Hymns: Light Jazz Style-Piano [Paperback] Review

This is a good book, but is on the higher end of intermediate level ~ almost to the point of accomplished. This is not a book you want to sit down with an hour or two before the service. A good pianist with a lot of time to practice could make this sound fabulous. I would not consider this "light" but medium to advanced jazz.

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Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Guest Bobby Short [Unknown Binding] Review

The CD has an interview of Bobby Short by Marian McPartland, along with playing by both Bobby and Marian.

1. Conversation
2. Mood Indigo
3. Conversation
4. Nobody's Heart
5. Conversation
6. Experiment
7. Conversation
8. 'Round Midnight
9. Conversation
10. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans
11. Conversation
12. Just One Of Those Things
13. Conversation
14. Reflections In D
15. Conversation
16. My Shining Hour
17. Conversation
18. It Don't Mean A Thing
19. Conversation

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Lennie Tristano: His Life in Music (Jazz Perspectives) [Hardcover] Review

It is unfortunate that a scholarly treatment of Tristano in book-length form has not appeared until now.Thankfully, the author's decade plus study on Tristano provides, for the most part, a thorough treatment of one of jazz's most enigmatic figures.A word of caution, though: This is not a biography, despite what one of the blurb-writers states.Shim accurately subtitles her work "His Life in Music."Thus the reader should keep in mind two important results of this focus.First, there really is not much depth to Tristano's personal life.There is definitely information that the average reader (like me) would not have come across before.But do not count on coming away from Shim's book feeling like you knew the real man--like, say, in Donald Maggin's "Stan Getz: A Life in Jazz."And that may be a good thing, as I remember having a difficult time ever listening to Getz in the same light after reading about his horrid personal life, especially the way he mistreated his wives.
The second result of Shim's focus is that she disproportionately dwells on serious musical perspectives regarding Tristano.There are 50 pages of sheet music of various Tristano numbers, which is great if you can read music, but rather worthless if you cannot.Also, Shim writes for people schooled in the theory and practice of music.Here's an excerpt from page 185, where she is discussing "Line Up": "The passage in III:1-3, starting with A major and constructed sequentially in 6/4, is striking in that the first chord of the song form is harmonically displaced, betraying the expectation for the tonic chord."Well, sure.

Although I was disappointed in not learning more about Tristano's personal life, Shim does devote a good amount of space to addressing Tristano's chronic complaining at his lack of recognition, as well as his blunt critique of the racial politics involved in jazz.Shim aptly points out on page 116 that "Tristano attributed the problems of his career, including the lack of public recognition, mainly to external forces instead of acknowledging his own choices."Indeed he did.But I think an opportunity was missed here.Had Shim dug deeper into Tristano's personal life, she may have been able to answer the question of why Tristano eschewed public performances while complaining about not being recognized.Shim's treatment of the racial bias within jazz begins well, but she ultimately toes the politically correct line, giving a free pass to the blatantly racist statements of Miles Davis and Dizzie Gillespie.

Shim is at her best--at least for the average reader--in the way she assimilates the countless interviews into the narrative.It's interesting to read various musicians reflect on Tristano and his legacy.I especially enjoyed her treatment of Tristano's students.Most of them appeared to have remained individualistic enough, thus defying the criticism of a Tristano cult, but Warne Marsh is revealed as pathetically slavish in his reverence for Tristano, even going so far as to mimic his voice and movements.

Ultimately, this is an excellent book, despite the limitations any particular reader may have.Shim is a scholar, and the writing style and the focus she maintains on her subject demonstrate that.The real pity is that relatively few people, even in the jazz world, will likely take notice of Shim's work, and Tristano's legacy will continue to languish.

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Product Description:

“In Lennie Tristano: His Life in Music, Shim has provided a comprehensive biographical and analytical account of one of jazz's most important and most frequently misunderstood figures. Her insights into Tristano's personality are well nuanced, and the focus on his teaching makes a unique contribution to the history of jazz. This vividly written study is likely to become a standard work."
-Brian Priestley, author of Chasin' the Bird: The Life and Legacy of Charlie Parker and coauthor of The Rough Guide to Jazz“Eunmi Shim's book is clearly a labor of love. Her thorough examination of Tristano's teaching is particularly important, for no one previously has assembled the thoughts of so many former students. Her illuminating transcriptions of, and commentaries on, Tristano's solos are also valuable. Lennie Tristano is an important contribution to the literature on jazz."-Thomas Owens, author of Bebop: The Music and Its Players“Comprehensive, objective, and acute in its judgments, this is the biography of Lennie Tristano we have been waiting for."-Larry Kart, author of Jazz in Search of Itself

Lennie Tristano occupies a rare position not only in jazz history but in the history of twentieth-century music. Emerging from an era when modernism was the guiding principle in art, Tristano explored musical avenues that were avant-garde even by modernism's experimental standards. In so doing, he tested and transcended the boundaries of jazz.In 1949, years before musicians such as Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor took credit for the movement, Tristano made the first recordings of “free jazz," a new kind of group improvisation based on spontaneous interaction among band members without any regard for predetermined form, harmony, or rhythm. Then, in the 1950s, Tristano broke new ground by his use of multitracking.Tristano was also a pioneer in the teaching of jazz, devoting the latter part of his career almost exclusively to music instruction. He founded a jazz school-the first of its kind-among whose students were saxophonists Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz, and pianist Sal Mosca.With its blend of oral history, archival research, and musical analysis, Lennie Tristano sheds new light on the important role Tristano played in the jazz world and introduces this often-overlooked musician to a new generation of jazz aficionados.Eunmi Shim received her Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is now Assistant Professor of Music at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This is her first book.



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More Giants of Jazz Piano [Paperback] Review

Note-for-note written out jazz arragements from the all time greatest players - perfect for anyone (like me) who wants to study and learn jazz. But I had only heard of a few of the songs - to me - it would have been much more enjoyable to study more "main stream" standards. That said, you take the selections for their study value: find the complex chords substitions (b9/#5s, 11s and 13s) in actual context - transpose - try your tri-tone substitions for each - etc... There are also many RH runs/fills over I-VI-II-V-I patterns - excellent practice.
For me - it's not a great "learn/play/sound like a pro" book - but rather an excellent in-context study of chords and style. This is very advanced and somewhat difficult stuff that might be discouraging for beginning players. But go for it - dig in!

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Product Description:
This collection of jazz tunes features the music and arrangements of Count Basie, David Benoit, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Matt Dennis, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Benny Green, James P. Johnson, Marian McPartland, Marcus Roberts, Art Tatum, and ""Fats"" Waller. The 27 titles include: The Birth of the Blues
* Carnegie Hall Bounce
* A Foggy Day
* Gang o' Nothin'
* Make Someone Happy
* King Cockroach
* Serenade to Sweden
* Trance Dance
* Willow Weep for Me.

