(Woodwind Method). This definitive book provides a comprehensive guide for the intermediate saxophonist looking for an introduction to the world of jazz. It is packed full of tunes and exercises to improve your technique, improvising skills, score reading, musical creativity, and understanding of music theory. Author and renowned jazz saxophonist Ollie Weston guides you through the history of jazz, covering the key styles of influential saxophonists and jazz innovators, and explains essential musical concepts with a minimum of jargon. The book provides clear guidance and concise explanations of harmonic and theoretical concepts, with demo solos and authentic live jazz trio recordings on the accompanying CD. The CD contains 15 play-along tracks in audio format, which can be played on a normal CD players. There are also 45 MP3 files with full versions of the pieces, as well as further exercises and demos, which can be played on a computer or MP3 player.

Traces the history of the saxophone from its invention by the eccentric Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in the 1840s to its role in the jazz genre in the twenty-first century.

(String). Jazz is one of the biggest challenges a violinist can face, with the thought of improvisation likely to strike fear into the heart of even the best classical player. This book demystifies the process, taking you step by step through everything you need to know about playing jazz violin. The work of players such as Stephane Grappelli, Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith and Jean-Luc Ponty is examined in detail, and styles including gypsy jazz, belop, modal and fusion are explored. Topics covered include: analyzing a chord sequence * bowing * chord symbols * double stopping * harmonics * how to construct your own solo * how to swing * pentatonic, bebop and blues scales * vibrato * and more. An accompanying CD with 65 tracks for listening or play-along is also included.

Body & Soul, a song with music by Johnny Green and lyrics by Frank Eyton, Edward Heyman, and Robert Sour, was first published in 1930. It became a popular tune for jazz musicians. This volume presents transcriptions and analyses of recorded solos by Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Michael Brecker, and Chris Potter. With a foreword by Chris Potter.

This book provides the beginner alto saxophone player with all the skills you need to get started. Following simple illustrated lessons, you will learn to play in a variety of styles – from funk and pop to soul, jazz and blues. Easy-to-follow lessons will help you pick up the essentials – creating a warm, rich, even sound, mastering rhythm and notation, and improvising – until you are ready to join a band and start jamming! The backing CD provides accompanying tracks to help you play the right style, and demonstrations of the material for you to listen to and emulate. The book isn’t only for alto sax players, students of the tenor sax will also get plenty from the lessons and the scale library, allowing them to create simple improvisations and letting them ‘jazz up’ a melody. About the author Ollie Weston is Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the Guildhall School of Music and currently runs both the Jazz Workshop and the Jazz MA courses for the Junior School. As well as numerous smaller groups, he writes and arranges music for his own quartet, and co-leads the Zephyr Saxophone Quartet. His session credits include 19 Management, Island Records, Edwyn Collins, Jamie Cullum and Amy Winehouse. Ollie has also played in many West End productions.