Student's Guide to College Music Programs (Students Guide to College Music Programs) [Paperback] Review

I was diappointed and underwhelmed by this book.There just wasn't much information. To it's credit, a couple things this book lists that the regular college guides don't is the name music program, e.g., "Conservatory of Music," "Department of Music," "College of Fine and Performing Arts," etc.It also - usually - lists the name of the department head.

Beyond that???It appears that schools were given the option of providing additional text; most schools did not bother.Many listings - and this is a huge shortcoming - did not even list what degrees a particular school conferred!So, okay, the a college has a department of music... BA program?BS?Music Education?Performance?Graduate program????For many listings there is no info on this at all.This means the book is mainly a glossary of addresses.However, if you are more interested in knowing the state flower, bird, motto, and year the state entered the union, as opposed to what degrees the school offers, what (if any) musical accreditation it has, how much it costs to go there, if it is public or private school, whether or not it is affiliated with any church, or how competitive admissions are, you will either have to cross-check with another college guide, or look up each college individually online to get even that very basic information.

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Product Description:
The publishers of School Band and Orchestra magazine proudly present this third edition, offering expanded state-by-state (and now Canadian) listings of more than 1,300 college and university music programs. Detailed information is given for each of the schools listed, including basic admission contacts, course requirements, and music programs. Every state also has its own "home page," with useful facts for students, such as music programs within the state, general state stats, and population figures. Also includes invaluable articles on financial aid, what's expected of incoming freshmen, following a musical vocation, and more.

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The Definitive Dixieland Collection (Definitive Collections) [Paperback] Review

This collection of one of the earliest forms of jazz provides some ancient tunes that nevertheless keep people's feet moving decades later.Many of the 73 tunes will be familiar to those who have spent even a second in New Orleans.Scattered throughout are also some venerable blues.Anyone looking for the written notes of some of the songs featured in Ken Burns' "Jazz" can find many here, including "Livery Stable Blues" and "Maple Leaf Rag."You won't be disappointed.
Songs included: After You've Gone Ain't Misbehavin' Alexander's Ragtime Band Angry Baby, Won't You Please Come Home Ballin' the Jack Basin Street Blues Beale Street Blues Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home Black Bottom Stomp Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me Bugle Call Rag The Chant Climax Rag Copenhagen Dallas Blues Darktown Shuffle Deep Henerson Dinah Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans Doctor Jazz Everybody Loves My Baby Farewell Blues Frog-I-More Rag A Good Man is Hard to Find Grandpa's Spells High Society Honeysuckle Rose I Ain't Got Nobody I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter I've Found a New Baby Ida (Sweet as Apple Cider) Indiana (Back Home Again in Indiana) The Jazz-Me Blues Kansas City Stomp King Porter Stomp Livery Stable Blues Mahogany Hall Stomp Mama's Gone, Goodbye Maple Leaf Rag Melancholy Milenberg Joys Mississippi Mud Muskrat Ramble My Honey's Lovin' Arms Original Dixieland One-Step Ory's Creole Trombone The Pearls Rosetta Royal Garden Blues San Shreveport Stomps Sidewalk Blues Sobbin' Blues Some of these Days St. Louis Blues Struttin' with some Barbecue Sugar Blues Sugar Foot Stomp The Tailgate Ramble 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do That's a Plenty There'll be some Changes Made Tin Roof Blues Tishomingo Blues Walkin' the Dog 'Way Down Yonder in New Orleans Weary Blues When the Saints Go Marching In Wild Man Blues Willie the Weeper Wolverine Blues

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Product Description:
Over 70 Dixieland classics, including: Ain't Misbehavin' * Alexander's Ragtime Band * Basin Street Blues * Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? * Dinah * Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? * I Ain't Got Nobody * King Porter Stomp * Shreveport Stomp * When the Saints Go Marching In * and more.

