5 comments about The Bill Evans Trio - Volume 1 (1959-1961): Featuring Transcriptions of Bill Evans (Piano), Scott LaFaro (Bass) and Paul Motian (Drums).

1. Great book, but lacking the key (discography). The previous review has saved me years of work. Can't believe they publish these books without a discography.



2. There is nothing better than getting what you pay for, especially when you don't pay much. This book delivers - the transcribers spare no effort to deliver the most accurate transcriptions possible, even to the extent of noting flat bass notes and eighth notes that are played "straight". The rhythmic notation is almost unnecessarily precise at times, with quintuplets and tied triplets that could be read more easily if they were less perfect. I was quite happy with the song selections as well - Autumn Leaves, Peri's Scope, Waltz for Debbie, and Alice in Wonderland are all personal favorites, plus you get others like When I Fall in Love and Nardis. Talk about value. . .If you've ever wished you could look over Bill Evans' shoulder and ask him how to play certain passages or chords, this is as close as you can get.



3. I was really looking forward for these transcriptions. Some of them I transcribed myself over the years, but only the piano part. Here was a chance to learn what the bass was doing, as well as the drums.
   Also to be able to try these with friends.
   
   This is really a worthy effort, but the results are not accurate enough. There are many mistakes in the piano part (and I guess that also in the other parts). Even if one agrees with the transcribers' ear then at some points the splitting between the right and left hands are not optimal which makes the reading difficult. Other things that are missing are bass part, and drums part. One cannot really expect them to read their part from the score....



4. I'm a new jazz pianist, although I've been playing keyboards for over thirty years. My problem is, my exposure to jazz has been limited until just the last six months or so, and it is so new to me, sometimes, I just don't get it. And knowing that I love listening to Bill Evans, of course I dug all his tunes out of The Real Book: Sixth Edition and tried to play them. Yeah, right. It was no surprise my versions of Bill's tunes sounded nothing like what he plays on his CD's. (The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 and Portrait in Jazz) I tried playing along with the CD's, but this was just too taxing. This book came to the rescue. Now I can pick or choose what voicings I want to use, where I want to use a Bill-ism or my own take on the music, and figure out where he uses substitutes for the written chords. Thus, my understanding of the music deepens, my playing gets better, my sound gets better (of course), and next time around, even the non-Bill Evans tunes come easier. Eventually, I'm sure I'll pick up some of the other transcriptions available, but this has the songs I really wanted to learn and play well, and I think this book is a must for any serious jazz pianist.



5. Although there are some glaring errors in the piano part, they are often easy to correct with common sense or by listening to a recording of these pieces. There aren't any simplifications, however, which immediately makes this a 4-star book of sheet music. All in all, it's worth adding to any jazz sheet music collection.

5 comments about The Dynamic Drum Major.

1. The Dynamic Drum Major (although written in the mid eighties) is the know all guide to being a drum major. It is very extensive and very down to earth! It caovers everything about being a drum major from marching to conducting to leadership to even the mindset of a drum major!! Parks to this day instructs Summer camps and he still uses the book and says it needs no update! If want to know how to be a drum major or are interested in improving your skills, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!



2. George N. Park's is my idol, and when I read this book (cover to cover in one sitting) I was amazed. He starts off with a trip back in time to what the art of drum majoring is all about, then slowly brings you to now with tips and tactics on everything you need to know. From conducting, to commands, to whistle use, even down to how to wrap a mace, Parks has it all. From the book alone, you learn how to be the best drum major you can be. With one of his Drum Major Acadamy experiences (2 years for me and running) it's a perfect way to become one of the best. All I can say is, EYES WITH PRIDE!!!



3. George Parks is an inspiring leader, teacher, and musician. His book really depicts the pride that he feels when anyone talks about being in a marching band. I've been to Mr. Parks' Drum Major Academy to become a drum major in my marching band and this book was originally intended only for those students who went to his program to help them with their conducting, mace work, and leadership skills. But in adition to just teaching aspiring drum majors about their job, Mr. Parks instils a sence of pride in anyone who reads this book. He is able to create a sence of awe about any marching band, and any drum major. He has much experience leading bands through high school and college, and currently he is the director of the UMass Marching Band. He is an inspiration for any musician and anyone in general wanting to make a little more out of life. The book brings into play technical aspects of leadership like conducting and macework, but also how each person should feel about a band or really any oraganization and how to relay that positive feeling onto others. His book trains competant, powerful, and confident leaders. He is an inspiration to us all.



4. I loved it, but I was looking for a more in-depth guide.



5. I absolutely love this book. It is very informational, and though the book may be old, it still applies to current drum majors. The content of this book goes extremely well with the content provided at the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy, and has helped me grow as a drum major. George Parks knows what he's talking about and is an extremely inspirational teacher. This book can help any drum major who wants to improve and provides new ideas to incorporate with your band to help them improve as well.

No comments about Comprehensive Band Method, Drums & Mallet Percussion, Book 1 (Standard of Excellence).

2 comments about Essential Techniques for Drum Set: Book 1.

