Vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake has instructed hundreds of aspiring jazz musicians in the techniques and mysteries of improvisation. Among his early students was Ted Nash (pictured), who as a young man left Los Angeles, became a stalwart of New York’s jazz community, and wins Grammys. Nash has long been a featured soloist in the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. Mr. Shoemake sent the following message today:
A former student of mine sent me this video of Ted Nash performing at Lincoln Center a week or so ago. I was floored by the beauty of his performance. To know that I got him started from scratch when he was 14 and to hear him now is a huge thrill and high for me.
Shoemake, Nash’s early teacher,  has taken his teaching digital. For details, see this page of the Shoemake website. There is more about Shoemake’s teaching in this Rifftides post from last year.