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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Lighthouse Omnibook-Dave Liebman & Steve Grossman<\/span><\/p>\n After arriving at Berklee that fall, I got down to business. \u00a0 What I wanted to learn, what I needed to learn wasn’t anything I could learn in the classroom. What I had to figure out was what were these lines and sounds I was hearing that made no sense to me. \u00a0One day I was talking to a burnin’ guitar player friend who was talking about Elvin Jones’s album “Live at the Lighthouse” like it was the\u00a0holy grail. \u00a0 I asked what it was and he just looked at me as if I had asked the dumbest question ever asked. \u00a0“Dude, you really need to get your act together and listen to that album! Where have you been?” \u00a0I went to Tower records the next day and got it.<\/p>\n What makes “Live at the Lighthouse” so great is that it is an intense post-Coltrane example of where Coltrane lines and harmonic ideas could go next. This record was recorded in the early 70’s and the energy and intensity is just ridiculous. \u00a0I had never heard a recording like that before and the energy was a new experience for me. \u00a0The album features Dave Liebman and Steve Grossman on saxophones.\u00a0What I heard in this recording were the sounds and type of lines that I heard when that sax player sat in with our group in Ithaca, NY. \u00a0They were the type of lines I heard in Boston when I would hear Bergonzi or Garzone playing. \u00a0 I had to figure out what these lines were!<\/p>\n Up to this point in my life, I had studied a lot of Charlie Parker, Phil Woods and Dave Sanborn as I was mainly an alto player at the time. \u00a0 Listening to these new types of lines and harmonic ideas opened the doors to a new direction in improvisation\u00a0for me.<\/p>\n I played “Live at the Lighthouse” over and over for months. \u00a0 I cranked it on my stereo and played along as best I could. \u00a0Many times not knowing what Steve Grossman or Dave Liebman were playing or why but nonetheless trying to imitate the sound and intensity of what they were playing.<\/p>\n Years later, when I heard that there was a transcription book of the whole “Live at the Lighthouse” album, \u00a0 I freaked out. \u00a0“WHAT!” \u00a0 \u00a0“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” \u00a0I had to have it and ordered it immediately.<\/p>\n This book is awesome. \u00a0 All the crazy lines from Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman are written out note for note. (although actually playing these lines is another matter) Looking at the book for the first time you start to realize the depth of knowledge used to create these lines. \u00a0Even though they are all written out, understanding what Liebman or Grossman was actually thinking can be challenging to say the least. \u00a0The chords changes are also written out which is a huge help also.<\/p>\n As soon as I received the book, I listened to the whole album and marked every line that stuck out to my ears. \u00a0 There are pencil marks all over my book. \u00a0There are so many great lines made up of altered fingering, overtones, chromaticism, 3 tonic lines, tritone substitutions, and then just sheer craziness\u00a0that I can’t begin to figure out!<\/p>\n If your interested in The Lighthouse Omnibook you can get it at Jamey Aebersold’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Check out these clips from Live at the Lighthouse below:<\/p>\n