Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
Pre-ECM, but, who can ignore Coltrane’s major influence on ECM style jazz? Wise One, John Coltrane
If you visit the blog on jazzstylezz.com, you can download a free mgu-file of all the tunes, including this one. Ps: I commented on the bad biab-video sync. This proved incorrect, sorry for this.
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
Dzjang and other fans of Django, you likely will enjoy +++ THIS +++ John Jorgenson interview. John Jorgenson played Django in a movie and is a world renown session and touring guitarist in his own right.
@Jim: John Jorgenson is something else, isn’t he? The ease with which he switches from rock to country to jazz and back again is mindblowing. I don’t know enough about country to really assess his skills, but in the jazz realm his playing is top notch. Curious as to what you think of players like Bill Frisell who have turned to country and rock. He has a band with a slide guitar player mixing jazz and country. I think he is a fan of country, but does he play it well, I wouldn’t know. Respect! @Matt: Thanks. For the most part I rarely consider alterations (like: Cm11 for Cm7), since I don’t use piano or guitar accompaniment on Biab. But horn players and some guitarists do. So you are very right to point this out. It’s essential to get the piano or guitar part play intresting things. I mostly think Realbook: get the basic chords down and leave the analysis to the player. But with a midi software, that doesn’t work. On the other hand, for the bass part, it’s all the same. The midi system in Band in a Box doesn’t know these chords in the bass department and ignores every alteration, sadly. (Even a b9 or b13)
More important for me though is your first suggestion: bar 14. Your use of the bass note makes for a very nice transition to the E chord (b2 substitution, I think we should call it or tritone sub for some).
I dig the suggestion to go for Eb on the C min chord, though I think what Bob Berg is trying to stress is the Phrygian character of the I chord (Cminor) in the interlude as a contrast to the “normal” minor I chord. But, Eb would add some nice bass movement. For me it’s more like Dblydian with C in the bass. Thanks for the intresting suggestions.
Payment pending. Wix takes some time to process re-linking my domain to the site. Oh well…
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
Another contender for “Standard of the future”: Metheny’s Last Train Home. I thought of it as a typical Metheny Group Song, lots of Synclavier going on. But Gilad Hekselman made a really cool rendition of it, making it sound almost like a standard tune.
You can download a mgu file of this tune for free on my blog. If you want to play it, go ahead.
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
You've just put your finger on it - looser drum parts and much tighter bass parts at the same time as the whole vibe being more sparse.
You have created great styles for swing time - that is done. The ECM and Scandi/Nordic material and artists I am inspired by are rarely playing 'swing time' and have a more pop or folk 'even' feel but swing massively in their phrasing especially in drums/percussion and acoustic bass. And they leave plenty of space - that's the signature of their sound - this is not 'foot tapping' music.
The challenge for me is to get a realistic 6/8 feel that could be possible by making a user style where two bars of 3/4 = 6/8 by pairing bars and using the bar settings to define - bar1 = count 1,2,3 and bar2 = count 4,5,6 etc.
I create trio backings - drum and bass + chords in order to play melody part scored or improvised - for fun, not to entertain others. And I do not use real tracks - strictly MIDI at this stage - before I export anything that sounds half decent to Garageband.
My challange is how to get the count to go smoothly from first to second bar so there does not feel like a break - bass and drum notes not able to sound across the gap etc, etc.
BIAB keeps getting upgrades and improvements - I started in the early years and keep coming back every few months - it now has good sound samples and a massive body of styles and other AI content that always teaches me something new about the musical process - I'm sticking with it.
That’s right. They don’t swing like in the old days. It was and still is a rhythmic revolution. It’s not the eighth note swing we know, but has a straight rhythm infused with subtle 16th and 32nd note triplets.
Making these styles has helped me understand the striking similarities between the Nordic sound, Jack DeJohnette and the Miles Davis quintet of the sixties.
Transcribing Jon Christensen and Michael DiPasqua on Garbarek‘s albums was surprisingly close to transcribing Dejohnette’s drumming on Bill Connors’ Of Mist and Melting.
Arild Andersen has expressed his admiration for Miles’ band in his albums with Masqualero. Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen have often referred in interviews to the Charles Lloyd Quartet and Elvin Jones’ playing in Coltrane’s band.
Jarrett picked up on Charles Lloyd’s integration of pop and folk tunes and rhythm. And the dynamic Nordic scene of the seventies has developed that even further, resulting in a few unforgettably beautiful melodies.
Jan Garbarek’s Entering (Places), Bill Connors’ Melting, Kenny Wheeler’s tunes, Jarrett’s Country or Innocence…
So much beautiful music. Maybe we could share some info, just to make the Biab experience better. PM me or continue this thread on all things ECM.
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
I don't know if this helps with isolating styles, but in BIAB's style picker, the styles (Realdrums and Realtracks) that are labelled as sw16 are based on 16th note triplets. I haven't come across styles using 1/32 note triplets. (Not that I'm aware of, at least.)
When I use the filter in Stylepicker to only show Jazz, sw16... a number of styles are listed. These might be useful starting places for you.
That is an important observation, Noel. Swings differently, sounds more “pop” or rock.
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
Seems to me there's a lot of ECM type options in the smooth and new age and world styles if you tweak or hybridise them. Especially those with a more World Music, Mystical or Classical feel rather than pop, funk etc. (eg. ANSWERS is almost an Oregon style)). The RALPH1 Christensen drummer can be used for example against the ETERNAL organ arpeggio for a John Surman/DeJohnette approximation. Useful in odd time signatures with holds and motifs in the new add on maybe. the SIRIUS style has a 'Last Train Home' vibe.
In the fusion styles there's obviously METH 80/81 and the fast even 8th jazz styles But you can do hybrids like the CROSWIND bass and piano parts along with the METH 80/81 DeJohnette drummer.
Outside BIAB there's OddGrooves ECM midi drum edition which might have some loop-able sections and fills within a rather sloppy presentation. Not too bad but not perfect by any means.
Session Band audio loops outside of the app in a windows based DAW can be used for ECM or mid 60's post bop purposes.
XLN addictive drums has a Jazz brushes set which boasts a free-jazz preset which isn't perfect but has enough of a 'metre-less' feel to it to be useable.
Elsewhere on the net there's a transcription or direct-to-midi Abercrombie/Johnson/Erskine performance of a standard with a Scandinavian pianist which is useful source of a subtle modern jazz waltz style.
@Alan, there are some great styles, like the ones you mentioned.
Btw, the midi that you refer to was my big inspiration for making styles that offer more than the factory styles. John Abercrombie, for sure. I’ve included the midi, because it’s so fabulous.
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
@Dzjang, thanks for that reminder of one of the great jazz groups of the 80's and early 90's. a trio of great dynamic range.
Some more ECM songs done as BIAB files would be good to have. I did two songs for the archive, Kenny Wheeler's 'Ma Belle Helene'. And one more which turned out to be a post bop version of John Taylor's Azimuth tune 'Eulogy' (I called it 17/8 at the time after it's rhythmic cycle as I transcribed it from a radio broadcast tape without knowing the band! ) Other than that I've also got Towner's 'Distant Hills' but that's about it really.
The only other's I've seen are 'Prism' and 'Icarus'. So many by Jarrett, Towner and Wheeler can now be done as there are transcription aplenty out there but alas so little time.
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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