A Good Day Of Practice

     Today I had a pretty good day of practice on the trumpet.  Sorry I didn’t post anything yesterday, but we’ve been very busy trying to get things packed up and ready for our move next week.  My wife and I decided to move our family back to Arizona as we are tired of suffering through these horrible allergies that we’ve developed in Texas.

     So today I got out the horn and started playing some simple arpeggios from middle C on down, just trying to get my chops to start feeling good.  I like playing these simple arpeggios to get things started because they don’t take too long to do, and get your chops nice and warm.

     Next, I started playing some of the tunes out of the Charlie Parker Omnibook.  These are a fantastic way to replace the old-fashioned technical studies that most trumpet players include in their routines.  The tunes themselves are technically-challenging, and are also an excellent way to learn how one of the great bebop kings put together his lines through specific chord changes.  I concentrated on playing softly and trying to keep my aperture very small, as this is the key to eventually playing higher with less effort.

     After a short break, I played some lip slurs.  Lip slurs are probably the best thing that you can practice if you’re trying to build up range and endurance.  I continued to focus on soft playing with a tiny aperture setting, and never pushed too hard.  The biggest lip slur that I did was a fifth, from third-space C up to G, as I’m not wanting to push myself too fast, and want to try and condition my facial muscles to play this new way naturally.

     I finished my day playing some more arpeggios to cool down.  It’s not good to just put the horn away after some heavy playing, as your chops will remain stiff and it might make it harder to warm up for your next session.  I started on second-line G and just did major arpeggios all the way down to pedal C.  I like playing down to the pedal range as it makes my chops feel really good, and also makes it easier to pick up and play the next time.

Detroit Tigers Sign Ace Justin Verlander To 5-Year Deal

     The Detroit Tigers signed ace starting pitcher Justin Verlander today to a 5-year, $80 million contract.  The move proved to Tigers players and fans that they were committed to the future.  Verlander was 19-9 last year, with a career-best 3.45 ERA, and led the majors with 35 starts, 240 innings pitched, and 269 strikeouts.  Verlander was the 2nd pick for the Tigers in the 2004 Major League draft, and won the 2006 American League Rookie of the Year award.  In his first few years in the big leagues, he has been a member of the all-star team twice, started in a World Series game, and pitched a no-hitter… big accomplishments for such a young pitcher.

     In other baseball news, the Rockies have been busy in the last week or so, signing catcher Robby Hammock and third baseman Melvin Mora to minor league contracts.  Robby has always been one of my favorite catchers, dating back to his days with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  He isn’t the most talented catcher in the bigs, but knows how to manage a pitching staff, and should provide the Rockies with some insurance at catcher if Chris Ianetta or Miguel Oliva need any help.  Mora batted .260 with 8 home runs and 48 RBIs for the Baltimore Orioles last season.  It will be interesting to see if manager Jim Tracy will want to stick with Ian Stewart at third as planned, or give Mora a chance at the starting job.  Mora’s been around long enough that he should adjust fairly well to coming off the bench, if that’s what Tracy decides to do.

     The Dodgers aren’t just sitting around letting the Rockies have all the fun, though, as they signed relief pitchers Jeff Weaver and Ramon Ortiz, and utilityman Alfredo Amezaga to minor league contracts.  All three hope to get a chance to make the big league team in reserve roles, and don’t figure to make a huge impact.  Weaver probably has the best chance, as he pitched with the team last year going 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 28 games.

     Opening Day is getting closer, and teams are still trying to work out the kinks in their roster to try and make it to the top of their division.  Only time will tell if all of the moves will make any difference.  The Tigers, Rockies, and Dodgers have been pretty active lately, and should find themselves right near the top with a chance to go to the World Series.  Stay with us here at Your Inside Edge as the season unfolds.

Jason’s Favorite Miles Davis Albums

     Miles Davis was one of the most innovative trumpet players in history.  He had a career that spanned fifty years that saw him play alongside of musical greats like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock.  While releasing over fifty albums over the course of his career, there are a few that stand out as my favorites.

• Kind Of Blue – Released in 1959, critics have said that this is one of the greatest jazz albums of all time.  It was an all-new way to play jazz, abandoning the complex chord progressions that many jazz tunes consisted of, and instead utilized a series of scales (or modes) and simple melodies for the performers to improvise off of.  This album influenced many different types of music that followed, including jazz, rock, and classical.  For this record, Miles put together a great band for this record that included John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Julian “Cannonball” Adderly on alto sax, Paul Chambers on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and split time with Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly on piano.  The album was ranked #12 on the 2003 Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time…quite a significant feat for a jazz album.
• In A Silent Way – This album, released in 1969, marked Miles’ first major move into the world of jazz-rock fusion, which combines elements of both types of music into one genre.  For this record, Miles had a band that included sax great Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin on guitar, both Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Zawinul on organ, Dave Holland on bass, and Tony Williams on drums.  This album was way ahead of its time, and full of improvisational elements (where the musicians make up melodies based on set scales or chords as the music progresses), both of which were what made Miles Davis such a great musician.
• Tutu – Tutu was named in tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was the first black Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and also has a song called “Full Nelson” which was written for former South African President Nelson Mandela.  Released in 1986, this album went deeper into the fusion of musical elements by mixing jazz and pop, complete with electronic instruments and synthesizers.  Confirming tihs is the fact that the album includes a cover of the song “Perfect Way” by the pop band Scritti Politti, who were very popular at that time among teenagers and young adults.  Personnel for the album included Marcus Miller, Paulinho da Costa, George Duke, Omar Hakim, and Michael Urbaniak.
• Amandla – Amandla was released in 1989, and Miles tried to go a different direction with this album, sticking with the electronic instruments, but utilizing live musicians rather than programming synthesizers to make the music.  Miles also combined even more elements to this album, with the use of go-go, funk, and swing jazz music.  The album includes the song “Mr. Pastorius” which is a tribute to bass player Jaco Pastorius, one of the jazz-rock fusion pioneers.  Among others, the album included Marcus Miller on bass and synthesizers, Joey DeFrancesco on keyboards, and Kenny Garrett on sax.
• Doo-Bop - Miles’ last album, released in 1992 after he died, was a fusion of jazz and hip-hop.  In fact, two of the songs were made after Davis’ death, where pre-recorded tracks of Miles’ playing were put together with songs that were written by the producer in a style that Miles had already envisioned for the album.  The producer for the album was Easy Mo Bee, well-known in the hip-hop world for his association with Bad Boy Records (P. Diddy’s company), and his involvement in the release of Notorious B.I.G.’s debut “Ready To Die.”

