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Reviews

I am not only a Michael Buble fan, I am also myself a former professional singer. I think the thing I appreciate the most about Buble is that he is willing to take chances with his interpretations. I also know from seeing him in live performance that the man is a complete professional, a true artist, and knows how to connect with the music and his audience. I appreciate all those qualities. To me, that's what makes an artist true to his craft. I am for the most part pleased with all the cuts on this new CD, but a couple of them I find myself skipping over as they are just a bit too lackluster for my taste. Here's my breakdown; 'Cry Me a River' is brilliant. It is by far the best cut on the CD, closely followed by 'All I Do is Dream of You' (what a great treatment of an old classic!). Both arrangements are genius. 'All of Me' is a great take on a great standard. I am not enthralled with 'Georgia', 'Crazy Love', or 'Baby, You've Got What it Takes'. But 'Haven't Met You Yet' is so infectious I find myself humming it all the time, which to me is a hallmark of great songwriting. 'Heartache Tonight' is fabulous as is 'You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You'. And 'Stardust' has a most interesting treatment, though not the best I've heard. And I am so attached to that song, I know it inside out. Which leads me to one of my few criticisms of Mr. Buble; I wish he would stop messing around with the lyrics on standards. I can understand and appreciate changing a lyric occasionally to lend a certain emphasis, but he does it constantly. What I find ends up happening then is that novices who then proceed to learn these songs from him learn the lyrics wrong, and over time the lyrics then become bastardized. Not what the composer intended, I assure you! Please Michael, just sing it correctly at least the first time in the song, then you can change it around to suit your interpretation. Sorry, this is just a pet peeve of mine and I hate it that one of the new champions of classic music of this sort resorts to this. One more thing; I am completely put off by 'Hold On', but then I was not a big fan of his composition 'Home' either. They just sound like songwriter night material to me, which usually ends up being the dregs left over after the good stuff gets kept by the producer. Stick with the uptempo material, Michael! You're a good writer, I'm just not a fan of your ballads.

Michael Buble clearly knows what to do with a melody line, but whoever wrote the harmony vocals for this album had too many voices and tried to take them to places they should not go. We wound up with vocalists singing the same harmony parts and octave apart. Yuck.

Great CD. I hardly ever buy CDs anymore, but this once is great a fabulous addition to my collection!

What can I say about Michael Buble - he has the most mesmerizing voice of any male singer alive today. Elvis would be the only one to top him. This is becoming my favorite CD. AT THIS MOMENT is an old song - but I much prefer his rendition to the original. The emotion in his voice on these songs touch your heart - you can feel the pain and sincerity. I bought it on amazon and saved almost $12 over the stores and got it the next day.

This is my first Michael Buble cd. I decided to purchase after hearing "haven't met you yet" which I really like. The cd is good. Nice to put on after getting out of work to relax. Nice to hear a modern day "Frank Sinatra" in today's music!

Reviews

After three, almost four, years since the release of "Chasing Tales,"I was beginning to suspect that there might be "reasons" why "The Pursuit" wasn't being released. The quality of the songs and Jamie's voice make it well worth the wait. My suspicions were unfounded, as "The Pursuit" is one top-notched undertaking that gives us some of that traditional Jamie with "Just One of Those Things," coupled with some lively toe-tapping, foot-stomping tunes ("You and Me Are Gone," "Mixtape" and "Music is Through,") some thought-provoking soulful tunes ("If I rules the World," "I think I Love," "Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down" and "Grace is Gone"). Then, there are those that bridge two or more genres, light..fun..happy ("I'm all over it," "Don't Stop the Music," "We Run Things"). Then, there's the Oscar-nominated "Gran Torino" and "Not While I"m Around" that bridges to a new place that Jamie has hinted at visiting in the past, and this shows he arrived. During 2006 I was fortunate to hear him in the States at three different venues (Phoenix, Nashville and Birmingham (AL)), and he delivered performances that were a tour de force, which left us always in awe. For whether the performance cost us $15.00 or $85.00, each time we received a 2-hour 25-minute performance that was a music delight. With Mr. Cullum showing off a true entertainer's chops at each performance. BTW, at the first concert we went to, in which we were sitting so close to the front that when Jamie passed his half-emply can of Guinness to the audience, my step-daughter got it. It was at this first concert that I noticed before the concert started, these college girls with very large women's undergarments. They were giggling, so I had to ask them about this, and I was told that if you get some ladies lingerie, and throw it on the stage with a note, requesting a song, he will play it for you. In Nashville, we were successful in launching a red thong that bounced off his shoulder, and dropped on his keyboard, where he expertly untied it (we had to wrapped it around a quarter to give it some weight) one-handledly while still playing, and read the note. "The Pursuit" is a great work. It finds Jamie venturing into new areas that I find entertaining, adventurous and easy to accept. While I did notice in a couple of tunes a miss hit note ("Just One of Those Things" and "You and Me Are Gone"), his singing voice has developed into a great musical instrument in its own right, with no straining to reach any notes, no matter how high their range. I have heard some say that they were enthralled by "Twenty Something" and then, felt less enthusiastic about "Catching Tales." If this was you, you owe it to yourself to check-out "The Pursuit." Five years ago, when I was listening to "Twenty Something," I wondered where this great talent would be in five years, little did I anticipate he could achieve this wonderful sound. With this "Special Edition" of "The Pursuit," in addition to the additional tunes "Grand Torino" and "Grace is Gone" you get a DVD with performances of previously released "Photograph," "Get Your Way," "What a Difference A Day Made," "London Skies," other tunes and commentary on all the songs recorded on the CD. Plus, there's a thick booklet of lyrics and credits. All-in-all, it's a great set.

