3 comments about Jazz Piano Masterclass with Mark Levine(With CD).

1. This book is a welcome follow-up to Mark Levine's Jazz Piano Book. The only frustration I had with the Jazz Piano Book is that it could not tell me EVERYTHING. The Jazz Piano book only introduced Drop 2 techniques, leaving the voracious student wondering where to find more information. The Drop 2 Book fills that void with the same clarity and pace that made the Jazz Piano Book so useful and popular. The book explains major, minor and dominant progressions, tweaks to make chords sound "modern", applications, problems and work-arounds, soloing, comping, the Altered Bebop Minor Scale, and suggested practice routines. As an added bonus, this book includes a CD with recorded examples. Most students at this level could hammer out the examples, but the relative volumes of the left and right hands are important to this technique. Such nuances cannot be expressed clearly with standard music notation, so the CD is more than just a nice afterthought. If you have worked through the Jazz Piano Book and feel ready to explore Drop 2 voicings in greater depth, this book will take you there. Buy it and recommend it to all your friends so that we can see more Masterclass books by Mark Levine.



2. I love this book. I just bought it last week. I jumped right into it and I love it! I am not a piano player but I write music. The explanation of the 'drop 2' technique in this book is the best explained and illustrated that I have ever seen or heard. I have tried other music books that describe the 'drop 2' method but I had problems in applying it to real music. I kept running into problems with melody notes that didn't seem to allow you to use this technique musically or effectively. I wanted to get this book to see how this author explains the 'drop 2'. And I was not disappointed but ecstatic. YES!!! This was the information I needed. Mark Levine points out alternative voicings or should I say reharmonizations to correct those melody notes that just do not allow you to use the 'drop 2' voicings. Also, these reharmonizations give a much more modern sound than the way other jazz theory books teach and they don't take away from the initial music quality of the original chords. Mark Levine's teaching of the 'drop 2' gives you room to actually create your own musical artistic sound for your own personal arrangements of melodies using this technique. It is well explained and clearly illustrated. I must warn though, as Mr. Levine explains in the beginning of the book, you should be somewhat advance in your music theory knowledge. Mr. Levine comes right out of the chute explaining this technique and does not digress into any theory knowledge. The accompanying cd is a plus because you can hear the illustrations for yourself.
   This is a technique that not only can be used by piano players but also for anyone that writes or arranges music. Since I write and arrange music, this book is a huge blessing for me. Simply wonderful!!!
   Thank you, Mark Levine.



3. This is almost a one topic volume but invaluable. Whether you want to voice melody lines or improvised lines using Shearing type voicings or Drop 2 voicings this is the best volume going. As with all Mark Levine's publications this is beautifully written and produced. It is the best exposition of the bop scale that I have seen.

3 comments about Jazz Styles: History and Analysis (9th Edition).

1. It has been nearly 30 years since Mark Gridley's first edition of Jazz Styles appeared, and no other treatment of jazz styles comes close to his careful analysis of how jazz has been made since its inception. It is a work of great and serious scholarship, an invaluable resource for students of the genre. Yet, Jazz Styles is also an enjoyable and entertaining companion for anyone who wants to become a more perceptive listener to jazz. The Listening Guides are useful even for those 'veteran'
   jazz fans familiar with the works described. Gridley will take you to ever-deeper levels of appreciation for jazz in all its varieties.



2. I had begun to get serious about immersing myself in Jazz. A little dive around the corner was showing excellent Jazz groups and I had to take the opportunity to discover this great art form. My daughter lent me a textbook she had from college.
   
   I immediately picked it up and for several hours was scanning it backwards and forwards. I kept referencing all the artists and songs I had heard of all my life and this book very handily made the connections. It's loaded with clear and concise and insightful teaching aids.
   
   I can now understand much better the overall experience and history of jazz. The technical parts are still quite overwhelming, but the author's writing is very articulate and non-judgmental. I've rarely seen a more learning friendly book. As I started to mention, you can start anywhere you want in this book and just take what you can handle.
   
