Celebrated Jazzy Solos, Book 2: Piano Book

Vandall proves that jazz idioms belong in the student recital repertoire, not locked behind intermediate or advanced levels. Each piece targets a single jazz concept (the blues scale, swing rhythm, ragtime syncopation, ii-V-I harmony) so students hear it clearly and build ownership of the style, rather than faking their way through overly complex arrangements.

Playful, swinging, and thoroughly accessible. These pieces feel cool without pretension. Whether bouncing through a boogie, expressing minor-key blues, or syncopating a ragtime melody, the writing invites students to have fun and sound like they belong in the jazz tradition.

Late elementary and early intermediate pianists who are ready to move beyond classical repertoire and curious about jazz but need pieces that teach the vocabulary rather than assume it. This book works for studio students preparing recitals, ensemble pianists seeking solo material, and students in jazz-curious studio programs.

• Isolate the specific jazz element each piece teaches (the boogie bass pattern in 'Boog's Boogie,' the swing eighths in pieces like 'Feeling Great!') and practice it separately before adding the melody, so both hands understand their role in the style.
• Record yourself and listen back. Jazz phrasing lives in the details of timing and accent; hearing your own recording reveals whether the swing feel is landing or whether the blues scale is truly bluesy.
• Let the tempo breathe. These pieces invite a relaxed, confident pace. Rushing flattens the jazz character and makes technical passages feel clumsy.
• Honor the rhythmic notation without overthinking it. Vandall writes these pieces to be played naturally once you understand the style, not metronomically.

Program one of these solos on a spring recital to give younger pianists a moment that showcases personality and style beyond the classical canon. You can also pair multiple pieces from this book across the program to create a mini jazz set, or use individual solos as performance rewards when students master specific jazz concepts in lessons.

• Blues scale navigation and phrasing
• Swing eighth-note feel and articulation
• Ragtime syncopation and left-hand rhythm patterns
• Boogie-woogie bass patterns
• Jazz harmony and ii-V-I progressions
• Reading jazz notation and articulation marks