Jamey Aebersold Influences the World of Jazz
On a quiet New Albany street -- near the corner of Aebersold Drive and Aebersold Court, you can hear the sound of
the Aebersold.
He’s composed dozens of tunes on the Steinway piano in his basement.
On a quiet New Albany street -- near the corner of Aebersold Drive and Aebersold Court, you can hear the sound of
the Aebersold.
He’s composed dozens of tunes on the Steinway piano in his basement.
When Aebersold graduated from New Albany High back in 1957, he might have followed his parents into his grandfather's florist
business. After all, he hadn't impressed his piano teacher.
Jamey Aebersold says, "I took for about five years. And my teacher fired me. One day I went in for my lesson, gave her the money, sat down
and started playing. And she said 'stop, Jamey.' She got up and I saw her open the desk, reach into the pigeonhole and get the money out
and I said 'oops, I think this is bad.' She says 'Here, you go on home. You'll never be a musician -- you don't want to practice.'"
But the key was he learned to improvise, and blossomed as a player and teacher of America's only indigenous music, jazz. Jamey
Aebersold plays jazz, whenever and wherever he can, although he's never issued a CD under his own name.
His summer jazz camp here at the University of Louisville will go into its 43rd year next year. But what really keeps him busy 24/7 is
Aebersold Jazz Incorporated."
Aebersold says, "We buy from publishers all around the world, actually, and then sell the stuff all around the world -- books, videos, and
we publish about 200 things ourself."
Seven people work out of Aebersold's cluttered, maze-like basement, filling orders from all over the planet, for books and CD's and videos.
His methods have revolutionized the teaching of jazz by letting people learn to improvise along with recordings.
Later this month Aebersold will receive a 2007 Indiana Governor's Arts Award, the first jazz musician ever to do so. It's a tribute to his
musicianship, but also to Aebersold's belief that everyone has a song inside.
business. After all, he hadn't impressed his piano teacher.
Jamey Aebersold says, "I took for about five years. And my teacher fired me. One day I went in for my lesson, gave her the money, sat down
and started playing. And she said 'stop, Jamey.' She got up and I saw her open the desk, reach into the pigeonhole and get the money out
and I said 'oops, I think this is bad.' She says 'Here, you go on home. You'll never be a musician -- you don't want to practice.'"
But the key was he learned to improvise, and blossomed as a player and teacher of America's only indigenous music, jazz. Jamey
Aebersold plays jazz, whenever and wherever he can, although he's never issued a CD under his own name.
His summer jazz camp here at the University of Louisville will go into its 43rd year next year. But what really keeps him busy 24/7 is
Aebersold Jazz Incorporated."
Aebersold says, "We buy from publishers all around the world, actually, and then sell the stuff all around the world -- books, videos, and
we publish about 200 things ourself."
Seven people work out of Aebersold's cluttered, maze-like basement, filling orders from all over the planet, for books and CD's and videos.
His methods have revolutionized the teaching of jazz by letting people learn to improvise along with recordings.
Later this month Aebersold will receive a 2007 Indiana Governor's Arts Award, the first jazz musician ever to do so. It's a tribute to his
musicianship, but also to Aebersold's belief that everyone has a song inside.
