alto, and one for Tenor) was, well, fairly obvious (yet no one else does this, ie: [Continue]