Jamey Abersold's Summer Jazz Workshop

[PhilipEdCarlson]

Thoughts/Opinions

[Neo Bri]

I've known some VERY fine players that went and learned a lot. Top-shelf players, in fact.

It's probably in Louisville, which will be pretty brutal in the summer. Muggy.

[Matt K]

I've heard lots of good things about it. I've never been though. The National Jazz Workshops that are put on throughout the Northeast are also really good. I was a counselor at them for a few years.

[cmcslide]

The word that I'm hearing is that this is the last year that Jamey's camp will exist; he's closing down after this year and won't be handing it off to anybody else. So if you want to check out the Abersold camp, do it now...

[Neo Bri]

That would be a shame.

[Carter1016]

A little after the rest, but I go to the University of Louisville, where the camp is held. Summers in Louisville do get hot, but the facilities here are great. Jamey Abersold has a huge presence in the jazz community in Louisville and Southern Indiana. My high school band director attended the camp several years ago and he continually speaks very highly of it. I would recommend it

[LoremIpsum]

I attended one of the ones that he ran in London. If I am remembering correctly, each day included a couple of lectures (one more focussed on deciphering the notes/chord progressions and another on other useful skills), an instrument specific session (trombone players all together with an experienced trombone player/teacher) and playing in mixed groups (with one of the teachers leading the session). All the people leading the sessions clearly knew what they were talking about and could back it up with their playing.

It was a fun and useful week. The theory and playing groups were based on the player's standard (there was a short test at the beginning of the week) so even a relative beginner/expert could get a lot out of it. It was a pleasant and immersive atmosphere (the teachers were playing themselves and then highlighting good local gigs in the evening). In my case, I definitely came out with much more of an understanding about jazz and with the knowledge on how to improve. I would have loved to have gone to another course, but they stopped occurring in London a while ago.

[Davidus1]

I've known some VERY fine players that went and learned a lot. Top-shelf players, in fact.

It's probably in Louisville, which will be pretty brutal in the summer. Muggy.

I've known several that have gone to these and they are terrific if you can make it to one. Best wishes!

[PhilipEdCarlson]

REGISTERED

[Neo Bri]

REGISTERED

What a man!

[PhilipEdCarlson]

thanks for all the responses, it really helped

Maybe next year I'll look into the NJW, being the last year for JA was a bit of a driver for this decision. Experience a bit of Jazz History. Looking forward to learning a lot. Maybe drop by BAC on the drive out. There's so much coal there I expect the air conditioning should be great! Looks like it'll be a kind of religious experience too, so I'll be careful when I report back in a few months!

[Chiptingle]

Any idea who the bone faculty is this year? Love Steve Davis, among other greats!

[Mikebmiller]

I went about 15 years ago and had a great time Rick Simerly was my combo teacher - that dude is fantastic! Mostly what I learned is that I am too stupid to be a good jazz improviser. I really respect guys (and ladies) that can do that well. I have no background in music theory or keyboard playing, so all that chord stuff goes right over my head. I can fake a 12 bar blues when I have to.

[cmcslide]

Rick is going to be there this year. And yes, he is fantastic! Don't know who else, though...

[jorymil]

Resurrecting this thread in the hope that workshops will resume next year. I went in 2014, and it was amazing. I didn't improve tremendously as a player (there are limits to how much you can practice), but I took group lessons with Steve Davis and Rick Simerly, plus played in an 8-piece group with Bobby Shew leading us. We would all go play for an hour, then stay and listen to Bobby talking about playing in Horace Silver's band, or playing on record dates. We were very late to lunch every day. I've been trying to hunt down recordings I made of those chats.

Jamey himself is one of the most energetic people I've ever run across. He was 75 at the time, and was active in every facet of the camp: flight schedules, lunch, dorms, teaching, dirty jokes, weekend gigs, you name it. He probably ran on 4 or 5 hours' sleep a night.

Steve Davis was incredibly genuine and down to earth. You really couldn't ask for a better instructor. I saw him at Smoke when visiting NYC _4_years_later_ and he recognized me! Basically Jamey hired the entire One For All band as instructors.

A plug for an under-the-radar piano/organ player: Bobby Floyd. He tore it up the entire week.

The latest on the website basically says "Maybe 2023." Fingers crossed.

Oh... sure, it's a little warm, but they have peach Nehi in the convenience stores....