How I would learn to play if I started now, ft. Oliver Gannon

There's one particular living legend in Vancouver I want to highlight today. He's playing both days this weekend: Saturday at La Fabrique St-George, Sunday at Hero's Welcome – and on top of that, he has left riches on record for us to enjoy and learn the standard jazz repertoire from, if we're so inclined. It's guitarist Oliver Gannon of course!

The three albums I'm featuring for you now are his three quartet records on Cellar Music: Live @ The Cellar (released 2001), That's What (2005), and Easy Sailing (2014). The quartet includes Miles Black on piano and Blaine Wikjord on drums throughout; Miles Hill plays bass on the first two albums, and Jodi Proznick plays on Easy Sailing.

That's What isn't currently available on the Cellar Bandcamp: maybe it will be soon? That said, all of the albums are on the streaming apps.

There are over a dozen standards across just these three albums that are wonderful resources. If I was just starting to get passionate about playing jazz today, before I did much else, I would listen to them repeatedly until I could copy Gannon's clear phrases, and get the feel of the form and harmony from the rhythm section. It’s the same way people always have learned to play this music.

Today, I've picked just one standard from each album to link for you on YouTube and share a bit about why I like it so much. Less is more:

Live @ The Cellar

"In Your Own Sweet Way"

A sensitive, luxuriously long take of Dave Brubeck's tune. Gannon sets the tone as the bandleader by focusing on how he articulates every note; when I play this tune, I want to phrase the melody just the way he does. Miles Black's piano solo is similarly focused and direct with how rhythmic his playing is.

See also: "If You Could See Me Now", "Bloomdido"

That's What

"Bright Mississippi"

This is Thelonious Monk's tune written over "Sweet Georgia Brown", lively, fun, and irreverent. Gannon's solo gets more complex as he goes, but he mostly sticks to specific sounds over each of the tune's long chords, which helps a learner like me hear my way through the form. The walking bass line is well-crafted for this form as well, not jumping all over the place – it takes its time to slowly climb up and down. Powerful piano solo and trading!

See also: "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "Stella by Starlight"

Easy Sailing

"The Touch Of Your Lips"

Great 2-feel bass playing from Jodi as Gannon lays down the melody pure and simple. A little intro is all you need to set up a standard nicely. The piano solo vibe is Ray Brown Trio-like. The nice touches are all lined up and show the level of care: the bass fill into the first solo, the ideal cymbal switch for the guitar solo, going back to 2-feel only right at the end.

See also (so many!): "Love For Sale", "My One And Only Love", "Chi Chi", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "How Deep Is The Ocean"