You might think by glancing over the list of accolades garnered by saxophonist/composer Joe Lovano, that this renowned musician has found a tried-and-true formula for success, and that he has. Unlike lesser artists who will take what seems to work for them and keep coming back with more of the same, the secret to Lovano's success is his fearless ability to always challenge and push the conceptual and thematic choices he makes in a quest for new modes of artistic expression and new takes on what defines the jazz idiom.
In this special DVD, with horn in-hand, Joe uses both words and musical examples to answer questions from a room full of eager and inquisitive students and players about saxophone, his personal playing concepts, what/how to practice, composing, and much more. Some of the topics discussed include:
Do you practice every day?
Do you have a playing concept that applies to all wind instruments?
How does rhythm influence your playing?
Do you compose more through melody or harmonic sequences?
Great insight! Around 90 minutes long.
ABOUT JOE LOVANO
Joseph Salvatore Lovano was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 29, 1952 and grew up in a very musical household. His dad, Tony, aka Big T, was a barber by day and a big-toned tenor player at night. “Big T,” along with his brothers Nick and Joe, other tenor players, and Carl, a bebop trumpeter, made sure Joe’s exposure to Jazz and the saxophone were early and constant. Joe’s mom, Josephine, and her sister Rose were serious listeners, as well, His Mom remembers hearing Big T play opposite Stan Getz and Flip Phillips when they were engaged. And Aunt Rose went to hear Jazz at the Philharmonic with Ella Fitzgerald when they came through Cleveland.
"From teaching, I've learned how to communicate my ideas…about developing a sound, a repertoire, and trying to develop an approach to improvising from your own personal history. By that, I mean everything you've studied, everything you've practiced, and how you put that together on your instrument." Not surprisingly, Joe began playing the alto at five, switching to the tenor a few years later. By the time he got his driver’s license at sixteen, Joe Lovano was a member of the Musician’s Union, Local 4, and working professionally. He started playing club dates (sometimes subbing for his dad), and Motown cover bands, eventually saving enough money from these gigs to put himself through college.
