FASTFORWARD: 12-BAR BLUES PIANO (Fast Forward (Music Sales)) [Audiobook] [Paperback] Review

This book provides a painless introduction to playing blues piano in six styles: Basic Shuffle, Boogie Woogie, Walking Bass, Stride, Jazz,and Rock. It presents the left and right hand parts separately, then throws them together. Each example has two tracks on the CD, with and without the piano part. The left hand parts are quite complete, but the right hand parts are a little thin, leaving out slides, crushed notes and tremelos. However, the backing tracks on the CD are outstanding. Once you master the material in the book, you can reuse the CD backing tracks with licks from other books like David Bennet Cohen's Blues Piano or Mark Harrison's Blues Piano. Had the author included more material, this could be a 5 satr book.

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Product Description:
Learn to play the 12-bar blues using authentic techniques to get the real blues sound.

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The World Of Count Basie (Da Capo Paperback) [Paperback] Review

Dance's "World of" books are incredibly essential to understanding the SWing Era, particularly this one and the "The World of Swing." What these are are rather educated, open interviews with major musicians in or around the Basie Band which center on THE MUSIC and the way it was played, rather than incidental personal anecdotes, tell all scandals or anything else.In particluar, Dance's interview done from the mid 1950s until the late 1960s catch these musicians at a point where the change from Swing to Bop to "Modern Jazz," changes in recording practices and other changes in the period between the twenties and thirties when some began until the time of the interviews.
My favorite interviews here are with Lester Young and with Jimmie Rushing. Lester's rap here is reprinted in many other Lester collections, but Jimmie and Basie's which talk a bit of the 20s and Moten and also about their own professionalism have not.
I have not read this book entirely for about 18 years, but its pages remain vivid today and it is a necessity in my musical library as is his World of Swing.

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Product Description:
The late Count Basie is one of the jazz immortals. The master of swing, whose beat was the subtlest and supplest of all the bandleaders, Basie featured some of the great soloists in jazz history while he sat unobtrusively at the piano, keeping time with his unmatched rhythm section, showing off the surging power of his brass players, and commenting wittily with a single chord or phrase. A man and musician of reserve and modesty, Basie nonetheless will always be a landmark for his won achievements and for the jazz musicians who passed through his band. In this sociable and pioneering oral history of Basie and his band, Stanley Dance talks with the Count himself, Jimmy Rushing, Buddy Tate, Buck Clayton, Joe Williams, Jay McShann, Jo Jones, Dicky Wells, Lester Young, and a dozen others, who reminisce about each other, Kansas City jazz, and their legendary peers Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker. With a rich flow of anecdote, opinion, and biographical information-and with striking photographs-this history both documents and assesses the legacy of Basie for American music.

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Saying Something: Jazz Improvisation and Interaction (Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology) [Paperback] Review

Ingrid Monson's volume, "Saying Something: Jazz Improvisation and Interaction" is a somewhat lesser known work following in the shadow of Paul Berliner, whom Monson pays ample tribute to. Her volume is intended to say something to all of its overlapping audiences, and it succeeds well, using interviews and close musical readings of very important pieces. There is much to say about the musical analyses, but I choose here to concentrate on the less formalistic aspects. That job will remain for another reviewer.

Monson claims that when "a musician successfully reaches a discerning audience, moves it members to applaud or shout praises, raises the energy to dramatic proportions, and leaves a sonorous memory that lingers long after, he or she has moved beyond technical experiences....and into the realm of 'saying something.'" But what does this mean? For Monson, this means to make discourse, and multivalently, to make community.

Monson moves towards thinking of music making as a community-building function, rather than communities organized by race, class, geography, or gender. In fact, those categories are attended to in terms of music, rather than the other way around. Music performance, and well as repetoire, promotion, and booking agents, create imagined communities between performers. Her approach to community-building is based in Anthony Giddens (1984) rather than Benedict Anderson (1991).

In outlining the special contributions of the rhythmic and accompaniment sections of the jazz ensemble, Monson draws special attention not only to the specifics of drum, piano, and bass, but also to the word "listening." For her, listening means "being able to respond to musical opportunities or to correct mistakes." It is an active term. Musicians must pay attention to what is going on if they "expect to say things that make sense to the other participants." Moreover, since improvisation is key to jazz performance, listening is a prerequisite for playing to the moment within a musical narrative. In the free play of conversation/improvisation, the discursive conditions may change spontaenously and unexpectedly from moment to moment, since no one person authors the narrative alone. In addition, to be told that one "doesn't listen" is a paramount challenge and insult in jazz performance. It means the performer isn't communicating with other performers, but ineptly (at best) or arrogantly (at worst) attempting to control the entire parameters of the discourse. Sociability and interaction is at the core of collective improvisation, and if it is denied, the conversation is foreclosed.

But what of the statements themselves? How do jazz phrases and sentences work in what we might call improvisation/conversation? Monson takes a page from Bakhtin (1981), discussing the notion of internal dialogism, in two aspects: 1) multiple semantic meanings that change and are changed according to the shifting demands of the relationship between the meanings and the cultural context that makes meaning sensible. 2) the "temporal context" in which things are expressed in relation to the history of other discourses.Statements are caught between two different forces of language (centripetal and centrifugal forces) Utterances are caught signifying towards the unitary center (centripetal) and away from it in their particularity (centrifugal). Thus each statement is a torn contradiction inside, and also most meaningful at the same time. A "tension-filled unity." Others have race-d and extended this concept, such as African-American poet Elizabeth Alexander, who contend for a space that moves away from bifucated division and towards an space of "myriad particulars of identity."(1992) Notice how compatible this dualistic tension formula is with W.E.B Dubois's notion of the African-American "double consciousness." These racial aspects of hegemony in both in the history of jazz reception and in the interactions of jazz musicians with others who talk about jazz and "music" are highlighted in Monson's work.

When jazz musicians talk about music departments, they recognize that the words "music department" means "Western Classical Music department." Western Classical form has been anointed at the recognized highest status, and therefore stands for (and crowding out) the space in which the term music has institutional meaning. So when jazz musicians request not to be pigeonholed by the term "jazz," we must recognize that they are speaking to the cultural politics of labeling, or naming..of telling, and of listening. Musicians recognize Foucault's truth that 'discourses construct the objects of which they speak', rather than represent them in some naive, simplistic way. At the same time, Monson is careful not to overstate the case of cultural theory in explaining or explicating the 'meaning of music.' If we leave the realm of the musician too often or too long, we are no longer listening--no longer able to respond in the free play of conversation/improvisation.

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Product Description:
This fresh look at the neglected rhythm section in jazz ensembles shows that the improvisational interplay among drums, bass, and piano is just as innovative, complex, and spontaneous as the solo. Ingrid Monson juxtaposes musicians' talk and musical examples to ask how musicians go about "saying something" through music in a way that articulates identity, politics, and race. Through interviews with Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, Sir Roland Hanna, Billy Higgins, Cecil McBee, and others, she develops a perspective on jazz improvisation that has "interactiveness" at its core, in the creation of music through improvisational interaction, in the shaping of social communities and networks through music, and in the development of cultural meanings and ideologies that inform the interpretation of jazz in twentieth-century American cultural life.

