Blues & Jazz Complete Review

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(More customer reviews)Dr. Konowitz presents a thorough, pedagogically sound introduction to blues and jazz. The book is spiral bound, so it lays flat on your music stand. A variety of blues and jazz techniques are meticulously illustrated. New chords are introduced with a nice full page guide to the keyboard fingering. It is a bit cookie cutter, but having the fingering written out below and above the staffs is a plus. My only complaint is that the "band" seems to be a cheesy concoction of General MIDI instruments played through an inadequate sound engine. The CD sound quality is irritating. One word of extra advice: You will not need the CD for the companion book, Chords Complete, because it only contains incidental backing rhythm tracks for the chord exercises. I have four books authored byKonowitz. The sound quality of the CDs are uniformly cheesy except for the Listen and Learn Blues Book published in 2002.

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Product Description:
Save lots of time searching for ways to play Blues and Jazz.All you need to know to begin playing these great styles is carefully organized here by master teacher and performer Bert Konowitz.Learn to play blues scales, chord voicing, progressions, left-hand accompaniments and improv techniques.Unlock the basics of Latin, Rock, Bebop, Pop Ballads and Fusion styles. Start playing Blues and Jazz now!

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Voicings For Jazz Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)This book explains away all the mysteries involved in quartal jazz harmony, as well as provides great insight into using triads over dominant sevenths and voice leading.Frank gets right to the heart of the matterand presents it in a straight-forward, easy to understand manner, which isthe way it should be.Great for ANY instrumentalist and a great resourcefor jazz arrangers.

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A respected soloist, clinician and writer, Mantooth has written this book for any keyboard player interested in developing better jazz chord voicing. Written more as a Õhow-toÕ book than a textbook, Voicings will make a valuable addition to the library of any performer, arranger, teacher or jazz theorist.

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Jazz Improvisation, Revised Review

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

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

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

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

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Scales for Jazz Improvisation: A Practice Method for All Instruments Review

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(More customer reviews)I just started to work with this book.It tells you where you can play these scales...over what cords. I have to work on my execution but this looks like the right route for me.

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Haerle presents the scales used in improvisation and explains applications. Scales shown in all keys and treble and bass clefs include blues, ionian, dorian, phrygian, locrian as well as whole tone, chromatic, augmented and many more. Great aid to memorizing.

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Building a Jazz Vocabulary (Jazz Book) Review

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(More customer reviews)Described in one word: useful!
If you were going to teach someone to read, would you start out by having them memorize and repeat great speeches from history, or would you teach them the alphabet and how to recognizecommon words and phrases?
Building a Jazz Vocabulary takes the latterapproach and is a very cleanly organized book in which each sectioncontains a brief explanation and expository exercises that illuminate afundamental feature of the language of Jazz.
Topics covered includeintervals, chords, scales, progressions, and solo building, among others. Perhap the gem of the book is the excellent coverage of cells and thedevelopment of melodic line.
One of the real advantages of Building aJazz Vocabulary is that the exercises are not mindless transcriptions orthe painfully mechanical contrivances that all too commonly fill up endlesspages in many music books.Instead, each topic is covered with just enoughexplanation to make sure you get it intellectually and just enough examplesand exercises to allow you to see how it works in practice.The topic thenends by providing enough suggestions on practice and application that youcan proceed on your own for a lifetime or two.
As a result, this is therare kind of music instruction book where you *will* want to have yourinstruments in hand, but *will not* just be reading exercises off of apage.
A couple of things to be aware of, this book doesn't do a lot ofhand-holding; it's written in an easy to understand manner but it isdefinately for adults and does presume some existing knowledge of music andmusic theory.Additionally, it covers 'vocabulary' only in the sense ofnotes and phrases.Coverage of intonation or rhythm is very brief.
FWIW,I'm a somewhat experienced musician and play a number of instruments,primarily guitar and violin.My wife is a relative novice and plays tenorsax.We both love this book.I'll be getting her a copy for her birthday. Do I love my wife?Sure!But mostly, getting her a copy of her own isthe only certain way to ensure she keeps her grubby fingers off ofmine!
- Cayenne

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A valuable resource for learning the basics of jazz from Mike Steinel of the University of North Texas. It covers the basics of jazz, how to build effective solos, a comprehensive practice routine, and a jazz vocabulary of the masters.

