Carl Fontana - Trombone Master

Hello! Tonight let's dig into some Carl Fontana on the standard tune "I Thought About You." Personnel in the trio includes Pim Jacobs (piano), Ruud Jacobs (bass), and Peter Ypma (drums).

Fontana, who passed away in 2003, spent most of his pro career playing in Las Vegas house orchestras - not a bad way to make a living - and didn't start recording as a leader until the mid-80s. But he already had a reputation as a trombonist's trombonist, with unmatched technique and inventive playing. Listen to how fluid Fontana's playing is on this medium-tempo swing tune. Even when he's in the midst of double-time passages, there's no wasted motion. Did you catch his quote from "Peter and the Wolf"?

"I Thought About You" is a great example of a jazz standard. A standard is a tune that you're expected to know by heart as part of the tradition of being a jazz player. And that includes the melody and harmony, and maybe even someone's famous interpretation of the tune that has become the most accepted way to perform the tune. There's not really an official "list" of all the standards you should know, but there are certainly at least two or three hundred that most pro jazz musicians can play from memory. Some players know four or five times more tunes than that!

If you don't have access to a working jazz trio all the time (I sure don't!), then a good way to learn standards is to check the various Jamey Aebersold play-along recordings. I think the Aebersold Vol. 1 book does include a basic list of some standards to get you started. As part of your practice regimen, you should try to learn at least three or four standards a month. Most tunes aren't difficult to commit to memory, but of course it helps to play them as often as you can. If you have trouble deciding where to begin - an easy problem to have - please email me for suggestions, or ask your jazz band director. Get started!