From Lead Sheets to Hip Solos

Whether or not you already have an improvisation method that works for you and your students, check this one out. Not only does it cover a variety of styles  (Swing, Funk, Soca, Samba and Bossa), but it features tunes by famous jazz artists: Now's the Time (Charlie Parker); My Little Suede Shoes (Charlie Parker) and Afro Blue (Mongo Santamaria) as well as originals by Ze Luis Oliveira and the author. Arthur Lipner brings many years of jazz performance and teaching to bear as he builds his course around five basic concepts: Groove; Ear Training; Chords & Basic Voicings; Listening and Connecting Chords with Solo Lines. The professionally recorded play-along CD is performed by a sextet consisting of vibes/marimba, piano, bass, drums, trumpet/flugelhorn and wodwinds. The book for tenor sax is essentially the same as the B-flat book, except that certain melodic lines are placed up an octave into a more suitable range for tenor. (In case you don't know what Soca style is, it's a mixture of Soul and Calypso.)