JUMP SHOT - THE MUSIC,
A STUDY IN JAZZ COMPOSITION
AND SMALL-GROUP ARRANGING
Foreword
I remember the first time I found a publication of the music from a recording that
I was interested in; it allowed me to access this music for my own enjoyment immediately.
Later, as my listening skills improved, I realized that I could figure out much of what I
was hearing on a recording. John Adams makes it clear in this book that an aspiring musician
will benefit greatly by transcribing music from recordings. However, the opportunity to gain
the composer's insights into the music is invaluable and sheds a great deal of light on the
true concept of the music and how it should be performed. More importantly, John's suggestions
for how to practice the tunes should help the student of improvisation realize more satisfaction
from performing this music.
The music on this CD is on the leading edge but shows a solid sense of the jazz tradition; it is
a delicate balance of the old and the new. Adams' compositions are fresh and interesting and there
is a nice selection of some jazz standards as well. Some of these compositions would be difficult
for even an experienced musician to transcribe. Including the lead sheets in all transpositions in
this book is a terrific resource for young layers. Plus, the opportunity to listen to the CD and
then play the music is a special opportunity that is really conducive to learning.
I have performed some of John's music and have found it both interesting and challenging. I have a
feeling that this book will make it even easier for me to play well on these tunes!
Dan Haerle
Regents Professor of Music
Jazz Studies Division
College of Music
University of North Texas
Preface
The question may arise that since so much of the discussion contained within this book deals with
conscious, analytical thoughts about and behind the music, what is (was) the place of spontaneity
in the creating of it? Of course, writing of any kind, whether it be a book or tune, requires
conscious, analytical thought. Any jazz teacher has encountered questions such as "Are you really
thinking of all those scales and licks when you are improvising?" The same question applies to
composing as well, though admittedly composing is taking place at a slower pace than improvised
soloing. It has been widely observed that we are living in an increasingly anti-intellectual culture,
and analytical thought in things like the arts that are supposed to be creative is often looked down
upon. I would like to suggest that in good jazz, and in fact in all of human life, a variable balance
of conscious and sub-conscious thought must take place, often varying within a performance or even
within a single piece. Part of developing a skill of any kind to a high level involves a process of
making something that at first requires a large amount of conscious thought and effort eventually become
"automatic" or sub-conscious. In the history of jazz the entire gamut of the amount of musical structure
has been employed, from near-classical, heavily orchestrated works for large ensembles to completely free,
spontaneous solo improvisations by a single instrument. Is one better or harder than the other? My answer
is that to a certain extent "unless you can do it you shouldn't knock it." Often in composing I have had
the experience of having a conscious thought (such as "Maybe I should put this section I just sketched into
the key that is implied in that second chord of the A section, instead of leaving it in this key") lead my
sub-conscious creativity into a discovery. My hope is that the conscious thoughts expressed in this book
will help foster the creativity of the students of it.
John Adams
May 1997
