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Author Topic: Smooth Jazz Harp  (Read 6838 times)

rnav2174

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Smooth Jazz Harp
« on: January 28, 2014, 04:58:58 PM »
Any other Smooth Jazz players out there interested in collaborating on some stuff like this, cmon , I can't be the only one ? This is just a practice piece but it's helping me head in the direction I want to go. Care to join me ? You know I was told by some other players that a harp can't really keep up with a Jazz horn and play the way they do with all their trills and runs , well I'm going to challenge that, I think I'm getting there, what do you think ? I know this piece is rough but with enough time and focus I know I could really play some Smooth Jazz, I may even be one of the leaders of this genre if I can keep from getting side tracked. I'm seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and I'm getting closer to it.

http://f.cl.ly/items/0v3I3x081z3K441N3a32/With%20Marion%20Meadows%20on%20My%20Cheri%20Amour_%20Practice%20take%202%2012-5-13%201506.mp3

Rick

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2014, 07:28:52 PM »
That piece won't play for me.   But RNav, I know you can out-trill and out-shine all the doubters.

rnav2174

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2014, 10:22:39 PM »
See if this plays, it's just an old unfinished practice piece. If anything it's just another example of how I like learning songs, I just put one on and then try to follow along until I have to improv. Next to Stevie's stuff, Smooth Jazz is my genre of choice for practicing.

https://soundcloud.com/ray-navarrette/my-cheri-amour-with-marion

rnav2174

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2014, 05:24:36 PM »
Looks like there aren't that many who are interested in playing or at least trying to play some Smooth Jazz, great, perfect  then it's all mine.

panamaharp

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2014, 06:31:47 PM »
Great playing. I'm not a smooth jazz or a jazz player.  But I'm trying to work on my chromatic harmonica skills and I think that it works well in this kind of music. 

I've been playing with some of the Chris Botti stuff; maybe I'll get good enough to post it somewhere.  In the meantime, I would love to talk about it and to listen to your playing.

rnav2174

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2014, 10:13:59 AM »
Here are my YouTube channel SoundCloud links. Most of my stuff is on there as just experimental stuff nothing really polished . Disregard the other non harp stuff. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/user/Rnav4712

Soundcloud , the Warren Hill stuff is an example of what I'm talking about when it comes to playing or following a horn player.   https://soundcloud.com/ray-navarrette
« Last Edit: March 02, 2014, 10:23:03 AM by rnav2174 »

panamaharp

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2014, 09:07:00 PM »
That is really good, however sometimes the harp blends too much with the other instruments.  Do you read music or play by ear?  Also, nice boxing videos; I'm from Panama, land of Roberto Duran.

rnav2174

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2014, 10:44:38 AM »
Yeah, as mentioned, a lot of the stuff on my channel is just experimental. I'm still trying to figure some stuff out. When I first started doing my mixes, I would play over other established instruments and vocals in a song and use them as a guide, that was before I found out about using backing tracks. I just started reading music and have been mostly an ear player since I started playing around 1971. When I started , I did the same thing, I would put on Stevie Wonder songs and try to copy his Harmonica and vocals note for note. I never really had any formal education with Harp playing and just pretty much taught myself to play what I hear. These days , playing is still pretty much a hobby but here in Los Angeles my wife and I like going to Smooth Jazz concerts and night clubs and so listening to the Sax and some of the other instruments in Smooth Jazz,  has got me real interested focusing on that kind of playing. There aren't to many Smooth Jazz Harp players and so I'm hoping I'll fit in with my Stevie Wonder influence. Still a work in progress for sure that is still fun after all these years. I really should have taken this more seriously years ago. Oh well , should've , would've, could've, no big deal really I'll just keep doing what I've been doing only using more backing tracks and maybe playing some live open mic at the clubs. Right now I'm looking for a Smooth Jazz band to play with or at least a good Sax player. Thanks

Ribbon In The Sky using backing tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teUjVaNfrzY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh5ON-LYbwQ  ( this harp had some reed issues as you can probably tell )
« Last Edit: March 04, 2014, 01:18:31 PM by rnav2174 »

panamaharp

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2014, 11:42:12 PM »
Very nice.  Forgot to mention, there is a really good chromatic player here is Gainesville, Florida.  His band Smooth Rx covers a lot of Smooth Jazz material.  Here is the link to their page:

http://smoothjazzrx.com/


Beelzebob

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2014, 12:33:12 AM »
Hey Ray, you've probably seen this, but just in case:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TedZ5ojLLVU

I first saw the one guy, Maki Yamaguchi, playing chromatic in a vid for Roland's Street Cube, I like it even better:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHpHIH3Ln4M

rnav2174

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2014, 04:43:33 PM »
Panama, very nice share. The harp player sounds like he's in the middle ground between a Chrom and a Diatonic. Thanks

rnav2174

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2014, 04:53:21 PM »
Thanks Bee, the playing was really cool , I wish I was there to play with them. I need to get me an easy portable amp like that. Does it have a CD in port for BT's or streams ? I'll Google it and find out. Hey I'm working on your BT's, I really like them. Thanks
« Last Edit: March 06, 2014, 12:08:45 AM by rnav2174 »

Beelzebob

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Re: Smooth Jazz Harp
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2014, 06:10:23 PM »
Yes, you can hook up a CD player.