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Jazz Piano Collection (Music Sales America) [Paperback] Review

This is just a very nice piece of work by Mr. Pearl.The selection of tunes spans multiple styles and features some rich interworkings and extensions.So What, for instance, incorporates Bill Evans intro right into the arrangement, with an interlude that is brand-new but remains in keeping with the tune's feel.Other highlights for me are Manteca, with nice 13th chords and rhythmic accents, and the pure bebop of Anthropology.

Book is intermediate to advanced.Fingerings would have been nice in a couple of places, and why they can't sell it in spiral-bound, lay-flat binding is totally beyond me.

Where is Volume 2?

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Product Description:
A selection of great jazz songs arranged for intermediate/advanced solo piano with chord symbols. Original compilation. Arranged by David Pearl.

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Portraits: Book 1, Jazz, Rock and Blues Piano Solos [Paperback] Review

I came to piano lessons late in life and am working my way through the Dozen a Day books for purely technical work (highly recommended!).But came across Noah's Portraits series and ordered it.Wow!The pieces are simple but challenging and the accompany CD is pure delight!My piano teacher and I play them together and laugh and laugh -- it is so much fun!I actually feel like I'm making music!

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Product Description:
Early Elementary to Early Intermediate piano repertoire including colorful, fun-to-play pieces in jazz, blues, rock and other popular styles.Includes photos, biographies and pieces in the styles of important artists.

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Scott Joplin Collected Piano Works: Rags, Waltzes, Marches (Belwin Edition) [Sheet music] Review

This wonderful collection of the piano music of Scott Joplin (1867 - 1917) was originally published by the New York Public Library in 1971 and edited by Vera Brodsky Lawrence.With additions in 1981,the book includes the score for virtually all of Joplin's solo piano works, including 41 "original works",7 "collaborative works",3 "miscellaneous works", and 3 additional rags added to the volume in 1981 when permission was secured from the holder of the copyright.I have had this volume for many years and continue to study and learn from it, in playing familiar works and learning new pieces.The volume is an endless source of delight and inspiration.

Born in east Texas to a father who had been a former slave and to a free black mother, Joplin showed musical talent at an early age and received free piano lessons oriented towards classical music from a local white teacher who recognized his talent.At 14, Joplin left home and assumed a wandering life in hopes of furthering his dream to become a composer and musician. He ultimately settled in St. Louis and Sedalia, Missouri where he began to compose the ragtime that would make him famous.Late in life Joplin moved to New York City where he continued to compose ragtime while spending most of his energy on his opera "Treemonisha."His music was in danger of being forgotten until interest revived in the early 1970s through the use of his music in the movie, "The Sting", the revival of "Treemonisha" and the publication of this volume of his music.

This volume includes familiar and unfamiliar Joplin. The most familiar of his ragtime works are the "Maple Leaf Rag" (1897) and "The Entertainer" (1902) which became famous when used in "The Sting."Among the other rags I have enjoyed and learned to play over the years are "Elite Syncopations" (1902), "Weeping Willow Rag" (1903) , "Pine Apple Rag" (1908), "Wall Street Rag" (1909), and several others.Joplin also combined with friends and students in writing some pieces, including "Heliotrope Bouquet" (1907) with the gifted but troubled Louis Chauvin and "Swipesy" (1900) which Joplin wrote with his young student, Arthur Marshall.Joplin also wrote beautiful waltzes, including "Bethena" (1905) and "Binks Waltz" (1905). He also wrote a tango called "Solace" (1909).

Joplin's musicis varied, strongly syncopated, and melodious.Joplin tried to combine African American and classical music idioms to help create a distinctively American music.This is an elusive goal that has been pursued by many other composers.His piano music is not easy to play but is generally within the reach of determined amateurs, such as myself.Joplin wrote a set of exercises, the "School of Ragtime" (1908) to help aspiring pianists learn the skills needed to play his music.Joplin also said regarding his works:

"That real ragtime of the higher class is rather difficult to play is rather a painful truth which most pianists have discovered. Syncopations are no indications of light and trashy music, and to shy bricks at `hateful ragtime' no longer passes for musical culture."

In addition to the musical scores, this book includes a lengthy introduction "Scott Joplin: Black-American Classicist" by ragtime scholar Rudy Blesh which offers an excellent overview of the composer's life and music and of performance practices. Over the years, I have played Joplin for my own enjoyment, for friends, and at various venues on a volunteer basis. When I play for others, I generally combine classical works, with a performance of Joplin's "Bethena" together with some of the ragtime works.I find that Joplin's music is almost invariably the best-received of the works I perform by both knowledgeable and less-knowledgeable audiences.

Scott Joplin remains an American treasure. As Joplin wished, his music breaks down claimed musical boundaries between classical and popular.This volume will bring joy to lovers of the piano and to serious pianists, whether amateur or professional.

Robin Friedman

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Product Description:
In addition to the 54 original and collaborative works presented in this impressive volume, Scott Joplin: The Collected Piano Works includes 34 pages of scholarly insight and history that help the pianist determine performance practices and authentically reproduce the sound and style Joplin intended. With editions of 19 publishers reproduced in this volume, a colorful variety of music typefaces and printing styles is offered. Together with the evocative original cover designs, they present a vivid panorama of the Ragtime Era. Because study of the original publications has revealed great numbers of errata of various kinds, and since this edition is primarily intended for study and performance, the editors have incorporated corrections into the facsimile pages rather than perpetuate original errors for antiquarian interest.

Titles include: Maple Leaf Rag
* The Entertainer
* The Chrysanthemum
* Rosebud
* Eugenia
* Gladiolus Rag
* Wall Street Rag
* Solace
* Paragon Rag
* Lily Queen
* Heliotrope Bouquet
* Kismet Rag
* School of Ragtime
* Swan Rag
* Treemonisha and more.