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The Contemporary Keyboardist and Expanded (Instructional) [Plastic Comb] Review

John Novello is an amazing musician.Having a book that gives insite into his approach would be quite valuable all by itself, but he has put together a very comprehensive work that is a must have for any musician looking to expand his/her knowledge and abilities.In this modern age where the electronic keyboard provides the easiest access to the world of instrumentation, as a songwriter/arranger I find John's Contemporary Keyboardist to be an essential reference, especially as my main instrument is the guitar.

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Product Description:
This comprehensive, 562-page method, called "Solid, readable and relevant" by Keyboard magazine and "The major work for today's pianists" by International Musician, is divided into four sections. The first, "A Philosophy of Music," deals with communication, cause-effect principles and practice disciplines. The second section, "Mechanics," covers all the basics of keyboard music and playing (notation, harmony, improv, sight reading, etc.), as well as their applications. The third section, "The Business Scene," contains guidelines and industry advice for contemporary keyboardists. Section four, "Interviews," provides insights into the artistry and technique of famous players such as Herbie Hancock, Henry Mancini, Edgar Winter, Keith Emerson, Paul Shaffer and many more. Includes an index.

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The Ultimate Broadway Fake Book [Plastic Comb] Review

This is a good buy for a pro pianist like me who might get requests for tunes I've never heard of from shows I've never seen. It has three indexes: by tune, by show, and by composers and lyricists.

One of the best things in the book is an alphabetical show-by-show synopsis, containing information about each show's history, its major personnel, and its plot.

However -- and it's a BIG however; in fact, several howevers: an awful lot of the songs are second-rate and I can't imagine getting requests for them, or even wanting to play them myself.

The bookproclaims its inclusion of "great songs" from several more recent shows such as "Rent"; gimme a break -- these songs are barely listenable, much less "great."

Throughout the book, many of the chord changes are incorrect (this is a musician's constant complaint about ALL fake books).

Most of the songs do not include the verse (and for Rodgers & Hart, Gershwin, and Kern these are often essential parts of the song). And there are inexplicable omissions.

For example: (1) Some of the included shows are lacking some of their best songs: "The Nervous Set" omits "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," "Finian's Rainbow" omits "Necessity." "The Merry Widow" omits "The Merry Widow Waltz." "Mack and Mabel" omits "I Promise You a Happy Ending." (2) Some excellent shows are missing altogether. No "L'il Abner." No Cy Coleman's "I Love My Wife." And Leonard Bernstein is represented only by two songs from "Wonderful Town"; no "Candide," no "On the Town," no "West Side Story."

And of course there are many songs I already own in other collections, although the book is useful as a one-stop source for all of these, and there are about fifty to a hundred decent to superb songs that I own nowhere else.

There is ample representation of Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kern, Gershwin, Porter, Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman, Harold Arlen, Lerner & Loewe, Andrew Lloyd Webber, et al.

In the end, despite its flaws, to me the book was well worth the price.

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Product Description:
Over 720 songs from over 240 Broadway shows! Recently revised to include hits from Martin Guerre, Rent, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Sunset Boulevard, Victor/Victoria, and more! This is the definitive collection of Broadway music, featuring: * Song title index * Show title index * Composer and lyricist index * Synopses of each show. Song highlights include: Ain't Misbehavin' * All I Ask of You * Another Op'nin' Another Show * As Long As He Needs Me * At The Ballet * Bali Ha'i * Beauty and the Beast * Bewitched * Cabaret * Camelot * Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man * Castle on a Cloud * Consider Yourself * Dance: Ten, Looks: Three * Day by Day * Do-Re-Mi * Don't Cry for Me Argentina * Down in the Depths (On the Ninetieth Floor) * Edelweiss * Everything's Coming Up Roses * Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye * Getting to Know You * Give My Regards to Broadway * Hello, Dolly! * How Are Things in Glocca Morra * How High the Moon * I Don't Know How to Love Him * I Dreamed a Dream * If I Can't Love Her * If I Were a Man * If I Were a Rich Man * (I'm a) Yankee Doodle Dandy * The Impossible Dream * The Lady Is a Tramp * Last Night of the World * Love Changes Everything * The Music of the Night * Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' * Oklahoma * Ol' Man River * On My Own * Only You * People * The Rain in Spain * Seasons of Love * Send in the Clowns * The Sound of Music * Starlight Express * Tell Me on a Sunday * Tell Me to Go * Tomorrow * Unexpected Song * Waitin' for the Light to Shine * What I Did for Love * With One Look * You'll Never Walk Alone * more!