   It occurred to me that a popularized version of this book might sell quite well as the author clearly has the stuff to do that.



3. This was required for my jazz history class at Sacramento City College (MUFHL 315 - online). It was 125.00 at the college book (packaged along with some worthless CD's). It is not laid out like a normal textbook. At the beginning, it doesn't have a chapter outline or learning objectives. At the end of each chapter, all you have is a sorry summery that doesn't cover any of what the author is trying to say within the chapter. THIS IS THE WORST BOOK I HAVE EVER BEEN FORCED TO BUY FOR A CLASS. I am tired people publishing the results of their graduate work as TEXTBOOKS and ripping off poor undeserving student. Reading this book is like watching paint dry.

5 comments about The Real Book -Bass Clef; Sixth Edition.

1. I absolutely love this book of jazz music transcribed in bass clef. Easy to read with clear, large print. I've already learned 5 new songs to add to my solo bass repertoire!
   
   Pelada



2. I was very pleased with the Eb Real Book, 6th Edition. It was sent to me in a timely manner and was is brand new shape, as promised. As a saxophone player, most of the great jazz standards are included in the Eb Real Book, so I can play anything in the book along with my band. It's a great book. I highly recommend it.



3. Fake books are a dime a dozen. I've seen many of them with really poor melodic transcriptions and others that even had wrong chords. I'm not even a working musician and can tell you there's nothing worse than hearing yourself playing something different from the original recordings and not begin able identify the exact chord. "Real Books" are a step above and beyond when it comes to fake books. This edition is very extensive (updated with tons of charts from the Jazz giants) and best of all, it's completely legal. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!



4. You can't go wrong with the real book. Hours of impromptu jazz jam sessions await!



5. I have found Amazon.com very good at delivering books very promptly and at very good prices which is why I use them as my primary vendor. I'm going to offer some final thoughts on the Real Book Series. The Hal Leonard Corp has endeavoured to produce a legitimate Real book for Jazz Musicians. As previously mentioned it's not perfect but neither was the 5th edition, and no doubt in a few years time we will see a 7th edition but for now I'll make do with the 6th edition. I have purchased all 3 volumes in B Flat, E Flat, Bass Clef and C Concert. Here is what I note about the new Hal Leonard volumes, there are 143 tunes missing from volume 1, 170 missing from volume 2 and 159 missing from volume 3. That's 472 tunes in total missing in comparison to the earlier 5th Edition (Volume 4 perhaps?) but to counter this loss Hal leonard have added about 508 totally new tunes so its not a complete disaster (new numbers include some very nice classics such as `Nuages', `Night in Tunisia', `Beyond the Sea', `Jump, Jive & Wail' and so on. I'd say their is about 3 dozen classic standards missing from the new edition numbers such as `The Shadow of your smile' vol 1, `Sweet Georgia Brown', `Blue Moon' vol 2 and `Stars fell on Alabama' vol 3. These are personal favourites so these are going to be loose sheets at the back of the new real book. I count approx 1360 tunes in the present Real Book series so plenty to be working on and still a good selection of standards to choose from.
   
   If jazz musicians don't buy these books and choose to use the illegal PDF's and under the counter previous versions it's unlikely that the Hal Leonard Corp will consider it financially viable to produce an improvement on this edition, also your doing a disservice to the musicians and their families who rightly deserve the royalties for their works. Its not like these books are expensive to buy and they are well worth having for what they give you. Most working/gigging musicians in the know are aware of the importance of the Real books and the impact they have had over the last 3 decades.

5 comments about Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta.

1. Hi,my name is Steve Kaplan.I play the keytar behind Big Jack Johnson in the movie DEEP BLUES.I just released a cd called "BITTER LEMON REVIVAL".If you liked the movie call 901-355 7210 and order my cd for 12$ plus shipping and handling tot 13.95$ Order today!!! They could pull this ad anytime! Sincerely
   Lemon Bitter Kaplan



2. this is a serious history of the blues treating the blues with the same respect & seriousness given jazz, classical and other forms. it is a wonderful book combining interviews with blues legends like muddy waters and howling wolf with in-depth musical and cultural analysis.
   
   for serious blues lovers or the novice looking for a deeper understanding of the music's roots, the culture that spawned and the incredible musicians who created it.