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Louis Armstrong and Paul Whiteman: Two Kings of Jazz [Hardcover] Review

Hey, look, I'm for the Post-Canonical approach to criticism and history as much as the next guy...MORE than the next guy. But this book is over the top. It is certainly well researched. But all of its scholarship only serves to conflate and confuse Cultural History and Musical History...not to speak of the beating it gives to poor Aesthetics. It talks about "relegating Whiteman to the position of a marginal figure". Well, Joshua, in terms of Cultural History, Whiteman is not a marginal figure. But musically he is!!! I'm sorry, but that's true!!! Bix is amazing and a genius, Challis' arrangements are incredible, even if often really, really dated. Trumbauer is certainly worth studying and and listening to, even if he's ultimately quite disappointing. Some of the things Whiteman commissioned (besides Rhapsody in Blue) are interesting and worth knowing. But none of this comes close to making a case for studying Whiteman as a parallel figure to Armstrong! Armstrong's MUSIC requires patience. I don't think it necessarily reveals itself IMMEDIATELY to the modern listener. But still!!! Once you get it, it requires no special pleading, no historical excuses. And this is just not not true of Whiteman. Some of the records are really special, and I do appreciate Berrett's analysis of the famous recording of Washboard Blues. There are a few of these moments, both in the book and in Whiteman's career, and certainly there needs to be recognition of such moments. Gunther Schuller certainly went a long way in his writings on Whiteman in his book Early Jazz. And I also agree that Armstrong's career situates itself within the general history of American Popular Music, and not in some rarefied realm of Afro - American Demotic Art Music. And that the more writing that explores that, the better. But Berrett's thinking is so messy and so unclear. He makes Richard Sudhalter look like a great Philosopher/Historian like George Steiner !!! At least you always know that Sudhalter's passions, even if lopsided, come out of a genuine and informed LOVE for the music he writes about. Here, I'm not always sure...And one more thing: this is the Worst - Edited Book I've seen in a long time!!!! Whole passages return, over and over, like some kind of incantation. It is so padded that it's unbelievable. Forget about Post-Modern critics - let's train some editors!

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The Very Best of Diana Krall: Piano/Vocal/Chords [Paperback] Review

So...I'm not the worst piano player on the block but a lot of arrangement books I've bought were extremely difficult for me to play.This book is great.Of course I'm a big Krall fan but the way this is put together works for me.I like a moderate to difficult piano score with melody line and accurate cords then I mix and match as I play.These arrangement allow me to do that. You can start out simple and increase the difficultly as you learn the arrangement.

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Product Description:
Titles: S Wonderful
* All or Nothing at All
* East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)
* Fly Me to the Moon
* Ive Got You Under My Skin
* Lets Face the Music and Dance
* Lets Fall in Love
* Little Girl Blue
* Only the Lonely
* Peel Me a Grape
* Pick Yourself Up
* The Frim Fram Sauce
* The Heart of Saturday Night
* The Look of Love
* You Go to My Head.

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Simply Gershwin the Music of George & Ira Gershwin: 20 of Their Most Popular Works (Piano - Personality Book, Easy Piano) [Large Print] [Paperback] Review

I'm going to sound like a broken record, because I have basically the same review to report for this book as I did for Simply Brubeck - The Music Of Dave Brubeck - 26 Of His Top Jazz Classics.That is to say...

The arrangements are very well done--definitely on the intermediate side, but not terribly so. A student who has been playing for 1-2 years should be able to reward themselves with at least the main theme after a few hours of work. And for this reason, I'd give to book a solid 4 stars.

But the binding...it's the opposite of "lay flat", and woe unto anybody who tries to play from it without serious mechanical help. We have a page-spreading device, and it is barely a match for the binding, even though I have broken that binding in three places--near the beginning, in the middle, and near the end. The book binders were obviously oblivious to the considerations of how the book would be used.

So...wonderful content, but not wonderfully executed as a book meant to rest open on a piano.

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Product Description:
Simply Gershwin is a collection of the most famous compositions by George and Ira Gershwin. Phrase markings, articulations, fingering and dynamics have been included to aid with interpretation, and a large print size makes the notation easy to read. Titles: Bidin' My Time * But Not for Me * Embraceable You * A Foggy Day * I Got Rhythm * I've Got a Crush on You * Let's Call the Whole Thing Off * Love Is Here to Stay * Lullaby (for String Quartet) * The Man I Love * Nice Work If You Can Get It * Prelude II (Blue Lullaby) (1927) * Rhapsody in Blue * Somebody Loves Me * Someone to Watch over Me * Strike Up the Band! * Summertime * 'S Wonderful * They Can't Take That Away from Me * Three-Quarter Blues.

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Mel Bay Jazz Theory Handbook Book/CD Set [Perfect Paperback] Review

There are many jazz theory books out, but Peter Spitzer's new Jazz Theory Handbook (complete with CD) stands out as the most thorough, yet easiest to comprehend.It's a must-read BEFORE reading any of the others. Mr. Spitzer carefully defines all his terms, then leads the musician step-by-step to the kind of clear understanding that leads to hands-on playing.The layout and typography are inviting, not overloaded as some books are.As a piano teacher, performer, and jazz lover for some 30 years, I simply can't say enough good about it.

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Product Description:
Jazz Theory Handbook is a complete guide to all the essential topics of jazz theory, suitable for all treble instruments. Its approach is clear and concise, realistic and practical. This book will help you to understand how contemporary jazz players think, and to apply theory concepts in your own playing. Subjects are introduced progressively, with each new one based on those introduced before. Topics include chord building, harmonic movement, modes, II-V-I licks, polychords, blues, rhythm changes, how to learn tunes, practice techniques, playing outside, and more. All of the book's musical examples are performed on the accompanying CD, along with sample solos and 3 play-along tracks with a great rhythm section. Jazz Theory Handbook is designed for both self- study and classroom use.

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Jazz Piano Voicings for the Non-pianist [Spiral-bound] Review

Lots of good information in here, but you're going to have to work at it. The explanations are somewhat sparse and questions go unanswered. A lot of times, you simply have to sit down at the piano and try to figure it out for yourself. Also, beware of the errors and typos. These can throw you way off track if you're not on your toes.

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Product Description:
By Mike Tracy. Every musician should have a basic understanding of how and why pianists voice chords in certain ways. This book, designed by a horn player, addresses and explains the basics of authentic, hip sounding chord voicings in simple, non-pianistic language. You'll be comping on your own over Standards in a short period of time. Includes written voicings over many of the most popular Aebersold play-a-long tracks, so you can comp with bass and drums backing you up! No piano skills are required to use this book effectively. Play great jazz voicings today!

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Voices In Jazz Guitar [Perfect Paperback] Review

As a guitarist I have found insight and inspiration on nearly every page and whether from known artists or obscure teachers/performers there is something worthwhile in every interview. The proof-reading and editing of this book, however, are terrible, there are spelling and grammatical errors on every single page and after a while it becomes a distraction.

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Product Description:
Joe Barth has offered us what is arguably the most thoroughly researched book on jazz guitar ever published. Barth s methodical approach to interviewing jazz guitar icons is highly impressive and his ability to maintain the easy rapport with each artist is masterful. The roster of musicians gathered in this volume reflects Barth s rare insight regarding how the jazz artist, instrument, and industry are inextricably linked. Undoubtedly, this book is a great addition to jazz guitar canon and is easily a must-have for every aspiring jazz musician who is serious about out great American art form.

