When you can, try and check out live jazz...

It's a great way to see not only some great players, but also, how they put everything together to present a performance to a participating jazz audience. Not just the technical aspect of playing, but the whole package. What they are wearing, the interplay within the group, the sensitivity to the soloists, how many choruses are taken, how the musicians deal with a small crowd, how they deal with people in the audience not paying attention to what is being played. Everything is presented to you right before your eyes and ears and can be a real life learning experience. Sometimes it takes the mystery away and makes things seem a lot easier to accomplish, and sometimes it keeps the mystery intact like I felt when I saw Tal Farlow play. Your experiences will differ from others, but seeing a live show can be musically and personally enriching. So try and get out as much as possible. Plus you will be contributing to an art form that sometimes needs all the help and support it can get.

Lyle Robinson