Let the reharms begin! I'm very excited to be release "Rocketman," the first of SEVEN reharmonizations I have been working on for the past year. I completed these arrangements as part of a faculty development project at Berklee College where I teach in the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department. The goal of the project was to feature the harmonic tools I teach in the classroom in arrangements of contemporary music to inspire students to use the concepts we are learning about in creative ways. 

The recording is from a live concert at David Friend Recital Hall at Berklee and features some fantastic musicians - Carl Eisman on guitar and vocals, Rick McLaughlin on acoustic bass and Giuseppe Paradiso on drums. 
I was very excited to coordinate the scrolling score with the video! The score features the original chord changes and melody on the top line and reharmonized chords (with suggested chord voicings) on the bottom.

Some of my favorite moments in this reharm are the use of the Gbmaj7 (bVImaj7) and Abmaj7 (bVIImaj7) at the end of the verses.  This creates an unresolved and moody feeling at the end of the verses which I really enjoy!  I also love the chord sequence in the chorus that moves from Bb to Gb7 to F-7 to E7 to eventually resolves to Ebmaj7 (IVmaj7).  The Gb7 is functioning like a subV7/V (tritone substitution for C7, the V7/V) and is deceptively resolving to F-7, which is a related II leading to E7.  E7 is a subV7/IV (tritone substitution for Bb7) and is resolving to Ebmaj7, it's expected target chord.  
I hope you enjoy!  Stay tuned -- I will be sharing the next one in another week!  

Somehow I found myself working on a another reharmonization of a Beatles' tune.  These Lennon/McCartney pieces are masterpieces as they are, but their gorgeous melodies and strong harmonic identities leave them ripe for a good 'ol reharmonization!  I've always loved Blackbird and have been particularly inspired by the Brad Mehldau trio's take on it.  Over the years, I've tried time and time again to create a solo piano arrangement of it that worked, but I could never quite get it....until now!  What was the trick?  I decided to change the key.  The original is in the key of G.  It never felt or sounded quite right to me on solo piano.  

So I played around with the key and settled on Bb.  Then the arrangement just sort of fell into place!  I love when that happens.  Sometimes a simple shift like that will completely change your perspective on a piece.   I used some of my favorite harmonic moves -- some modal interchange chords, chromatic bass movement, substitute dominant chords.  One of by favorites was the bIImaj7 in place of the V7 chord at the end of the form.  In the key of Bb, I replaced the F7 with a BMaj7 -- the melody worked so nicely over this chord substitute I couldn't resist!  

I hope you enjoy it.  For those who want to explore this further, the lead sheet is available at Gumroad HERE.

Happy shedding! 

I've been getting some requests for more beginner solo piano arrangements so I thought I would teach you a MUST-KNOW jazz ballad -- Body and Soul.   I decided to make this one a two-parter.  In part 1, I teach an easy arrangement with melody in the right hand and shell voicings in the left hand.  Remember, shell voicings are simple two-note voicings usually consist of Root and 3rd or Root and 7th (although I snuck in a few Root and 5ths!).   This is an excellent barebones way to learn a jazz standard;  For an even more simplified version, just learn melody and root notes!  

​Sheet music for the beginner arrangement HERE!

​In the next part, I build off of this beginner arrangement by adding two more notes in the right hand.  Now the melody will be played by mostly the 4th and 5th fingers of the right hand and I've added a few more notes to fill out the chords -- this notes will contain chord tones or chord tensions.  

​Sheet music for the intermediate arrangement HERE!

I hope you enjoy these arrangements -- let me know if you have any song requests for more tutorials/arrangements in this format!

​Happy shedding!