RUFFIN: NOW A JAZZ MOMENT…

NEA JAZZ MASTER JAMEY AEBERSOLD IS RENOWNED FOR HIS SERIES OF INSTRUCTIONAL RECORDS CALLED PLAY-A-LONGS. WHILE IN LONDON, ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO, HE LEARNED WHAT HIS PLAY-A-LONGS CAN MEAN TO ASPIRING MUSICIANS. 

Jamey Aebersold: And we were coming home. We crossed the Thames River on this bridge and out in the middle I can hear a tenor saxophone pair playin'. I said I wonder if he’s playing with our play-alongs. Got closer and I said, “no, that’s not one of mine.” So we got there, no one else around. And I say, "That sounds great. Have you got anything by Jamey Aebersold?" "Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah." He takes his iPad or whatever. And this is about five, six years ago. And he brings up a tune. And he plays it. And it's off of my Volume 16 Play-A-Long record, Turnaround Cycles and Two-Fives. And he's playin' the Joy Spring by Clifford Brown. He’s playing that tune. And he stops. And we applaud. And I say, "One, two, one, two…" and I get to about three. And he says, "You're Jamey Aebersold." And he's all excited. He learned to play saxophone with my play-along records.

Joy Spring under and up ‘til end

THIS JAZZ MOMENT WITH JAMEY AEBERSOLD WAS PRODUCED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

Excerpt of “Hale Bop (Joy Spring)” from Turnarounds Cycles & II / V7's - Slower Tempos - Volume 16, composed by Clifford Brown and performed by Jamey Aebersold, used by permission of Jamey Aebersold Jazz.