Jazz & Music Schools
Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio has a solid music and music education program. You can check out their music program at the department web pages. Yes, I work there. So I'm a bit prejudiced, but I also know the caliber of teaching and the kinds of students who succeed in their programs.

Jazz Arts Studio in Dayton, Ohio is associated with the Wright State University music program. Their main office & teaching location is in downtown Dayton, Ohio

Jazz Bands & Ensemble Links
Pianist Warren Bernhardt dedicated one of his first trio CDs to his teacher, the late Bill Evans. Listening to Warren you can tell the influence is strong. Be not deceived, however. Warren's music is very much Warren's music. Some of the most lyrical playin' your going to find in a world run amok with blather. A definite CD collection starter.

Roy Haynes has a style that just reaches out and grabs you. His crisp and articulate technique doesn't just sit there an ride the beat. You can hear him involved in every note that anyone plays. The Jackie Mclean CD "It's Time" or his playing on Oliver Nelson's "Blues & the Abstract Truth" album is a good place to start picking up.

Pianist Michel Camilo is from the Dominican Republic. He's a classically trained musician with many awards to his credit outside of jazz music. What he brings to jazz rides on that prowess. From the pictures on his web site you can tell he's a serious man. He is also a playful musician with a gift for blending gringo lyricism with latino rhythms & tempos. Far too good for me to ever dream of having a chance to play with.

Guitarist George Benson played on the first Brother Jack McDuff album I heard back during high school. Then decades later I discover he has a voice. Some people get all the good luck.

Brother Jack McDuff (1926-2001) was an obviously cheerful & intense soul to be around. His music is so full of fun & church. Some think he's more of a blues than a jazz musician. Either way he was a grand person to hear play. Ah, them sweet joys of youth . . .

Pianist Gene Harris and I sat down in his tour coach one evening between sets & just talked about how things worked in the world, who did what & why. He had a genuine and gentle smile that came out so sweetly in his music. Of all the 60s era jazz piano trio guys, Gene was one of the two or three best. The site linked here is about the Gene Harris Memorial jazz festival. Gene is gone but his music led so many people to the joy of all music. A true & grand soul.

Guitarist Jim Hall did a lot more than play guitar on the first few Paul Desmond Quartet albums. His work with Desmond, however, is what drew me to listen to guitar players more attentively. There's a quiet lyrical quality to Jim Hall's playing that worked so well with Desmond's "dry martini" saxophone.

The Rock Band FeatherDust from Clark County, Ohio is a three man "punk comedy rock" band in which my youngest, Anders, plays bass. It's some crazy teen-age kids with some talent & a decidedly strange skew on life as a production. The vote is still out on whether they're going to make anything of it or not, however.

Local (SW Ohio) Jazz Music Venue Links
Pacchia's Restaurant Dayton, Ohio is in the Oregon Historical District. Good haute cuisine tyle food and a very small bar (with an even smaller stage). Jazz is one of a couple different styles of music they show off. Nice place. Call for dinner reservations.

Jazz Central, Dayton, Ohio is a little place on East Fifth street in a slightly run-down end of town. The bar is friendly & the music room is wide & open. You can't miss hearing Lincoln Berry on the Hammond B3. A couple families with young kids playing horns almost as big as they are come in now and then for the Sunday evening jam sessions.

Music & Music Instrument Links
Woodwinds & Brasswinds has an online store full of instruments, accessories & sound & light stuff for fancy and simple musical events. I bought a entry-level flute, numerous mouthpieces, reeds & instrument care kits from 'em. Fairly good turn around times & they do tell you up front if the item you want is on back order.

Musician's Friend.com sells pretty much the same instrument brands as WWBW (above). However, they also sell the Kohlert line of woodwind & brass instruments that are made in Vietnam. I mention this only 'cause I have three of these Kohlert "stencils" and I like 'em. I also like the service I get.

Sheet Music & On-line Music Collections Links
The National Ragtime & Jazz Archive Southern Illinois University Edwardsville links to many sources, such as the Mississippi State University site below. It's a hard call between this one and Perfessor Bill's site. You choose.

Perfessor Bill Edwards' Ragtime Resources & Articles will get you deep into all early Dixieland (and earlier) music you can handle. This is a great beginning page if you're looking for musical roots.

The Charles H. Templeton Ragtime Sheet Music Collection is full of interesting sheet music PDFs from the early days of jazz and ragtime. Some of the titles, well . . . You know how them southerners are about their property . . . It ain't about hate. It's about heritage.

Sheet Music Plus.com is the Amazon.com of sheet music stores. Books, fake-books, song books, lesson books, exercise & scale books. They got 'em.

Free Sheet Music.net has links to other free sheet music sites. Almost worth the trouble.

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