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Bobby Broom’s Practice Secrets Revealed!

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Bobby talks about how he prepared for my new album release, Keyed Up – including practice methods on the opening song (Bud Powell’s “Hallucinations”), and the use of technology as a way to aid and inspire practice. Keyed Up release date: September 23, 2022 Pre-order the new album here:https://a.co/d/ixjEcOX

My Equipment:
Mac Mini (2021)
DAW – Logic Pro X
Audio Interface – Apollo Twin (Universal Audio)
Midi Controller – Midi Guitar 2 (Jam Origin)
Bass Plugin – Upright Bass VST (Ample Sound)
Drum Samples – Eric Harland Loops (Yurt Rock)
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Bobby Broom Promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure

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My heart is full today as I announce my appointment to Associate Professor with tenure at NIU. This milestone in my career as a jazz musician and educator reminds me of the blessing of having two parents that embodied the spirit of perseverance that is encoded in the DNA of the African American.

Dad, was from an immediate family of Florida “farmers” according to census records (which was probably a euphemism for sharecroppers), with grandparents who were slaves; and mom, was from Appalachian coal-country in West Virginia.

Not advancing past the 6th grade, in the early 1930s as a teen, Dad had the ‘opportunity’ to work for President Roosevelt’s “Civilian Conservation Corps” https://bit.ly/3u9Cd5P in Florida. Somewhere along the way, he had a mentor that imparted the knowledge that “no matter what, no one is better than you.” As a working family man and father, he imbued everything he did (including raising me) with that notion of dignity.

Mom came up through the grueling, 1930s McDowell County, WV system of coal-mining–with its dangerous work conditions, farcical company store, and nefarious “Cinder Bottom” red-light district https://bit.ly/3bFsIoA. Gifted with intellect, vision, and inclined toward education, she rose above seemingly hopeless conditions to wind up in NYC where she received a Master of Arts degree in Education and became a respected NYC junior high school English teacher.

These two stellar examples of fortitude and the inherent resilience of Black folk–in addition to being the ones responsible for giving birth to my Capricorn nature—were my very first models. They set the stage, and rehearsed and groomed me to play my part in life.

Thank you to Northern Illinois University for recognizing my worth in my field and allowing me to be of service. Thank you Maureen Broom for your undying love, faith and investment in me. Thank you to all of my mentors throughout my life and career–Weldon Irvine, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Paul Jeffrey, Kenny Burrell, Bernie Dobroski, Craig Bailey, and Reggie Thomas. All of your support, encouragement, and belief in me helped to foster my continued belief in myself.

(Pictured is my grandmother, Leila, with six of her nine kids in around 1925. Dad, Robert, Sr., was the youngest boy on the bottom left.

URL: https://bit.ly/3pqAwxW

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18th Annual International Seminario de Jazz and Modern Music in Málaga, Spain

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BOBBY BROOM

Comenzó a tocar la guitarra a la edad de 13 años, pero no le interesó el jazz hasta que escuchó a Grover Washington Jr. y George Benson. Los estudios de Broom ampliaron sus intereses y también aprendió a tocar el bajo, pero fue el linaje de la guitarra jazz aquello que llamó más su atención. Alejándose de las influencias del rock y la fusión de los años 70, se concentró en la herencia guitarrística de músicos como Wes Montgomery y Grant Green. Broom estudió durante un año en Berklee College Of Music, luego regresó a Nueva York donde se le ofreció la oportunidad de trabajar con el trompetista de jazz funk Tom Browne y también con Jazz Messengers de Art Blakey. A principios de los 80 estuvo con Sonny Rollins. Reanudó sus estudios a mediados de los 80, luego tocó con Kenny Burrell y Miles Davis. En los 90 y el nuevo milenio, Broom siguió siendo muy buscado, su estilo y gustos eclécticos le permitieron trabajar en muchos géneros ofreciendonos siempre una mezcla con muy buenos resultados.

URL: https://bit.ly/3CgC5pQ

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The Trio Reaches 10.5K Viewers in First 24 Hours

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Streaming Worldwide from Bobby’s Backyard for the BlueNote NYC @ Home Series, the BBT (with Bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Neil Hemphill), played to an audience of thousands that would reach 10,000 in its first 24 hours of streaming broadcast. Among the viewers, several countries were represented as indicated by the live chat that accompanied the stream.
 
Bobby remembers that day, “Hours prior to the broadcast/performance I did my due diligence, conferring via phone, with personnel at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. They guided me in configuring everything to livestream over multiple platforms using my laptop and camera. I made sure not to touch anything that was verified as working and was prepared to just move the tripod and laptop out into the backyard just before we were ready to play. When we called to check in 30 minutes prior to playing we were told that they weren’t able to receive a signal! At that point I threw up my hands in defeat, thinking that the performance and broadcast was just not meant to be. Fortunately, my wife Maureen came to the rescue. She pulled up a chair in the middle of the yard and held her phone up to capture our set for Blue Note on Facebook Live. Honestly, I barely anticipated 1000 viewers and didn’t even focus on viewership at all until I thought about it later that evening and took a look. I think at that point we were at 8 or 9000. By the next day we reached 10.5 K. So beyond ironically, my largest audience ever happened from my own backyard!”
 
 
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Bobby Broom: Giants of Jazz Guitar – “Jazz Tracks” with Michael Tanner on KSQD

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Tonight (Apr. 29) I will be a doing my 7th spotlight feature on “Giants of Jazz Guitar!”

Tonight’s spotlight will showcase jazz guitar icon, Bobby Broom

7-10pm (Pacific Time), on the radio show “Jazz Tracks” with Michael Tanner on KSQD, Santa Cruz.

You can listen live and/or go to the archives at www.ksqd.org to check out the show anywhere in the world!

During these spotlights I will be discussing guitarists playing styles, technique, giving a bit of historical context, and providing 2 tunes to showcase the brilliance and artistry of each musician! I’m spotlighting guitarists from the 1920s up to the present.

AUDIO ARCHIVE: https://ksqd.org/two-week-archive/

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Sessions from Studio A – The Reggie Thomas Quartet

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Jazz returns to Sessions from Studio A this week with The Reggie Thomas Quartet, featuring acclaimed pianist and current head of Jazz Studios at Northern Illinois University, Reggie Thomas, along with guitarist Bobby Broom, drummer George Fludas, and bassist Dennis Carroll. The quartet gives us a passionate performance in Studio A, and we’ll also hear a conversation with band members about their jazz backgrounds and their thoughts on the social justice protests of the past year. 

The accomplishments of these four players are far too many to list right here, so in the words of Bobby Broom on this week’s episode: “…let the playing do the talking.” Enjoy!

You can follow Reggie Thomas on social media and here on his website. Find Bobby Broom on facebook and bobbybroom.com, George Fludas at georgefludas.com, and fnd more from Dennis Carroll here.   

The Reggie Thomas Quartet performs “Soft Winds” live in WNIJ’s Studio A

The Reggie Thomas Quartet performs “Everything I Love” live in WNIJ’s Studio A

The Reggie Thomas Quartet performs “Mo'” live in WNIJ’s Studio A

URL: https://bit.ly/3vITzoj

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