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Jazz Theory and Practice Review

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

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

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

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

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

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Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony (Jazz Book) Review

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(More customer reviews)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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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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Elements of the Jazz Language for the Developing Improvisor Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is an excellent book on the music language of jazz.It's not a method book on improvisation but it can be used as one.Jerry Coker points out that all of the jazz great musicians are not pulling musical notes out of the air to improvise.Their solos are truly well thought out music compositions.Jerry Coker points out that in order to create or play an improvised solo you do need to know what you aredoing.Throughout the book he has shown excerpts from various solos of very great jazz musicians, such as Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Kenny Dorham just to name several.He has also shown analyses of full solos by some of these great musicians.What Jerry Coker has done is taken this book to explain the various elements of any jazz solo and presented them in a way that any intermediate level musician (possibly a beginner) could understand.I think this book is for the musician that is at an intermediate level in music or jazz music theory to benefit from it.Mr. Coker has identified many improvisational elements that goes into creating musical jazz solos from aural and written analyses of solos.For example, the number patterns, scalar patterns, 3-b9 melodic motion, target note enclosures, 7-3 melodic resolutions, linear harmonic generalizations, the difference between musical quotes and musical licks, bebop scales and more chord related scales and why they work for certain types of chords, bar-line shifts of linear harmony.Mr. Coker tactfully explains each element and how they can be connected to make good melodic sensical jazz music.He has created exercises along with a play-along CD to help the aspiring jazz musician.
This book takes the mystery or mystique out of the solos of the jazz greats.It IS possible and probable for any dedicated musician to reach that stature.In the past my lesson teacher would always tell me to play my scales and chords for solos...and I did.But nothing was making any musical sense.After studying this book, my solos now make jazz musical sense because it has musical shape and substance.
My final word is that I believe that no musician will be disappointed after studying this book.

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A comprehensive book on jazz analysis and improvisation. Elements used in jazz improvisation are isolated for study: they are examined in recorded solos, suggestions are made for using each element in the jazz language, and specific exercises are provided for practicing the element.

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The Jazz Language: A Theory Text for Jazz Composition and Improvisation Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is written by Dan Haerle of the University of North Texas.Ifyou have yet to hear of the great jazz program there then perhaps you havebeen asleep the past several years.Haerle sets forth a comprehensivemusic theory and musicianship program for musicians of all levels.Thefirst chapter begins with a basic presentation about intervals and by thetime you are done with this tome you will have a good grasp of the manyharmonic and scalar concepts that drive jazz.These are fundamentals, asthe title suggests, that need to be in place if you wish to compose orimprovise in the jazz idiom.There are study questions and excerises atthe end of each chapter that are an invaluable aid for both the teacher andthe student alike.If you consider yourself a 'serious' musician in anysense of that word then you ought to be ashamed if you don't own this book.

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PATTERNS FOR JAZZ stands as a monument among jazz educational materials.Condensed charts and pertinent explanations are conveniently inserted throughout the book to give greater clarity to the application of more than 400 patterns built on chords and scales -- from simple(major) to complex (lydian augmented scales).

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Scat! Vocal Improvisation Techniques Review

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(More customer reviews)Enjoyable yet slow down a little, Mr. Stoloff!Stoloff goes into a a brief history of how the scat style came about and then dives straight into jazz theory without giving well understood reasons on how it applies to his scat examples(e.g. Some Theory and then many examples, some more theory and then more examples.) The theory that's introduced with each chapter appears very academic and dry at times.Perhaps this is understood with Stoloff's educational background.However, I wish Stoloff would have kept in mind that the majority of singers out there who wish to delve into this subgenre of vocalization are not necessarilly theory-based and the text could have been adjusted accordingly.I would have liked the author to cover more of his personal philosophy and approach to vocal improvisation beyond the "just do what I've written and you'll be fine" mentality.
The big benefit and treasure of this book is the accompanying CD though.However, I do have two complaints: 1) it still purveys the "I'll do it and you copy me" approach and you just hope somewhere down the line, everything will come together 2) some of example melody lines he's flying by in lightning speed(I had to get a wave editor to slow down some of his jazz runs).The benefits: This CD is indeed great for loosening up your vocal chords, lips, nervousness and perhaps just to loosen up your entire 'soul' before a gig.I've been working with this book/CD for over six months now and have noticed a more relaxed approach to my melody lines in practice or performances after warming up with the CD examples.

