Mysterious Traveller: Journey Through The Real Book #253 (Jazz Piano Lesson)

A jazz piano lesson to help you learn the jazz standard “Mysterious Traveller,” composed by Wayne Shorter and performed by Weather Report.

You'll find my book, The Inner World of Piano Improvisation, on Amazon.

A wonderful yet seldom-played composition 0:09
Composed for the group Weather Report 0:15
Getting a sense of how to play “Mysterious Traveller” 0:24
Taking a deep dive into jazz standards 0:44
Understanding the musical and historical place of Weather Report 0:55
Weather Report’s co-founders: Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul 2:04
Weather Report’s 1st and 2nd stylistic periods 3:02
The musical freshness of “Mysterious Traveller” 3:45
Seeing Jazz Fusion as a blend of the new with the old 4:39
Weather Report’s 3rd and 4th stylistic periods 4:58
Learning to play the tune as written 5:46
Scales to use when improvising over F#m 6:11
Analyzing Wayne Shorter’s voicings 6:27
The tune’s changing time signatures 7:07
An abstract verse/chorus structure 7:28
Some cool stuff 8:08
Ideas for improvising on “Mysterious Traveller” 8:23
Planning an approach to playing the tune 8:52
Bringing in a classical influence 9:10
A solo jazz piano performance of “Mysterious Traveller” 10:05
Transitioning to the written arrangement 10:20
Beginning the improvisation with an A Pentatonic scale 11:29
Improvising with voicings similar to Shorter’s 11:50
Soloing with an F# minor scale 11:57
Parallel 4ths 12:09
Going “outside” 12:20
Clavinet-style funk 12:40
Developing the 2-note motif from the tune itself 12:53
A fuller, warmer texture 13:00
Longer melodic lines 13:04
Funky fourths 13:10
Flourishes 13:14
Soloing in octaves between the hands 13:27
Returning to the F#m vamp 13:49
Getting calmer 14:28
Atmospheric sounds over the funk groove 14:35
Being inspired by the written music 14:49
Returning to the written music 15:12
Parallel maj7th chords in the RH 15:30
Bbmaj7 over F#m 15:48
Playing the tune more slowly 16:03
Evoking the atmospheric intro 16:19
Ending with a melodic fragment from the composition 16:31
Keith Jarrett’s advice on ending vamps 16:36
A Miles Davis/ John Coltrane story 17:08
Give it a try yourself! 17:42
The F#m Pentatonic A major Pentatonic connection 17:50
Continuing the journey 18:22
Yes, you can become a more fluent improviser! 18:30

Thanks for joining me on this musical adventure, and please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE this video with your musical friends.

Enjoy the journey, and "let the music flow!"
Ron

[willieriley]

Great to watch a genius at work. Talented man!

[steveha]

Once again, great insights into a tune that we all skip in the Real Book. You're brave to take this one on.

[brunomaiamusic]

Hi Ron,
Very happy that you are back.

[R_DG]

you are so close to finishing please do it!!!

[brendaboykin]

Hi, Ron. Happy Holidays. All the Best for you and yours.🌹🌹🌹🌹 Beautifully played.

[jazzsecrets]

Beautoful, Love the sound of Wheather Report. One of my favorites with Palladium. Surprised the begining hasn't been re-sampled by rappers yet :)

[linacho]

Hi ron, I hope you will post soon !! Big fan of your viddies. I need you in my life bruh

[rachelsmename]

It's a far cry from "Misty", an arrangement I'm currently learning. I think you did great with the given tune. I think I'll probably skip over it lol

[eddiebonner]

Mysteriously after Naima alphabetically