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King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era [Paperback] Review

My review in two words: BUY IT.
This book is probably as thorough of a study into the life of Scott Joplin as is possible.Edward Berlin has obviously exhausted every resource available to him, and throughout, the book is well-noted - that is to say he gives credit to probably 99.9% of the sources of his information in the section for notes.Berlin has went through census records, newspapers, other books on ragtime, interviews with/statements given by numerous people affiliated with Scott Joplin and countless other sources for this book.This book is 99.9% true, solid facts; he seldom states a personal opinion, and when he does, it is made blatantly clear that that is what he is doing.This book also includes a listing of the complete known works of Scott Joplin, and the sheet music for the three songs "Good-bye Old Gal Good-bye", "Snoring Sampson" and "Lovin' Babe".(I would like to say in response to someone else's review that it is very difficult for me to see how the biography of a *musician* can be "interrupted" with music scores.)

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Teach Yourself Chords and Progressions at the Keyboard (Book & CD) [Paperback] Review

This is a wonderful book, if you're interested in learning how to put chords together to create music at the piano. It teaches you all the basic progressions and provides many beautiful samples of how to put them into action. I'm writing mostly to counterbalance the one other review that appears here. That person made a mistake on their order, thinking that they were buying a book that provided a list of all the chords. Undoubtedly, such a book could be a useful tool, perhaps especially in conjunction with this book. If you read the description of this book, you will clearly see what it offers. I recommend it.

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Product Description:
Teach Yourself Chords & Progressions at the Keyboardwill have you playing great chords and progressions right from the beginning. You will learn how to build and organize all the traditional jazz chords into progressions in every key. As you progress, you will learn how to comp, create new bass rhythms and improvise from chord symbols using blues and ii-V progressions. Also included are unique arrangements demonstrating how to play in the style of Meade Lux Lewis, Erroll Garner and Bill Evans.

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Marian McPartland's Jazz World: All in Good Time (Music in American Life) [Hardcover] Review

If you're a fan of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz show on NPR, you'll adore reading this fabulous book about her life in the music business. Music flows through her writing. It's clear that her radio skills stem from her uncanny ability to really listen to what's going on around her, and she achieves the same warm and intelligent result with her writing. As my friend Daryl Sherman says, Marian is one of the wonders of the world.

[ASIN:0879308826 Piano Girl: A Memoir]]

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Product Description:
In this collection of musical portraits, jazz pianist and radio host Marian McPartland pays tribute to such beloved and legendary figures as Benny Goodman, Bill Evans, Joe Morello, Paul Desmond, Alec Wilder, Mary Lou Williams, and others. McPartland's reminiscences and anecdotes about these jazz greats are informed by her encyclopedic knowledge of their music, making this richly detailed collection an important addition to the literature of jazz.
In a preface to this new edition -- originally published as All in Good Time -- McPartland extends her commentary to include details of her long-running National Public Radio show "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz" and memories of her late husband, famed Chicago trumpeter Jimmy McPartland.

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Improvising Blues Piano (w/cd) (Music Sales America) [Paperback] Review

Martan Mann can most definately play piano.The accompanying CD may almost be worth the price to hear him play.However, you're looking for instruction if you're reading this.I don't want to slam his product too hard.I'll just say he doesn't teach well and there's not allot of real meat here for beginners.I've also purchased Andrew D. Gordon's 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs.Riffs in all keys with many many different basslines and virtually zero instruction.Then, finally, I got my hands on something I absolutely love and can recommend wholeheartedly to anyone without a vast musical background who wants to play the blues.Check out the book/cd combos level 1 and 2 by David Bennet Cohen.You won't be dissappointed.I just ordered "Improvising Blues Piano" by Tim Richards and am very excited about it as well.One more you might look into.