Replete with original musical transcriptions, this broad view of jazz improvisation and its emotional and cultural power will have a wide audience among jazz fans, ethnomusicologists, and anthropologists.

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Jazz Hanon (Hanon Series) [Paperback] Review

I have mixed opinions on this one... To be honest, you can probably get an even better bang for the buck by purchasing the full version of Hanon's Virtuoso Pianist and practising the exersizes with swing feel (play chords in your LH and the patterns in your RH), then you could then go out and get some of David Baker's Bebop Pattern books and dig down even deeper... (If you don't know what swing time and swing feel is, you should probably sit in a few lessons with a Jazz improv instructor anyway... sometimes it doesn't come through in writing anyway.)- - Of course what's most important is being able to take the pattern concepts, and applying them to the scales and modes that fit in with different chords, so for that purpose, you should definitely get your hand on a good Jazz Improv book... and also be sure to learn them in all keys... whatever the case, the most important thing to realize is that this is a TECHNIQUE book... not an improv book... hence,you should use this book for the purpose of building your dexterity not for solo ideas...If you're looking for a good HOW TO PLAY JAZZ book, check out my AMAZON list on Essential Jazz Learning Resources.

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Product Description:
Here are graded études and progressive exercises for developing strength, facility, and necessary techniques in jazz piano styles. Included are elements of jazz harmony, chromatic alterations, voicing, swing, bebop, and a chord symbol appendix.

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Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony (Jazz Book) [Plastic Comb] Review

I truly wish this was the first book on jazz I had read.The presentation is so logical and clear that I read in a half an hour what took a year to learn through other sources.I give this book my highest recommendation to anyone interested in learning jazz.If you know basic music theory and what a ii-V7-I progression is, this book will take you the rest of the way.A tremendous book.

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Product Description:
A study of three basic outlines used in jazz improv and composition, based on a study of hundreds of examples from great jazz artists.

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Jack Bruce Composing Himself: The Authorized Biography (Book) [Paperback] Review

319 pages total,11 pages of photos from throughout Bruce's life and career,Foreword by Eric Clapton,9 page introduction,3 extensive appendices,including discography,live performances,short overview of Bruce's choice of bass guitars,and an index.

This book sets the bar very high for anyone else who might want to write about Jack Bruce and his music/personal life.This book covers areas such as Bruce's innovative use of the bass guitar,a composer (40 years and counting) of both vocal and instrumental pieces of music in several areas (rock,jazz,classical etc.) for his own distinctive voice and others,many of which will stand the test of time,an (relatively unknown) accomplished classical player (cello,piano) of some depth,and a man with many of the problems that his chosen life,and life in general,exposed him to.

The author has interviewed Jack Bruce,startingin 1978 (for a Graham Bond piece) and,for this book,has interviewed many people,including Bruce's family,friends,and fellow musicians,which brings Bruce's life in to clear perspective.Starting with Bruce's birth and upbringing,and on through his early years,the first couple of chapters looks at how his upbringing gave foundation to the man who came to be known as quick-tempered,and sometimes a bit sour.At an early age Bruce learned to look after himself and become fairly self-sufficient-traits that he would display all through his life.As a teen he discovered music,something which he found he was gifted at,and attended various music schools,sometimes only long enough to learn what he thought was pertinent.

The book continues with Bruce's formative gigs playing with various musicians and styles of music.At an early age (late teens) he learned to fend for himself while on the road with other musicians,many of them older than he.That,together with his broadening life experiences,and his upbringing,made Jack Bruce into the man and musician the public came to know.Of course much is written about his early years in London,with Graham Bond,Manfred Mann and other groups,and his meeting up and forming a group called CREAM,with Clapton and Baker.An interesting thing is that Bruce was invited to join CROSBY,STILLS,and NASH-but only as a bass player,not as another vocalist also.It was during this time that Bruce recorded his jazz/rock album, "Things We Like",which to this day is still a great sounding recording,and "Songs For A Tailor",probably his best known album,by critical standards and popularity.

Bruce's tenure with Tony Williams' LIFETIME band is looked at in depth,which is important because of the (for the times) innovative music the group played.The personalities of the group come into focus and how the members of the group affected Bruce's life and his playing.Bruce's many solo releases are also given their due,as are the different players used on each album.Many people have varying feelings about this period of Bruce's career,and like/dislike this period of album releases fervently-and it's all discussed here.The period with WEST,BRUCE,and LAING,and how that group came into being is very informative-how Felix Pappalardi was sick from heroin,and quit the group MOUNTAIN,with drummer Laing and guitarist Leslie West wanting to carry on with Paul Rodgers (of FREE) and bassist Overend Watts (MOTT THE HOOPLE),in a new configuration of their group,but wound up using Jack Bruce instead.

This book pulls no punches with Bruce's drug usage.It goes into some detail about Bruce's usage and it's affects on both him and his music.Bruce's admission that something was missing from his life,and he found it through heroin is both riveting and harrowing when he talks about this period of his life.Likewise Bruce's dealings with the record business and how he was shafted by mangers and the industry itself is brought into sharp focus,and how this affected him personally.The remainder of the book goes into his life,and his solo albums and bands,starting in the 80's,his liver transplant (due to a condition known as "anaethesia awareness",he was awake for the operation),and up through his reunion with Clapton and Baker in the CREAMconcerts in 2005.

For Jack Bruce fans,or anyone wishing to read an accurate,in-depth look at a true musician's musician-this is the book to read.Not only is it about Jack Bruce,but it's also about an era-the musicians,the music,the times themselves-that will never be repeated.This book can sit on the shelf alongside other biographies of musicians (Thelonius Monk for example)whose life and music were bound together for better or worse.

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Product Description:
When Cream broke up in 1968, it wasn't Eric Clapton who was a surefire bet for solo success. Rather, it was Jack Bruce who had the looks and who cowrote and sang the band's major hits, including "Sunshine of Your Love." But Bruce wanted to be a pioneer, not just a pop star, and he was never content to rest on his laurels. This book traces his life and work, from his formative years in classical music (he composed string quartets at 12) and jazz through his early success with Manfred Mann to the short-lived but endlessly influential Cream era and beyond. It's been an often troubled life - heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant - all of which he speaks about frankly in this authorized biography, telling a story that is sometimes inspirational, sometimes bleak, but always honest.

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I Walked With Giants: The Autobiography of Jimmy Heath [Hardcover] Review

Temple University Press has released one of the best, most thorough jazz histories/biographies I can recall reading. I WALKED WITH GIANTS is written by and about Jimmy Heath, with Joseph McClaren and a forward by Bill Cosby.Jimmy Heath is the middle brother of the Heath Brothers: Jimmy on tenor sax, Percy on bass and Tootie (Albert) on drums.
Jimmy Heath played with Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie in the late 1940's.Jimmy Heath was 21 when on was on stage with Coleman Hawkins, Howard McGhee, Erroll Garner and Slam Stewart before they were giants. Jimmy Heath grew up in the rich, musically fertile south, South Philly, that is.