Jamie doesn't disappoint. After Twenty Something and Catching Tales, he comes back with fresh interpretation on aged classics. He continues to make standards his own while preserving the authenticity of the original piece. Returning with nine original songs, Cullum captivates listeners with his honest lyrics and raw voice. Fusing jazz and pop, he appeals to listeners from both genres and meets them in the middle without compromising his pure sound. "The Pursuit" is definitely one of the best purchases I have made in the past year. BUY IT!! You won't regret it. By the way, tracks 13-16 are actually "I Love This," "Gran Torino,"Grace is Gone," and "Don't Stop the Music (Live)." All are incredible tracks!

Jamie Cullum is not necessarily mainstream and definitely a huge find if you come across his music. What a talent. If you ever want to find someone who was made to play, write and perform music from their soul it is this guy. TWENTYSOMETHING was the first defining moment for this great artist receiving praise from critics and listeners alike. His next release CATCHING TALES was considered a positive notch on his belt but didn't receive the save level of praise as the latter. As a sidenote for me it definitely was a step up for Mr. Cullum. Now we have THE PURSUIT and as far as I am considered this is his new defining moment. Every artist has a basic genre they are defined in and for Jamie Cullum is was jazz pop and many reinterpretations of old standards in the Cullum style. And he has had his style since day one. Sometimes you hear him compared to Harry Connick Jr. or Michael Buble and though he sings some standards his style is so far removed from these performers. His growth on this release is astounding. Jamie Cullum is now 30 and to see an artist grow so much at an early age is a pleasure and a rarity. Each song he tackles is not for the masses but his own interptretation done from the heart. He is a singer songwriter and he has a superb gift with the songwriting as well. His piano playing is another gift and is always used to bring emotional depth to his performances. Some of the standards he tackles here are JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS, which starts off the cvd with a brassy, wonderful interpration that blows in your face as a great huge intro to what is to come. IF I RULED THE WORLD is a standard that many of the greats have interpreted and he makes this so much his own each time I listen I have to stop and listen to it with full attention as his vocals grab me. The important thing about Cullum is that though at first considered a singer who reinterpreted standards he has always been an inventive, risk taking independant style artist and that is a part of each song. Songs that are not standards are all written by Jamie himself and his true versatility shines on those tracks here. We get I'M ALL OVER IT which is the most poppish song he has ever done and it is amazing. WHEELS and MIXTAPE will surely become Cullum essentials and his reinterpretation of Rihanna's DON'T STOP THE MUSIC definitely shows how much he makes a song his own. With his self penned ballad LOVE AIN'T GONNA LET YOU DOWN he shows how even with a love song he remains true as an artist and provides a tour de force performance combing intense vocals with the amazing piano playing. Jamie does venture further away from the standards here but it all flows flawlessly for whatever genre he tackles you get the true artistry of Jamie Cullum. No song is filler and no song is repetituous. Each track gets the Cullum touch and that is a gift. He has such a gruff voice and how he can work it and reach such emotional heights astounds me. The deluxe edition gives you some great bonus tracks like GRACE IS GONE and the live version of DON'T STOP THE MUSIC. There is also a great dvd with live performances and interviews. Such praise as I have been giving here is honestly only reserved for a performer who is a true artist and that is Jamie Cullum. He explores, invents and is always true to himself. With a true artist when they venture out sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. Jamie Cullum takes many chances here and it all works. This is his best release so far and I highly recommend it.