3. this is the the best concised book on the blues. few books provide so much insight in so few words



4. This is a wonderful DVD. The highlights for me were seeing
   R. L. Burnside at his home and getting to see Roosevelt Barnes
   perform Heart Broken Man. Sadly both of these great performers are no
   longer around.



5. For those that love real rural blues this must be one of the best insights into the lives and music of the last of the old time juke joint musicians. It has all the drive and raw power that most of us white kids seldom get a chance to experience even when we were lucky enough to see some of these guys on tour. Go and buy this one and see a little of the life of these great characters and experience some their great driving electric blues.

2 comments about A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music.

1. George E. Lewis has written a superlative history of avant-garde jazz and The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. I am truly amazed with his research, depth of understanding and what he is teaching me. I get the value of being one of his students just by reading and learning from his authoritative text. George E. Lewis is the subject matter authority on jazz.
   
   I have long wanted to study jazz with a historical timeline view. George E. Lewis helps me achieves this goal admirably.
   
   George thank you for the book my jazz soul has been yearning to know for decades.
   
   Live Your Light,
   Ed Jennings
   
   [...]



2. George E Lewis has written a very readable account of this organisation and its history. Its a long story 40+ years, many contributions, Includes biographies of key figures, and social history. a few more musical examples or analysis of actual works could have made it even better. Overall recommended to anyone into AACM or any fan of progressive jazz.

5 comments about Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within.

1. What I like most about the book is that Kenny Werner believes, as I do, that all humans have master musicians within us. If you are willing to keep an open mind and explore beyond music itself to gain mastery over your musical performance, his book and accompanying CD Effortless Mastery has a lot to offer. Not only will you gain true mastery over your musical performance, but you'll enjoy both preparation and performance infinitely more.
   
   One the other hand if you don't like books that delve into spiritual development or the idea of our interconnectedness so prevalent in personal growth, then this book and the CD meditations may not be for you.
   
   Readers already familiar with meditation, Zen, or other Eastern philosophies will immediately recognize many of the fundamental ideas and perhaps have an advantage in following Werner's advice as to how to apply it. However, the book is written in such a way that it is accessible to people with no prior background in these disciplines as long as you are willing to keep an open mind.
   
   Werner's description of fear-based music making captures much of what I experienced and saw/heard around me throughout my musical training before and during university. It's a problem I worked hard to help my own students overcome, even in my earliest days as a teacher, and it's refreshing to know that there are other people out there showing musicians the way out of this fear-based realm.
   
   The accompanying CD meditations are helpful as well, especially if you have limited meditation experience. The author's voice is smooth and velvety and helps induce the listener more easily reach the desired state of centeredness. The only thing I would change about the meditations is that I would prefer a gentle transition back out of the meditative state. If you've gone into a very deep state, the transition is too abrupt and not ideal in my opinion. Perhaps it is done intentionally so to let the performer reach out for her instrument and practice/perform while in that state, but I think it is less than ideal and the wise reader will add her own slow transition out of the meditative state.
   
   All in all, Kenny Werner's book and CD set is an empowering work that can help to free the joy and musicianship of musicians at all levels and genres. I highly recommend it.



2. Easily the best part of the book, though it's clear that some readers found it difficult to grasp. One reviewer described it as "practicing thoughtlessly." This couldn't be further from the truth.
   
   Effortless Mastery deals with negative mindsets that plague musicians from reaching their full potential. The typical negative mindset usually places a high priority on "getting better." Why is this bad, you ask? I'll elaborate.
   
   The "getting better" attitude is usually counter-productive. You think, 'I'm going to get it together by learning a bunch of stuff." So you write a "list". You know those lists, right?
   -scales
   -appergio's
   -II-V-I's
   -keith jarrett transcription
   -monk tunes
   -bach sonata
   -metronome practice, etc.
   
