Solo Jazz Piano : The Linear Approach

Rating:
Summary: Love it so far
Review: I must admit that I'm only on chapter four, but so far this book exactly what the doctor ordered for me. You should be at least an intermediate reader if you want to benifit from the book as it's big strength, IMHO, is that it gives you nice etudes that are examples of the concepts it's trying to show you, then let's you try your own creation. However, I'm sort of barely at this level of reading but have no problem with the etudes so far, and it's actually good reading practice for me at the same time. So hopefully that's encouraging to the intermediate readers out there. Another thing to note is that the books main focus seems to be contrupuntal playing with both hands playing their own parts/melodies. Hence, most of the left hand work (after the first couple chapters), is on variations of walking bass starting with half note ballady lines, then quarter note swing, and then it goes into a bunch of other styles like latin, waltz, etc., and then even improving in the right hand over walking bass. I'm sure I'm leaving a lot out as I'm only on chapter four, but I feel this book really does deserve an early high rating from me as I'm already satisfied with what I've been able to learn from the first few chapters.

Probably not really a beginners or advanced level players book...probably intermediate to advanced intermediate, or advanced players that are inexperienced with counterpoint and/or solo playing. Hope my review helps

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Foundation for Solo Jazz Piano
Review: I'm a serious amateur jazz pianist who has long noticed that most other jazz piano books--including Mark's Levine's excellent "Jazz Piano Book"--assume you're always playing in a trio or larger ensemble. Consequently, they say very little about the unique problems of solo playing, bass lines, etc. This very well written and organized book contains the best instructional foundation for playing solo jazz piano I've seen anywhere. I had been looking for a book like this for about a decade without success because it was published relatively recently.

After several years of study from Levine's book and others in conjunction with occasional lessons from a couple of good teachers, I decided to study almost exclusively from this book on my own for awhile about a year ago. My solo playing has definitely improved a lot, and studying bass lines in depth seems to have improved my musical ear somehow, making it easier to improvise strong lines in the right hand.

Each chapter of "Solo Jazz Piano" begins with a clear, succinct presentation of the theory that will be drilled throughout the remainder of that chapter. This is generally followed by an etude written out in full (both clefs) that allows the student to feel what it's like to apply the theory immediately. I've learned a lot by analyzing the author's etudes. The etude is then followed by a leadsheet (usually with chord changes the same as or similar to those of the etude). The student is then directed to create an arrangement using the newly learned theory (and techniques learned in prior chapters) to create an original arrangement of the leadsheet. This system is very effective and helps the concepts "stick" in the student's mind, in my opinion. The first part of the book also includes an excellent review of basic chord theory. Once the study of bass lines begins, the author does not abandon the study and use of chords. On the contrary, he reminds the student to play 'comping arrangements in which the left hand plays a bass line and the right hand plays well-voice-led 'comping chords in addition to the usual excercises in which the student plays the melody (with or without added voices in the right hand) and a left-hand bass line. This ensures a well-rounded approach. My only criticism of this book is that it should have been spiral bound like Mark Levine's "Jazz Theory Book" for easier use at the piano.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone desiring to learn how to play SOLO jazz piano. For those just beginning to learn jazz improvisation, I also recommend "The Joy of Improv" (two volumes) by Dave Frank and "How to Improvise by Hal Crook." Both Dave and Hal have also been faculty at Berklee College of Music.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent practice resource with genuine depth and insight.
Review: Neil Olmstead offers one of the most complete jazz piano approaches I have ever seen, and I have a good collection of quality books. All exercises are clearly explained, and there is plenty to work on, so expect to use it for a long time. This book is designed for dedicated enthusiasts and professionals alike. Mr. Olmstead's teaching experience at Berklee combined with his taste, knowledge, and ability contribute to this unique approach to enhancing jazz skills at the piano. His stated influences for his method are Dave McKenna and Lennie Tristano, and if you're familiar with these artists (and you don't have to be; anyone can benefit), you'll want help in analyzing their incredible styles and techniques. The book opens by helping you to arrange appropriate chord voicings--with both hands and the left hand alone. You'll practice comping while recognizing and employing common extensions. The book not only recommends harmonizing melodies--it guides you to the next step which is key to any jazz musician: improvising over the changes with a solid, complementary left hand technique. Gradually, bass line development is helpfully presented. The etudes offer left hand arrangements rarely seen in other books. You'll gain insight to help you with your own ideas. All the tunes are based on real jazz standards, and they are often written in three different formats to give you the scope you need to assimilate them. For example, the first version might give you a full arrangement (left hand nuances written); the second, just the chord changes and and an embellished melody; a third might request that you work on a bass line/ and or comping idea. To top it off, you get a demonstration CD with improvisation samples.
The later chapters get progressively sophisticated with ideas on how to change meter, and how to play ballads with a swing feel and vice versa.
The print is of high quality--though I wish the book were spiral-bound because it is thick.
I take my time with it; there is so much in it, and it is fun. There are many resources that I use for my practice routine, and this one is about as thorough as you can get, especially since it focuses exclusively on solo jazz piano. Some books assume you are always part of a band. So if you are ready to work and enjoy doing it, this volume is for you.

Rating:
Summary: Not all that great
Review: One of the selling points for this book was that it had an accompanying CD. It was my idea that there would be transcriptions that corresponded note for note to the tunes that were played on the CD. That turned out to be incorrect.

Also: Something that a person always wants to know is patterns for jazz. It would have been one thing if the melody line of the tune was written in one place (and didn't correspond to what was played on the CD) but the patterns that were used to spice up the tracks were written elsewhere. As it happened, even the patterns were written nowhere. Can it really be that the study of jazz patterns is so separate from solo piano that it needn't be covered in one place?

I can't recommend which book has patterns and solo ideas at the same time, but I do know that this book is NOT the place to start looking.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly Published
Review: The content of the book and CD is fantastic, see the other reviews for more info. Unfortunately, the binding of the book is useless, especially when you try to set it on your pianos' music stand and have it stay open. The first time I used it, pages started coming loose like they were never attached. I guess I'll keep it instead of sending it back, because I like the material, but I'll have to fix it to use it (huge waste of practice time). Really should have been spiral bound - buyer beware.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book is one of the most practical piano instruction books that I have come come across--the kind of book that you can sit at the piano with and benefit from immediately. It's minimally theoretical, focusing primarily on drills and concepts that are universally applicable. Particularly useful are the sections on baseline motives. I was able to integrate them into my playing instantly. This is not to say that the book is a quick read. There is a lot of information, and many techniques to master. I recommend it to anyone who wishes to improve as a solo pianist.