We peppered Ed with lots of questions about chord scales, voicings, and all things guitar related and his answers were never quite getting at what we were hoping to hear – you know – “the answer” – the easy way out! Finally, he said, “Why don’t I just play and if you hear something you like, stop me and I’ll explain what I was thinking about in that moment.” It sounded like a great idea and thus he started to play solo guitar and it was simply magnificent. At one point he did one of these very typical yet sublime cascading chord runs that began high up on the neck on and then wound beautifully through a variety of “grips” (as Ed referred to chords) until the line concluded at the bottom of the neck. I think we all jumped out of our seats at the same time and said “That! What was that”? “Well,” says Ed, “I started with this chord up here at the top of the neck,” and he played it, “and I was aiming for this last chord here at the bottom of the neck,” and he played that too, “and then I just played some other chords to connect the two.” Lesson learned: it’s not about chord scales and voicings, it’s about making it “connect” – in all ways I suppose – from the sublime and the ephemeral to a universal resonance with Truth and Beauty. A wonderful lesson and a great memory.

I played in the jazz guitar quartet, to conclude the master-class, we played a “My Romance,” an arrangement by our guitar instructor Mark McCarron. I’m in this picture of Ed Bickert.

Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York
The Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York City
February 9 – July 4th, 2011

I was able to take a break from my work in New York to get to the Met on the last day of the Guitar Heroes exhibit. While there were many great instruments on display, I was really interested to see the D’Angelico New Yorkers. If you are unfamiliar with these instruments, they are the high-water-mark for jazz guitar making. Made in New York City by John D’Angelico, these instruments are noted for their craftsmanship in the building, the unique aspects of the art deco style, they also sound fantastic and were instrumental in creating a great jazz guitar luthier legacy in New York. John D’Angelico taught James D’Aquisto who carried on the tradition from D’Angelico’s workshop.

Also on display were a number of Monteleone guitars. The most interesting was a “teardrop” shaped archtop that was commissioned by Pete Girardi when he was with his band The Teardrops. The original teardrop shaped guitar was commissioned from John D’Angelico, subsequently, similar teardrop shaped archtops were commissioned from D’Aquisto and Monteleone as well. All of these guitars were on display at the exhibition.

While I was expecting to see great guitars (and I did), I was not prepared for the feeling of getting to the Met only to feel like I was in an upscale guitar store. The hippest thing I encountered in terms of the museum experience was the iPhone app that led me through the exhibit with historical information from the curator of the exhibit, rare footage of the luthiers themselves, and great musicians from Bucky Pizzarelli to George Benson performing with the instruments in the show.

Check out the Met’s “Guitar Heroes” blog to see objects in the exhibition, interviews, performances, and more. http://blog.metmuseum.org/guitarheroes/

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Click here to be directed to the Hamilton Music Collective website to learn more about jazz and community building.

The TD High School Jazz Intensive offers students a chance to:

• Play in a select big band conducted by jazz master flutist/composer Nicole Mitchell
• Learn and rehearse a broad range of jazz repertoire
• Participate in workshops led by some of the world’s finest musicians
• Receive tickets to selected Jazz Festival shows
• Perform in the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival!

The TD High School Jazz Intensive takes place June 24 to July 3, 2011 and is open by audition to students in grade 10, 11, and 12 in the BC Lower Mainland: Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Abbotsford, Anmore, Belcarra, Bowen Island, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey, White Rock, Agassiz, Aldergrove, Chilliwack, Fort Langley, Fraser Valley, Harrison Hot Springs, Mission, Yale, Squamish.

If you have any questions please contact Zaena Campbell zaena@coastaljazz.ca

HSJI Audition Deadline is April 15, 2011

Click here for more information