In the first two tracks on this new CD, we get the two extremes of Jamie Cullum. "Just One of Those Things" is the swingingest Jamie has ever been. The bass is grooving, the horns are screaming - that's right, there's a full horn section. Follow this up with "I'm All Over It" which could very well be the poppiest song Cullum's ever done. "If I Ruled The World" has an electronica feel lifted off of Aqualung's first album, with a great piano solo. "You and Me Are Gone" reminds me a little of the song "Twentysomething" with it's beat and riffs and, even though it's laced with some Latin percussion from West Side Story sounds like a more traditional Cullum arrangement, and maybe Jamie's best recorded piano solo ever. "Don't Stop The Music" continues Jamie's re-interpretation versions of cover songs with a great take on the Rhianna song - laid back, acoustic, and swinging. "The Music Is Through" closes the CD with a great, densely produced arrangement complete with a house beat. Is it jazz? It's the furthest Cullum's been from jazz. It's jazz INFLUENCED pop. And there are some great jazz piano licks on nearly every song. But what makes it great to me is that it is the most DIVERSE a Cullum CD has been. The previous CDs all featured great songs but some of them droned on after a while. This album is fresh sounding from beginning to end and never seems to bog down. Very, very well done from one of my favorite current performers.

He has a tremendous talent, no one can have doubts about that. He was catapulted into spotlight after his 2003 debut "Twentysomething" marked him out as the poster child for the new age of Jazz. His second album received a much more muted response - behind the scenes he's been busy toiling away. According to some critics, he "has released a string of increasingly poppy Jazz-influenced records. The Pursuit is a richer, more rounded creation. It reveals the influences of a man who is as at home making four-to-the-floor club tracks with his brother as knocking out jazz standards" - Rob Potter In his latest release, "The Pursuit", a new-found confidence is clearly evident and fans will notice a slight veer away from the jazz sound he is famous for as he visits other genres. The Cole Porter cover version that starts this album ("Just One Of Those Things" - recorded with the Count Basie orchestra at Tony Bennett's studio) may make you think that this jazz talent is in danger of playing it all a bit too predictable, but he soon shakes things up. Later, the single "If I Ruled The World, a song memorably tackled by Tony Bennett and by the incomparable Regina Belle on her latest album Lazy Afternoon, becomes entirely Cullum's own. In fact the track sounds sombre and almost funerary, and recalls Portishead, while "Music Is Through" has a house beat and "We Run Things" is just boldly experimental. Some other tracks to look out for are the beautiful "Love Aint't Gonna Let You Down", and "Mixtape", featuring none other that the dulcet tones of Sophie Dahl as part of the backing vocal. This album is a must for loyal lovers of Jamie Cullum's music, and for those who want to hear something genuinely surprising and original. The special edition version of The Pursuit includes a bonus DVD with exclusive live and behind-the-scenes footage. Twentysomething Catching Tales Pointless Nostalgic The Essential Tony Bennett (Rm) (2CD) Lazy Afternoon

Reviews

Mature, beautiful, relatable, etc. I can not really find the words to explain just how truly lovely I think this young artist and her music is. I purchased this CD back in November. I had not heard of her but thought that the samples on Amazon were nice. I was pleasantly surprised. I then went back online to read her short bio. and was even more impressed to learn that even after her tragic accident, she has held her head high and was still able to do what she loved to do - make music and sing. I listen to this CD everyday - on my way to work, on my way home, around the house doing chores, etc. I even got my husband listening to it from time to time. I have purchased her "Worrisome" CD as well, however, "My One and Only Thrill" is my personal favorite. Can't wait til her next album. I would recommend this CD to anyone. You will not be disappointed.

Was not familiar with this arist, Melody Gardot until I saw her story on CBS Sunday Morning. Nice listening CD.

