I Thought About You

LISTEN TO ANDROMEDA LULLABY

I'm using the standard I Thought About You in an upcoming video on simplifying improvisation. The idea is to reduce the number of keys that one must play over. In the video, I've reduced it to one. You can do this with several tunes including Autumn Leaves and Never Be Another You.

I try to make the point that you can use any note over any chord as long as you resolve it and are mindful of the context. If your objective in improvisation is to play a stream of melody and rhythm, the more you have to think about, the harder that talk will be.

For this rendition, I played the head in and out, and improvised one chorus in between.

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Being familiar with the great alto trombone playing of Michael Lake, I can attest that his words of wisdom don’t come from a theoretician, but from a remarkably accomplished artist. I highly recommend this great book!!”

– Cristian Ganicenco, Principal Trombone, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

I really like this interesting and well-disposed book. So many good thoughts, facts and tips on alto trombone. Good guidance for the searching alto souls out there. A must-have for the shelves.

– Håkan Björkman, Principal Trombone at Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

I highly recommend Alto Trombone Savvy for players around the world wanting advice on handling the alto trombone at the highest level. Classical and jazz players both share the same challenges, and it’s great to have this book in either bass or alto clef to help answer some of those challenges.

- Carsten Svanberg, International Trombone Soloist and Professor of Trombone at the University of Music and Arts Graz

For anyone interested in learning to play the alto trombone, whether for classical or jazz, this book is a must. Clearly written, with excellent exercises and links to audio examples, Michael Lake has provided the trombone world with a wonderful new resource.

– Ralph Sauer, Former Principal Trombone, Los Angeles Philharmonic