As a composer and arranger, Jimmy Heath has made an deep, indelible groove in music.Pick a song, pick
"A Sound For Sore Ears."You will find the embodiment of Jimmy Heath within: the dexterity, wit andinvention that is tapped in so many veins throughout I WALKED WITH GIANTS.

Everything is here: the music, the friends, the good times in concerts, the hard times in prison (Jimmy
sold dope to an undercover cop and did time) and the long off and on road to recognition, and finally acclaim.

I WALKED WITH GIANTS is brilliantly organized.Jimmy tells his wild stories as only he can, and he is supported throughout the book by the voices and reminiscences of Wynton Marsalis, Slide Hampton, Benny Carter, Cedar Walton, Billy Taylor, Hank Jones and a few dozen other vital musicians.

This book is a fast moving, fascinating biography of the brilliant Mr. Heath, but it is also a very strong, serious study from the inside of American history and culture in the second half of the past century.Only geniuses could have put I WALKED WITH GIANTS together so succinctly, so vividly, and only a genius could have lived it. As soon as I finish writing this, I'm going to read it again.

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Celebrated Jazzy Solos, Bk 5: 6 Solos in Jazz Styles for Intermediate to Late Intermediate Pianists [Paperback] Review

For Whom?:

Similar to 4th Book JR&B by Mier in level; NYSSMA Lev 4Strengths:

influenced and informed by many Jazz greats;Weaknesses:

same but less so; Rags still not well-executed at this level; unfamiliar inaccessibletonalities for many; perhaps this reviewer is less familiar with wide breadth of jazz to relate to this material, but thenmost students would also likely be unfamiliarPedagogical Value:

add blues scale and more idioms

Highlights:

Sophisticated Fingers - Maybe - not wonderful rag stylistically, but some great advanced jazz chords great for aspiring jazz student for improvisatory ideas;
Two A.M. Blues - Yes - anticipatory Syncopated Bass Lines, idiomatic;

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Product Description:
Boogie, blues, ragtime, swing and other jazz styles are irresistible to most pianists, but not always accessible to student pianists. Composer Robert Vandall has removed all barriers to successful student performances, by making sure that each ""jazzy solo"" in this Celebrated series cleverly introduces students to a specific jazz scale, harmony, rhythm or form. Titles: Blues Tango
* Boogie Man
* Cityscape
* Rondo Rag
* Sophisticated Fingers
* Two A.M. Blues.

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Louis Armstrong, In His Own Words: Selected Writings [Paperback] Review

Of the 21 books I have collected which are either by or about Louis Armstrong, this is definitely the one I would choose if I was allowed to keep only one. Basically a collection of autobiographical pieces, interviews, letters and so on, it reveals more of Armstrong as a man than all the other books put together. It also proves that, just as Armstrong had his own unique voice as a musician, so he has virtually invented his own language when doing his "typing" as he modestly called it. Grammar and punctation have been used this way nowhere else. Particularly moving are Armstrong's lengthy reminiscences of his early life in New Orleans, Chicago and elsewhere. Yes, his childhood was severely deprived but he recalls it not just without self-pity but with a kind of joy - joy in his family, in the friends who helped him along the way and, of course, his discovery of his own innate talent for both playing and singing. The book is filled with affectionate pen-portraits, as well as sharp social comment and, at times, with indignation at the injustices of life, whether suffered by himself or others. Equally moving are the pieces written when his life was nearing its end yet still exuding that same extraordinary open-ness and generosity of spirit which are humbling to experience. If anyone wants to know what Louis was like, and if they can take a little time to tune in to his vivid and utterly unself-conscious style, this is the book they should read.

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Sassy: The Life Of Sarah Vaughan [Paperback] Review

While Gourse's biography of the Divine One traverses Vaughan's life decade by decade, it does so in a very cursory way, so if you know anything at all of Vaughan's life, you've probably already been exposed to most of the contents of this biography.While this book is decent in its cursory examination of Vaughan's life and her wonderful contributions to American and world music, one doesn't go away from this book feeling he or she has encountered Vaughan on an intimate level...the Devil's in the details, but it seems as though many of the details that would have allowed for an ampler and fuller study of Vaughan on a quotidian level were not provided.There are some interesting photographs of Vaughan, her family, her friends, her coterie of fans and colleagues, included in this biography, but those pictures should have been in bold, beautiful color, full pages, allowing the reader to see the vagaries of Vaughan in all her glamour, sophistication, and wit.One will learn more from listening to Vaughan's vast recording history.Still, this book will be of interest to Sass's devoted fans.

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Celebrated Jazzy Solos, Bk 3: 9 Solos in Jazz Styles for Early Intermediate to Intermediate Pianists [Paperback] Review

Strengths:
see "highlights" below; grab bag containing some good and fun pieces

Weaknesses:
hard to make pieces in Jazz, Blues, Rags, etc. styles sound authentic at these levels; many tonalities sound new and interesting and might work with a thicker texture, but end up often sounding wrong; many pieces still fail to impress compositionally

Pedagogical Value:
see 'highlights' below; each piece offers something pedagogically

Highlights:
Chordality - Yes - fun, sounds more like Broadway, meter changes 4/4, 7/8, 6/8, accents, syncopation;
Exotica - Yes -works pretty well, video game/Broadway-ish, newer jazz harmonies, not too thin a texture; not lending itself to more popular jazz styles but Vandall's style beginning to shine through;
House of Shadows is fun: staccato v. legato, position changes in both hands;
Stay Cool - YesYes - good style, optional teacher duet which really adds to it w' Walking Bass Line; begins to sound like some genuine jazz solos & improv, well-executed

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Product Description:
Boogie, blues, ragtime, swing and other jazz styles are irresistible to most pianists, but not always accessible to student pianists. Composer Robert Vandall has removed all barriers to successful student performances, by making sure that each ""jazzy solo"" in this Celebrated series cleverly introduces students to a specific jazz scale, harmony, rhythm or form. Book 3 contains favorite Vandall jazz solos, as well as some newly composed pieces. Titles: Chordality
* Exotica
* House of Shadows
* Latin Moves
* New Friends
* Razzamatazz
* Stay Cool
* Time Twister
* Walnut Creek Rag.

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Jazz: The First Century [Hardcover] Review

This textbook covers basically all aspects of jazz. From the music'smulti-cultured roots to the swing revival and every era in between, Jazz:The First Century presents a comprehensive timeline of ground breakingmusicians(famous and obscure), and their most memorable compositions andrecordings. The book shows how history influenced jazz, and likewise howjazz influenced history. It brings alive the original brass bands in NewOrleans; the heyday of the prohibition years in Chicago, including Joe"King" Oliver's band showcasing Louis Armstrong on cornet; thedevelopment of styles such as swing, bebop, and fusion; and the rest of theworld's interpretations of the music that grew up in America. I recommendthis book to jazz enthusiasts who want a biography of the music, musicianswho need a reference to classic jazz recordings, or anyone even remotelyinterested in recent music history. Did I mention that there is a list ofkey jazz albums? Also, a great index and many images!
Read it now!