Melody Gardot's first CD (Worrisome heart) was a phenomenal achievement in restraint and intimacy. When I heard she was in the studio recording a full-length CD, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and give it a listen. When the wait was over, I hurriedly picked up a copy of her "My one and only thrill" CD, slipped it into my CD player, and... was appalled. Gone is the subtlety, only to be replaced by the most outlandishly cheezy strings I have heard since I stopped listening to my grandmother's music. Strings, strings, more strings, and then just to be sure you have been sufficiently smothered in strings, well, more strings. It's as if some string composer wanted to use Melody as a vehicle for promoting his/her orchestrations, and forcefully took control of the recording sessions. I haven't looked at who produced this latest recording, but I will (just to add to my "avoid" list). Melody, Melody, what have you done? Where have you lost that minimalist approach, those intimate moments, the under-produced and under-played beauty of your first recording? I haven't given up on you, and I am hopeful that your third recording will ditch the cheezy strings and return to the intimate night club ambiance that you so well embraced before.

This CD is absolutely wonderful - could not be happier with our selection. It was in brand new condition and arrived right on time. We listen to it often and enjoy it more each time.

If you are already a Dianna Krol, Alicia Keys or Nora Jones fan, you will love Melody Gaudet. It's no wonder she is platinum in France and will be here too very soon.

Reviews

We just heard the River at the Silicon Valley Symphony, it was wonderful. Tom O

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is at its best here. On this album, they pay tribute to William Levi Dawson and Duke Ellington, with great, intelligent compositions and performances. The "Negro Folk Symphony" is a deep, ear-pleasing performance with great horn work and the strings sound great. However, one of my favorites is Duke Ellington's "The River Suite". I, myself have played this piece and it is just as much fun to play as it is to listen to. My personal favorite movements are "Meander", "Giggling Rapids" and "Vortex". The whole piece is extremely soulful and still well-written. A definite favorite of mine, and it segways into a great performance of another one of Ellington's greatest pieces, "Solitude". However, the real show stopper here is "Harlem", originally written for trumpeter Cootie Williams. This features William Lucas and Walter White, two of the best all-around trumpet players today. They effortlessly extend into the stratosphere and play beautifully through this challenging arrangement. As the review from the critic says, "Talk about musicians knowing their chops!"Fans of orchestral music and big band music will enjoy this one equally. The DSO is constantly blurring the line between the two styles and this particular outing works wonderfully. It's great to hear an album like this.

Reviews

Randy Graff is known to the fans of Broadway musicals, but she does deserve a much broader audience. She is a truly terrific performer. Buy the CD and enjoy some guiltless pleasure.

Don`t worry, I won`t fuss around. I`ll just tell you why you should buy this album: first of all, Cy Coleman is a fantastic composer and you`re gonna like his songs as long as you like Broadway musicals; and: if you like and know Coleman-show`s you`ll even find some songs you don`t know yet and they sound just brilliant. Well and of course credits to Randy Graff who does a great job and makes this record to a must for every Broadway musical fan...(sorry, I guess, I did fuss around, didn`t I? Anyway, go ahead, buy it!)

Tony Award Winner Randy Graff ("City of Angels") sings some of Cy Coleman's most popoular songs as well as a few "chestnuts" in this highly entertaining CD. Ms Graff's Broadway credits include originating the role of Fantine in "Les Miserables", "Laughter on the 23rd Floor", "Moon Over Buffalo" with Carol Burnett, and "High Society". For some of Cy Coleman's best from a lady who can really sing em, this CD is a must for your Broadway collection.

Reviews

Whenever I have people over for fun food and drink this is one of the concert DVDs I will always get the most request to put on. Some complain about the images shown as the music's playing but it adds to the experience.Sound and production quality are top notch as are the musicians. I really prefer these retro jams because of the excellent quality. This one,Santana,Deep Purple.Black Sabbath and Joe Cocker retro's are all great repeated viewings.

Thought the DVD was very entertaining when it shows the artists on stage, doing their thing or off-stage clips of the players. Steve is so very talented and gifted. Jim is a hoot in most of the clips. I laughed out loud at times while he was playing and goofing around. You can almost feel him sweat while performing. And during performances on stage and off-stage antics and interview clips, you can tell these guys like what they do and have a good time. I thought Garcia looked old and out of place there. He did not seem to contribute that much; Steve steals the show!! The editing at times is distracting and annoying. It feels like someone wants you to feel like you are on some really mind-altering psychedelic drug and you are seeing halluicinations or LSD like highs. Let the musicians and their performances on stage, along with short-clips of dicussions or videos off stage do the work alone.

