Jeff Harrington

Introduction: I am a professor at Berklee College of Music, an MIT Affiliated Artist, a Harvard University MLSP instructor and a Rico Endorsed Artist. In addition, I teach online and privately in the Newton and Boston areas. I teach all aspects of woodwind technique, from beginner to professional, young and old and all styles of improvisation (including bop, modal, blues, fusion, smooth jazz, Latin, and classical). For improvisation, I feel that it is important to get a solid foundation of chords and scales and then to build from there. While this information is being absorbed, I teach you how to improvise using a unique system of written lines and customized play-alongs. For intermediate to advanced students, I stress various exercises which enable them to play improvisational techniques (chord tone soloing, bop scales, approaches notes, 3217/3517 lines and pentatonics, for example), over chord changes, with rhythmic accuracy and without getting lost. These exercises take the mystery out of improvisation by giving you concrete, logical and systematic approaches to improvising. Learning tunes, transcribed solos, ear training, vocabulary, instrumental technique and theory are also emphasized. Of course, I enjoy simply playing tunes and improvising with my students! As an active performer, a recording artist and a clinician, I have performed in Europe, St. Thomas, Martinique, Philippines, Barbados, Los Angeles, the southwest US and throughout New England. Through my international jazz correspondence lessons, I distance-teach improvisation and saxophone worldwide. My recordings include Cosmic Motion Picture with his own quartet, One by the Reed Dieffenbach Quartet, Homecookin'! (Reed Dieffenbach Quintet) and So Tru by Trudy Sandhaus, among others. A new solo album, Emanation, as well as an upcoming CD by Reed Dieffenbach are due out in 2013. In addition, I'm the author of Blues Improvisation Complete (Berklee Press and Hal Leonard), which is available in Bb, Eb, C and C bass clef, Famous Saxophone Solos from R&B, Pop and Smooth Jazz (Berklee Press and Hal Leonard), Great Tenor Saxophone Solos, Vol. 1 and 2, Great Smooth Jazz, R&B, and Pop Tenor Saxophone Solos, and Written Solos On Standard Tunes, Vol. 1 and 2. Essential Solos on Standard Progressions (Advance Music) is due out in 2013. Performing credits include touring as a featured soloist with the Gene Krupa Orchestra and performances with Milt Hinton, Ricky Ford, Makoto Ozone, Kenwood Denard, Bruce Gertz, Joe Hunt, Bob Gillotti, Bob Kaufman, Oscar Stagnaro, Rachael Z, George Schuller, Jon Damian, Billy Kilson, Ron Savage, Tim Rey, Vinny Golia, and Mike Turk among others. Locally, I freelance in the Boston area. I have studied saxophone, improvisation, composition, clarinet, flute and drums with Jerry Bergonzi, Joe Viola, George Garzone, Rick Margitza, Charlie Banocas, Andy Snitzer, John Mehegan, Jack Berky, George Russell, John La Porta, Arnie Lawrence, Jimmy Guiffre, Bob Moses, Bill Dixon, Barry Harris, Leon Russianoff, Ignatius Gennusa, Henry Brandt, Matt Marvuglio and Milford Graves. I have an M.M. from New England Conservatory of Music and a B.M. from Berklee College of Music, as well as additional undergraduate studies at The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Manhattan School of Music and Bennington College.