   The underlying thought during all this practice is, "There is so much to learn. I'm getting older, and I need to get better by yesterday!" With this race-against-the-clock attitude, practicing becomes a laundry list of things that you barely skim the surface of. Or worse, you end up not practicing at all because you think that unless you can put in 2 or 3 hours, it won't matter. (Does this sound familiar? It sure did to me!)
   
   You gotta get your head together, which is the first half of the book. A healthier attitude sounds like this: "I am a great person and I don't need my playing to reflect that fact. I don't need to get better. My only reason for practicing is to attain mastery so that I may deepen my experience to music."
   
   So you get into an relaxed space, with high self-esteem now, and play something. If you stumble on a chord or rhythm, that is good news! You've just found a glitch in your technique that's been holding you back! You then reduce the amount of material you are working on. Either slow the tempo or shorten the length of the example until you can execute the material without effort.
   
   We've all heard great artists say things like, "my best performances come when my consciousness is out of the way" or "the best compositions come from outside myself" (From God, etc.) Werner's revolutionary idea is that you can PRACTICE with this 'observer' mindset, rather than trying to coerce new material to conform to you. It's not about 'practicing thoughtlessly', but rather the opposite; it's about focus. Focus that is directed on 'sticking with it', instead of 'getting better.' (It's a Zen thing, man.)
   
   Obviously, there will be times 'when the phone rings' and you have to practice on deadline and hope for the best. Werner is not suggesting that you practice this way 100% of the time. 5 minutes a day, might be all that you can stand at first, it's hard to stay in the space at first, but gradually you'll increase your concentration and mastery will overtake you in the fastest possible way.



3. Please get involved with this product. I was at a fellow musician's home in Sydney about 6 years ago when I first read this book. Since then I have changed from an uptight, crappy player into a player who gets noticed, has "chops" and one who can find peace in playing. Like the man says, I used to approach the piano with trepidation - now, like Kenny, the piano seat is the most comfortable in the house for me. I have even prescribed this book to my students. IF YOU WANT TO BE A MUSICIAN, YOU MUST READ THIS. I repeat
   READ THIS NOW - BEFORE YOU WASTE HALF YOUR LIFE (like I did) WONDERING WHY YOU CAN'T PLAY LIKE "A HEAVY".



4. This book is a must have for everyone that wants to achieve mastery in everything that we want to succeed in, NOT only music. I agree with the previous positive comments, also that the subconcious mind plays the most important role for achiving what we desire. Therefore the meditation is necessary tool for effortless mastery...
   
   JC



5. I'm a drummer and I've found this book to touch upon a lot of pertinent issues that no one else really covers, it has truly helped me to completely revamp my practicing and my relationship to the drum set and music is becoming more and more positive every day

5 comments about The Jazz Piano Book.

1. Use the concepts in this to help you decipher & transcribe jazz you like into you're own playing.



2. The product was fine. More than fine. Your shipping department needs some training. They put this book in a box 15 times times larger than the book (I measured) with a few air bags. The book bounced around in the box during shipping and arrived damaged. Pretty annoying for a $30+ purchase. I received a few dollars credit for the damages. Would have requested a new book but it would have been shipped the same. The person I talked to was very nice, but he was in India, so I rather doubt if your shipping department heard of my complaint.
   Camille Gollon



3. I have searched high and low for a comprehensive instructional book that contains equal parts application and exercises. This is the book. The book is replete with snippets of famous jazz songs that provide a window into the techniques of many great players, and Mr. Levine is thoughtful enough to provide source albums and songs for listening purposes.
   
   Additionally, the book provides you, early on, with a method for interpreting songs out of the real book. With this easy method, you can instantly begin building a repertoire of material, and revisit these songs with the techniques learned in later chapters



4. The author states (I don't know his exact words) that 6/9 chords are essentially equivalent to maj7 chords and throughout the book he uses them interchangeably. To me this is an example of slipshod thinking and therefore I wonder just how far one can trust this author. On the plus side, the discography is excellent.



