This workshop—led by all three members of the Hot Club of Cowtown (Elana James, Whit Smith, & Zack Sapunor)--will focus on the magical interplay a string trio can use to bring hot jazz and swing tunes to life. Together, the band will focus on the role of each instrument—guitar, violin, and upright bass—in playing early hot jazz & swing music in a string trio format.
The band will talk about their musical influences and favorite players in this style, demonstrate a few songs, and talk about song structure, chords, how the melody can be interpreted, creating and playing twin lines in harmony, and other characteristics of this vintage, elegant style.
As a band, they will demonstrate and talk about violin, guitar, and even bass soloing approaches, including the relationship of soloing to knowing the chord changes, and the kinds of things you can play over different chords, common chord progressions and song forms, as well as very basic information about keys, improvisation, and playing in this style with other people i.e., comping and rhythm.
The band will adapt the workshop to the levels of whomever joins the workshop and will welcome questions from participants to guide what is covered.