The dvd is awesome and if you like Traffic, this MUST be in your collection

I concur with others that the video editing is an abomination. But there are extended segments of pure concert footage and, for the most part, the audio tracks of each song are intact. Traffic is not one of my top 10 bands, but this is one of my top 10 concert DVDs. The music is tight, fresh, artistic, soulful, jamming, rocking, powerful. It is a special moment when a band gets into a groove and can build upon it and pull the audience into that groove with them. It is a rare moment for that groove to be captured on film. I ripped the audio tracks so that I could enjoy this as an album. I think these recordings are so special that I will probably also get the DualDisk version as well, just to try to get the best audio recordings that I can.

I thought this was a good live concert footage, well edited, and would recommmend it.

Reviews

The DVD is a great resource. It shows some very very fine drummers, each demonstrating his INDIVIDUAL style. That can be inspiring for a numbers of reasons, not east of which is the subtext that you too are entitled to your own style. It's also interesting to hear different takes on the function of brushes, whether legato or staccato. Best of all is the inclusion of the play-along tracks -- great opportunities to experiment with what you've seen and discover what you'll keep, what you'll change, and you may let go of. It was a coincidence, but I received the DVD a few weeks before a gig that required a lot of brush playing. Because of the DVD, the brushes felt very comfortable. I didn't feel the need to follow a "style" or technique, but -- because this is what the masters show on the DVD -- simply played what sounded best at the moment. The DVD is worth the investment. It shows there is a musical way to use brushes -- and it's open to personal interpretation.

I will admit I am biased since Adam has taught me, but, his teaching and communication talent absolutely shine on this DVD set. The insistance on camera angles is consistent and diligent. He has real, old-school, brush playing icons and in this, they play along at different tempo's, and to several styles, then discuss and demo their individual techniques. All the while, the are interviewed by either Adam or Steve Smith. The masters are even asked to move one arm or another, just so the camera can 'see' what's going on. Also, Adam and Steve show their stuff in similar fashion. There is real respect here that you can 'feel' and that makes for great interplay and cooperation while attention to detail is the rule. The players are willing to really break down their methods and repeat them so we can really learn. This opened up my mind and my playing after just watching less than half of it and it illicited compliments after a gig from people who really know. I have to highly recommend this to any drummer who wants to play for real- no matter what level you are currently this will improve you! Happy drumming and have fun!

This is an excellent production but could have been improved by the addition of a music score. The additional cost of UK VAT was £5.90 plus Post Office handling charge of £8.00 made this an expensive product.

It's not often that a product that you can't test first blows one away. But this is definitely one of them. The main take away is that playing with brushes has all to do with individual tastes and desires for producing a pleasing sound. Playing jazz with brushes offers a multitude of expression. This package clearly demonstrates that fact with some of the best in the business. And with the play-along CD, you can experiment with some of the techniques picked up from the masters on the DVDs. Don't expect to get much explanation from these guys. They just do what they do and you will need to learn by listening and watching what they do. Often times, they can't adequately put into words what they are doing. It's like someone asking you to explain how you breathe. You just do! This product is highly recommended for the jazz drummer who is young, old, neophyte, or expert.

