Big Phat Jazz Piano Solos: Piano Book

These solos preserve the harmonic richness and rhythmic swagger of Goodwin's Big Phat Band charts while landing squarely in the intermediate range. A pianist tackling these pieces develops genuine jazz language and comping skills without drowning in technical demand. The online videos of Goodwin performing and teaching each title provide invaluable insight into phrasing, touch, and interpretation that students won't find in notation alone.

Energetic, swinging, and harmonically rich. The music pulses with the rhythmic confidence of contemporary big band jazz while remaining intimate at the keyboard. Whether playful (Hunting Wabbits) or introspective (An American Elegy), these pieces carry the melodic clarity and emotional directness that define Goodwin's writing.

Intermediate to late intermediate pianists ready to engage with genuine jazz repertoire. Students in recital programs, festival competitions, or jazz studies curricula will find substantial material here. Teachers seeking sophisticated yet playable jazz solos for advancing students have a reliable resource.

• Study the harmonic movement first by playing chord changes slowly without worrying about the written melody or rhythmic detail. Goodwin's sophistication lives in the harmony, and understanding it deeply makes everything else fall into place.
• Watch Goodwin's performance videos before you begin learning the score. His touch, articulation choices, and sense of swing timing reveal interpretive decisions that sheet music alone cannot convey.
• Lock in the groove by tapping your foot to the underlying pulse rather than counting beats mechanically. Jazz piano solos thrive on feel, and your internal clock matters as much as your finger work.
• Balance melody and accompaniment texture carefully; these pieces ask you to voice chords and play melody simultaneously, so listen for transparency between the lines.

Open a jazz recital or concert with one of the uptempo titles to establish energy and set the tone for the evening. Pair these solos with other intermediate jazz repertoire to build a substantial jazz showcase. Select An American Elegy as a beautiful concert closer or as a palate cleanser between faster, more virtuosic works.

• Jazz comping and voicing (triads and extended chords in contemporary contexts)
• Swing feel and rhythmic interpretation specific to big band jazz
• Reading syncopated melodic lines over complex harmonic progressions
• Balancing single-note melody with chord accompaniment textures
• Interpreting jazz articulation and phrasing for expressive communication