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The Very Best of Oscar Peterson: Piano Artist Transcriptions [Paperback] Review

Any transcription of OP is worth serious attention especially when we should be doing our own... However, this book is a gem and kudos to the guy(s) who did the transcriptions.The Hal Leonard series of Artist Transcriptions are all uniformly excellent (I have many) and are absolutely indispensible for learning from the greats.What's more all the books are beautifully produced.For what it contains this book is essential.So, do not hesitate.Buy it now!

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Product Description:

18 transcriptions from one of the greatest and most revered jazz pianists, including: A Child Is Born • The Continental • The Girl from Ipanema • Gravy Waltz • I'm Old Fashioned • It Ain't Necessarily So • Little Girl Blue &b



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Celebrated Jazzy Solos, Bk 4: 8 Solos in Jazz Styles for Intermediate Pianists [Paperback] Review

For Whom?:

someone looking for different tonalities / more modern jazz; jazz player looking to open mind and be exposed to some new idiomsStrengths:

many of the pieces are good/ok filler, not bad filler; perhaps unfamiliar tonality becomes acquired taste; all educational; Weaknesses:

same but less so; Rags still not well-executed at this level; unfamiliar inaccessibletonalities for many; perhaps this reviewer is less familiar with wide breadth of jazz to relate to this material, but thenmost students would also likely be unfamiliarPedagogical Value:

same + polychords; jumping chord positions; requires reader to have sound technique and reading ability as notes hop all over the keyboardHighlights:

Rock Zone - Y - Rock style;
Illini Romp - Y -athletic team theme song, offers low register LH w' bit of syncopated RH motives that reappear; jumps around keyboard

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Product Description:
Boogie, blues, ragtime, swing and other jazz styles are irresistible to most pianists, but not always accessible to student pianists. Composer Robert Vandall has removed all barriers to successful student performances, by making sure that each ""jazzy solo"" in this Celebrated series cleverly introduces students to a specific jazz scale, harmony, rhythm or form. Titles: Illini Romp
* Movin
* New Philly Blues
* North Broadway Blues
* Riff Frenzy
* Rock Zone
* Shooting Stars
* Strawberry Patch Rag.

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Gil Evans: Out of the Cool: His Life and Music [Paperback] Review

I read the manuscript before the book was published, and Stephanie has done a miraculous job. Gil Evans was an extremely private person, and there were so many things about his life that were unknown or mysterious (nobody is even sure what his name is) until Stepanie started compiling her research. This book is filled with little-known information about his early life, and the photos she has discovered are amazing. She has found long-forgotten correspondense between Evans and his friend Pete Carpenter, and has interviewed people who have never spoken about Gil before in print. If you have any interest in 20th century jazz ensemble music, this book is invaluable.

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1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (1,000 Before You Die) [Paperback] Review

What most readers/reviewers fail to recognize is that this book is not about the BEST 1000 recordings it is about recordings you should HEAR. Those who complain that some really great music is missing are missing the point. Buy this book for education and enjoyment not to see how close Moon comes to your top 1000 music recordings ratings of all time.

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Product Description:
The musical adventure of a lifetime. The most exciting book on music in years. A book of treasure, a book of discovery, a book to open your ears to new worlds of pleasure. Doing for music what Patricia Schultz-author of the phenomenal 1,000 Places to See Before You Die-does for travel, Tom Moon recommends 1,000 recordings guaranteed to give listeners the joy, the mystery, the revelation, the sheer fun of great music.

This is a book both broad and deep, drawing from the diverse worlds of classical, jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, world, opera, soundtracks, and more. It's arranged alphabetically by artist to create the kind of unexpected juxtapositions that break down genre bias and broaden listeners' horizons- it makes every listener a seeker, actively pursuing new artists and new sounds, and reconfirming the greatness of the classics. Flanking J. S. Bach and his six entries, for example, are the little-known R&B singer Baby Huey and the '80s Rastafarian hard-core punk band Bad Brains. Farther down the list: The Band, Samuel Barber, Cecelia Bartoli, Count Basie, and Afropop star Waldemer Bastos.

Each entry is passionately written, with expert listening notes, fascinating anecdotes, and the occasional perfect quote-"Your collection could be filled with nothing but music from Ray Charles," said Tom Waits, "and you'd have a completely balanced diet." Every entry identifies key tracks, additional works by the artist, and where to go next. And in the back, indexes and playlists for different moods and occasions.

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Rhapsody in Blue (Original) (Jazz Band Version) [Paperback] Review

Simply said, I am using this as the feature of my senior piano performace recital at my college. This brilliant work is something to behold in its concerto form, something to enjoy it its orchestral form, and something that every one should study in its piano solo form.

Gershwin himself wrote this arrangement, so it can be safe to assume that everything in this piece is exactly how Gerswhin wanted it. I would imagine he would best realize what he original thought to be the important parts...

Ryan

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Product Description:
Gershwin Facsimile Editions are reproductions of Gershwin's original orchestral manuscripts which are housed at the Library of Congress in Washington. These volumes are annotated, have historical articles about each work, and contain much information not generally found elsewhere.

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Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players: Complete [Spiral-bound] Review

I was a student a Berklee when this first was published.
After I had bought it, I was talking to my piano teacher.He commented that this book encapsulates everything that they were trying to teach in the piano program.
Hyperbole?Perhaps, but it's still a ringing endorsement.

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Product Description:
Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players is a straightforward, no-nonsense improvisation series. It deals with creating melodies, using the left hand, pianistic approaches to soloing, scale choices for improvisation and much more.

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The Jazz Bass Book - Technique and Tradition Book/CD (Softcover) (Bass Player Musician's Library) [Paperback] Review

This book is essentially an annotated and expanded collection of columns originally published in Bass Player magazine. As such, it's more of a disconnected set of essays than a narrative; the discussion of significant bass players is somewhat spotty, and doesn't go into great detail on their music and style in the way that (for example" Todd Coolman's "The Bass Tradition" does. But it's still both entertaining and educational. The chapters, being mostly self-contained, can be read at random as the reader's interest dictates.
The first section of the book is primarily short snapshots of significant bassists, each being composed of a short biography accompanied by brief musical examples. The latter section- almost an appendix- consists of longer examples of styles and techniques. It's not really a method book, but it does offer some insight into styles and harmonic and rhythmic concepts for the beginning or intermediate jazz bassists. The accompanying CD helps illustrate the musical examples for those whose reading and playing techniqueare at a more basic stage.
All in all, a very entertaining and useful book for jazz bassists of all abilities, and an excellent choice for bedside reading.

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Product Description:
More than a playerÃ-s manual, this book portrays jazz bass as a vital element of 20th century American music. Citing examples from key recordings in the jazz canon, the book defines the essence of the musical contributions made by more than 70 important jazz bassists, including Ray Brown, Eddie Gomez, Charles Mingus, Milt Hinton and many others. Bassists get expert guidance on mastering proper technique, practice methods and improvisation, plus new insight into the theoretical and conceptual aspects of jazz. The companion CD featuring bass plus rhythm section allows readers to hear technical examples from the book, presented in slow and fast versions. It also offers play-along tracks of typical chord progressions and song forms.

