I’m a fan of books. I love the expectation that comes from choosing and opening a new book, hoping to find some new secrets, tips, or techniques that will help me to grow and learn.
For new saxophone players today there seems to be an endless amount of study books and practice guides but unfortunately many don’t really deliver what they promise. So it was with some eagerness and anticipation that I opened this intriguingly titled edition by American jazz educator Greg Fishman.
So what do lobsters have to do with learning jazz?
Greg is a brilliant jazz educator. In this book, he has assembled a collection of short stories that he uses as analogies for learning aspects of jazz harmony and improvisation. Far from being a dry and complicated book, Greg makes learning some really important theoretical concepts loads of fun, and more importantly, memorable.
Through stories like The Bus, Polishing Silver, Ketchup on a Brownie, and The Snake, Greg explores important concepts like timing, melodic approach, and harmonic knowledge in a way that is both accessible to new players and refreshing to experienced ones. As an educator myself I really enjoyed his approach and found myself eagerly turning to the next page.
If you’re looking for a technique book packed with scales and exercises then this is not the right one for you. If however, you are learning jazz or just looking for some inspiration on your jazz journey then check out The Lobster Theory. You’ll find yourself thinking about snakes, buses, and cupcakes – and it will definitely help your approach to learning and playing! Nigel McGill
Greg Fishman has released the next installment of his unique approach to jazz saxophone playing. His newest creation is a book and play-along CD setentitled Hip Licks for Saxophone. The book itself has quickly grown a bit of a cult following, now enjoying its own fame on Facebook . Many new owners of this book have uploaded pictures of themselves posing with the book in many scenic locations. Dogs have even been photographed fetching the book for their saxophone-touting owners. The marketing hype is all in good fun and this clichéd title should not fool you – it’s the real deal!
His first two books Jazz Saxophone Etudes Vol. 1 and Jazz Saxophone Duets, both received critical acclaim by teachers and players alike. James Moody, Jerry Coker, Plas Johnson, Mark Colby, Gary Campbell and Bob Sheppard as well as the late Michael Brecker have all shared their praise for Fishman’s books. Fishman subsequently released two additional jazz etude books, Jazz Saxophone Etudes Vol. 2 and Jazz Saxophone Etudes Vol. 3.
Each of Greg Fishman’s books is an outstanding gem with comprehensive information from explanation to play-along. Not only is the information there for the taking but also Fishman’s demonstrations on both tenor and alto saxophone are swinging and flawless. His sound and pitch is something any teacher should have absolutely no trouble telling a student to use as a model while playing along at home. Fishman sounds equally adept on both the alto and tenor saxophone voices. Hip Licks for Saxophone is no exception to the high quality and consistency of Fishman’s earlier teaching. He has however raised the bar quite a bit in this newest method.
Greg Fishman’s Hip Licks for Saxophone offers 40 packed pages of major, minor, dominant, diminished, and augmented licks (riffs or patterns). They are more importantly presented in an organized and logical order. Fishman places his examples within sequences and turnarounds commonly found in the jazz language.
Like many impatient students, I jumped right into playing the first examples with the play-along CD. There are four CDs that accompany the book. Two are for alto and two for tenor sax. Each offers slow and fast versions as well as rhythm section only tracks. After getting a good feel for the materials at hand, I decided to look more carefully at the preface, introductory pages, and even YouTube videos offered by Greg Fishman.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that Hip Licks for Saxophone could be used in a variety of ways. Greg Fishman’s online video presentation is clear and concise and a must to view along with the book. His video comments echo the all-important “Suggested Use of This Book and CD Set” as well as “Working with the Licks” sections.
The four CDs, one each for alto and tenor, feature Fishman along with Dennis Luxion on piano, Eric Hochberg on bass, and Phil Gratteau on drums. The world-class rhythm section swings hard as Fishman demonstrates each “lick” succinctly and with great precision on both alto and tenor saxophones.
Greg Fishman has consistently demonstrated that he is a driving force in jazz saxophone education over the last decade. His entrepreneurial spirit and passion for jazz and saxophone have ensured a place in jazz pedagogy for a long time to come. Hip Licks for Saxophone is another “MUST HAVE” for any saxophonist, teacher, or student of the instrument.
The first time I saw Greg Fishman was when I attended Jamey Aebersold’s jazz workshop. Since then, Greg has come out with multiple educational books for saxophone such as Jazz Saxophone Etudes, Jazz Phrasing for Beginners, Tasting Harmony, and a good number more.
The two books (to date) that make up Fishman’s newest series, Hip Licks for Saxophone, have garnered rave reviews by saxophonists worldwide. I understand that there are so many books out on the market promising to teach you how to become a better saxophonist, but here is a book that truly delivers, as Hip Licks for Saxophone offers the saxophonist so much more than just a bunch of licks. Greg designed the book to be much more than just notes on a manuscript paper.
