Dennis Sandole (1913-2000) conquistou o seu lugar no Olimpo do Jazz como o mestre e tutor de John Coltrane nos anos iniciais da sua formação. Sandole tomou o saxofonista sob a sua tutela em 1946 e continuou a guiá-lo até ao princípio dos anos 50, preparando o terreno para aquela que terá sido uma das mais impressionantes carreiras da história do Jazz.
Embora Dennis Sandole fosse guitarrista e não saxofonista, os seus ensinamentos continham o que ele designava por “amadurecimento de conceitos”. Esta ideia centrava-se no uso de técnicas de Harmonia avançada e podia ser aplicável a qualquer instrumento. Ensinava escalas não muito utilizadas no Jazz da altura, incluindo algumas de sua própria invenção e introduzia os seus estudantes a músicas de outras culturas muito tempo antes da Fusão ou da World Music. Parece clara a influência que exerceu em Coltrane. De resto mantiveram-se amigos até á morte de Trane (1967).
No livro “John Coltrane: His Life and Music” de Lewis Porter, Sandole refere-se a Coltrane como um aluno “extremamente dotado” que “fez em 4 anos o programa de estudo concebido para 8.”
Embora Dennis Sandole fosse guitarrista e não saxofonista, os seus ensinamentos continham o que ele designava por “amadurecimento de conceitos”. Esta ideia centrava-se no uso de técnicas de Harmonia avançada e podia ser aplicável a qualquer instrumento. Ensinava escalas não muito utilizadas no Jazz da altura, incluindo algumas de sua própria invenção e introduzia os seus estudantes a músicas de outras culturas muito tempo antes da Fusão ou da World Music. Parece clara a influência que exerceu em Coltrane. De resto mantiveram-se amigos até á morte de Trane (1967).
No livro “John Coltrane: His Life and Music” de Lewis Porter, Sandole refere-se a Coltrane como um aluno “extremamente dotado” que “fez em 4 anos o programa de estudo concebido para 8.”
Sandole foi autodidacta. Aos 10 anos aprendeu a tocar guitarra e começou a tocar em bandas locais (Filadélfia) com o seu irmão Adolph Sandole, saxofonista.
Ao mesmo tempo começou a desenvolver um sistema pedagógico original concentrando-se mais nas aulas do que nos gigs. Em 1946 dedicou-se a fundo ao ensino leccionando nos Granoff Studios, uma escola recentemente aberta em Filadélfia por Isadore Granoff, uma emigrante Russa que achava que os músicos de Jazz da altura não estavam suficientemente preparados teoricamente. Mais tarde passou passou a ensinar particularmnte o que durou até ao fim dos seus dias.
Dennis Sandole tornou-se numa lenda dentro dos círculos do Jazz. Se Coltrane foi o seu mais famoso aluno , não foi o único a beneficiar das suas aulas. Outras “estrelas” por lá passaram, gente como James Moody, Michael Brecker, Jim Hall, Joe Diorio, Pat Martino e mais recentemente o pianista Matthew Shipp.
Em 1981 Sandole publicou o livro Guitar Lore (Theodore Presser Company) que contem muitas das ideias que ensinou ao longo dos anos. Falava de publicar um Segundo livro - Scale Lore- coisa que nunca chegou a acontecer.
Dennis Sandole tornou-se numa lenda dentro dos círculos do Jazz. Se Coltrane foi o seu mais famoso aluno , não foi o único a beneficiar das suas aulas. Outras “estrelas” por lá passaram, gente como James Moody, Michael Brecker, Jim Hall, Joe Diorio, Pat Martino e mais recentemente o pianista Matthew Shipp.
Em 1981 Sandole publicou o livro Guitar Lore (Theodore Presser Company) que contem muitas das ideias que ensinou ao longo dos anos. Falava de publicar um Segundo livro - Scale Lore- coisa que nunca chegou a acontecer.
Era considerado como muito disponível, sempre pronto a injectar confiança nos seus alunos e a trabalhar especialmente os seus pontos fracos. Embora tenha preterido a sua carreira como músico pela de professor, continuou sempre a tocar.
Gravou um album de originais, Modern Music From Philadelphia, para a Fantasy em 1956. A Cadence Jazz editou uma gravação nova em 1999, The Dennis Sandole Project, que continha excertos de Evenin’ Is Cryin’, um ambicioso projecto multi-disciplinar entre a ópera e o ballet em que trabalhou entre 1960 e 1970. Ao lado de Wilbur Ware (contrabaixo), Philly Joe Jones (tarola e prato de choque) e Ray Barretto (bongós) podemos ouvir Dennis Sandole a tocar uma Epiphone emprestada por Kenny Burrell. Gravação ao vivo na sala-de-estar de Coltrane.