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Product Description:
Unlock the mystery of blues improvisation as you develop an understanding of different blues styles and express yourself through your music. Contains scores of exercises designed to get you playing the blues.

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Touched by Jazz: Gospel Favorites for Piano [Paperback] Review

I consider myself to be a late-intermediate pianist.I can't memorize to save my life, but I pride myself in my sight reading ability.With other piano jazz books that I have purchased, I have been able to sit down and read through the book with few hiccups.However, this book is definitely the most challenging I have in my collection.I am not rating it as a three simply because I can't play it as well as I would like to, but because even when I do take the time and effort to get all the notes, I don't likethe arrangements.Some of they are simply beautiful, and then some are less so.

I would recommend this book to an advanced accompanist.The hymns that Paxton arranges in this book are difficult to find elsewhere as piano solos, so if you're looking for good old favorites and can devote the time to learning them, get this book.

However, if you are interested in getting some easier jazz piano pieces for performing in church, I would highly recommend the Phillip Kevern series.

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Product Description:
Touched by the warm, lush harmonies of the jazz idiom, these ten gospel gems are given an endearing new sparkle by the deft compositional hand of David Paxton. Improvisatory in nature, fresh in spirit, and imbued with many "oh, that's nice" moments, these tastefully crafted settings are a joy to play and hear.

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Pictures of an Exhibitionist: From the Nice to Emerson Lake and Palmer - The True Story of the Man Who Changed the Sound of Rock [Paperback] Review

Like the other reviewers here, I was and am a big ELP fan. As soon I heard Keith Emerson's playing, I was dumb-struck by his virtuosity and musical vision, one that, alas, did not play out too well over the years. I eagerly awaited this book, mainly because I wanted to hear what Keith Emerson had to say about his music.
There's a scene in "Spinal Tap" when David St. Hubbins is playing a beautiful piano piece and Rob Reiner asks him what the music is called . St. Hubbins replies "Lift my Love Pump." Well, I think that might sum up this book, and I can't say I wasn't warned by the title.
There are virtues here, however. Emerson has a breezy, conversational writing style that goes down easy, and he doesn't write a self-serving book in the least. The first part of the book, from his childhood to his breaking up the Nice is the best part, funny, and heartwarming. It struck me how much Emerson loved Lee Jackson and Brian Davidson, and the affection for his once and future bandmates mixed well with the stories. I often found myself laughing out loud.
The ELP and after sections are troubled. It's clear Emerson never liked Lake, and had a brotherly and patronizing attitude towards Palmer. But love between bandmates doesn't necessarily make great music, however, after reading this book and listening to the ELP oveure, I finally sensed the coldness that so many critics complained about.
The descent into drugs, the sadness of an abortion caused by miscommunication, the wrecking of Emerson's hand and the subsequent operations all make the second half of the book more than a bit sad. Emerson might have toned his words for this part of the book, but it continues in a breakneck and breezy manner, giving the impression (false I'm sure) that Emerson didn't care about these things.
My biggest complaint, however, is that he hardly discusses the music at all.I would have put up with hijinx and lines of coke with Bonzo better if he had talked about composing Tarkus more.
Still, for a proghead and synthfool like me, Pics of Ex is worth reading, even if the God of the Moog diminishes himself.

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Ragtime Jubilee: 41 Piano Gems, 1911-21 [Paperback] Review

In fact, this collection shows some of the best development of ragtime towards the end of the era outside of the classic rags of Joplin, Scott, Lamb and Matthews. It also demonstrates to some extent the output from Tin Pan Alley, as well as a few dance tunes. There are challenges (Rufenreddy and Pork and Beans), great experiments (My Pet), parodies (Operatic Rag, Hungarian Rag and Russian Rag), and just plain good music (Midnight Trot, Hot-House Rag, etc.). Not all of these will challenge the average pianist, and some are actually easy to work out. Plus 42 pieces at this price? Some of them would take many years and many dollars to obtain now. Get the book instead. Thank me later! You can hear many of these pieces on my site as well.