5. This is not an easy book to get a handle on. Beginner's may be overwhelmed. Intermediate students will need help in structuring the topics and lessons. Advanced students will probably find plenty of nuggets of jazz wisdom to make the purchase of this book worthwhile. As a long time musician relatively new to jazz, I find this book extremely valuable for learning about jazz, but it isn't terribly helpful in improving my piano chops. I still give it five stars because I didn't buy it to learn the piano so much as to learn jazz, and obviously, jazz piano. That may sound crazy, but it makes sense when you realize there aren't many specific "drills" to learn the various aspects that Levine teaches about jazz and specifically, jazz piano. Yeah, he may say something like, "Be sure you can do this in all twelve keys", but you're not going to stop reading the book, rush to the piano and practice for four weeks before you continuing reading. The kind of stuff he "teaches" takes a lifetime of experience and playing to learn. So I appreciate being told about it, and I like having some perspective added to such a very deep field of music, but after you buy this book, you're still going to need to do some drills, (try Jazz Chord Hanon: 70 Exercises for the Beginning to Professional Pianist, Jazz Hanon (Private Lessons), Post-Bop Jazz Piano - The Complete Guide with CD!: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series (Hal Leonard Keyboard Style), and even Piano Essentials: Scales, Chords, Arpeggios, and Cadences for the Contemporary Pianist (Book & CD)), learn some songs (use The Real Book: Sixth Edition), and get some instruction (try your local community college or music store). In short, Levine's book is a wonderful map and a readable, useful guide for just about anyone with interest in playing jazz on the piano.

5 comments about The Real Book: Sixth Edition.

1. i really like this book it is essential to all aspiring and accomplished jazz musicians



2. I am very pleased with The Real Book, 6th edition. It is clearly formatted, the chords are all proper, and the song selection is diverse. This is a great book for newbies to jazz and seasoned six string vets as well. I would not hesitate to recommend it to either.



3. Put simply, if you want to play jazz, you need to know the tunes in this book. My guitar teachers have given mixed reviews of some of the arrangements of the tunes, but nonetheless, the Real Book is a must-have for any serious jazz musician.



4. It is a pleasure to see clearly written notation, so it gets 4 stars, but just barely..
   
   Number 1 complaint:
   
   The publisher did not follow a cardinal rule of notation: don't place vertical bar lines directly below the bar lines of the staff directly above. So many of the songs have ALL the bar lines directly below those above.
   
   This makes it much harder to sight read the music. For example, look at "I'll Remember April". The first two measures for staff 6 are the same as staff 5. If your eyes don't jump down, you will get to the 3rd measure and find yourself replaying staff 5. Compare that to sight reading "Man in the Green Shirt", or "500 Miles High" where most bar lines do not line up directly under the staff above. So much easier to keep your place.
   
   Number 2 complaint:
   
   My number 2 complaint is the material used for the covers. Way too thin, prone to tearing. And the paper is grease/dirt absorbent. It should have a stiffer cover board with a laminate finish.



5. It arrived in mint condition within two weeks even though I live in the EU.

5 comments about The Jazz Theory Book.

1. There is not much more that I could say that has not been already written, but I want to do whatever I can to promote Mr. Levine's book. Truely Brilliant. Even non-jazz players will appreciate the huge amount of thought and work that must have gone into the creation of this book.
   
   Buy It



2. I'm a lifetime guitar player and have recorded and toured with a jazz band for the last five years. I'm long past buying books on improving my playing; not that I think I'm that good I've just not found that many that seemed to be worth the time. Many offer ideas based on some gimmick such as learn only 5 scale patterns and you can be an expert at solos! My experience has taught me that there is no substitute for practice and playing with great musicians! However as my band has matured and we have become more classically jazz oriented there have been many occasions where I need a technical reference on jazz theory and just didn't have access to a good one. A friend of mine who is a professional musician mentioned this book almost in passing and called it "The Bible" on the subject. Well whatever you want to call it its great! The author lays it all out in a very straightforward and logical approach that anyone with an interest in jazz and some basic experience can understand. In addition, it's not just for guitar players. Highly recommended!