     While the first two albums listed are generally accepted as great albums, the last three have been known for their criticism.  Mainstream jazz critics (and players alike LOL) generally discredit anything that is not full-on jazz as garbage, but I tend to disagree.  I believe that you can mix many different elements into one and make them great.  After all, isn’t that the way that America was founded?  Miles Davis was one of the most innovative musicians in history, and was always trying to stay on the cutting edge of musical directions.

True Friends

     It’s really nice to have people in your life that you can say are true friends.  I’ve just been reminded of that fact.  You see, my family and I made the decision to move back to Arizona from Texas because of health reasons.  I have been suffering the worst allergies that I’ve ever had for the last four months, and the rest of my family off and on for the last three.  We get shortness of breath, and have these coughing fits that make you feel like you’re suffocating, and we’ve finally had enough.

     The other day, I was telling one of my good friends about our decision to move back, and was joking around with him that we could move back sooner if he could loan us some gas money.  The trip ahead is about 1,200 miles, and cost us approximately $750 in gas just to make it out here.  His reply?  “How much do you think you need?”  I told him that I was joking but that money was pretty tight right now, so we went back and forth via text message for about an hour or two, then he came back with a figure that was twice as much as what I was going to ask.

     The thing about it is that this friend never once made me feel bad for even asking, and he knows that it may take awhile for me to pay it back.  He simply doesn’t care.  He knows that I am a true friend, and was happy just knowing that my family was going back home where we will be closer.  Friends may come and go, but it is the true friends that you need to cherish as you never know when you may need to help that person out, or ask for help yourself.

     So in less than two weeks, with the help of a true friend, my family and I are making the 1,200 mile trip back to Arizona where we belong.  Texas is a nice place, but being sick for four out of the six months that we were here was just too much for me.  It’s really nice to have people in your life that you can call true friends.

Things To Do In New Braunfels, Texas

     New Braunfels, TX is a beautiful town of about 50,000 located in between Austin and San Antonio.  My family have recently made a decision to move away from New Braunfels, but not because of lack of things to do.  We are moving away because of the allergies that our Arizona bodies can’t seem to get used to.  Here are some things to do in New Braunfels that I will miss:

• Landa Park – Landa Park is huge and is almost right in the center of town.  There are 3 different playgrounds for the kiddos, a volleyball court, several different picnic areas, a 1.5 mile nature trail, a train ride that the kids love, and… oh yeah… Landa Park is near the start of the Comal River, and there is a basin in the park where you can fish, feed the ducks, or even just relax.
• Toobin’ – There are two rivers that run through the town, the Comal and the Guadalupe.  Both are popular summer destinations for people that just want to relax and float down the river in an innertube.  The Comal River is a 2-hour float, which is just right as you don’t get too fried in the sun.  The kids also enjoy this one, too.  I know my kids would go crazy on the 4-hour Guadalupe float LOL.
• ZDT Amusement Park – Located in Seguin which is a short 15-20 minute drive from New Braunfels, ZDT is a family fun center that has some pretty cool stuff for all ages.  While fairly expensive (I think 15-20 bucks per person), I highly recommend checking this place out.  I liked the 3-story Nerf ball castle, where you can throw or shoot these soft balls around at everybody.  The go-karts are fast, and fun.  They have a huge climbing wall.  And I liked the fact that all of the arcade games were free with the price of admission.  We ended up staying like 6-7 hours on the day that we went, so we definitely got our money’s worth.
• Texas Ski Ranch – Located just a few miles north of New Braunfels off of the I-35, Texas Ski Ranch has a whole showroom of ski boats, etc.  But the highlight of the ski ranch is a huge, man-made lake in the back where you can ski around by holding onto a pulley system.  There are even jumps and stuff.  I’ll always regret not being able to go to the Texas Ski Ranch, as it looks like loads of fun.
• San Marcos Outlet Mall - Located 10 miles north of New Braunfels, this outlet mall is HUGE!  The very first time we went there we thought that we would walk around.  After two hours of walking, we STILL weren’t near the end.  This mall goes on forever, and has cool stores like the Bose Outlet, Sony, Under Armour, Old Navy, and just about anything else under the sun.

      Wow!  I didn’t realize how much there was to do in New Braunfels, TX.  My list didn’t even scratch the surface.  I will definitely miss this place, but my family’s health is more important.  The Mold and Mountain Cedar allergies have been too much for us to handle.  If you’re looking for a nice, safe place to live and don’t have allergy problems, you should definitely consider New Braunfels.