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Product Description:
Treasury of old-time tunes, filled with distinctively energetic andsyncopated rhythms, includes "Angel Food," "Pork and Beans," "Tiddle-De-Winks," "Blue Moon," "The Foot Warmer,"37 other musical gems. Fun to play and hear, these songs are reprinted from rare music sheets, complete with original covers.


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Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography [Hardcover] Review

What is Ragtime? David A. Jasen gives the definitive musical definition as well as the history of Ragtime from it's beginning to the present day in his latest book "Ragtime An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography" published by Routledge. It's 550 pages, hardcover, 8 ½" X 11".

Jasen describes in detail the categories of Ragtime. From the Early Folk Rags, The Joplin Tradition or Classic Ragtime, Popular Ragtime, Advanced Ragtime, Novelty Ragtime, Stride Ragtime, and Jelly Roll Morton's Ragtime. Ragtime's original heyday as well as its Revivals are covered up to the present day.

The book is divided into 4 primary sections. The first section contains the Encyclopedia entries. You can look up Composer, Performer, and Publisher Profiles, Ragtime Compositions with musical descriptions and other interesting related facts. There are over 100 images of rare photos and artifacts from the Ragtime era. Including a signed contract between Scott Joplin and his publisher John Stark for his landmark composition "The Maple Leaf Rag". There are images of Sheet Music, Record and Piano Roll Labels, Period Advertising, Composers, Performers, and Places of historical interest.

As a serious collector of Ragtime Sheet Music, Piano Rolls and Records, I really appreciate the next three sections of the book. The perennial question for the collector is "What's out there to collect?"For the performer it might be "What tune can I perform that nobody else has done or may even know about?" Stamp collectors have their Scott's Catalog to see what's possible to collect. We Ragtimers have a Discography, Ragtime Piano Rollography, and Sheetography, thanks to Professor Jasen, the first to have published them. I check off the items I own, and then I can see the items I need.

Appendix 1Rags On Record: A Discography

"The intention of this discography is to identify all commercially released discs of 78s, 45s, and LPs throughout the world since the beginning of Ragtime recording in 1897." The discography lists the Compositions alphabetically with the Composer, followed by Performers, Record Speeds, Record Companies and Number, and Year of release.

Appendix 2Ragtime Piano Rollography

There are Ragtime Compositions that were never published in sheet music form, or recorded on disc, as you will note from the entries in the encyclopedia. However, some compositions do turn up on Piano Roll. Some of the performances are truly extraordinary. The Rollography lists the Compositions with Composers alphabetically, then the Roll Companies and Number. If the roll is an early 65-note type it's indicated. The performer is listed if the roll is hand played.

Appendix 3Published Rags In America

There's an alphabetical list of over 2000 Published Instrumental Ragtime compositions. It lists the Composition followed by the Composer, Date, Publisher, City and State of Publication.

David A Jasen is internationally recognized as a leading authority and collector of American Popular Music. He's authored many well-received reference books on Ragtime, Early Jazz and Popular Music. He produced many sheet music folios and Records. As a Composer and Performer, The Professor captures the true essence of Ragtime. He is Professor of Media Arts at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University, where he has been teaching for the past 35 years.

Joel@sheetmusiccenter.com
www.sheetmusiccenter.com

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Product Description:

Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography is the definitive reference work for this important popular form of music that flourished from the 1890s through the 1920s, and was one of the key predecessors of jazz. It collects for the first time entries on all the important composers and performers, and descriptions of their works; a complete listing of all known published ragtime compositions, even those self-published and known only in single copies; and a complete discography from the cylinder era to today. It also represents the culmination of a lifetime's research for its author, considered to be the foremost scholar of ragtime and early 20^th century popular music.Rare photographs accompany most entries, taken from the original sheets, newspapers, and other archival sources. Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography will be a standard reference for anyone interested in the history of jazz.

