DVD/Video/Film Reviews There are plenty of stellar musicians who can't teach and plenty of fine educators who lack the skills or know-how to play at a top-tier level. There aren't a lot of internationally acclaimed musicians who are also viewed the world over as exceptional teachers; saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi is one of the few.

Bergonzi has traveled plenty with his horn, playing his own music and backing up bigwigs across the globe, but he's made an even bigger impact in the world of jazz education. He's managed to share his wisdom through master classes, Inside Improvisationhis series of books published by Advance Musicand his in-the-classroom teaching at the New England Conservatory (NEC). But not everybody can attend a masterclass, go to NEC or find their own way through jazz pedagogy on paper, and that's where these DVDs come in.

Bergonzi explored chordal/harmonic nuts-and-bolts on Creating A Jazz Vocabulary Vol. 1 (Jazz Heaven, 2011) and some more complex topics, like modal sequencing, shapes and chord substitutions, on Creating A Jazz Vocabulary Vol. 2 (Jazz Heaven, 2011). Now he returns with two more DVDs that are chock full of different ideas to get the mind thinking and fingers moving.

Jerry Bergonzi Creating A Jazz Vocabulary Vol. 3 Jazz Heaven 2014

The third volume in this series of instructional DVDs/downloads veers away from heady harmonic discussions and focuses on rhythm, in all of its infinite variations, as a springboard to creation. The subtitle"Melodic Rhythm: A Rhythmic Approach To Creating Melodies"says is all, yet barely hints at what's waiting inside. Bergonzi, with some assistance from saxophonist Brian Levy

Bergonzi begins by mentioning a moment where trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie

At one point in the video, Bergonzi notes that students often lose focus on the specificity of an excercise and over-complicate things because they "lack the ability to stick with the obvious." Truer words have never been spoken. At times like these, it's easy to appreciate the guru/player/theorist balance that exists within Bergonzi's pedagogical approach(es). Play-alongs, PDFs and a sixty minute interview with Bergonzi are the icing on the cake here, but the guided instruction from this master performer/educator is the most valuable part of this package.

Jerry Bergonzi Saxophone Mastery Jazz Heaven 2014

The information presented on the Creating A Jazz Vocabulary series is applicable to all instruments, but this disc is sax-specific. Bergonzi breaks down the essentials here, from embouchure and reed choice to tonguing and vibrato, and he has plenty to say. He explores the "no-embouchure embouchure," measures pressure via octave jumps without the octave key, visits altissimo territory and gives a look at overtones. Saxophone players of all levels and educators looking to pick up some choice informational tidbits will find plenty to chew on.

Bergonzi's presentation here is a bit more informal than on his previous Jazz Heaven discs, but it's just as informative. He gives away some "trade secrets," like alternate fingerings and hand positions, that can help aspiring saxophonists and make advanced players see the instrument in a new way. He teaches by saying and showing, with saxophone in hand, and this blend of the aural and visual helps to clarify things as he bounces from topic to topic.

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Jerry Bergonzi: Two More DVDs from the Master Educator