Bill Chapin Jazz Ensemble Plays Sept. 18th

Come out to the Sundance Saloon on Saturday, Sept. 18th from 4 to 4:45 pm and hear the Bill Chapin Jazz Ensemble perform at the Mo-Hawk, Less Cancer benefit being held to support Kevin Oldham's battle with pancreatic cancer.

You'll hear Bill on keys, Tony Bussone on drums, Lauren Trahan on bass, and Bob Dawson on sax. Come early and stick around to hear a new band on the top of every hour from 2:00 until after midnight. See the schedule

Great music, great cause, close by. Come on out.

GJCW Ends Its 10th Season

Congratulations to the Summer, 2010 Grayslake Jazz Combo Workshop participants. At their concert on August 8th, we all heard first hand how much they learned about improvisation this summer. Thanks again to the students, listed below, and their parents, for their support of the program and jazz education in general. 

Sunday Night Combo, directed by Paul Nielsen: Ben Goldman (Bass), Matt Hobart (Trumpet), Griff Johnson (Drums), Chris Mohrfeld (Alto Sax), Travis Ritchie (Piano), Mitch Willming (Trumpet), and Brock Zwicke (Guitar).

Monday Night Combo, directed by Bill Chapin: Ben Ferris (Drums), Zack Johnson (Guitar), Kenny Jones (Tenor Sax), Mary Menhart (Alto Sax), Elias Olsen (Piano), Ian Surroz (Alto Sax), and Lauren Trahan (Bass).

GJCW Alumni Perform

On March 5th, Lydian Concept performed at the Wildwood Presbyterian Church. Consisting of alumni of the Grayslake Jazz Combo Workshop, Lydian Concept shared a number of jazz tunes. 

Hear them playing St. James Infirmary and Watermelon Man on YouTube.

Congrats to these young performers. Let us know if you'd like to book them for your event.

Jazz Piano Links

 
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Jazz Instruction

Bill draws on a number of sources for his jazz instruction. His early training consisted of 13 years of private study with Earl Ricker of Sterling, IL. Ricker was an innovative, dedicated piano educator who was one of the first to offer group piano instruction. Bill benefited greatly from taking lessons and playing with four other young piano students.

After college, Bill decided that he wanted to continue playing the piano, and this decision led him to undertake a journey into playing jazz. Below you'll see the stops on this journey:

  • Attended Jamey Aebersold Jazz Combo Clinic in 1979 and 1982
  • Took leave of absence from teaching English 81-82 to study jazz pinao and improvisation with Alan Swain in Evanston, the premier jazz educator in the Chicago area
  • Played in the College of Lake County Monday Night Jazz Band, 82-84, 95-96, and since 2006. While there, he has played with a host of guest artists, including Bobby Shew, Ashley Alexander, and Rich Matteson.
  • Led his own jazz combo/wedding band 1981 to 1996
  • Provided solo jazz piano entertainment for hotels, private parties, and private homes 1980 to present
  • Taught jazz piano at the College of Lake County 1988 to 1996
  • Has taught jazz piano and improvisation privately 1996 to present

Bill uses a number of materials when introducing students to the jazz idiom, including the following:

  • Alan Swain's method books
  • Jamey Aebersold's play-along recordings and accompanying materials
  • Materials found through reading and research
  • Original instructional materials created during the process of helping students learn jazz piano improvisation

If you are a dedicated piano student and want to begin or resume your learning about jazz improvisation, or if you are an instrumentalist who wants to learn jazz improvisation and jazz theory, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to begin a discussion.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 12:26