It Don't Mean a Thing… Tuesday, May 19, 2009
…if it Ain’t Got That Swing! Do wah, do wah… you know the rest! Swing was the thing on Saturday, May 16 at Stanton’s Sheet Music for the Essential Elements Jazz Improvisation Clinic. Author Mike Steinel, from the North Texas State University, was here for a daylong how-to session about using his wonderful Essential Elements Jazz Method in the classroom.
As things happen in jazz though, the session was all encompassing and participants who had never improvised before were laying down some pretty nice riffs. The morning session laid the groundwork for some hands-on improvisation before lunch and then drummer Jeremy Bradstreet stopped by to give some timely pointers on working with beginning jazz drummers. A jam session wrapped up the day with Jeremy on drums and “Stanton’s own” Dan Clark on bass.
After the clinic session Mike, Jim Strouse and Ben Huntoon of Stanton’s Sheet Music, as well as a small group of clinic attendees were treated to a tour of the new Jazz Arts Group Jazz Academy by Academy Director, Carol Argiro. The Jazz Academy is due to open next week in conjunction with the reopening of the renovated Lincoln Theatre. This state-of-the-art facility will fast become the hub of community music education in Columbus.
The day wrapped up for Mike with a great dinner at the French restaurant L’Antibes in the Short North and a concert by the Columbus Jazz Orchestra at the Southern Theatre.