Gravou um album de originais, Modern Music From Philadelphia, para a Fantasy em 1956. A Cadence Jazz editou uma gravação nova em 1999, The Dennis Sandole Project, que continha excertos de Evenin’ Is Cryin’, um ambicioso projecto multi-disciplinar entre a ópera e o ballet em que trabalhou entre 1960 e 1970. Ao lado de Wilbur Ware (contrabaixo), Philly Joe Jones (tarola e prato de choque) e Ray Barretto (bongós) podemos ouvir Dennis Sandole a tocar uma Epiphone emprestada por Kenny Burrell. Gravação ao vivo na sala-de-estar de Coltrane.
Do meu contacto com Ed Byrne sobre este importante mas obscuro personagem resultou a seguinte informação (que publico no original):
"Hi zimk
Thank you for your note. I will tell you what little I know of Dennis Sandole. I had a close friend and room-mate who studied with DS. My friend gave me the assignments, which we practiced intently for several years. The lessons themselves were described to me as such: Sandole, I am told, was a rather non-verbal (at least with his students) and eccentric man. The lessons were basically about you playing back his assignment in all 12 keys, and then him giving you the next assignment. The assignments were comprised of two things: arpeggios and (what was special) his lick of the week. These were around 4 measures in length. They contained interesting color notes to enhance the basic jazz vocabulary. As I perceive it, it was all about advancing your vocabulary, and being able to incorporate it into your own story (style).
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these mini-etudes is that they were, I think, purposely created with awkward rhythms, rather than the traditional lick lessons of this sort, which were rhythmically idiomatic on purpose. I think he was forcing you to
translate these newer melodic intervals into the jazz phrasing, rather than supply the rhythmic solutions.
I have a small collection of his exercises, which are very specific vocabulary. For example, here is one on CMA7-5: F F# F Eb D B F#, in which F (4, fa) acts as a leading-tone, targeting the F# #11. You have to work to make this fit into your rap. I think that was part of his idea. As I said, though, I was told that there was nothing else to the lessons but the two exercizes. He offered no advice, explanation, or mentoring to my friend. Interestingly, he always made the licks intended to go with a specific chord or place in a progression. In my method I have taken this beyond local considerations such as those. Check out Linear Jazz Improvisation Book IV: Bichordal Pitch Collection Etudes for Advance Improvisation, in which the vocabulary comes in
page-long phrases, to be learned and then used as the basis for motivic improvisational transformation--but by rote, not theory. I think that was his idea. It was common practice for private lessons to go like that. what was different was the very licks themselves.
I have two other books that offer advanced motivic transposition and development though the learning of such specific linear vocabulary.
I hope this is helpful. I do feel that his contribution was significant, and I highly value his exercizes. Indeed, I am creating my own under at least some of his influence.
Let's play sometime.
Best,
Ed Byrne
www.byrnejazz.com"
Thank you for your note. I will tell you what little I know of Dennis Sandole. I had a close friend and room-mate who studied with DS. My friend gave me the assignments, which we practiced intently for several years. The lessons themselves were described to me as such: Sandole, I am told, was a rather non-verbal (at least with his students) and eccentric man. The lessons were basically about you playing back his assignment in all 12 keys, and then him giving you the next assignment. The assignments were comprised of two things: arpeggios and (what was special) his lick of the week. These were around 4 measures in length. They contained interesting color notes to enhance the basic jazz vocabulary. As I perceive it, it was all about advancing your vocabulary, and being able to incorporate it into your own story (style).
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these mini-etudes is that they were, I think, purposely created with awkward rhythms, rather than the traditional lick lessons of this sort, which were rhythmically idiomatic on purpose. I think he was forcing you to
translate these newer melodic intervals into the jazz phrasing, rather than supply the rhythmic solutions.
I have a small collection of his exercises, which are very specific vocabulary. For example, here is one on CMA7-5: F F# F Eb D B F#, in which F (4, fa) acts as a leading-tone, targeting the F# #11. You have to work to make this fit into your rap. I think that was part of his idea. As I said, though, I was told that there was nothing else to the lessons but the two exercizes. He offered no advice, explanation, or mentoring to my friend. Interestingly, he always made the licks intended to go with a specific chord or place in a progression. In my method I have taken this beyond local considerations such as those. Check out Linear Jazz Improvisation Book IV: Bichordal Pitch Collection Etudes for Advance Improvisation, in which the vocabulary comes in
page-long phrases, to be learned and then used as the basis for motivic improvisational transformation--but by rote, not theory. I think that was his idea. It was common practice for private lessons to go like that. what was different was the very licks themselves.
I have two other books that offer advanced motivic transposition and development though the learning of such specific linear vocabulary.
I hope this is helpful. I do feel that his contribution was significant, and I highly value his exercizes. Indeed, I am creating my own under at least some of his influence.
Let's play sometime.
Best,
Ed Byrne
www.byrnejazz.com"
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