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Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World [Paperback] Review

The title of this book makes reference to "Chega de saudade", a revolutionary song written by Tom Jobim, that was recorded for the first time in 1958. Ruy Castro shows us how the Bossa Nova started ("A história" = the story), but he also introduces the reader to the lives of the musicians who "made" the Bossa Nova ("as histórias" = the stories), for example Joao Gilberto,Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and Sylvia Telles, among others...

When we read "Chega de saudade" we are told Bossa Nova's story as if it were a tale: we get to know important facts about that movement, but also entertaining gossip regarding the people who were part of it. Reading this book is quite easy, and you will find that the author makes you smile from time to time with his ironic commentaries. Due to the fact that this is the original version in Portuguese, you won't miss the subtle nuances of meaning that sometimes are lost in the English translation, and you will be able to take delight in several wordplays that Ruy Castro makes throughout the book.

On the whole, I highly recommend "Chega de saudade". I give it 5 stars, because I think it is a perfect example of an entertaining but useful book regarding the history of an important movement in Brazilian music. I particularly love this book because I think that it adds a "human dimension" to Bossa Nova. I like to enjoy the songs, but also to know about the lives of those who wrote them, and what inspired the creators regarding each particular song...

Of course, this book by itself is not enough: you will need to learn more, and listen to the songs "Chega de saudade" talks about. But where can you find a book that exhausts a subject?. I haven't been that lucky yet, so I will gladly settle for one that allows me to start studying the subject, and that makes me more interested in it :)

Belen Alcat

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All About Piano: A Fun and Simple Guide to Playing Piano [Paperback] Review

Choosing a great tutorial type/how-to book on musical instruments is definitely not easy. They are just way too many out there. I myself never touched the piano until I was 21. So, fuelled by excitement of youth, I painstakingly went through virtually every piano how-to books in a big Music Library in my town (the books are filed under the sub-category QP for those living in Australia). Bad mistake, but for someone who was clueless about piano-playing and couldn't afford long term tuition, free books seem to be the only way.

I didn't stop when I found this book. But now that I'm playing gigs (after 3 years of study and massive determination) and no longer a beginner =), I realized among all beginners' how-to books, this is one of the few stand-outs.

"All about piano" does live up to its name, strictly on beginners' level. Not only it tells you how to play, enough to work out a lead sheet, it also tells you the world of piano playing. If you look at the contents of the book by clicking "Search inside this book", you'll notice this book also tells you major players from classical period to modern time; different styles of playing; how to get a gig; and how to buy and care for your piano. All provided, so you can choose the level of intensity of your study.

The other major plus of this book is the CD, which tells you exactly how you suppose to sound as you progress. And lastly from the typography and layout point of views, it is pleasing to the eye and the amount of pictures are just right.

Had someone given me this when I was 21, it would've saved me a lot of time and energy.

Next stop, if you think jazz piano is for you, I strongly recommend "The Jazz Piano Book" by Mark Levine.

This is a totally subjective review, but my principle is that I share what works for me and I hope you learn from my mistakes.

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Product Description:
Have you struggled through tedious lessons and boring instruction books in your desire to learn to play the piano? If you wish there was a fun and engaging way to motivate you in your piano playing quest, then this is it: All About Piano is for you. Whether it's learning to read music, playing by ear, improvising, or all of the above, this enjoyable guide will help you to finally start playing your favorite songs in many different styles. Plus, learn interesting tid-bits on piano makes and models, care and maintenance, other keyboard instruments, and other fun stuff about the piano. This fun-filled, easy-to-use guide includes: * An introduction to pianos and keyboard instruments * Step-by-step music reading instruction * How to play by ear and improvise * Background on various styles of music, including dozens of favorite songs * Performing tips. Over 40 popular songs, including: All My Loving (The Beatles) * Can You Feel the Love Tonight (Elton John) * Fur Elise (Beethoven) * Imagine (John Lennon) * Linus and Lucy (Vince Guaraldi) * Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) * Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams) * and more. The CD includes 70 tracks for demo and play-along.

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Yuletide Jazz: 20 Christmas Favorites (The Phillip Keveren Series) [Paperback] Review

I only discovered Phillip Keveren within the last year and a half, when I purchased another book by him: Hymns with a Touch of Jazz: 15 Traditional Hymns Arranged in Jazz Style (The Phillip Keveren Series).I initially only played a few songs out of it, but eventually pulled it out and spent some time learning all of them.I loved it so much and got so many positive comments from the congregation that I decided I should buy another book of his.Being the holiday season I purchased this one and can't say enough.The songs are each arranged beautifully.There are so many of those "Ah" moments.I am actually using this book in service this Sunday.

To those who are wondering if it is appropriate for your skill level, know that most, if not all, of his books are arranged for late intermediate/ early advanced players.There are some tricky rhythms (especially syncopation), accidentals, fingerings and the like, but it's well worth the time and effort needed to perfect these pieces and bring them up to a performance standard.

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Product Description:
Jazz up your Christmas festivities with over 20 songs masterfully arranged by Phillip Keveren for solo piano. For the first time in his series, a CD is included with stunning recordings of Phillip performing each selection! Includes: Angels We Have Heard on High * Carol of the Bells * Deck the Hall * The First Noel * Here We Come A-Wassailing * The Holly and the Ivy * In the Bleak Midwinter * O Christmas Tree * Up on the Housetop * and more.

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Jazz: An American Saga [Hardcover] Review

This book is so well-researched and perceptive that it transcends the genre of juvenile books.In fact, I plan to recommend it to senior citizens taking my music appreciation course in the Evolution of Jazz.Collier provides a good, brief, clear history of jazz, from its roots to free jazz and neo-bop.In addition, the final two chapters on rhythm and on improvising are unexpectedly learned and enlightening.Areal find!

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Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art [Paperback] Review

What better testimonial can you give to a book than saying it makes you so fired about about its subject that you want to discover more of his/her work? Will Friedwald's Sinatra! The Song is You will delight Sinatra fans and "turn on" anyone even REMOTELY interested in finding out why Sinatra was named the 20th century's Best Singer. It is without question the best book EVER written on Sinatra's music due to its style, details and because Friedwald does not pull any punches: he praises Sinatra for good work and criticizes him for work that falls short. All this is done without pretension, cutesy-ness or padding. The usual personal and professional biographical info is there, but mostly for historical context. Friedwald's interest is in Sinatra the singer -- and in Sinatra's VOICE as an instrument that developed, matured and eventually (and sadly) deteriorated. Going through each performing and recording stage of Sinatra's long career, Friedwald analyzes particular songs, explains Sinatra's trailblazing role in creating thematic "concept" albums, and gives fascinating details on how and why certain classic arrangements and songs were cut in the studio. He praises and blasts Sinatra's various arrangers. What's unquestionable is that Sinatra took this kind of music to an entirely new level. This book successfully conveys the ARTISTRY of Sinatra's music so you WANT to hear MORE. Reading this book took me from a mild to fanatical Sinatra fan as I started listening to the albums, remembering what I had read and appreciating what Sinatra was doing with his voice. Sinatra! The Song is You heightens an appreciation of a musical genre that is either on it's way out as we move into the 21st century --or waiting for a new innovative artist to come along to revive its popularity and take it to the next level.