The last part of the book covers vocal drumming for the Bobby McFerrin/ rap beat boxer types. He does an impressive job with the examples but it was only amusing at best.I feel that it takes a little too much real estate in the book and CD though.Again, I felt that he doesn't properly explain how this section connects with the rest of the material.
Overall, I am thankful that I ran into this book though for the sake of finding something to counter balance the regimen of scales and typical vocal exercises.I do know that I am a more confident improviser and not afraid to stretch out the melodies because of Stoloff's material. Recommended but be creative how you practice the material!

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Product Description:
A comprehensive approach to vocal improvisation with rhythmic and melodic exercises, transcribed solos, vocal bass lines and drum grooves, syllable articulationetudes, and more. The CD includes call response exercises, demonstration solos by the author and sing-along chord pattern in Latin, jazz and hip-hop styles with rhythm section accompaniment.

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The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time: Ranking, Analysis & Photos (Book) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ranking musicians/artists is wrongheaded but some of these picks are just beyond the pale.He ranks the number 1-4 top jazz pianists of all time as Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Bud Powell and Art Tatum.Reasonable picks.So who's number 5?Gotta be along the lines of Chick, Herbie, Keith, McCoy, Cecil, Fatha Hines, Teddy Wilson, Fats, or Jelly Roll, right?Get this- Monty Alexander!and who's number 6?Benny Green!I was in disbelief.As you wade through the rest of the picks you realize that the closer a pianist comes to duplicating Oscar's style the higher he is rated (Gene Harris rates 12 if I recall).Now I have plenty of Monty Alexander and Benny Green recordings and enjoy their playing, but they are hardly the sort of original pianists that would merit their rubbing shoulders with these giants.This book may familarize the jazz piano enthusiast with some players they didn't previously know but a better book in that regard would be Robert Doershuk's "88: The Giants of Jazz Piano."Doerschuk's book features more pianists, is more informative and comes with a CD.I will say that Rizzo's book has some nice photos.

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Handy resource for jazz listeners and hardcore fans.Spanning players from eighty years of history, this bold book steps forward and claims who are the greatest. Compiled from an extensive survey conducted with the best jazz minds in the ed

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Jazz Theory Resources: Volume 2 (Jazz Book) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is by far the best resource I have ever come across on jazz theory.I am something of a connoisseur of the jazz educational book market, since I am a voracious autodidact and aspiring jazz pianist.Mr. Ligon's work stands out as a labor of love from a man who obviously knows what he's talking about.

For one thing, there is an appropriate amount of text to accompany the musical examples.Some authors are so laconic as to be frustrating; they assume too much on the part of the reader, in terms of making mental connections and applications.They might give a musical example without enough accompanying text to help the reader generalize the principle being illustrated, or put the example into a context that helps the reader understand WHY the example is being given.Mr. Ligon, by contrast, gives many examples which are actual improvisations by known artists, and he comments, sometimes note by note or phrase by phrase, on what's going on in a way that I can only call illuminating.

Another of Ligon's strengths is that he is knowledgeable of the classical tradition, and gives examples and commentary which show that the principles of good melody are universal, from Bach to Bird.Moreover, he understands that, in the final analysis,melodic considerations take precedence over harmonic ones, which is a theoretical principle I fully agree with.In other words, voice leading and horizontal, temporal considerations give rise to vertical, harmonic associations.He is a master analyst of the melodic line.I have learned so much from reading him, and my soloing has taken off since I have encountered his books, because he gives me an undrstanding of broad principles which, once I understand them, are generative; they allow me to create new things on their basis.