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A Whole Approach To Jazz [Plastic Comb] Review

Marc Sabatella's book is a brief but easy to understand overview of jazz theory and how to apply it.The typeset music examples are very helpful too, and do not require more than "hunt-and-peck" piano playing ability. The discussions of structure, forms, chords, and scales were clear and covered quite a lot of ground for a book of this length.Important applied topics included a brief canvass of improvisational techniques (even including techniques like enclosure and side-stepping), how to comp on an instrument-by-instrument basis, and practical aspects of playing with others, including getting organized and simple mechanics of starting, developing, and ending tunes.

A music oriented book like this can not be truly understood by just reading it, and its conciseness means there will be unanswered questions.You have to play through the provided examples and listen to other examples (on CD, mp3, etc) to really digest what is being discussed.Some of the topics - which were not so important to me - like the history of jazz for example - beg for a separate and fuller treatment to be really meaningful.

Still, if you are about to start jamming with other jazz musicians and desire a "fast read" that discusses theory, form, techniques, and basic jam mechanics, this book is an excellent choice.It will not substitute for "chops" - no book will - but it will guide you in how to use them.

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Product Description:
A Whole Approach To Jazz Improvisation by Marc Sabatella is intended primarily for all musicians who wish to learn jazz improvisation as well as listeners who wish to increase their understanding of the music. The main goals of the book are: to teach the language of jazz, to increase your understanding of jazz as performed by others and for performers who need information on how to improve their improvisational techniques.
This book is organized as a series of steps toward becoming a jazz musician, either as a performer or as a more informed listener. Most of the steps are geared for the performer, but the non-performing listener is encouraged to try out as many of the playing examples as possible. This should help broaden your ear and help you appreciate aspects of the music you might not have recognized otherwise.
The steps outlined in this book are: Listen to many different styles of jazz. Understanding jazz fundamentals. Learning chord/scale relationships. Learning how to apply the theory to jazz improvisation. Learning how to accompany other soloists. Playing with others. Listening analytically. Breaking the rules. Find out the techniques used by the great jazz musicians including : Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charlie Mingus, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Ray Brown, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter. After reading this book you will have the necessary background to get the most out of anything else you may wish to read and learn about jazz.

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From Birdland to Broadway: Scenes from a Jazz Life [Paperback] Review

I was never gripped by Bill Crow as a bass player. As an author and story writer however, his books are one of the most engaging I havecome across amongst the plethora of writings that exist on the development of this great art form.Bill Crow has a natural gift for narration.He tells you all straight from the heart, of the lives and travails of musicians who one has heard so much but never got close to.His anecdotes brings them closer; as if they were living and breathing right next to you.And all, with a constant undercurrent of humour. He seeks no sympathy and there isno deprecation.Yet, one is saddened, sometimes angered, at the circumstances of the time. I ended uploving even more, all those musicians whose names are now etched in memory. I bought more copies of the bookfor my friends once I was done.

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Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History [Paperback] Review

While a student in Professor Walser's Jazz class at UCLA, I was one of several students lucky enough to have read every chapter before itmade it to press.Every chapter was like a time machine, transporting us back in time to an era where racism and sexism took a toll on some musicians while only strengthening the resolve of others.This book was, at the time, one of the best readings I had done in a long time.In reading direct quotes from the greats of music, you couldn't help but feel a bit inspired."Keeping in Time" is a gem and should be assigned reading to anyone studying jazz or just wanting to learn more about the many performers who played or sang that one song you liked differently.Professor Walser certainly knows his subject matter well.And in my case, he certainly excelled in the one thing he likes to do: teach.

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Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz with 21 Activities (For Kids series) [Paperback] Review

What a great book to explore jazz though the life of Duke Ellington! The activities are fun and engaging (most are appropriate for the 7 - 10 age group). I like that there is variety in the activities (everything from making instruments to writing lyrics to making corn bread!), so kids can get a more robust hands on learning experience.
While this is by no means a stand alone book on jazz, it is a great introduction to students learning about various types of music, an excellent starting book for someone doing a biography on Duke Ellington, or a jumping off point into the wonderful world of jazz. It would also make a great gift for a young, budding musician as the Duke was a great role model (I haven't read about a drug habit or wife beating or other things that tend to plague musicians of all genres throughout history).
While this book could be used in schools, it seems most appropriate for use at home with the family. There are great family activities and the way the book is written, it easily allows for parents and grandparents to expound upon "those days" that don't seem so "walked ten miles to school, uphill, in a snow storm". It allows for some great life lessons as Duke Ellington didn't just happen to be a great musician, he worked hard at it and even when he was very good - he still continued to practice and learn from others to try and get better. Pair it with samples of his music and you have a great family learning project to help bring you closer to your children in a new and exciting way.

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Piano Stylings of the Great Standards, Vol. IV (The Steinway Library of Piano Music) [Paperback] Review

The arrangements cover many styles from stride to modern jazz to classically tinged "society".If you like to study styles to use for your weekly gig at the restaurant or just enjoy the challenge at home, then between all the arrangements here you can find answers to many of the problems of playing standards from sheet music.These include finding the right harmonies and voicings, accompanying using various left hand styles to filling the rests with something that provides momentum but allows a breath for the melody.There are all kinds of elegant harmonic surprises, counterpoint, clever fills and modulations that liven up these otherwise crusty standards.I thought I knew just about all the modern jazz chords from studying these arrangers in previous volumes and Piano Today but there are some here I bet you can't find anywhere else.
The music is printed on easy to read staff with clear note fonts.The suggested fingerings are helpful and save time getting up to speed with the tricky sections.I really appreciate the trouble that the publisher and printer went to in order to create a clever lay flat "perfect binding" (printer's lingo) that makes it easier to keep the music on the stand.There were a couple of very small typos (missed accidental and wrong chord name) but it did not detract from the very pleasant experience of playing through these (or struggling through the tricky bits). Incredible value for money thanks to the arrangers.

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Product Description:
Piano Stylings of the Great Standards is a series of books created for the pianist who longs to play the best-loved and most important songs of the popular genre in very special and elegant musical settings. The arrangements are represented in varying styles, written and influenced by the many great pianists who, over the years, have helped to shape popular piano performance. The series is designed to supply a broad scope of popular piano repertoire for solo performance, both for the working pianist and the amateur. Volume IV titles include: Ain't Misbehavin' * Don't Blame Me * I Should Care * I'll Be Around * I'll Be Seeing You * Solitude * Someone To Watch Over Me and more.

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Jazz on Film: The Complete Story of the Musicians and Music Onscreen [Paperback] Review

To say the title of this book is misleading would be an understatement. It does NOT offer "the complete story of the musicians and music onscreen." It offers instead capsule reviews (a la Leonard Maltin's "TV Movies") of films featuring jazz music or musicians. The section devoted to "Videos and DVDs" reviews many films that were once available on VHS but are not currently available on DVD, so be prepared for some frustration should you wish to seek these out.