I had to do a listening assignment for this and write and paper. Here is my paper - tells what is presented in the DVD and my opinions: The Art of Playing with Brushes, released by Hudson Music, is a true treasure trove of information and tools to learn to play brushes. Steve Smith and Adam Nussbaum host other elders of the art to demonstrate their techniques and explain their philosophies, inspirations and tips. The complete set includes two DVDs and a play-a-along CD with tracks that match the charts the interviewees play to. In total there is over seven hours of video to soak up and learn from! The DVDs are organized by examples of different styles, lessons from different teachers, and other "bonus" material. Under each category Joe Morello (of Dave Brubeck fame), Charli Persip (Dizzy Gillespie), Eddie Locke (Coleman Hawkins), Billy Hart (Hank Jones), Ben Riley (Thelonius Monk) play and talk about each style or lesson. It is through these extensive examples that the viewer can learn many approaches to brushes. First and foremost, all the drummers discussed the fact that brushes are based on individuals and personalities. Each brush player uses different "moves," creates different colors, and adds in unique kicks and tricks. But they also explain some fundamental truths about brush technique. First, brushes are based on lateral and circular motion. The most common implement, the drumstick, uses mostly vertical movement to achieve sound. Brushes, because of their unique design and purpose, call for more subtle, lower, finessed movements. The goal with brushes is to create a "sound-scape" of swishes and accents, whereas drumsticks are more about time and rhythm. Interestingly, Billy Hart talks about how he completely avoids thinking about rhythm when playing brushes, and instead focuses on the melodies and feelings of the music around him. It is much harder to play brushes well if you are focused on counting more than feeling. Each drummer offers their own takes on swing (many different tempos), ballads, ¾ time playing, and latin brushwork. Basic swing patterns usually included the left hand making a circular motion, with the right hand tapping a ride pattern around the left hand's motion. This is made very clear in all the demonstrations. Some of the drummers incorporated more staccato movements, accents on the cymbals, hi-hat splashes, and varying amounts of bass drum playing. All of these variations are valid and worth examining so the viewer may incorporate what they like into their playing. Besides more than five hours of hardcore brush demonstration and talk, the DVDs also include eleven archival clips of great brush players, brush lessons with Adam Nussbaum, Ed Thigpen, and Louis Bellson, and a 5/4 brush solo by Joe Morello. If the viewer inserts the DVDs into their computer, extra PDF articles can be found. They include biographies and listening guides of the artists featured in the DVDs, a written brush lesson with Adam Nussbaum, an article on the sounds of the brushes, and information about playing along with the included CD. As an individual player, there are many things I can take from this package to improve my brush playing. As I am currently studying brushes in Philly Joe Jones's book "Brush Artistry," I was familiar with some of the basic concepts presented in the video. A picture (or video) is worth a thousand words -watching masters of brushes has given me direct connections between concepts, movements, and sounds. It will take me time and more watching of the DVDs to develop and integrate all of these ideas into my playing. As described in the video, my practice could be with or without music on any suitable surface: a drum, newspaper, record cover, or book. Truly, The Art of Playing with Brushes is a monumental resource for playing brushes. The material presented can help develop any drummer into an individual, swingin' brush player.

Reviews

I LOVE it !! CD and DVD, the price is GREAT.. quality is fantastic. Love all the music it in it..

Legends of Jazz is an amazing work of artistry. Larry Rosen, thank you so much. Also, a big thanks to Bill Richert, the still photographer of the coffee table book. It is a wonderful addition to my library. You are very talented. I do hope to see more of your work in the future. As a former educator, my hat is off to all of you that put this great piece of work together. This is what our youth needs to view. Many thanks for the hours of entertainment I have enjoyed.

Legends of Jazz: Showcase [Blu-ray] The wonderful performance of the maestros of jazz has driven me mad by wonderful quality of image and wonderful tone quality every day.

This is a great sampler of a variety of jazz styles by some reknowned artists. The quality of Blu-Ray HD video is excellent. Overall this is the kind of DVD you'd want to watch over and over again!

Good selection of artists, although concert or show is quite short, expected a longer presentation ...overall it is a good concert

Reviews

I don't own this cd but from listening to the samples it sounds like nice christmas music. The questions is, however, why are sellers asking $93 - $214 for this CD. Does the 'DJ's Choice Smooth Christmas' cd have some special or historical value that I am not aware of? At least Amazon sells the download for $6.98

Reviews

Anyone just beginning to explore the world of jazz improvisation needs to purchase this book. While the instruction is lacking, in my opinion, it is still a very useful tool for practicing when fellow musicians are not available; and the consistency is helpful when you want to try something new. It is a beginner's book and should be used by beginners.

This was the book I first started learning jazz tunes from, and have since bought many copies for my pupils. There's some classic tunes in it that are easy to read, perform and learn basic improvisation. A good place to start for beginners to jazz, and to use as a practice aid for soloing.

Aptly named, Maiden Voyage features tracks that are nearly ideal for beginning jazz improvisers. The chord changes are not overly quick, nor are the tempi on the tunes. Like most of the packages that Jamey Aebersold has put together over the years, Maiden Voyage works best for players of melodic instruments (flute, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, guitar, etc.). This is useful for guitarists and pianists who want to practice their comping, as it is for bass players. The only problem with using the basic version of any of Aebersold's book/CD packages for comping or working out bass lines is that there is no soloist to react to. This features, however, a solid rhythm section and putting yourself into it requires practice. A nice selection of tunes. Some people that prefer a more chord-based approach to improvisation might find Aebersold's focus on modes a little tricky at first, but this kind of modal approach is basically where jazz has been for some time now. Besides, using a scale (mode) based approach will help the improviser develop a more flowing melodic style. Give Maiden Voyage an "A."

