Gary Burton's Advises To Me

OK, so how did I do in Gary Burton's BMP-112 Jazz Improvisation Class?

This is the follow-up article of my original post.

Well, the course is over now so let's review the types of things that were pointed out to me:

• Need to build up more Jazz vocabulary (this was the whole point of the class.) Key ones are common chord scales, guide tones among others. Isn't saying "it's a tri-tone sub" good enough?
• My fingers getting in the way of playing the piano. Verdict: He has handed a sentence to me as following:  Your hands will chained to Hanon in all keys and Czerny etudes in the classical dungeon of Château de Chillon with kindergarten violin students for life until you can do them in 168 bpm no wrong notes or shall not emerge or touch the Grand on upstairs visitor center area. Ugh! One of my classmate -- she will likely say: "Take him away immediately! And you will enjoy it!"
• Too much emphasis on playing on both left and right hand together. Gary, I am very well coordinated between two hands. What can I say?
• Not sticking to the theme (isn't 2 measures really enough, Gary?) and start to tell more story about the song. Gary's approach is to demonstrate unique compositional features of well composed songs. This, of course, will require our ability to recognize what are the key features in compositions in the first place.
• You don't know how to swing (so to speak): Well, Gary that's a complement to me, you just paired me with Dave Brubeck.
• Play like a butterfly. Well Gary, my wings are still damp, my fingers won't turn on a dime in just 12 weeks. OK?
• Using too many bag of tricks (unlearn them and learn new ones). Actually I even did not know I had a bag.

Final Grade: Given there were a couple of other formidable players in the class, given my hobbyist Jazz musician status, I actually did not too badly. Certainly a lot better than I thought I would.