Got a vocal question? Sing it out!

As you struggle to build your full- or part-time career as a vocalist, you’re going to have questions: How do I make myself better? What should I practice? What qualities should I look for in a teacher? How can I get that first gig? What’s the best way to find accompanists and collaborators? When do I know it’s time to record?

Now there’s a place to get authoritative answers, absolutely free. Our favorite vocal teacher, Janet Planet, is now offering an “ask page,” where you can post your most pressing vocal questions. Just go to www.askjanetplanet.com/askyourquestion and type it in. Janet will aggregate and categorize the questions and offer the answers in a “teleseminar” that you’ll be invited to.

Ask anything you’d like. No question is going to surprise Janet, whose career spans nearly 30 years and dozens of genres–jazz, rock, blues, gospel, Christian, jingles and more. Click here now for the page and her audio explanation of what to expect. She’s an excellent teacher and a wonderful resource for anyone who’s curious enough–and who cares enough–to ask.

Who says Gene is just a jazz guy?

If you happen to be in NYC this Saturday (May 3), catch the versatile Gene Bertoncini displaying his classical chops in an 8 p.m. concert at the Baruch Center, 55 Lexington Ave., where he’s being honored by the New York Classical Guitar Society.  Tickets are $25 and can be ordered by phone at 212-352-3101 or 866-811-4111(toll free).

As further demonstration of his monstrous talent, check out Gene’s newest CD, Concerti, recorded with a string quartet and featuring the wonderful bassist David Finck.  Click here for purchasing info.

 

Tritone Featured on AARP.org

We’re pleased to be the only jazz camp mentioned in an article about fantasy camps on AARP.org, a very popular site for Boomers and beyond. Take a look at some of the prices of other camps and see what a bargain we are! Want to learn acting? That’ll be a cool $12,000!

Radio Stuff

Like to listen to great jazz  online, free?  Check out slacker.com, a wonderful online radio station that features many other genres as well.

NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday this morning contained a fascinating interview with a hearing specialist from Johns Hopkins who put a functional MRI on six jazz pianists and watched their brain activity as they improvised.  Check it out.  (I’m pretty sure if they put one on me, it would flatline.)

The same show contained a nice appreciation of Marian McPartland on her 90th birthday.  Our own Tom Hampson attended the festivities at Lincoln Center last Wednesday.  Many of you will remember how much fun Marian was as a guest artist at our first couple of camps, when she was a much more sprightly 79.

Tritone Bob

Are all vocalists Cheeseheads?

There’s something we can’t quite figure out.  For the second year in a row, we’ve exceeded our quota of vocalist campers in Wisconsin, but as of today, not a single vocalist has enrolled in Rochester.

Is the midwestern air kinder to singers’ throats?  Does the idea of singing in a college music building bring back painful memories of undergrad auditions?  Do vocalists have some kind of geo-tonal attraction to Lake Michigan (and what’s wrong with Lake Ontario)?

It just doesn’t make any sense.  Our fabulous vocal teacher, Janet Planet, is in residence in both places, and it’s not that she offers any special Cheesehead magic in WI just because it’s her home state.  She works her tail off in both places, spending virtually every day and many evenings helping singers prepare for the final camp concerts and giving them about a year’s worth of material to think about.

So we’re perplexed, but the good news is that any vocalist who signs up for Jazz at Naz is pretty much guaranteed very personal attention this summer.  At least as of today.

IAJE Cancels Summit. No Park City Camp This Summer.

Regrettably, Tritone Jazz at the Summit, the camp that was scheduled as a centerpiece of the International Association of Jazz Education’s Park City Summit, has been canceled. The IAJE has canceled the entire event.

This is supremely disappointing to us, to the campers who had enrolled, and to the first-class faculty we had assembled, who were really looking forward to working together. Unfortunately, the decision was beyond our control.

Our other two camps are thriving, however, so stay tuned. We’ll keep you informed of our expansion plans.

Tritone Bob

Finally, Well-Deserved Kudos for Gene!

Those of you who follow New York Times jazz writer Ben Ratliff know that he can be a very tough critic.

But he was recently smitten as we all are by Gene Bertoncini’s masterful playing, and he said so in a beautiful piece in the March 5 edition (click here). Although Ratliff stopped in to see Gene’s recent performances at two NYC venues, LeMadeleine (solo) and Iridium (trio with bassist Sean Smith and drummer Chuck Redd), it was the LeMadeleine gig that captured his attention.

It was only a matter of time before one of the nation’s leading jazz critics discovered what Tritone campers have long known–that the guy who enjoys jamming with campers and accompanying vocalists, puts the guitarists through their paces in master classes, and tells the bad jokes is one of the finest jazz guitarists the world will ever know.

Tritone Bob

Jazz Fake Books

People often ask what fake books they should bring to camp, and there are two answers.

The first is that you really don’t need a fake book because we provide all the music you’ll need for combo playing, big band, and even jam sessions.

The second answer has to do with the hidden meaning behind the question, which seems to be: “What fake books do you recommend?” On that one, the answer is easy. Now that The Real Book series has been legalized and legitimized by Hal Leonard, that’s the one you’ll find in most jazzers’ gig bags. We’ve seen at least three volumes and numerous editions. Get the latest.

We also like almost anything put out by Sher Music. We’ve used both The Real Easy Book and The New Real Books for camp activities.

If anyone else has favorites, please let us know.

Tritone Bob

For Lyell and Other Improvisers

In response to Lyell’s 2/12 question, and for everyone else with similar inquiries, I’m attaching a link to a PDF called All Ears: Aural Training, Improvisation, and the Creative Process, written by our own Fred Sturm. Our campers have found the exercises here most useful in improving their own improvisation, and we hope you will, too.

Bob DeRosa, TJFC

Fred Sturm’s All Ears

Welcome! Thanks for stopping by.

Whether you’re a veteran camper or you’re just stopping in to kick the tires, we’re glad you’re here.

Our full story is at www.tritonejazz.com. Here at Tritone Time, we’ll post the latest–breaking news about our camps, the need for particular instruments (bass players, drummers and trombonists for sure!), any changes in faculty, and info of general interest.

But more important, we hope to hear from you. If you’re a veteran camper with advice for those who are contemplating a first Tritone experience, please share it. If you’re thinking about a Tritone camp and have questions about what to expect, please ask.Here’s what’s going on this summer:

• Tritone Jazz at Naz, July 27-August 1, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY
• Tritone Cool at the Lake, August 10-15, Bjorklunden, Baileys Harbor, WI

We hope to hear from you soon.