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Note by Note: A Celebration of the Piano Lesson [Paperback] Review

It wasn't long into Tricia Tunstall's new book, "Note by Note", that I found myself nodding again and again in agreement regarding her experiences as a piano teacher, vis-a-vis mine. We are almost exactly the same age, have taught piano for years and came from similar piano backgrounds...that is, classical music only and nothing EVER popular. So it was with good fortune that I could readily identify with her approach, student interaction and all the things that are associated with piano lessons.

By "all the things" I mean that a central point in Tunstall's book is that quite often a piano teacher does more than just teach piano. We are "psychologists" (one mother told me I was cheaper than a shrink), comforters, encouragers, enforcers, and yes, teachers. This is a generational book, I think, and one that can be best appreciated by those around our age (mid-fifties), but certainly not to the exclusion of other generations. Tunstall writes with great narrative style, and with a self-deprecating sense of humor. She covers the essentials of what is to be expected of a student....emergence, mastery, recital, etc. but she offers insight into culture that helps shape her students' (and her own) choice of pieces. The "Lure of Elise" chapter is accurate...every recital seems to have a "Fur Elise" player, and her mild bewilderment of popular music's incursion into traditional teaching mirrors mine. Perhaps we are appendices of the Madame Dmitrieff era...the days when Hanon ruled... but we've learned that jellybeans and The Beatles are often required.

Tunstall does include some musically technical points, but they never get in the way of the story. For the reader who has no knowledge of music in general or piano specifically, don't worry. Reading about poor Pia's "hydraulic lift" approach to pedaling.....a laugh out loud moment... will rescue you from any talk of half steps. It would be nice, however, if Tunstall had offered some of her experiences on how she acquires students, how she sets her rates, what she does with students who don't work out, (all of the students in the book seem to have some degree of success) and does she have any former students who come back to visit her years after lessons are over. But given the parameters of what she is trying to accomplish....the focus on the lesson, itself... it is understandable that she needs to keep things as she has presented them.

The author ends with a poignant chapter, giving us a final and most personal look at her. One can only gather that it would be wise, beneficial and very good to have Ms. Tunstall as your piano teacher. This is a terrific book and I highly recommend it.

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David Cullen: Jazz, Classical, and Beyond (Book & CD) (Acoustic Masterclass) [Paperback] Review

The arrangements are very nice and not too complicated for the common fingerstylist altough playing the right tempo is challenging. There is a pretty big downside - the CD does not include the music itself but general explanations which i don't find much logic in (not only for this book, for many other book+CD folios). But in general - excellent book with a lot of pieces to work on and enjoy.

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Product Description:
David Cullen is a master of many styles. His influences, which rangefrom gospel to jazz, and funk to classical music, combine to give him a unique voice and a deep sense of composition. David has performed and recorded with Will Ackerman, Mike Manring and many others.This book contains 14 of David's most popular solo guitar pieces. All of the songs are transcribed by David himself. Plus, on the includedMasterclass CD David walks you through the key aspects of eacharrangement. All songs are written in standard notation and tab. Bahama Beach, Blue Counterpoint, Coming Home, Cycles, Down Home,Ebb and Flow, Get on the Good Foot, Good to See You, Indigo Blue,Keep it that Way, Midari, Sunday Morning, Go Ahead and Play, Groove Etude

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Jazz Masters Of The 20s (Da Capo Paperback) [Paperback] Review

This compilation of "shorts," written all by Richard Hadlock, are packed with little gems about the history of jazz. Each chapter, based on a different artist, contains a superb bibliography and discography. The writing style of this book is so smooth that you don't realize that you are experiencing a course in jazz history. You really feel like you are there. Hadlock also bases many of his comments on the recordings that he obviously has spent many hours with. What a shame that this book is out of print (but you can still get it from the used books on the B&N site), and that he hasn't written many more volumes. Hadlock is a former Sidney Bechet student from the 1950s.

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Product Description:
The jazz decade saw the emergence of many of the great figures who defined the music for the world: Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Earl Hines, Bix Beiderbecke, Fats Waller, Jack Teagarden, Fletcher Henderson-these giants set the standards for blues singing, big band arrangements, and solo improvisation that are the foundations for jazz. Richard Hadlock has chapters on each, with a discography and descriptions of all the players who made the '20s swing.

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Dance of the Infidels: A Portrait of Bud Powell [Paperback] Review

Obviously any serious Bud fan will have to read this, being one of only a handful of books devoted to the genius. That being said I ended getting much more out of the read besides examining a period in a musician's life. Even if this book were not about one of my favorite musicians I still would recommend it highly and would call it one of the more interesting reads I have had. (I read it about 6 months ago.)
This book also becomes, inadvertently I believe, a study into human personality. Bud had numerous mental problems, many of which were pigeonholed as manic-depressive or schizophrenic. But the author's fly on the wall psychology savant observations (many obviously from journal entries) show that these diagnoses are simple and barely scratch the surface of the behavior of Bud Powell.
I think about this book often particularly when I am considering what makes a person a person. Before I read this book I thought I had an idea, but after reading it I am not so sure.It also led me to read more direct analyses of personality by Lucan and Piaget.
Bud begins the book in horrible shape, mental & physical, completely reliant on someone who cares nothing for his well being.He is unkempt and rarely speaks. You wonder how he could have reached the age he has with so few of the skills which are required for human survival.
When the author begins to interact with Bud it is almost always wordless, with the author describing Bud's input with non-verbal actions. How "looking into his eyes I could tell how Bud felt."
I was very skeptical believing perhaps the author's worship of Bud were clouding his judgment about Bud. Maybe the author wanted to communicate with Bud so bad he was sub-consciencely creating Bud's side of the conversation.
This hero worship by the author made certain that there was a bias to anything in the book, but a careful reader can still infer what actually took place.(It is nowhere near as revisionist as Miles Davis' autobiography.) And after reading the book I honestly believe that Mr. Paudras would never intentionally lie about anything to do with Bud Powell
As the action of the book proceeds you realize there must be something happening to Bud because of the healthy changes occurring and the gains Bud makes. Bud begins to perform again, gets healthier, and begins to take more control of his life. But major barriers still remain. Often he will only communicate with Francis. It went as far as when someone would ask Bud a question he would ignore it until Francis repeated the question to Bud and then Bud would only answer Francis.Also, Bud was greatly affected by even the smallest portion of alcohol, which would haunt him for the remainder of his life.
By the end of the book I was engrossed.There is even a heart-wrenching climax that was more affecting than most novels I have read. The denouement is too powerful to describe. (I am choosing my words carefully as not to give away anything)
There is a measurable action by Bud which makes me doubt the assessments that he was merely a child with a prodigal gift allowing him to never mature. Apparently, Bud would write poems to go along with most of his songs. Most have been lost. The poem by Bud included in the book is so lucent and shows a startling awareness that I was left contemplating why Bud behaved the way he did. Francis spent so much time with him it could not have been and act. Also, Bud hurt himself by acting this way that you have to believe he would have stopped if he could.
This book has helped make Bud's amazing art even more poignant for me.I believe every person has trouble relating to the world around him or her. To me, Bud music is about expressing these difficulties. Somehow trying to reconcile the sublime beauty of the world with the horrible darkness it also contains.
Although, my belief in heaven is dubious at best, if I could pick two people who deserve to be there it is Bud Powell & Francis Paudras.
My final comments are about the fate of the author who recently committed suicide. After getting to know a side of him through his book. (And I do believe the seeds of his demise are hinted at in the reading particularly in the last scenes.) It also opens up a whole slew of questions about when is life worth living, and is there any reward for those who love and bring goodness to the world when all they seem to receive is senseless pain.
As you can tell I have thought about this book considerably so if you have any insights you'd like to share please drop me a line at derek_weisel@hotmail.com. Thanks. DW.

