Jerry Coker, Saxophonist/Jazz Educator

It is said that if you want to know who created the basis for jazz education, the answer is as easy as A, B, C—Jamey Aebersold, David Baker, and Jerry Coker. Baker, who taught at Indiana University, is credited with codifying jazz instruction and improvisation. 

When Coker was 20, he joined the Woody Herman Herd and left college at Indiana University.  He soon decided that he was not satisfied with the idea of occasional spotlighted solos for featured big band members and wanted to focus on technique and improvisation instead.

Coker added to jazz pedagogy by publishing some 20 books on jazz, most of which are still in print. He held jazz faculty positions at Duke University, Sam Houston State University, Miami University, and University of Tennessee, where he taught for two decades. 

Along with using the Aebersold Play-A-Longs with his students, Coker practiced with each recording during the year, even when the catalog grew to 50 and more. It is an extraordinary testament to the timeless value of these recordings from a pioneer in jazz education.

How did you learn to play and practice jazz?

Born into a family of musicians, I took my practice procedures very seriously.  My father was a professional saxophone and clarinet player, my mother was a professional pianist, serious in her quest to master her craft, and my brother was a superb jazz pianist.

We were brought up on the (jazz) music.   The family’s record collection was large and it was constantly in use.  Additionally, all members of the family practiced music on a daily basis, so I was surrounded by jazz music!   All of that just started sinking in.

What did you use before the introduction of the Aebersold Play-A-Longs in your practice?

The advent of the play-along recordings was a tremendous influence on my musical development.  Produced as 78 rpm discs, the pre-Aebersold play-alongs were short and geared to the needs of the non-jazz musician, especially singers.

Nevertheless, I acquired a very large collection of those recordings, simply because there was no choice.  One album, entitled “Join the Band,” used a large band of players— made up of sections of trumpets, trombones, and saxophones, plus a rhythm section—and was geared to a more dramatic form of play-along that fed the ego of the users, who found themselves being accompanied by a large ensemble.

There was great rejoicing among serious, dedicated musicians when Aebersold’s first Play-A-Long album became available.  At last there was a collection of play-along tracks that serviced musicians in their quest for playing jazz. 

Were you and Jamey in agreement about how you approached teaching jazz improvisation?

We were pretty much of one mind.  I learned from Jamey and he learned from me.

Do you consider yourself a pioneer in jazz education?

Yes, very much so.  There were very few people I could turn to for advice.  I did it pretty much on my own.