Post by AJKThough not half the player Rick Stone is I do consider myself lucky to
have studied with Barry Harris since 1987. I don't offer my book for
free though I've been told by guitarists and some pianists that it has
helped them grasp Barry's concepts.
I caught a glimpse of Ricks work in a magazine years ago and thought
'hey this looks like my stuff'.
I've been with Howard Rees, since 86 who introduced me to Barry in 87
and I've been wrestling with this great stuff since then. I took part
in a workshop with Howard this evening with some wonderful Toronto
musicians and we utilized Barry's thing of 3 or 5 or 7 ordered scale
tones through a tune. It actually made me play melodically for change.
Barry is in town Wednesday rehearsing a yearly outreach project and we
get to take a special harmony class with him.
My book differs from the Ben Hur work as it is specifically Barry's
harmonic method. The method is about improvising harmony as 'movement'
as opposed to static chords.
If you're in the Toronto area check out Howard's workshops. If you're
in New York, go to Barry's classes.
My book can be found here. http://jazzworkshops.com/jw-productions/the-barry-harris-harmonic-method-for-guitar
Thanks
Alan
Ah, so you showed up at JCT in Spring '87? That was about the same time
I was going through a divorce and moving out to Brooklyn. Then JCT
closed down around July and I got busy with working on my Masters at
Queens College for a few years.
Anyway, the reason our stuff looks similar is pretty obvious; it's
BARRY's stuff!! :-) I've got notebooks filled with stuff like that.
When I came back around 1990 he was using a small theater between 8th &
9th Ave. around the corner from where JCT had been. I used to tape the
class and transcribe EVERYTHING. People told me I should put out a book
on it, but I felt funny about that, thinking that Barry should be the
one to write the book. But as he seems to have little inclination to do
anything like that, I think that you and Roni did the right thing.
I'm surprised that we never met, but I guess we must have just been
there at different times.
I was at the old JCT building in May. My son was graduating from F.I.T.
around the corner and had his work in an art show there. Afterwards I
was walking up 8th Avenue and stopped to look at the building.
Everything down to the corner had been torn down and replaced by a
high-rise, but the old JCT was still there. It sat for about 10 years
unused after Barry left because they raised the rent to something he
couldn't afford. I remember going past there as late as 1997 and the
"Jazz Cultural Theatre" sign was still up. Then it became a 99 cent
store for awhile. Now it's empty and for rent again. There was a lady
sweeping the sidewalk. I told her about JCT and she was thinking that I
meant some other club that had been next door, but then I realized she
wasn't old enough to remember what had been there in the 80s. She
opened the door and turned on the lights and let me look inside. The
space was completely stripped of course, and you could see all the way
to the back door (where the kitchen used to be) but I could just
visualize where that couch had been (against the left wall next to the
stage) where I used to sit and watch Tommy Flanagan play, and the
display case full of books and records for sale right up in the front
where we setup the tables to copy parts for the concerts while Colridge
Taylor was there rehearsing the band for one of those concerts. And I
could visually Johnny Griffin sitting there (he was a photographer who
used to work the door) and all his pictures of musicians framed on the
walls. I was poor as dirt back then and couldn't afford film and
developing, so I don't even have a single photo of the place. I wonder
if anyone else does? I used to even re-use my cassette tapes of the
class and jam sessions, so the couple I've found are kind of a mish-mash
of whatever from that time, and badly labeled. I did however find a
performance of Tommy Flanagan playing a Strayhorn medley and Tommy and
Barry playing duo pianos that was probably from one of Barry's
birthdays, but I don't know what year (maybe 1984 or 85?).
Sorry about the rambling, I just got thinking about the place again.
--
Musically Yours,
Rick Stone
Website: http://www.rickstone.com
Recordings: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/jazzand
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/jazzand
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rickstonemusic
EPK: http://www.sonicbids.com/rickstone