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Keyboard Runs for the Pop & Jazz Stylist [Paperback] Review

This is my first review for Amazon. I wish someone had warned me before buying this book.

On the plus side this book gives you loads of runs that are mostly practical. They're offered in three (good) keys and give you fingering suggestions. The author is a gifted pianist who really knows her stuff. You get the feeling she's giving you the runs that really helped her as she was learning her craft. That's it for the positive comments.

On the downside:
1-I don't know why the title includes the word Pop. All the runs are blues/jazz.
I was hoping there would be some ideas to throw in to a real pop tune.
2-Many of the runs are great but about half seem like filler.
3- Too many jazz and bebop runs. There fine I guess but if you're going through the trouble of learning someone else's bebop runs why not just get a Charlie Parker book and steal from a master.
4- This is the biggie.... This is the reason I can't recomend this book and want my money back for it:
The CD.
4a-it sounds like it was recorded in a bedroom on an answering machine.
4b-The piano she plays is so out of tune that you can't even transpose your keyboard to match it.
4c-All the runs in each style (that's four) Are included on 1 CD track.
That means Blues run 27 is 5 minutes into track 2. That makes it very inconvenient to audition,play along with, or learn any of the runs.
4d-Not all the runs are on the cd. She jumps around and doesn't always play each run in all keys. This makes it difficult to even know what you're hearing. Doesn't help that piano is out of tune.

Anyway. If you're a good reader you could probably go through all the runs quickly, pick out the ones that work best for you and get a huge value out of this book.
If you're like me, and like to hear what the riffs/runs sound like you're out of luck.

Sorry my first review was such a downer.

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Product Description:
Dozens upon dozens of runs and fills professional pianists use to add style to their performance. Includes various styles of runs such as: swing and society, blues, jazzy bebop, and contemporary. In addition, Noreen Grey Lienhard, one of today's pop pianists and arrangers, has demonstrated many of them on the enclosed CD in a special note-by-note slow versions, and at full tempo.

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Barrelhouse and Boogie Piano (Music Sales America) [Paperback] Review

The transcriptions of some of the greatest barrelhouse and blues pianists such as Jelly Roll Morton, Meade Lux Lewis, Memphis Slim, along with their history are in this music book.
There is also a tantalizing CD of samples of the pieces in the book as played by the great blues pianists. This gives essential information as to how the syncopation and rubato sounds in the hands of the masters. The only problem is that as the snippet gets going, you really want to hear the entire piece and whammo! It's only a few seconds per piece, 12 minutes in all. Why oh why couldn't they put at least a few complete works on the CD?
Other than that quibble, this is a great book for blues piano, though greats such as Roosevelt Sykes are to be found in a companion volume, not in this one.
A must for blues lovers who play keyboard.

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Product Description:
An important instruction guide to the blues-style piano by the author of Six Blues Roots Pianists. Complete with music transcriptions and excerpts from the original recordings of 22 piano greats.

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Classic Piano Rags [Paperback] Review

