Anyone playing in a jazz ensemble?

[PNWaccord]

Hi,

Earlier in this thread someone asked about backing tracks. I have had great luck with the iReal B app. You can download hundreds of songs in all different genres. You can slow the tunes down/speed them up, change the key, change chords if you're customizing an arrangement, loop as many times as you want -- it does everything I need it to do to "noodle" around as I try to improvise.

Lorretta

 

[jarvo]

cool is there a link you could post?

 

[knobby]

cool is there a link you could post?

http://www.irealb.com/

 

[cmooradian]

I actually play in a traditional jazz ensemble (5 of us) here in the Chicago area, and we get together and jam with bands like the Fat Babies every once in a while. I have a few friends/acquaintances that also play traditional jazz and small combo swing down in St. Louis.
I would love to play small combo swing or gypsy jazz, but in my neck of the woods trad jazz and the Chicago-style hot jazz is popular (for obvious reasons). What's been difficult for me is that there are very little resources about these styles of playing (although I KNOW that accordions were not that uncommon in jazz orchestras pre-1930's). It's been a learning experience to say the least.

There are a few things, though, that I've learned though from my growing record collection and personal experience if anyone else is interested in playing traditional jazz!
1) Forget playing with bassoon reeds. Accordions at this time didn't have that option, it makes no sense to use it for this style.
2) Accordions I've heard on recordings were not dry-tuned, they used musette tuning. Personally, I keep mine dry tuned because it's cheaper from the repairmen in my area, but I always use "musette" voicings to try and compensate.
3) Accordions, just like pianos, weren't being used solely as a lead instrument (one that takes the melody and ignores the left hand), they were used both percussively and to take melodies! I comp out on my accordion!

I also learn what I can from the swing masters as for jazz licks and chord voicing and apply it as well as I can to trad jazz--Ernie Felice has been the most helpful. But I wonder if anyone on this forum could point me in a direction even closer to trad jazz?