I just received my Realbook DVD in the mail today.Can't wait to see what's on it.
Mac,thanks for your input.I'm actually not a beginner as far as Jazz and Harmony is concerned.I did take classes at a community college wht a guy named Ray Brown who played with Stan Kenton and I also studied with a guy who graduated from Berkeley.I've been a pro bassist for almost 30 years now in pretty much all styles and even though my main thing is R&B Funk I have also done Jazz concerts with guys who taught at Berkeley and they didn't hate me.Still,there is so much for me to learn on the bass still that I just can't seem to find the time to work on my keyboard skills.I get to a cretain level and then I stop for a while and when I get back to it I've forgotten most of what i learned.It's frustrating.
So as far as coming up with changes, knowing voicings and what to call them and tweaking progressions...I just don't have the chops to do it quickly.
For example,just the other day on a rehearsal I brought in the Victor Wooten(great bassplayer, check him out!) version of Song for my Father which he plays AABA and the last A has these wicked chord substitutions.
The keyboard player in my band is really an amazing musician, he toured with Gino Vanelli(not an easy gig) and he liked the version.So immediately after hearing the section for the first time he goes to his piano and plays it perfectly. It floored me.
I just think that piano players brains are wired differently.
I could have figured out the chords but it would have taken me forever and then I would not have known what to call them.Maybe I've been playing one note at a time for too long....