Students, educators & performers may always continue to search for shortcuts to improvisation, but there are none. It takes hours of dedication and disciplined practice to be able to improvise. That being said, it is not a foregone conclusion that learning to improvise couldn’t be made easier with the proper guidance and resource. Santorella’s New Jazz Improvisation series, “Know Before You Blow” is the answer! Anyone interested in improvisation spends countless hours of listening to every jazz artist that has established themselves as one of the best at their craft. Many beginning jazz players focus on musicians who play the same instrument, but it is strongly suggested to listen to every jazz great, no matter what axe is in their hands. Transcribing solos or appealing jazz licks is highly recommended and also takes many hours to accomplish. Every student eventually realizes the need to reduce the amount of time spent listening & transcribing and to simply start practicing. During the big band era, the term “Woodshedding” was introduced by musicians to indicate long practice sessions in private, where they could either practice alone or in a group. But it was understood that being undisturbed, without distraction is the key. Every...