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Jazz Fest Memories [Paperback] Review

Fest lovers and New Orleans and roots music lovers should not think twice about buying this book.The photos and stories by Smith and Miner are priceless.The selections show the gamut of performers in a visual history of the festival.Many of the photos are some of the only color work of the period of specific performers.i go back to this one frequently.

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Photographs and stories provide a firsthand glimpse onstage and backstage from the festivalis beginning.

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Who Is Artie Shaw...and why is he following me? [Paperback] Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, since it related to other books I read about Shaw, including the books he wrote. His was a unique & interesting life story, with the flavor of the WW2 days, and the book gave some answers to his military experiences during that era.I never could understand why such a talented musician found it necessary to end his career so early, and I remember being disappointed when I heard about it in the 50's. The first recording I bought as a teenager was "Summit Ridge Drive", and today I have most of his released recordongs which I still enjoy.

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Pop Goes Jazz: 13 Stylish Arrangements by Jazz Pianist/Arranger Earl Rose (Piano Solo Songbook) [Paperback] Review

This has a lot of wonderful arrangements of old standards, I relly love the open base chords, the smooth transitions. I use it for learning great chords for use on other songs. I liked so well that I sent a copy to my son. Rarely do you find so many good arrangements. I have a large library of music for piano and I rate this near the top. If you purchase it you won't be unhappy.

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Product Description:
This collection features 13 stylish arrangements of standards, pop songs and Disney hits by Emmy Award-winning pianist and composer Earl Rose. Includes: Autumn Light * Beauty and the Beast * Bella Notte (This Is the Night) * Can You Feel the Love Tonight * A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes * Go the Distance * I Got the Sun in the Morning * I've Never Been in Love Before * Just the Way You Are * Stella by Starlight * They Say It's Wonderful * Under the Sea * Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.

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Stride and Swing Piano: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series [Paperback] Review

Normally books like these present you with the "dumbed down" and easy version of piano music--music you can play with one hand while drinking a sweet iced-tea with the other. Not so with this book. The methods and techniques Valerio teaches are the real thing, and the pieces within the book are those transcribed straight from the big boys--Waller, Johnson, Wilson, Tatum, Joplin, and Morton. This is an excellent introduction/continuation for those interested in stride piano.

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Focusing on styles such as classic ragtime, early blues and boogie woogie, New Orleans jazz, stride and swing, this new book/CD pack in the Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series teaches left- and right-hand techniques including chords, bass runs, patterns and more. Key players of these styles - Scott Joplin, Jimmy Yancey, Pete Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum - are prominently referenced. Includes 14 full songs to play, and an accompanying CD!

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The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century [Paperback] Review

This magisterial book will, for many years, remain the definitive account of classical music (or art music, if you prefer) in the twentieth century, from the time of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler to the age of Steve Reich and John Adams. Ross situates his history of an art form within the swirl of contemporary developments in culture and politics. The many individual stories of composers and their chief works are unified through the use of literary themes, the philosophical musings of Theodor Adorno and a close analysis of Thomas Mann's novel Doctor Faust. Along the way, Ross gives us an absolutely riveting account of the musical scene in the Third Reich, covering the composers who stayed and were complicit with the regime, as well as those artists who either fled or perished. He covers music in the concentration camps and the life of composers under Soviet dictatorship. He makes links between modern performance practice and the rise of jazz, bebop and adventurous rockers like the Beatles and Radiohead. His knowledge is encyclopedic and his research prodigous. Here and there his enthusiasms betray him. The heavy emphasis on German music as the spine of musical development turns Wagner into the main 19th century ancestor to modern music, a leit motive throughout the book; he scants the incipient modernisms of Tchaikovsky and the Russian School, the contributions of Liszt, Berlioz and other French composers. The chapter on Sibelius is so long it feels like a Bruckner symphony, ditto the scene by scene analysis of Britten's opera Peter Grimes; these sections are among the few longeurs encountered in a historical text that generally reads like a mystery novel. This book is highly recommended for anyone who is afraid of modern music but be warned, it will make you go out and compulsively expand your library of discs!

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The Big Book of Torch Songs 2nd Ed. (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook) [Paperback] Review

I have a wide range... can sing soprano and alto quite easily, but when I sing torch songs or other jazz/blues standards, I prefer to sing them in my lower register. This book is great with offering these types of songs, but the keys they are in are HORRIBLE! They must be transposed down to even be comfortable for a woman to sing them in that "sulty-torch-song" style. I wouldn'trecommend it at all... instead, I found a book called "Belter's Hot Standards." This has been my Bible of music! Go find that book if you're a woman looking for low jazz songs.

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Features 75 heart-on-the-sleeve standards, such as: Angel Eyes * As Long as He Needs Me * Bewitched * Black Coffee * Crazy * Cry Me a River * Glad to Be Unhappy * Good Morning Heartache * Here's That Rainy Day * I'll Be Seeing You * Misty * Mood Indigo * My Man * My Old Flame * The Party's Over * Skylark * So in Love * Stormy Weather * When Sunny Gets Blue * and more.

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The Jazz Flower: A Novel [Paperback] Review

I read the first of Vee Williams Garcia's Johnson/Stills family sagas, Forbidden Circles, about two years ago.I enjoyed it, so I'm pleased that she's written a follow-up book.The Jazz Flower chronicles the life of Rosa Johnson-Stills, the eldest daughter of Nora and Douglas Stills. The time period the book covers is from 1930-1953.So, you could call this a historical novel.Garcia definitely does her research and especially when describing Rosa's obsession with Jazz music.From early childhood, she knows that one day she will be a great Jazz singer.However Rosa, who is the darkest of Nora and Douglas' three children, and is reminded all her life by her color-struck grandmother, Lilly, that she is not good enough, soon develops a hard shell in order to fend off the negativity.Rosa is at times an unsympathetic character.If you don't understand her motivation, you may not like her.That is the mark of a memorable character: she has a good side and a not so good side.
She makes mistakes.For example, she loves a man who is destined to marry another.And even when he marries, she does not give him up.The triangle is set, and there is certain to be a showdown somewhere down the line.Believe me, you will be reading this book well into the wee hours.And the conclusion is shocking to say the least.