It is in the reviews that we find many errors and some questionable judgement calls. The first page that I opened to at random was the page with a review of "Pete Kelly's Blues," one of my favorites from the '50s. In that review we are told that Peggy Lee is featured in two numbers, "Sugar" and "I'm There." The only problem being, there is no such song as "I'm There" in the film; Peggy's other two numbers are the gorgeous "He Needs Me," written for her by Arthur Hamilton, and the charming "I Can Sing A Rainbow," also composed by Hamilton. We are also told that Janet Leigh's singing "is obviously ghosted." Except that it isn't; Leigh's own (barely adequate) voice is heard here, as it was eight years later in "Bye Bye Birdie." This is not some obscure film locked in a vault; this is a film that has been shown frequently on television and was available on VHS at the time of the book's 2004 publication (since released on DVD); what excuse can there be for such utter sloppiness regarding a film so easily available (and respected as Jack Webb's best film, nominated for several Oscars)? Yanow's credibility was shot with me from literally the first page that I read.

There are many other factual errors, at least one every three pages or so, way too many to mention here. As for the "ratings," let me just make this one statement: Yanow gives a six (out of ten)-star rating to Clint Eastwood's universally respected "Bird," and nine stars to the cloying, phony and overly sentimental "The Five Pennies," a Danny Kaye vehicle that almost completely fictionalizes the life of cornetist Red Nichols. If you agree with Yanow about the relative merits of these two films, perhaps this book will be of some use to you.

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Product Description:
Jazz on Film reviews, analyzes, and rates virtually every appearance of a jazz musician or singer on film. After presenting a detailed essay on the history of jazz on film and television, Yanow reviews and rates 1,300 movies, documentaries, shorts, videos, and DVDs.These include rare shorts from the 1920s, big-budget Hollywood films, independent productions, soundies, transcriptions made especially for television, semi-fictional movie biographies, concert films, documentaries, and many additional items.
Jazz on Film shows readers how to view the jazz legends and the greats of today, and which DVDs and videos are worth acquiring.Each film is given a 1 to 10 rating and a concise description of its contents and value. Jazz on Film covers the entire jazz field, from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis, and Diana Krall.This informative book will prove invaluable to jazz and film enthusiasts and collectors.

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What to Listen For in Jazz [Paperback] Review

There is some valuable stuff in Kernfeld's book; I enjoyed particularly the section on the historical evolution of jazz styles.Kernfeld obviously knows his subject well.However, I found his organization lacking.Including a CD with selections by jazz greats to illustrate his points wasa fine idea; but the text should have been divided up so that the cuts onthe CD could be listened to in conjunction with full text descriptions inthe same order -- something about the personnel playing, why the cut issignificant historically, and comments on what we're listening to. Instead, Kernfeld scatters the references to the different tracksthroughout the text and this makes it much more laborious for thelistener/reader.My second gripe is with the idiot at the publishing house(I presume it wasn't Kernfeld) who thought it would be cute to use a tiny(maybe ten point) pseudo-artsy type face for the entire text.Come onfolks -- not every book has to be set in Times Roman, but this isn't evenremotely a book face.It gave me a headache after three pages.

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Product Description:
This new book from the editor of The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz offers a unique way of approaching and understanding jazz. Drawing on twenty-one historic jazz recordings, reproduced on a compact disc that accompanies the book, Barry Kernfeld illustrates jazz rhythm, forms, arrangement, composition, improvisation, style, and sound.

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Intermediate Blues Keyboard: The Complete Blues Keyboard Method [Paperback] Review

This little book has distilled quite a bit of blues music history and style into an easy-to-understand format.It's really directed at quickly playing blues concepts with just enough explanation and practice exercises.I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I could play the material and use it in my more traditional jazz playing

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Product Description:
This book is great for keyboardists who have learned the basics of blues improvisation and composing. Beginning with a review of concepts and skills covered in Beginning Blues Keyboard, this book explores further into topics such as chord extensions, blues techniques, building basslines, playing in the key, ii-V substitutions and slow blues.Blues forms such as the twelve-bar blues and the eight-bar blues are explored. Packed with sample licks and songs, this book is essential for any keyboardist serious about learning the blues.

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Jazz Improvisation, Revised [Paperback] Review

I have tremendous respect for what David Baker has done for jazz education and at one point in my improvising life I thought his approach was the be-all/end-all. It still has much to offer the early student, particularly the emphasis on training the ear and developing instrumental dexterity based on extracted patterns taken from the vernacular of actual playing.

Looking back, however, the attempt to systematize an approach to learning tunes has a tendency to produce players (quite a few of whom I've met over the years) who relate to jazz as a collection of charts rather than appreciating the many subtle differences in rhythm, melodic phrasing, and use of harmony that characterize various tunes and different players' approaches across jazz eras. Baker's patterns also tend to be very "one-oriented" which robs many of them of a genuine swinging quality and favors playing within bar lines rather than across. Players who've evolved rhythmically can edit or rearrange a lot of this material to express more forward motion and suit their taste. But unfortunately it's the less-experienced players who are more likely to be using books such as this and they may find themselves years later with a feeling they're lacking something.

In some ways I feel other writers such as Bert Ligon, Hal Crook, Jimmy Amadie, and Hal Galper have built upon and moved beyond Baker's approach, particularly regarding expressing rhythmic and harmonic flow.

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Product Description:
For over a decade, musicians everywhere have made this text their working bible.

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Jazz Improvisation 4: Contemporary Piano Styles [Paperback] Review

This is the last in a series of four volumes created between 1959 and 1965 by jazz pianist and instructor John Mehegan. The complete set is of the utmost historical importance for anyone with a serious interest in jazz piano. Before Mehegan, no other author had succeeded in unlocking themysteries of jazz piano and then communicating them to a mass audience in aclear and cogent manner.
Volume 4's "contemporary" stylesinclude such jazz giants as Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver and Bill Evans.In Mehegan's view, these three were the primary architects of modern jazzpiano.
At the very beginning of the book is a note-for-note transcriptionof Bill Evans' classic "Peri's Scope." Serious jazz pianostudents will want to memorize or "cop" this performance in itsentirety, since it encompasses so many of Evans' stylistic innovationswithin one comparatively short space.
The "meat and potatoes"foundation of this volume is the series of chord-like clusters Meheganrefers to as "A" and "B" voicings. One set of voicingsderives from Chopin, the other from Ravel. For accompaniment or"comping," these are played in the right hand with single bassnotes or "root seven" intervals played in the left. For soloing,they are played in the left hand.
This volume goes on to describemelodies voiced in "block" chords as developed by pianist GeorgeShearing, and then outlines a solo piano architecture based on the A and Bvoicings [arguably prescient, anticipating the solo piano renaissance thatoccurred during the '80s].
The book's primary flaw -- one which persiststhroughout the serie -- is its unfortunate allegiance to the concept of"figured bass" used within traditional music theory instruction.Indeed, there is a conspicuous overall effort throughout the series to"suck up" to academia, but this is a forgivable byproduct of anage when traditional academia persisted in viewing jazz as something toovulgar and intellectually impovershed to merit acceptance within hallowedacademic environs. -- Cortland Kirkeby

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Product Description:
This is a survey of the development of jazz piano from 1950 to the present, with many illustrations of left-hand chord voicings, right-hand modes, turnarounds, harmonic distortions, blues and modal fragments.