1. Ed Soph's book is incredible!!! I have met the man in person and am a future student at the University of North Texas(where he teaches). The book has helped me greatly in my drumming career.



2. Jazz drumming is a limitless field. I've been playing for 30+ years and I continue to welcome new things to expand my musical vocabulary. Ed Soph's book presents both a good discussion of technique and a method of coordination of hands and feet that will challenge your playing. I learned of this book through my own teacher when he asked me to play different triplet patterns with each limb. This was something from Ed's book. I felt like a beginner. I bought the book and woodshedded for a few days and began to feel comfortable with the patterns.
   This book is well written, in both english and musical terms. It covers a different kind of independent playing than John Riley's Bop books. You can count on using it to open your thinking to new movements and mental patterns.

No comments about Breeze Easy Drums, Book 1 (Breeze-Easy Series).

1 comments about To Be a Drum.

1. This book is nothing short of an affirmation of life, celebrating the creativity and perseverance of the human spirit. In deceptively simple text, which even the youngest child can appreciate, Coleman weaves a story of tradition which, down through time, continues to bind people together in a delightful kaleidoscope of change. Complementing the simple text are Aminah Robinson's mixed-media illustrations, incorporating earth from Africa with material from her grandmother's quilt. Stitches running through the pages neatly reinforce the theme of the story. A book not to be missed.

No comments about Modern Rock: Drum Play-Along Volume 4 (Hal Leonard Drum Paly Along).

2 comments about New Orleans Jazz and Second Line Drumming w/CD (Dci Video Transcription Series).

1. JIM KELTNER: A great feast, the music and the players from New Orleans, a subject so near and dear to my heart, beautifully presented with lots of details and great pictures.
   
   JOSEPH "ZIGABOO" MODELISTE: Even growing up in New Orleans it was difficult to get this information. This book is a solid piece of work and I'm glad to see these influential players getting the recognition they deserve.
   
   STEVE SMITH: New Orleans is the foundation of all drumset playing period! In this well researched and clearly presented book, are the roots of modern day jazz, blues, R&B, and rock drumming (to name a few). Check it out!
   
   ADAM NUSSBAUM: This is not just a book about licks--it's about people. A great source from a deep well, New Orleans.
   
   CHRIS PARKER: Finally an informal, astute, and insightful look at the global and perennial influence of New Orleans music, especially its feel as originated and expounded on by its drummer/composers/arrangers. These are great men. What's not to love?
   
   ROYAL HARTIGAN: This work is a major contribution to the study of African-American heritage, New Orleans traditions, and the soul of 20th-century drumming. Through the photographs, conversations, transcriptions, and the CD, you feel the spirit of New Orleans music, from ragtime, brass bands, and gospel, through funerals, street beats, funk, rhythm and blues, to the modern scene.
   
   VAL WILMER: Just as the unsung denizens of Congo Square used the drum to remind them they had a past and a future, New Orleans music continues to be both historic and contemporary at the same time. Ideas of personal liberation that began with a reminiscence of an African homeland still inspire the city's drummers. Some are featured here. An invaluable and committed book.
   
   JEFF POTTER (Modern Drummer): More than a book/CD of transcriptions and patterns, this is a volume about history. Its two halves are based on videos from DCI's New orleans Drumming series: Herlin Riley's Ragtime and Beyond and Johnny Vidacovich's Street Beats: Modern Applications. Riley guides us through the evolution of New Orleans jazz drumming styles from their riverboat and brass band beginnings to swing, and Vidacovich demonstrates how he blends local traditions into his modern jazz and R&B drumming.
   
   Although writer Dan Thress receives second billing, he deserves equal praise for his knowledgeable interviews and well-researched articles on important Crescent city drummers such as Vernel Fournier, Baby Dodds, Ed Blackwell, James Black, Joseph "Smokey" Johnson, and David Lee.
   
   Also included are discographies and a pullout poster charting the lineage of influential and notable N'awlins drummers from 1873 to the present. Great to play through or just read, this is a cultural mini-encyclopedia.



2. This is THE book about the heart and soul of New Orleans druming styles.

2 comments about More Drum Techniques of Rush (More Drum Superstar Series).

1. "more Drum Techniques of Rush" is another set of transcriptions of Neil Peart by Bill Wheeler. The second book is noticably thinner than the first (52 vs 80 pages), and the typesetting is different, which I found disconcerting at first, but all and all is just fine. While the first book covered a lot of the more popular "heavy-hitters" in terms of drum parts, this book covers a few tracks that are, frankly, not as difficult to transcribe. Still, the transcriptions are correct, illustrating, and generally well-done.



2. i rate this book.....5 milkyways

1 comments about 1001 Drum Grooves: The Complete Resource for Every Drummer.

1. For those who are beginning set players, this book is invaluable. Every page includes rhythm patterns that vary only slightly from one line to another. Thus, the pace is slow enough to allow beginners to become quite comfortable with one basic groove before learning another one. The book is quite comprehensive, covering virtually every drum groove imaginable. This resource is appropriate for beginners. Those more advanced set players will become bored with the repetition and should look for a method book that progresses more quickly from one pattern to another.