3. I read the reviews, I went through the site, I checked around... Seemed like a great book to get a hang of jazz theory...
   
   I have one problem though...I can't read music. And NOWHERE in this whole reviews or description is it mentioned that this book has ONLY MUSICAL NOTATIONS.
   
   I've bought a few books on music and have actually picked up quite a bit through tabs (My instrument happens to be the guitar.)
   
   Now when I get to the returns section it says I have to ship it right back to the US of A... while all incoming packages are shipped by Amazon to a local courier who then delivers it to respective addresses.
   
   What a sham! Overall all those who might be toying with the idea of picking up this book BEWARE. ITS MANDATORY TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND NOTATIONS.
   
   Otherwise well the money's down the drain... at least for me for now I guess...



4. This is a MUST have for any jazz musician. Now, let me just warn you that if you don't play piano you might not enjoy the book as much considering a lot of the things written in the book by Levine are really being directed towards piano. There are also many jazz piano standard sample pieces that you will find through out the book. That being said though, Levine makes his points more than clear and explains the theory in a way that you will totally understand. If you read carefully and pay attention to what he wrote, you will without question become a better jazz musician. I hope this review has helped you, please feel free to leave comments!



5. I've been using a friend's copy of this book for years and finally bought my own copy. This book belongs in the library of any jazz musician, regardless of instrument (I play bassoon, guitar, and piano), experience or playing level. The information is presented in a clear, concise way, and Mark Levine is quick to remind readers that theory is only a set of guidelines, but that you need to know the guidelines before you try to move beyond them. He quotes numerous musical examples, and you will get the greatest benefit from this book if you listen to these selections. It's also a great way to expand your jazz collection. The book is applicable to any instrument and contains examples in both treble and bass clef (Bb, Eb, F, etc. instruments will need to transpose though). No tablature for guitarists, but if you play jazz guitar you really should be able to read music because they give you sheet music in jazz ensembles, not tablature.
   It's a great learning tool for any jazz musician, and a great reference tool for the experienced musician or jazz composer/arranger. Buy it!

5 comments about Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality.

1. I could definately identify with Miller. I appreciated his brutal honesty with respect to Christianity, especially fundamentalism.



2. This book, as well as Donald Miller's other books are simply elegant and poetic. While some may disagree with Miller's "Theology" it must be stated that his purpose was to identify and reach out to hurting people that are broken and searching for truth. Miller's commentary approach gives an artistic and humorous insight into what I would call...the real deal Christianity. Thanks Don



3. 1. This is a flow of consciousness type book which offers some very honest and personal insights from a talented writer.
   
   2. A Christian point of view coming more from the left offers insight into both the strengths and shallowness that mirrors and demonstrates the strengths and shallowness of the right. There are many evangelicals who need to consider and question the far or even moderate right point of view that has dominated evangelicalism and this book is one of the better ones. It doesn't require agreement to benefit.
   
   3. A genuinely enjoyable read with some "aha" moments along the way that the author sees in himself that many readers will relate to and grow from along the way.
   
   I enjoyed it and particularly benefitted from the story of the Confession Booth. It's revealing to me that many who dislike and disparage this book apart from coming from some predictable camps, are those who lead with their intellect and lack in the areas of practical compassion and loving people as Christ loved them. That shouldn't be lost on anyone while reading these reviews in general.



4. This book was truly worth more than the amount of money I spent to purchase it. The nonreligious thoughts he offers on Christianity are not only influential but they are valid to every individual. I not only cried, but literally laughed out loud! A "must read" for every Christ follower!



5. I found myself laughing aloud one minute and welling with tears the next. This readable collection of thoughts on being Christian is compelling and inviting. It stretches the imagination of what could be and helps to expose some deeply guarded pharisaical practices in church culture. It will be offensive to some who are used to reading "Christian" books.