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The Jazz Flower is a follow-up to Forbidden Circles, which ends with Nora Johnson and Douglas Stills expecting their first child.In The Jazz Flower, the child is born.Later, the couple has two more children.But it is their first child, Rosa, who takes center stage. Rosa Johnson Stills grows and blooms into a beautiful mocha-hued jazz singer in 1930s and '40s Washington, D.C.During those years, Rosa challenges her light-skinned grandmother, Lilly, who low rates her dark skin color and her jazz dream.Rosa also fights her rival, socialite Iris Haywood, in an endless effort to possess her first love, Attorney Alan Covington.Because of a long-ago pact their families made, Alan is pledged to Iris.And Iris will never let him go.Eventually, Rosa relocates to New York City to take a singing job at The Blue Phoenix nightclub and to try to forget Alan.In New York, Rosa dates Jackson Parker, a racketeer.But Alan is in her arms whenever he's in New York on business ─ even after he and Iris are married.Parker threatens to kill Rosa if he catches her with another man.Set in the Swing and Bebop eras of jazz music, The Jazz Flower unfolds prejudice, obsession, and murder, as it transports readers from D.C. to New York, to Paris, France, on its way to a riveting conclusion.

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The Blackwell Guide to Recorded Jazz (Blackwell Reference) [Paperback] Review

Barry Kernfeld's book of recommended jazz recordings is without peer not only for its depth of coverage for individual artists and recordings, but also for its sense of historical perspective and scholarly approach.While I may consult other sources, Kernfeld et al consistently offer a more thorough and thoughtful discussion of each of the recordings it covers. Strongly recommended.

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Thelonious Monk Plays Standards - Volume 1: Piano Transcriptions (Artist Transcriptions) [Paperback] Review

you have no vision of jazz piano until you see the Solo, away from the group who's keepeen the beat, and laying down the bass for you, this just frees you up a bit, Monk created his greea-test solos in the group, all those spiky chords, Ab-D-G, or cd-Ab-Db,also the suspension(S) of the beat attest to his interest in expanding what we call music, But if you've never heard Solo you really haven't heard anything, Also Cecil Taylor, needs a review of Solo, what he creates, the bonfires he sets with the Solo Piano,

But Monk equally did Solo Work,n'had a way of practicing, taking only one song and playing it for hours, to see what was in it, He did this with all the tunes here, and I guess you can say that what is here was the best reading of possibly I don't know 10 different reading of each tune. Still you get the interesting dimensions of what Monk could do with harmonies, and chords,-flatted and sharped 5ths and Ninths, is where the tension comes from, in a Blues progression you need to sharp the Ninth, as in C-Major, Tonic Chord is now E-Bb-D#, and F-Chord, is F-A-B-Eb, greet stuff.When he Went Solo he kept the traditional stride Left Hand, something if you look for it in group Work it remains but, He began to use his Left Hand in the Group as rhythm as percussion products, with cluster chords, even in "Bright Mississippi", he uses his whole arm for accents.

My favorite here is "everything happens to me", sums up the state of the globe now for us down here, you can play this over and over again and still find different voices between the hands, I found myself developing from what is written out, and it is fairly faithful to the recording, well one of them in that Monk always took multiple taks on all the Tunes herein. "Don't Blame me" as well, has great dissonances, that you can develop even more, and the classic now, "just a gigolo', who would think this Vegas tune could be made into a classic, but again the dissonances are incredible, it lives forever because of the unresolved tensions you have here;and there are more hesitations in Live than in the transcription; I found that you can really make your own half hour solos from what is written here, and apply the chords in and around the other tunes, like a paradigm that lives throughout all the tunes herein.There are other more strenuus as "devil and Deep Blue Sea", difficult to bring off, and Gershwin's "Liza" you really need to work with vision. . . This is the best book I've found thus far on Monk or any jazz transcriptions, the other are too skeletle,too obvious to do you any good, if you really want to learnnn jazz. But please listen to Monk play without the music first, and bring that experience internally inside yourself, then you can go and play from this Book. . . it will change the way you think about music. . .

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Product Description:
Volume 1 features note-for-note transcriptions of Monk's renditions of 11 jazz classics: April in Paris * Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea * Dinah * Don't Blame Me * Everything Happens to Me * I Should Care * I Surrender, Dear * Just a Gigolo * Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) * Nice Work If You Can Get It * Sweet and Lovely. Includes a biography and a discography.

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Jingle Jazz (Phillip Keveren) [Paperback] Review

I bought this book from the glowing reviews, but was a bit disappointed that it was rather simplistic for my tastes.Don't get me wrong, the chord structures were interesting and pleasing to the ear, but it wasn't much of a challenge to play them.Still I'm not regretful of having it in my library.

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Product Description:
This excellent collection features 17 Christmas standards arranged with a touch of cool by Phillip Keveren. Includes: Caroling, Caroling * The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) * (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays * I'll Be Home for Christmas * Jingle Bells * Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! * Merry Christmas, Darling * The Most Wonderful Time of the Year * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer * Silver Bells * We Wish You a Merry Christmas * and more.

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Tonight At Noon: A Love Story [Paperback] Review

I purchased this book because I have loved the music of Charles Mingus since I first purchased Ah Um. What I expected was a breezily written collection of Mingus stories, colorful anecdotes involving gigs and musicians and glimpses of the magic of creation. And certainly there is some of that in this book - Mingus' diet foibles and paranoid fears and erratic public behaviors elicit laughter and disbelief in the reader. Mingus opinions are never tepid - Miles' voice gets lost in his later fusion era, and Coltrane became a musical preacher that never changed his sermon. Those who played completely free (Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders, for instance) were participating in a shuck and trying to trick both a white audience and themselves while neglecting the fact that any music has to come from an historical common place.
For a man as massive in stature and appetites as Mingus, his fragility is touching.He is demanding, mercurial, and larger than life; all qualities that get clearly demonstrated by the author. There is also some material that covers Sue's upbringing in an undemonstrative household that initially seems distracting but eventually becomes appropriate to the narrative. The tense switches from past to present on occasions, as though journal entries have been inserted.
However, the book is really, as advertised, a love story. Detailed at length is the Mingus household's battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, from the initial diagnosis to the increasingly desperate attempts to obtain a cure, to the heart attack that eventually takes Mingus' life. Underlying all the voodoo and the iguana blood cocktails and the wildly exploratory midnight rides through the Mexican countryside is a testament to the power of human love and kindness.

The reason I hoped this book would be a lightly written witness to Mingus is because I purchased it as something to read during the nights I am spending at the bedside of my dying father. Instead there is much that is grimly familiar here - after weeks of caregiving you find yourself not knowing what day it might be, idly speculating of ways to end a loved one's life that might look perfectly natural, wrestling with your own spiritual loneliness. Nevertheless, this is a great book for music fans in general, and Mingus fans in particular.

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