Gold Deposits
The Founding Fathers of Jazz – A Personal List
Duke Ellington (1899-1974)
Colman Hawkins (1904-1969)
Art Tatum (1909-1956)
Hank Jones (1918-2010)
Bud Powell (1924-1966)
Barry Harris (1929-2021)
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Ray Charles (1930-2004)
Ray Charles is to me the greatest Blues and Soul musician ever. He also happens to be the greatest singer in history. Yet he was also a Jazz musician with deep roots. The Great Ray Charles is a fine example of his Jazz genius.
Ray Charles departs from traditional Jazz, but he maintains the harmony of the tradition. He is an evolution of Jazz, and this is why I placed him in a separate section. Traditional Jazz provides rich soil, strong roots, and a heavy trunk. Other musical forms, if carefully grafted, will produce pretty branches, leaves, and flowers.
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The Composers of the Great American Songbook.
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Founding Mother of Jazz: Pannonica.
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Barry Harris Disciples & Resources
Going deep into the Barry Harris method requires a non-conformist attitude, a deep love of music, and a willingness to let go of previous conceptions. The Barry Harris method is best appreciated when examined on its own. Below is a list of people who remain true to traditional Jazz and to the Barry Harris method. If you know of others, please let me know at (yairgorens @ gmail.com) so I can add them here.
Connor Jones has an exceptional video series on the Barry Harris Method. A must for any aspiring Jazz musician. For private lessons with Connor: pianobonebop@gmail.com
Dr. Brian Jude de Lima. A virtuoso who synthesizes classical music and traditional Jazz in beautiful ways. As a musician and a scholar, he is a guardian of the Barry Harris method and traditional Jazz. Dr. Jude de Lima’s encouragement and support are a source of inspiration for this project.
Frans Elsen. Dutch pianist and educator who worked closely with Barry Harris at the Hague.
Andrea Papini. Italian Jazz pianist and Barry Harris disciple.
▪ Alec Katz – Pianist, composer, educator. A student of Barry Harris and Frans Elsen who teaches at Rimon Academy of Music.
▪ Pianist and educator Isaac Raz, a Barry Harris disciple.
Pasquale Grasso. A brilliant guitarist.
Sacha Perry. Pianist, composer, Jazz educator.