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Living the Jazz Life: Conversations with Forty Musicians about Their Careers in Jazz [Paperback] Review

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

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Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy: Gennett Studios and the Birth of Recorded Jazz [Paperback] Review

Any collector of old 78s knows about the Gennett label. Gennett was the first independent label to have a serious impact on the recording industry, and in part helped to launch the careers of many early jazz legends. King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, Hoagy Carmichael, Earl Hines, and others made their first records in Gennett's hot, cramped studio by the side of railroad tracks in Richmond, Indiana. Today, those original 78s are highly-prized collectors items, fetching hundreds or thousands of dollars at auction.

In years of collecting 78s, I have come across dozens of Gennett records, but until I read this book, I knew little about them or the company that made them (outside of tidbits here and there from reissue liner notes or chats with other collectors). Rick Kennedy has written a book that is filled not only with entertaining anecdotes, but a wealth of information. Reading about Bix's sessions with the Wolverines is almost like being there, and listening to the records afterwards gives the recordings a whole new meaning. Kennedy introduces us to the people who made Gennett records happen--the musicians, the sound engineers, the businessmen, and the distributors. The book traces Gennett Records from its beginning in the Starr Piano Company, through its legal struggle to continue (ultimately defeating Victor's patent for the right to make lateral recordings), to its glory days in the 1920s, and its demise with the onset of the Great Depression. Along the way, the book answers questions about how the records were made, how they were distributed, and what happened to the recorded masters (which is an interesting story in itself!). Gennett's relationship with the infamous KKK records is explained (basically, they were "custom" records that Gennett made solely for the extra profit, turning a blind eye to the content).

Gennett recorded some of the most creative and lasting jazz, blues, and "old-time" music in the 1920s and the label's story is a fascinating one. Lovers of jazz, old records, or American history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in general will enjoy reading this book. It is well-written and very "readable" (I went through it in about three sessions). It also serves as a handy reference to answer questions that may arise among 78 or jazz collectors. Highly recommended!

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Piano Stylings of the Great Standards, Vol. III (The Steinway Library of Piano Music) [Paperback] Review

I ownthe first three of the books in the Steinway Jazz Standards series and all are excellent. Arrangement are from intermediate to advanced and because they have different arrangers the pieces don't sound stale as you progress through them. You might even pick up a few ideas for your own arrangements and improvisations. The font was well chosen making the music easy to read. The binding is a bit stiff causing the pages to annoying flip back in mid play - but what music book isn't like that?

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Product Description:
Arranged for Piano. 10 of America's most treasured songs. Including: 'S Wonderful, The More I See You, While We're Young, Honeysuckyle Rose, The Days Of Wine And Roses, I'll Get By, Love Is Here To Stay, Dancing On The Ceiling, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Skylark.

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Lee Evans Arranges Holiday Jazz (Piano Solos) [Paperback] Review

Great jazzy flavor, with some challenging passages along with easier sections to riff on.A very good mix that'll keep you interested.Not a beginner's book - a good thing, since many Christmas jazz books are a bit on the easy side.Great for the intermediate player.

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Product Description:
Features 11 jazzy Christmas tunes arranged at the intermediate level in Lee Evans' inimitable style. Includes: Caroling, Caroling * The Christmas Song * The Christmas Waltz * Feliz Navidad * Frosty the Snow Man * (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays * I'll Be Home for Christmas * Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! * A Marshmallow World * My Favorite Things * Silver Bells.

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First Year Charts Collection for Jazz Ensemble: Piano (First Year Charts Collection for Jazz Ensemble) [Paperback] Review

Not what one would expect in a set of Jazz sheet music.
The notation is more difficult than it has to be with more ties
and excess notation about playing,and zero information on the
the chord structure.
It is more "pop" than jazz with several popular music themes
and tunes that can be called swing or bop or rock better.
The of Gmajor/ Eminor key in several places seems unnecessary as well
when the signature has only one sharp or flat.
For beginning student the lack of chord structure,
notation difficulty and keys seem to make this book one you might not want to teachJazz from?

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Product Description:
A collection of twelve outstanding jazz ensemble arrangements for the young player. Each chart is written by experienced educational arrangers and composers in various styles and tempos: swing, Latin, ballad, waltz, holiday and pop. The collection is written for full instrumentation---five saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, and four rhythm---but is designed to sound full and complete with reduced instrumentation of three saxes, two trumpets, one trombone and three rhythm. Optional parts are available for flute, clarinet, horn in F, baritone T.C. and tuba.The rhythm section parts offer suggestions for rhythms, piano voicing, and guitar chord frames. All solos are written out in improvised sections. The conductor s book includes full-length CD recordings of all titles. Titles include: Bill Bailey, Won t You Please Come Home, Birth of the Blues, Embraceable You, First Time Around, Gospel, Hot Chocolate, Jazzmin Tea, Jingle Bell Rock, Poco Loco, Splanky, Sunday Morning, TMI

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Masters of Jazz Guitar: The Story of the Players and Their Music (Book) [Paperback] Review

This is quite an excellent book and is surprisingly done in soft cover now. My copy is hard cover and is a prized possession. It's thoughtfully and knowledgably written, has excellent references, recommendations, photos and discussions.
I love this book, and it would be a GREAT present for ANY jazz guitarist. If you love one, buy it for them and they'll never forget it!
(-:
-d

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Product Description:
The jazz guitar and its master players have had vast influence in a genre of uniquely provocative 20th century music. Written by some of the world's leading jazz authorities and featuring over 200 gorgeous photographs, this book spotlights remarkable musicians whose artistry have made the guitar fundamental to jazz. From 1930s electric pioneer Charlie Christian, to 1960s fusion visionary Larry Coryell and beyond, Masters of Jazz Guitar celebrates the achievements of players who changed the sound of jazz.

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100 Ultimate Jazz Riffs for Piano Keyboards [Paperback] Review

I highly recommend this title by Andrew D. Gordon.This material helped me achieve the sound I've been attempting to play for quite some time.The book and CD is a great source for anyone interested in learning to play jazz music.