I'm an intermediate level bass player backing up a praise band at church and a company sponsored big band, but I'd never soloed or played a melody till I took a jazz class that used this book.Melody lines in the tunes are very readable, even though I did not know most of the songs, and had never played any of them. Tempos are moderate for a productive learning experience--our jazz band performs "Impressions" a lot faster than Aebersold teaches it. And his improv technique got me up and playing pretty quickly. Now I know what in improv solo is and how to get there. It improved my backup skills as well, and overall improved my confidence to step out more even in the backup role. Had a great time, and I'm headed back for another class with another Aebersold book.

This is a terrific purchase for intermediate level players. The selections are in relatively slow tempos and there is a wealth of information if you are a multi-instrumentalist. The CD recording is good and allows you to mute either the bass or piano acoompaniment as they are recorded on separate channels. There is a recommended discography for each track. My only criticism is that it would be better to have the tracks recorded twice, once with just piano,bass and drums (what you get now) and recorded again with a lead instrument playing the notated themes in the supplied booklet.

Reviews

This book teaches how to learn to improvise for all instruments. Jamey's message is that it is easy to improvise. He introduces a way of practicing that starts simple and adds complexity step by step. There is much wisdom here, though sometimes a bit scattered and not that organized. The book is more practical than analytical, with short chapters on different topics and many musical examples and licks. I think the main strength with this book lies in the inspirational tone and the play-a-longs on the companion cd. I really like to play along with the songs. Even though the pianist, the drummer and the bass player play "simple" chord progressions and 12-bar blues songs they swing and they groove! You should buy the DVD also, because in the DVD Jamey sits at his piano and explains many of the concepts presented in the book and shows how to play along. I find his way of talking about and demonstrating jazz to be very inspiring. He makes it simple. I have watched the DVD many times by now, just to get me in the right mood. /Anders Vesterberg

The book explains the scales to be used with different chords. And gives some patterns to be played over these scales. The first play-along track have chord progressions to go along with those pattern, so you can play along using those pattern. The pattern starts very simple to more complex ones. Of course you may also improvise freely over the same backing tracks, using notes from the given scales. The book further explains ideas about hwo to build a nice solo, and introduces the concept of tension and release. While all well done, I have only rated it 3 stars. I play the guitar, and found that an introduction to jazz specificly written for the guitar was much to prefer, e.g. by providing ideas on fingering of different scales. I guess that this would be similar for most instruments. Morover the main part of the book has to be written three times for instruments of different tuing. The book proceeds directly to a modal approach to improvising. Non of the backing track would allow imporivsations within one major scale. I guess that the author want to avoid the reader to get stuck in the diatonic approach (Using the same scale if all chords are derived from one common scale, as the chord progression for many songs is.) Still, this makes the initial learning curve steeper. On the other hand, after studying other book, I found lots of useful ideas when I reconsidered this one.

Reviews

Some highlights: The CD takes you through II-V-I progressions in all keys, major and minor. There are scales to look at, if you want to look at them when you start. There are some sample etudes. There is a long list of sample runs in D that start out simple and gradually grow in difficulty. Some of them have comments to explain the techniques used. This set is a versatile tool - the CD tracks have a great band accomaniment that you can use to practice improvising on your own, learn some comping skills, practice your own comping, practice scales and chords, . . . Exercises are in Bass, Treble, Bb and Eb, so just about anyone that doesn't play F french horn can use them easily. The charts in the book are extensive. The set is as good as you care to make it. I had a small customer service that the publisher remedied instantly and courteously. Bravo! If I could change one thing, the exercises in D might be a little more musical and a little less "classroom". I wouldn't recommend playing many of them "as is" in a real setting. However, you aren't tied to those examples when using the CD, so it's not really a big issue. A CD with 12 tracks of ii-v-i, one in each key (major and minor) instead of just D, might be a nice addition for the beginner level, but it is also beneficial to jump around different keys as some of the exercises do. Why four stars instead of five? I have a personal bias. Music books that "change your life" with minimal user effort get five stars from me. Music books that "change your life", but only with considerable effort on your part, get four. Call me lazy.