There are a fair number of books on the market with ragtime sheet music in them.This is the one I've used the most over the years, since despite its quirks it's the best way of getting a hold of a generous amount of period ragtime, in unedited form.
About that "unedited form".The book photographically reproduces the original sheet music verbatim.This has its downside: the original music companies printed things in a quick'n'dirty manner, & while the sheet music from Stark (Joplin, Lamb, Scott, &c) is usually well-presented & carefully set, some of the other music is sprinkled with errors & eccentricities, especially the tunes by Charles Hunter.However, I'd rather have the typos--easily fixed--than have some meddling editor tidy up the text.Editions of these tunes by people like Max Morath tend to have a fair bit of editorial interference, & I'd much rather see what the tunes looked like without that kind of filtering.
Dover also prides itself on historically accurate reprints.This means that you get the original cover art.....which is as you'd imagine often pretty offensive by modern standards in its depiction of African-Americans.Still, it's just as well to be reminded of the historical conditions of this music's creation and dissemination. -- What's more irritating & less justifiable about the decision to include cover art is that it completely throws off the pagination.Since each piece is typically 4 pages long, adding the cover art makes for 5 pages--so that every second piece has its page turns in exactly the wrong place.This isn't a minor quibble: often the page turns are as a result placed in the middle of repeats, at key moments in the score, &c.Dover ought to have added some blank pages to keep the rectos & versos in the right sequence.
Anyway, enough caviling.What you get is an enormous pile of Joplin--nice, but that's easily enough available elsewhere.But you get a huge selection of work by most of the other really interesting figures of the period.I think Blesh's concept of "Classic Ragtime" is a crock, an attempt to make polemical distinctions between high art & popular trash in a genre where such distinctions are hard to make.& what does the idiosyncratic, rather naive music of Charles Hunter have to do with the sophisticated creations of Joplin or Artie Matthews anyway?Anyway, it's great to have all this stuff here--pieces by Robert Hampson, Hunter, Charles L Johnson, Joplin, Joe Jordan, Joe Lamb, Arthur Marshall, Matthews, Scott, Charles Thompson, Tom Turpin, Percy Wenrich, Clarence Woods.I've spent years working through the book.
Fans of this book, by the way, should check out Trebor Tichenor's two volumes of ragtime rarities for Dover--these include some terribly obscure stuff along with lesser-known Scott & Lamb pieces, & is very much worth exploring if you're curious about the genre.

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Product Description:
Best ragtime music (1897-1922) by the greatest ragtime composers of the age: Scott Joplin, James Scott, Joseph Lamb, Tom Turpin, nine more. Definitive collection for lovers and performers of ragtime.


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Blues, Jazz and Rock Riffs for Keyboards (Instructional) [Paperback] Review

This is a good book for anyone who hasn't played much rock or blues.The book is full of riffs - however, I found that there were sometimes riffs that were almost identical.You might play 2 pages of riffs, but it really is 2-3 riffs with some variations.

I'm not saying that this is particularly bad - especially if you would benefit from working on and perfecting some good finger patterns.These are mainly usable riffs and if you got used to playing them, I think you'd find that you use them a lot.

One of my favorite parts of this book happens to be when Mr. Eveleth writes short compositions that use these riffs one right after the other.This really gives a feel as to how you might go about using these riffs in a practical setting.

Also, almost everything is in the key of C.There are some benefits to this - but if you're going to get your money from this book, better be ready to either write out transpostions, or better yet, learn to transpose in your head.If you get all these riffs down in C, F, G and perhaps Bb and Eb, you will be able to play them without problem in most of the songs you'll come across.

I didn't personally spend much time with this book.I read through it once at the keyboard - played around with the compositions a bit, played the riffs that I liked in a few keys and otherwise, I only get it out once in a while to find a new finger pattern or idea.

This is a pretty good book if you take into consideration a few of the limiations I've mentioned!I would recommend it!

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Product Description:
This book presents a practical approach to improvising through a system of patterns in a traditional blues style. Because so much of today's popular music has its roots in blues, the material included here is a vital component of jazz, rock, RandB, gospel, soul, and even pop. The author has compiled actual licks, riffs, turnaround phrases, embellishments, and basic patterns that define good piano blues and can be used as a basis for players to explore and create their own style.

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Well-tempered Jazz [Paperback] Review

Any pianist who plays in a contemporary church setting is familiar with Mark Hayes.His books of piano arrangements have a long history, and Mark is also a versatile arranger for choir, and other areas.I have quite an extensive classical and sacred piano background; but my one (admitted) weakness is jazz.This book is fabulous.The arrangmeents are all of familiar numbers, and particularly ones that lend themselves well to jazz interpretations.Admittedly, the books is challenging.I'd put it somewhere between Medium Difficulty, and Advanced.Someone with more of a jazz background might pick it up more easily.I have to work hard at learning the jazz rhythms, and the jazz chord progressions.But the end result is a very valuable book of wonderful arrangements.

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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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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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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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