Sincerely,

Gary P. Zuchowski

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Product Description:
Due to the runaway success of the 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs, Andrew D. Gordon's book "100 Ultimate Jazz Riffs" consists of, as the title suggests, 100 Jazz riffs based on common chord progressions used in jazz such as the II-V-I, III-VI-II-V etc.
There are five separate ections: Jazz Swing, Jazz Ballad, Jazz Funk, Jazz Waltz and Latin Jazz. Each musical example has a single note improvised melody line with the right hand and chord accompaniment with the left hand. At the end of the book there is the chord progression for the popular jazz standard "Blue Moon" showing you how to use various examples from the 100 riffs to create an improvised solo over the chord progression.
By demonstrating this technique you can pick most jazz standards and create your own improvisational ideas using the book.
The CD is recorded with the right hand piano part on the right channel and the left hand piano part on the left channel (bass and drums on both channels) with most of the examples recorded at normal and slowed down tempos. An absolute must for musicians learning and playing various jazz styles.

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Charlie Parker for Piano (Jazz Masters) [Paperback] Review

While this transcription book has some good Bird solos in it, I was always confused about the solos on "Good Dues Blues," "One Bass Hit," "Ray's Idea," "Oop Bop Sh-Bam," "That's Earl, Brother," and "Things To Come."I couldn't find them on any Charlie Parker recordings.Jamey Aebersold's website even goes so far as to say that they are transcriptions of "Unrecorded" Bird solos.I finally realized that they actually can all be found on Dizzy Gillespie recordings, but the soloist is not Charlie Parker but Sonny Stitt.While they do sound similar, I think it's going way too far to put Stitt solos in a book of Bird transcriptions, and I'm surprised this error hasn't been caught in the 20 years or so that this book has been in print.Oh well.

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Product Description:
Includes I'll Remember April, 52nd Street Theme, Bird Of Paradise, A Night In Tunisia, and Groovin' High.

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Music Minus One Piano: BOLLING Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio [Paperback] Review

The band its fine,but there are a lot of spaces where there is NOTHING but silence,(That is,the piano part,you are suposed to be playing) but,if we dont have any guide or click track or anything,how are we suposed to fit with the group when it starts again?
There is a lot of silence,(Piano solo parts) and of course when the groups enter,you are totally out of sync!!!!

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Product Description:
This Suite, when first introduced, was performed by Claude Bolling and Jean-Pierre Rampal. It swiftly became the most successful chamber music recording in history with over one-half million copies purchased. Comprised of seven movements, it cleverly exploits the differences between each instrument in a wonderfully effective way. We are delighted to make it available to you, the soloist. Claude Bolling has endorsed this recording.
Includes complete printed music score and a compact disc containing the complete suite in split-channel stereo, with the soloist on the right channel; then performed again in full stereo minus the soloist.

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Bebop Jazz: Jazz Piano Solos Series [Paperback] Review

Here are some fully realized piano solos of some bebop classics.They are generally intermediate in difficulty.Most of the tunes are arranged as: the tune (head), a chorus of written out improvisation and the tune again. The style is boppish, good arrangements, somewhat in the style of the recordings and for written music they really do sound like jazz.
However, a disappointment is that the chord symbols are not included.Yea, you should be able easily figure them out if you have any jazz background, but they are handy if you want to improvise on your own, memorize etc.I guess they want to sell you a fake book. The arrangements for the most part follow the standard chord changes, however, it's nice to know quickly where the arranger takes some liberty or what he did on tunes which have multiple changes; such as "Well You Needn't" where there is a Miles and Monk version.So, one star off.
So, if you have no jazz background or want ready-made arrangements for ideas etc. this is a great book.It also helps a lot to listen to a recording of the tunes to get a feel for the music.If you really want to play jazz though, get a fake book, learn chords, listen, transcribe, use play-alongs, play in a group, get a good teacher... In the meantime, this is a nice shortcut to playing these tunes.
The complete list of tunes is:Anthropology, Au Privave, Billie's Bounce (Bill's Bounce), Birk's Works, Doxy, Four, Godchild,Half Nelson, In Walked Bud, Lady Bird, Lemon Drop, Manteca, Oleo, Ruby My Dear, Shawnuff, Tempus Fugit, Well You Needn't (It's Over Now) Woodyn' You.

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Product Description:
18 classics from jazz masters of the '40s and '50s, such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell, Ella Fitzgerald and others. Tunes include: Anthropology * Au Privave * Billie's Bounce * Doxy * Half Nelson * In Walked Bud * Lady Bird * Lemon Drop * Manteca * Oleo * Ruby, My Dear * Well You Needn't * Woodyn' You * and more.

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Jazz Theory and Practice [Paperback] Review

This is a great book, a comprehensive survey of many aspects of what I (not really being a jazz musician) would rather call "contemporary commercial music theory." This area of study is typically lacking in classical musicians' training, and any classical musician who would like to expand his or her musical horizons, in order to compete better in the "real world" of music and be able to work fluently from lead sheets, would do very well to buy this book and study it from cover to cover.

I have to agree with fellow reviewer Stephen Apple that this is one of the most useful - and well-loved - books in my library. "Jazz Theory and Practice" was written as a college-level text, and assumes familiarity with music reading and some elementary music theory concepts. Nevertheless it begins with (for review purposes, assuming that some students may need brushups) the common material on intervals, scales, basic chord construction, etc. which are the nuts and bolts of "Music Theory 101". Then it goes on to cover the entire gamut of 20th century commercial music harmony, with great sections on melody construction, rules of chord substitution, the two great short forms of 20th c. song: 12 bar blues and 32 bar song form, modal jazz practices, etc. Pretty much all of the practical musical tricks and devices that a working musician should be aware of are covered.

For the reader, the important prerequisite is to be able to read the "grand staff", or piano notation with both treble and bass clef, as the examples are often in this form (most are in simple treble clef.)

This is not a book about improvisation per se, but it contains the necessary practical tools that a musician needs to develop an intelligent (rather than "intuitive") improvisation practice.

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Product Description:
Jazz Theory and Practice is the most modern introduction to jazz theory ever published. Rich with examples from the repertoire, it gives performers, arrangers and composers an in-depth and practical knowledge of the theoretical foundations of jazz. A CD-ROM is also available, providing supplemental exercises for ear-training and sight-reading practice, as well as tutorials that correspond to topics and examples in the text.

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Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Bebop Years [Paperback] Review

A book about bebop drummers needs to explain 1) what bebop drumming consists of and 2) how the styles of the various drummers profiled diverge. This book does not do either. Instead we are told that drummer after drummer after drummer has "a great feel" and "great time"; we learn nothing.

