Thoughts about jazz
Juniper Green Note, Edinburgh s grassroots jazz club based at Baberton Golf Club, has received funding from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland — a significant step forward for the club since its founding in October 2025. In under a year, Juniper Green Note has built a monthly programme bringing together internationally recognised jazz musicians and [ ]
A thriving local grassroots jazz club is continuing to strike a chord with audiences across Balerno and Juniper Green. The Juniper Green Note, based at Baberton Golf Club, recently celebrated another sell-out evening, this time featuring acclaimed Scottish violinist and vocalist Seonaid Aitken. Founded and curated by local pianist John Elliott, the club began as [ ]
I ve been trying to memorise this song, because Bill Evan s made it sound so fantastic. But I found that I could not get my head round it. So, I made a written analysis to distinguish what matters from what is mere decoration and it really helped. This is what this blog is about. If you [ ]
A friend of mine recently commissioned me to write an arrangement of Happy Birthday. It could use any instruments that he plays and he would be playing all the parts in a multi-track recording. The result was to be a present for his friend and therefore had to complete in two weeks. This article is [ ]
I am delighted to announce that the classic book, Harmony with LEGO Bricks (Conrad Cork), is available for purchase once more. This book first appeared in 1985 and is now available for the first time as a PDF e-book. Packed with over 300 pages of guidance. It is no exageration to say that this book [ ]
A few years ago, I was on my way out after playing a trio gig in Edinburgh’s Jazz Bar, when I was stopped by a member of the audience. “What was that chord you were playing in Satin Doll? It sounded great, I’ve never heard it before.” This is not an everyday experience for me. [ ]
I ve been thinking about writing one of my articles about jazz harmony, may be transcribing some tricky jazz piano arrangement by Bill Evans or Kenny Barron and then analysing and explaining what they were were doing and may have been thinking. But then I started reading about the way we improve our performance skills and [ ]
#jazz #harmony #analysis #jazzstandards
EDIT: Conrad’s book is at last available as a PDF e-book. EDIT: Conrad s partner, Ali Cork, has made a Eulogy site where memorial contributions can be submitted. I was saddened to learn that Conrad Cork died on Sunday 25 April 2021. Amongst other things he was a UK-based jazz musician, educator and author of Harmony [ ]
I had a painful experience about 25 years ago and I found a really powerful solution that I know will help others and is worth sharing. I was the pianist in a big band populated mostly by amateur players run by a retired professional trumpet player. We were on a gig in a local town [ ]