First time blogging during daylight. It's really mid-day now and the clear blue sky is so appealing but looking at it from a heated room can be misleading.



This week's "simple" jazz piece I have to work on is Bluesette. Written by some guy by the name of Toots Thislemans (hope I get the spelling right). Another one with the 2-5-1 chords progression. I've gone through the chords and gotten quite ok with it. Still lingering around is the melody and improvisation that I must work on tonight and tomorrow.



I'm so suprised on how common 2-5-1 chords progression are in songs regardless they are jazz or not. I was in mudge piano room when a fellow freshman who was hastily finishing his soon-to-due homework took his time off and told me he could "help me out" with Autumn Leaves. Fuiyo.. for his age, he's really good. My playing barely has any latin tempo to it and the chords were more or less mediocre. He was using all those 9 chords which would stretch the fingers to an infinitely length. Since my fingers are unusually long, I had an advantange though.



Later I realized that Korean Winter Sonata song basically revolves around the 2-5-1 chords progression. Furthermore, it has the very same chords progression of Autumn Leaves. Cm7, F7, Bb7 and Am7, D7, Gm7. I guess the composer must be a big fan of Autumn Leaves. When I listened to Kenny G's latin jazz songs like Brazil, I discovered 2-5-1 in it too. So is his remake in The Girl from Ipanema.



On Kenny G, I dislike listening to his more pop pieces like the Moment which to me, has been overplayed on TV documentaries in Malaysia and as background music of events. You know a disgusting a good song can be after being overplayed. I just couldn't understand why the DJs and film producers like it so much or maybe they are just plain ignorant on creating their own songs. It happens to Yanni and Dave Koz as well I think. Anyway, of Kenny G's albums, I must say Classics in the Key of G is the best. I got my introduction to Acker Bilt's Stranger on the Shore and Bill Clinton's favorite sax piece Summertime.



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I'm here in CMU as an engineer, not a musician. I guess I have to put that Jazz thing aside for a while and focus on my upcoming Physics II exam that will be on ... WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!!! ARGGGHHHHH!!!!!!