Hip Licks for Saxophone Volume I
The first volume comes with four CD’s. Two of them are for tenor saxophone and the other two are for alto saxophone. The first CD is the slower tempo version and the second CD is the faster tempo version. What I really enjoyed about this book was Greg’s format of recording a lick once on one track, just to familiarize yourself with the phrasing, articulation, sound, and overall approach. Then on another track, he just has the rhythm section so you can give the licks a try in real-time.
Also, Greg has the rhythm section transposing when switching from the alto CD to the tenor CD to accommodate the range of the saxophone so that the lick still sounds hip.
Besides just playing through the written licks, you have the ability to try your own licks out and see how they fit over the various progressions played by the recorded rhythm section. The set is great for practicing transposition as well. For example, on the first track Greg shows you licks you can play over ii-V’s and has one lick for each of the twelve keys. In fact, there is a rhythm section track that has ii-V’s in all 12 keys that you can use to practice your favorite lick transposed.
Greg has over 150 licks in this book from major, dominant 7th, minor, V7b9, whole tone diminished 7th, mi7b5, and many more. I have been working through the book and have thus far transcribed five of the 150+ licks in all twelve keys to see how they sound over various chords.
If you enjoyed playing through the first volume of Hip Licks for Saxophone, you will enjoy working through the second volume just as much. This volume is set up exactly like the first volume. The book contains 120 licks and continues where volume 1 ended.
I noticed while playing through the second volume that I could not find any repeated licks and could see that all 120 were brand new phrases over various changes. The licks that stood out to me as different were the licksyou could play over V7#11 chords as well as licks you could play over turnarounds – both of which I did not see in the first volume and which also reminded me of Greg Fishman’s Jazz Saxophone Etudes.
The second volume includes both CDs for tenor and alto saxophone, and if you have purchased the first volume in the past, both books combined will offer you 288 licks that you can play through as well as transpose and apply to your own tunes as well as popular jazz standards.
From my personal experience, I found the second volume to be more challenging than the first volume thanks to the new turnaround section. But I believe that this volume is going to be of major help when it comes down to getting complex ideas under my fingers.
Greg Fishman is a rare breed of saxophonist. There are many saxophonists who can teach but might not be extremely accomplished as performers, and vice versa. Greg possesses a combination of both world-class performance and teaching skills.
Hip Licks for Saxophone volumes 1 and 2 are a definite must-have when it comes to refining your craft and getting more out of your playing. When speaking with Greg, he told me he uses these books in his daily practice routine and is constantly finding ways that he can improve.
Please feel free to comment if you have either of these books as well as what you got out of them.
I have included a link to Greg Fishman’s main website if you would like to find out more about his books and private lesson offerings: www.GregFishmanJazzStudios.com
To gain a better understanding of ways you can benefit most from using these books, I have included 6 YouTube videos that have Greg demonstrating how to get the most out of his books.
Call it “tenor gladness”: Two bebop devotees with serious street-cred join forces on a joyous romp through 10 straight-ahead tunes tailor-made for tag-team-style improvisation.
Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Greg Fishman and Los Angeles-based tenor saxophonist Doug Webb wrote all of the material for So You Say, an old-school blowing session recorded with a West Coast rhythm section of pianist Mitch Forman, bassist Kevin Axt, and drummer Dan Schnelle. Their enthusiasm for the material is palpable as they swagger and zip their way through neatly harmonized, angular heads, only to leap off the page as they embark on extended solos steeped in the bebop vernacular.
These guys have thousands of licks at their disposal, and they know how to use them. Each saxophonist displays an uncanny knack for navigating even the most challenging harmonic turns and twists, as well as the wisdom to know when to burn, when to swing and when to play it cool. Forman is a wellspring of creativity who’s brilliant at spelling out the many nuances of sophisticated chord progressions, and his inspired, bop-informed soloing is on par with the two tenors. There’s no pretense or over-production to take away from the good vibes and simple pleasures on tap here. Not a moment on the album sounds planned: these guys are masters of jumping on board and enjoying the ride, wherever it leads. Fishman will mark the release of So You Say with a free performance Sept. 11 at Chicago’s Jazz Showcase.
The titles of Greg Fishman’s new collection of duets read like a Chicago street map, and the music reads like a post-bebop encyclopedia of sounds and melodic shapes that are required repertoire for any young jazz saxophonist. This collection of duets is the most thoroughly notated and annotated that I’ve seen, a must-have addition to any student’s collection, and to their teacher’s library.” – Dr. David Demsey, Coordinator of Jazz Studies, Professor of Music, William Paterson University.
Endorsed by: James Moody, Plas Johnson, Gary Keller (University of Miami), Chip McNeill (University of Illinois) and Tim Price.
Jazz Saxophone Duets includes three play-along CDs with 40 play-along tracks on each disc. Each disc is a fun 74 minute musical workout. Order Jazz Saxophone Duets today to help you take your playing to the next level. This book is great for two altos, two tenors, or alto & tenor.
Greg Fishman Quintet