The tracks at 'PlayJazzNow' are for all instruments and for singers. PJN is the first and only company that offers a comprehensive series of downloadable, high quality mp3s that can be used for practicing and improving the playing skills. We have Bill with us to share more information about PJN and how it has been through all these years. Catch his interview below and don't forget to download some tracks from PJN. You might be the next Jazz musician! Here it goes:
Bill, let's start with a brief introduction of yours.
I'm a jazz bass player living and working in Chicago. I have a degree in music from DePaul University and I've worked as a professional musician for the past 30 years. My jazz credits include performances with Clark Terry, James Moody, Patricia Barber, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Kenny Burrell, Frank Wess, Bunky Green, Woody Herman Band and Joe Daley.
I've also played many Broadway shows and private engagements of every kind and I've taught privately and at the college level I own and operate PlayJazzNow, a website offering innovative, downloadable play-along tracks for instrumentalists and singers of all levels. I blog about musical life at Jazz Underneath, contribute to Bass Musician Magazine, and have posted a batch of popular teaching videos on YouTube. I write a monthly newsletter called The Lead Sheet featuring what I call "jazz news you can use".
Tell us about 'PlayJazzNow'. When and how did it happen to you?
The website went live in 2006 but the concept of "play-along" or "backing" recordings goes back to the 1950's. At first, LPs were made for classical musicians to allow them to practice playing their individual parts with an orchestra or chamber group. The idea was later adapted for jazz musicians who were looking for a way to develop their musical skills in the context of recorded "accompaniment" by a rhythm section. Many young jazz players, including me, used these play-along LPs to learn how to improvise. After more than 30 years as a jazz player and teacher, I became frustrated with the limited content, poor quality and high cost of the backing tracks that were available at the time. After a lot of thought and soul-searching I decided to solve the problem by making my own play-along tracks that I hoped would be useful to jazz musicians and instructors.
Is 'PlayJazzNow' only for those who know a bit about Jazz or even beginners can be benefited from it?
PlayJazzNow's mission is to provide great sounding, fun and affordable backing tracks for all instrumentalists and vocalists. You do have to have some experience with the mechanics and techniques of your particular instrument, but we have a lot of content for those who are just starting to learn how to play jazz.
Since, Jazz does not have that wide audience, you must have faced roadblocks when you started. What were they and how did you overcome it?
Unfortunately, too many people, especially in the U.S., don't have much of an idea about the variety of music that can be called "jazz". Jazz doesn't have much of a presence on the radio and most young people don't get exposed to it in school or anywhere else. So I think there's a certain fear of the unknown that prevents a lot of folks from connecting with this music. PlayJazzNow is a site specifically for musicians. Our target audience is certainly small, but I don't have to worry about the general public finding us.
Tell us something unique about 'PlayJazzNow'. What makes it stand out?
PlayJazzNow was created with the goal of bringing play-along quality and technology into the 21st Century. I feel that our products are setting contemporary standards for backing tracks by offering standard chord progressions in all 12 keys, by posting instrument-specific mixes of all of our tracks, by making our tracks available via instant download and by keeping our prices within the reach of any musician with a computer. Musicians all over the world have been writing to tell me how much more they enjoy working with PJN tracks than the older recordings.
Other than being involved in 'PlayJazzNow', how are you indulged in Jazz music? Do you take classes for it or a member of any club or association?
Well, I'm a full-time musician, so I play a wide variety of music, teach privately and keep PlayJazzNow up and running. I'm a member of the Jazz Education Network, which is an association of musicians and educators dedicated to bringing jazz to a wider audience and helping to raise the level of musical training. I also spend time practicing and studying to expand my own skills.
You give lessons on Skype as well. How different is it from teaching in person?
Skype is a great way for me to reach out to students in other parts of the world. The ideal situation is for a student and teacher to be in the same room, of course. It's a lot easier to for me to demonstrate things on the student's own instrument, for example. I often use a piano keyboard to explain certain harmonic points, something that I can't really do via Skype. Music, to me, is about connecting with other people - something best accomplished in person. That's why playing live with other musicians is the best way to advance. But we don't always have like-minded musicians available. So Skype is analogous to play=along tracks - it's the next best thing to being there in person.
Other than Jazz, what are the other things that interests you?
I'm the father of 3 college-aged kids so they keep me pretty busy. I like to read, work in my native plants garden and argue about politics.
When you planned on getting started with 'PlayJazzNow', the whole concept of E-commerce must be very new to you. So, how did you go about choosing a shopping cart, building a website, etc.?
It was a huge challenge. I knew absolutely nothing about starting a retail business, and e-commerce was a complete mystery to me. I feel like I gave myself an MBA over the course of the 2+ years it took me to make PJN a reality. I was very fortunate to latch onto some great resources, including Bob Baker's Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook, as well as a fantastic web designer, Jeff Lane. I was also lucky to find E-junkie early in the process. I didn't have a lot of money to invest (I'm a jazz musician!) so I knew that I wouldn't be able to afford setting up my own e-commerce "back-end" and dealing with individual credit card companies. I had used PayPal to make a few purchases previously, so when I discovered that E-junkie's shopping cart integrated seamlessly with PayPal, that made everything so much easier. I guess there are a couple of other resources on the web that handle digital download transactions but E-junkie seemed like the best and most affordable solution and it has worked out really well for me.
What has been the most fulfilling moment as a teacher for you?
I'm not sure I can narrow it down to a single moment. I've found that most music students need multiple exposures to a technique or concept in order to really "get it". It is very satisfying when I get to see that "aha" in the eyes of a student. When a musician realizes that something they thought was difficult (or impossible) is actually easy, then I know something great has happened for them. That's a lot of fun to experience as well.
What would you advise a musician who aspires to make a mark in online business?
First I would suggest that they seek psychiatric help. But if they can't be dissuaded, then they need to be very clear on what they hope to accomplish with a web-based business. There are so many music-related websites, including giants like i-Tunes and Amazon. Competition is fierce so a narrow focus is crucial. CDs are already just about obsolete and independent musicians need to find innovate ways to deliver their products via the web. Certainly hooking up with a business like E-junkie is important in terms of efficiency and keeping your costs down. I also think that online distributors who cater to independent musicians, like CDBaby.com and Bandcamp.com are well worth investigating.
Bass teaching video:
Guitar Teaching Video:
Bill, thanks for such a fantastic interview. You are an inspiring as well as a talented individual. It was great learning about you and we wish you all the very best for your future endeavors.
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