Jazz Class at McPhail

I'd heard some good things about this class.  One hour a week for 12 weeks, split between theory and history, designed for McPhail students but open to the general public.  It hasn't been offered for several years, so I was interested when it came up.

I talked to Adam Linz before enrolling because it was described as being suitable for intermediate or advance jazz students.  I'm not any of those of course.  But Adam encouraged me.

So I walk into the class the first night, expecting to see 15 or 20 people, and a classroom with a back row from which I can quietly listen and learn.

Instead, I find a big rehearsal space, with 4 music stands and chair in front of each.  Also, a grand piano, a white board with music staff lines.  And the two instructors: Adam, plus Phil Hey, who's one of the top 2 or 3 drummers in town.

At 3 of the places sit a high school kid.   Think of a ragged flying 'v'.  The chair left for me is front and center.

'Hi my name is Tom and I'm a jazz fan and I don't play any instruments and I can't read music and  I don't know any theory and my kids haven't been in high school for 10 years.


'Oh, and you've been playing saxophone for 9 years, and you play classical violin in a youth orchestra and also play in the McPhail jazz combo, and did you say you play guitar in 3 rock bands and have been doing a lot of improvising based on alternate modes.  That's cool.  Nice to meet all of you.'

However, it's been great.  Much is over my head, but I'm catching enough to sort it out afterwards.

More than that, it's intimate exposure to two world class jazz musicians.  How do they think about their music, the tradition of jazz, how are solos structured, how does the interaction between musicians actually take place?

A rare opportunity, and it's changing what I listen to and the way I listen to it.

 Adam Linz

 Phil Hey