Hello! For the keyboardists out there, here's some Monty Alexander performing at the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival. This fantastic trio includes John Clayton on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums. They're performing Duke Ellington's tune "Satin Doll" - but they do all kinds of interesting things with it.
Check out how this performance uses lots of dynamics - everything from whisper-quiet, especially in the stop-time sections, to rip-roaring shout volume. Changes in dynamics are a great way to develop tension and release in a solo, and rhythm section players absolutely have to be paying attention to make these contrasts work. If you're practicing for a solo with a big band or other large jazz ensemble, do you get a chance to work with just the rhythm section on dynamics?
Beware that not every big band arrangement lends itself to lots of dynamic change in the solo section, so be sure those changes work musically. Experiment!
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