If it were just that I'd give the book another star for its sketchy and scattered biographical information, but considering how badly written the book is, I can't justify it.

I suggest instead that you buy a copy of "The Grove Dictionary of Jazz" and look up the entry for each famous drummer you want to know about. You'll learn a lot more and have a much better time doing it.

For transcriptions consult Modern Drummer magazine.

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Movie Songs by Special Arrangement (Jazz-Style Arrangements with a ""Variation""): Piano Acc. [Paperback] Review

This book is markedly better than many of the "play along" books I have purchased for alto sax.
First, the books are aimed only at alto sax--not at a hodge-podge collection of instruments.This means every page of the book is useful to the alto sax player, unlike some books where music for other instruments takes up large portions of the book.
Second, Strommen has created arrangements that have the "basic" melody in the first half of the song followed by melodic riffs/alto sax solos in the second half.The arrangements are targeted for alto sax and are put together to get a full and interesting sound.This allows a novice or intermediate player to sound like a "real" saxophonist instead of someone who is stuggling through a barren and uninteresting melodic line.
Third, the accompanying CD is excellent.Even numbered tracks have a trio made up of percussion, piano and a REAL alto sax.(This is compared to many other CDs which have the piano or bells playing the sax part.) Odd numbered tracks leave out the sax so you can play along.In all tracks the piano and the percussion are arranged to support the sax so again you really feel and sound like a saxophonist.
Strommen has three books that I know of that are all produced in the same style--a movies book, a Gershwin book and a Christmas book.They are all excellent in my humble opinion. If you are looking for an alto sax book that has sound musical values, is playable by a novice/intermediate player, and will make you sound AWESOME then these are the books for you!

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Product Description:
Each collection contains 11 songs arranged for the instrumentalist wanting to play in a jazz style -- without the need to learn to improvise. All of the books are compatible, with only minimal changes in the ""variation"" section to accommodate the ranges and unique characteristics of the instruments.

The immortal and memorable motion picture titles are: Sweet Georgia Brown
* Over the Rainbow
* A Day in the Life of a Fool
* Bye, Bye, Blackbird
* As Time Goes By
* Days of Wine and Roses
* Emily
* The Way You Look Tonight
* Misty
* On Green Dolphin Street
* Almost Like Being in Love.

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Free Jazz (The Roots of Jazz) [Paperback] Review

This is a great book, but, thankfully, it differs from other books on the same topic.This is a fairly in-depth analysis of the musicians' MUSIC.Don't expect long anecdotes about Cecil Taylor's life or John Coltrane's spirituality or about revolutionary politics or whatever.Jost feels that this stuff is abundant in others' books and accounts of the "free" movement, and that it has distracted us from the music itself.That's what I love about this book; the author isn't afraid to dig deep into the music.Also, most of his recorded examples are easy to find (or at least available somewhere).There isn't any of that "one time in 61' I saw Ornette play the harmonica in this pub in sweden and....".This book makes this seemingly difficult music more accessible...check it out.

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Product Description:
When originally published in 1974, Ekkehard Jost's Free Jazz was the first examination of the new music of such innovators as Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Jost studied the music (not the lives) of a selection of musicians-black jazz artists who pioneered a new form of African American music-to arrive at the most in-depth look so far at the phenomenon of free jazz. Free jazz is not absolutely free, as Jost is at pains to point out. As each convention of the old music was abrogated, new conventions arose, whether they were rhythmic, melodic, tonal, or compositional, Coltrane's move into modal music was governed by different principles than Coleman's melodic excursions; Sun Ra's attention to texture and rhythm created an entirely different big bang sound then had Mingus's attention to form.In Free Jazz, Jost paints a group of ten "style portraits"-musical images of the styles and techniques of John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, the Chicago-based AACM (which included Richard Abrams, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Anthony Braxton, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago), and Sun Ra and his Arkestra. As a composite picture of some of the most compelling music of the 1960s and '70s, Free Jazz is unequalled for the depth and clarity of its analysis and its even handed approach.

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Nat "King" Cole Unforgettable: Piano/Vocal/Chords (Legendary Performers, Vol 9) [Paperback] Review

I loved this documentary. It was very candid. It profiles Nat's triumphs, but doesn't shy away from the tragedies, either...it captured the life from beginning to end of this larger-than-life entertainer on video, and I loved the clips of Nat singing the songs. It was a little sad to see some of the celebrities who were close friends of Nat's had since died years after this video was made (Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald) but I still enjoyed watching it. Even though they were friends of Nat's it was obvious that they were still in awe of him, as they should be.
Nat King Cole, in my opinion, was the greatest singer that ever lived, and he was a wonderful jazz pianist (even though after 1948, he played the piano less and less). The video goes into a lot of detail, whereas other Nat documentaries somehow leave you wanting to know more. Also featured are interviews with Freddy and Evelyn Coles, Nat's siblings, Maria Cole, Cole's widow, Natalie and Carole Cole, Nat's daughters, jazz pianist George Shearing, Harry Belafonte, Eartha Kitt and Quincy Jones. Also very moving was the final tune, "Stardust", undoubtedly the best version of that song ever recorded. When you heard Nat's voice, footage of his funeral was shown. I honestly broke down and cried, I was so affected.
NAT KING COLE: UNFORGETTABLE is an excellent look at what made this man and his music so special and beloved all over the world. Obviously he made a colossal impact, because his music is still selling, perhaps even better now than it ever did when he was alive. Seeing this video plainly shows why. It is a must-have for Nat's fans, and also makes for a wonderful study in African-American history. Highly recommended.

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Product Description:
(Legendary Performer Series #9) 33 titles, including: Autumn Leaves * Mona Lisa * Ramblin' Rose * Stardust * Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer * Unforgettable * Yes, We Have No Bananas.

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Contemporary Music Theory - Level One: A Complete Harmony and Theory Method for the Pop and Jazz Musician (Piano) [Paperback] Review

Mark takes you through chapters on notation, major and minor scales, intervals, triads and four-part chords, modal scales and diatonic relationships.A VERY detailed and well explained book w/ great exampleson what a certain topic is about.A must for anyone who's just starting toget into music theory. Might want to also consider Contemporary MusicTheory level 2, also by Mark Harrison once you're well versed in Level 1.

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Product Description:
The Music Theory series is designed from the ground-up to explain the terminology and musical structures needed for modern applications. Level One is an introductory course which covers music notation, key signatures, basic scales, intervals, modes, diatonic relationships and 3-and 4-part chords. Level Two is an intermediate-level course covering larger chord forms, "definitive" chords in major and minor keys, substitutions, analysis of key centers in tunes, "upper structure" chords, voiceleading, and pentatonic and blues scale applications. Both levels include reference appendices, a complete glossary of terms, and hundreds of written theory exercises with answers.

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