A site which lists all the downloading sites, streaming music sites, band sites, music promotion sites is www.enorgis.com/onemillion.html It is well worth looking at, if listening to music online is your kick. Did you know that you can download free music from Amazon? No, neither did I until I tried.
Jazz history The National Jazz Archive, a unique charity, top class service, I’ve used it get my uncle’s 1920’s band information Contact David Nathan, www.nationaljazzarchive.org
Downloading music scripts Real books; $53 for a jazz disk of 1,000 standards. www.nortonmusic.com
Real books, 500 songs free download www.phillipsmusic.net/realbook.htm Downloading music scripts(up to £2.50 a song) 8,000 songs various sites www.sheetmusicdirect.com
Jazz materials and tutors; for all Jamey Abersold jazz products – big list of music, backing, tutorials, arrangements sold direct from the site. www.jajazz.com
Europe’s biggest and best source of materials for jazz musicians is British. Jazzwise. Summer schools, orchestrations, tutors – speak to them or order on line. This is how Jamey Abersold describes them “Shop for 1000's of jazz products. Europe's premier store for jazz printed music. Tutors, play alongs, videos, cd-rom, combo charts, and more!” www.jazzwise.com
Music Software
Band in a Box www.pgmusic.com
This is the best backing software for non professionals – professionals use it a lot, too. I typed in the chords for Blue Monk, connected the midi file, recorded the song to Band in a Box, bit of correction, printed it for C/Bb/Eb and saved it for the future – all in the ten minutes it took for the Jazz Smugglers folks to arrive for the workshop. And I’m useless at these things – no false modesty, I really am.
www.sibelius.com For music notation, this software is top of the market. At £595 it should be. They offer music scores of all kinds, and a software product where you scan in your manuscript, then connect up and convert it to a midi file. This way you can correct it, change it, do what you like with it. Cheaper, but still close to £200. I’ll stick with Band in a Box at £69 myself. I can even understand it if I take three migraine tablets.
www.steinberg.net Cubase System 4 For a complete do it yourself studio, sample sounds, everything you need for recording your group to computer then this complete programme does it. Just be prepared for some difficult times in getting your head around it. Not for me, I want a life.
For Jazz Professionals. Get yourself listed as a player on these sites.www.jazzservices.org.uk The big central jazz site which must not be missed by any pro or semi pro. This site is here to help you, publicly funded and will list you, your group, your gigs, your speciality in jazz teaching. Go for it. Jazz Services may be funded by the arts Council but are fiercely independent. They used to publish the big jazz directory now they put the information on line free of charge. The site includes 140 jazz services to help marketing including