One of the things he has helped me understand is the idea of harmonic generalization, that is, that one can choose to improvise over the general key area (usually the tonic triad with embellishments), ignoring the specific chords.The more usual approach of jazz educators, that of thinking about the specifics of each chord and improvising using the appropriate guide tones, Ligon calls "harmonic specificity", and he points out that an improvisor can choose either approach at a given moment, according to his artistic taste.

This book would be great for any aspiring improvisor, on any instrument.I also have studied parts of Ligon's "Comprehensive Technique for the Jazz Musician," which I recommend equally with his "Jazz Theory Resources" book (Volumes 1 and 2).There is an amazing amount of material in all of these books, enough for years of self-study.

Ligon has a great theoretical mind.However, he is definitely thinking of the actual needs of an improvisor; in other words, the information he gives is PRACTICAL and USEABLE.He is fond of the saying that there are only two rules in jazz theory: 1) Does it sound good? and 2) Does it sound good?This philosophy shows itself in his work.Every topic he goes into has made my playing "sound good", very quickly.

This book is for every thinking jazz musician's bookshelf.It has paid for itself many times over in musical pleasure (and gigs I might not otherwise have gotten).

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Product Description:
Jazz Theory Resources is a jazz theory text in two volumes. Volume I (00030458, $39.95) includes: review of basic theory, rhythm in jazz performance, basic tonal materials, triadic generalization, diatonic harmonic progressions and harmonic analysis, substitutions and turnarounds, common melodic outlines, and an overview of voicings. Volume II (00030459, $29.95) includes: modes and modal frameworks, quartal harmony, other scales and colors, extended tertian structures and triadic superimposition, pentatonic applications, coloring "outside" the lines and beyond, analysis, and expanding harmonic vocabulary. Appendices on chord/scale relationships, elaborations of static harmony, endings, composing tips and theory applications are also included.

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Bebop Jazz Piano: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a few of the other books in this series and find them all great! John Valerio is a wonderful composer and teacher and has a very similar style to Mark Harrison (another composer in this series). This book includes important information about chords, voicings, harmony, chord progressions, scales, tonality, melodic figures and patters, comping, characteristic tunes, styles of Bud Powell and Theolonious Monk...anything that is used in any type of bebop jazz. It goes through the history and evolution of Bebop. The book moves quickly but provides the information that is important. It comes with a very handy CD which allows to hear what it's supposed to sound like. I highly recommend this book and have found that using it with some of the other books in the series is beyond helpful!

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In this book in the Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series, author John Valerio provides essential, detailed information for bebop and jazz pianists on the following topics: chords and voicings, harmony and chord progressions, scales and tonality, common melodic figures and patterns, comping, characteristic tunes, the styles of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and much more. The accompanying CD features many of the examples in the book performed either solo or with a full band. Also included are combo performances of five of the tunes featured at the end of the book.

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Jazz Piano Best of Bk/Cd (Signature Licks) Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't remember exactly what I was thinking when I purchased this book, but it had something to do with learning licks and styles from accomplished jazz musicians. That is to say, I was looking for a shortcut. I'm finding out what I already suspected, however: there are no shortcuts. What this is then is a road map, with signposts giving a clear concise sampling of solos and riffs in differing styles from eleven great jazz pianists. There are some easy runs and some hard runs, and some slow songs and some fast songs, bits of fifteen different songs in all. There's no fingering marked in the text, so having an instructor to point things out will make this book more practical. The book is staple bound so it works well on the music stand. As near as I can tell, this contains only pieces of songs, so the serious musician will definitely have to have a songbook handy (but what jazz pianist doesn't already have The Real Book: Sixth Edition?). The highlight of this book is the CD that comes with it, which contains samples of the songs, usually both with a backing band and without, as well as examples of the solos at a slower pace and at speed. Fast forwarding through them and back to them is a bit of a chore (there are 94 sample tracks), but having that resource is really great, and the book includes markings for where each track is used, making the pair way more useful. There are also brief biographies of each of the musicians covered, which I think is a nice touch. In short, it is hard not to like this book and CD set. It is well thought out, well executed, interesting, and productive. No, it isn't a shortcut and you will still have to practice. (Sorry.) And though it might not fit every pianist's concept of a learning tool, it fits mine to a `T' and I will get a lot of use out of this book for quite some time.

