Cecil Alexander - Donna Lee (Jazz Guitar Solo)

Excerpt from "In The Style Of Cecil Alexander, Vol. 1"
Check out the "Cecil Alexander" lesson series:

Cecil Improvises over the changes of Cherokee. Lesson Excerpt.

About:

Cecil Alexander is a guitarist, composer, and arranger from Muskegon, MI. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2016 with a B.M. in Jazz Composition. He is a recent graduate (2019) of the Jazz Performance M.M. program at William Paterson University. In 2016, he co-founded the folk-rock group Visen, which released its first EP, Shoulder Deep, in 2017. Cecil was the 1st place winner of the 2017 Wilson Center Jazz Guitar Competition and the 2018 Lee Ritenour Six String Theory Competition. As of recently, Cecil was one of 3 finalists in the 2019 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Guitar Competition. Cecil has recorded/performed with Bill Charlap, Antonio Hart, Lee Pearson, Luis Perdomo, Nathan East, and Steve LaSpina. Some of his greatest influences include Charlie Parker, Joe Henderson, Grant Green, and John Coltrane. As of Fall 2021, Cecil started a teaching position at Berklee College of Music as Assistant Professor of Guitar. Cecil recently was recently signed to Heartcore Records, a Berlin-based label founded by legendary guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

[nylonsteel]

What I love about his playing is he have a super deep traditional jazz vocabulary but can play 'out' when he wants too while still being musical, he has none of the "look at me I'm playing out bs stuff " some modern players do. He is a genius improviser

[anton]

Amazing. Love his turn-arounds. His improv brims with so much originality. Like he's on auto-pilot. A genuine guitar prodigy.

[SamFrampton]

Great playing, awesome tele. But what really gets me is how relaxed he looks

[thedonrizzguitar]

Beautiful playing and beautiful guitar! 🔥

[billday]

Great playing young man I love that tele style guitar you have again great playing .

[clydebermingham]

I can’t help but feel like hearing CECIL play on a nice hollow body guitar as well, sometimes 🤗🙏🏽


I just love his playing …. His phrases … his articulation … swing … slurs …. Etc… and just crave to here it all in a nice hollis body ‘Jazz Box’ Guitar as well, sometimes 🤗🙏🏽

[madschjensen]

Super nice! 0:15 reminds me of "If you could see me now"

[clydebermingham]

There is SO MUCH WONDROUS VOCABULARY compact in just such a short moment that leaves one (at least leaves me ) very well astonished & captivated 🤗🙏🏽


Has me like … WELL … TIME FOR ME TO GO BACK TO THE OLE RAWING BOARD AGAIN

after so long away from ….

Time timer-begin … to break out a ‘note lad’ once again …



To get back to SWING 🤗🙏🏽


(Surely there are so many wonderful forms of music to enjoy and explore through out life … But SWING is just so WONDROUS 🤗🙏🏽 …. And it takes quite some focus to get it all in accordingly … )

[francoisbl]

does he even looks at his fretboard! great playing!

[clydebermingham]

SO ARTICULATE …. And yet SO SOULFUL …..

(Never mechanic )


🙏🏽🤗🙏🏽

[kbkesq]

I love how easy Cecil makes it look. He has a great instructional video. Very humble guy and I’d like to hear him soar higher like benson or Wes or joe pass on the for Django album. He stocks to the middle emotionally too much for my taste but great player.

[clydebermingham]

It might even surprise some of many if CECIL were to say his vibe came from listening to more horn players then guitarists such as PAT MARTINO &/or GEORGE BENSON ….

But if it were to be so … it would certainly make much sense to me ….. if so 🙏🏽🤗🙏🏽

[nkosilathidube]

Bro is too cool he didn't break a sweat

[clydebermingham]

Certainly there would be this elf us who would really want to know what lead Cecil to play as he does … (I knownI do 🤗🙏🏽)

Just like I wanted to know what lead my No.1 Guitar Hero (GEORGE BENSON) what led him to play the way he play 🤗🙏🏽



It’s all just so amazing …. MUSIC …. And how it transpires 🙏🏽💥🙏🏽

[Eric-ddbk]

I think the bass guitar is a little too low in the mix but great playing.

[ra]

"Shit". ( I meant that in a good way).

[Zocrates]

Sounds awful, yet feels full of life and beauty. How ?