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Learn the piano styles and techniques of Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Errol Garner, Nat "King" Cole, Ahmad Jamal, and more with this great book/CD pack. Rizzo teaches the styles using examples from actual songs, 15 in all. Includes: Caravan * Come Rain or Come Shine * How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky) * I'll Remember April * In a Sentimental Mood * It's Only a Paper Moon * No Moon at All * On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) * Satin Doll * Speak Low * St. Louis Blues * Stompin' at the Savoy * Take the "A" Train * There Is No Greater Love * Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away). CD includes demonstrations of each.

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The Bill Evans Guitar Book: by Sid Jacobs (Guitar Solo) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is really a great book for what it is.I feel that the author really translates the works of Bill Evans to guitar really well.All of the songs are even in the original key.My only gripe is that they are all very short.The longest one is less than three minutes, which is why I gave it a 4 and not a 5.

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In this book/CD pack, Musicians Institute instructor Sid Jacobs, who organized the school's Jazz Guitar elective, translates the playing of quintessential jazz pianist Bill Evans for guitarists to enjoy. Includes music, instruction and analysis of 14 Evans' pieces, all in their original keys and with full demonstration tracks on the accompaniment CD. Songs include: Funkallero * Laurie * Letter to Evan * My Bells * Orbit * Peace Piece * Peri's Scope * Remembering the Rain * A Simple Matter of Conviction * Time Remembered * Turn Out the Stars * The Two Lonely People * Very Early * Waltz for Debby."Sid's marvelous transcriptions of Bill Evans' tunes for solo guitar have just raised the guitar to a new level. This is contemporary guitar at its harmonic best."- Joe Diorio

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Exercises and Etudes for the Jazz Instrumentalist: Bass Clef Edition (Instructional) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has a ton of fun etudes and exercises to play through.They book is great sight reading practice because there are so many etudes that you can play a few every day and not repeat any for a long time.

The only thing that I slightly dislike is that there is very little information about the style that each etude should be played in.I think that's the point of the book; to teach you to figure out how to play melodically without relying on what is indicated on the page.But sometimes you just don't know.It says "Medium slow ballad," but is it straight or swung?The tempo is indicated as half-note = 100, and some of the rhythms look latin, so should I play it with a latin feel?This is only a minor problem though because usually it is pretty clear and I guess I am learning to make style decisions myself, which is good.The book might be better if some etudes are played with the guidance of a teacher though; I just play by myself so I can't judge that.

Overall, very good jazz book for trombone.

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Product Description:
Exercises and Etudes for the Jazz Instrumentalist is a collection of original pieces by master trombonist/composer J.J. Johnson. Designed as study material and playable by any instrument, these pieces (the harmonies of which are based on well-known standards) run the gamut of the jazz experience, featuring common and uncommon time signatures and keys, and styles from ballads to funk. They are progressively graded so that both beginners and professionals will be challenged by the demands of this wonderful music. Published in both treble and bass clef editions, this book also includes text to guide the player, as well as a biography of Johnson.

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Jazz Guitar Harmony (Book & CD) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hi All.I highly recommend this book.It starts out with the basics and works you up to a pretty decent level for a single volume book.Well laid out and if you follow step by step, by the time you finish the book, you'll have a strong understandig of harmony, and a great mastery of the fretboard itself.So far, I have found all of Jody Fisher's book to be great.

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This comprehensive study of harmony is a must for any guitarist interested in jazz. This book explains the essentials of jazz harmony in a friendly, easy-to-understand manner. Learn about chord scales, abbreviated voicings, extended harmonies, altered chords, substitutions and analyzing chord progressions. Other topics include ii-V-I progressions, the dominant cycle, ""rhythm changes,"" clusters, quartal harmonies, working with upper structures and much more. Finally, jazz harmony is demystified in one reliable and easy-to-read book.

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