Concertino in Jazz Styles: Piano Duo (2 Pianos, 4 Hands) Book (2 copies required)

Mier writes jazz for young pianists without pastiche or condescension. Each movement in this concertino tackles a distinct stylistic element (lyrical jazz ballad, jazz waltz, swing rhythm) so pianists build real jazz vocabulary through performance rather than imitation. The duo format creates a genuine partnership between players, making what could feel like a student exercise feel like actual chamber music.

These movements swing, saunter, and sparkle with the freshness of discovering jazz for the first time. The writing never feels stuffy or academic; instead, it invites you into a world where seventh chords and syncopation feel like natural musical speech, not a foreign language being translated.

Late elementary pianists ready to expand their musical language beyond classical repertoire. Two pianists of similar ability can perform this together, or teachers can take the accompaniment part to support a student soloist during a recital or festival performance.

• Listen to authentic jazz recordings of similar styles before rehearsing. Your ears need the reference point for how swing eighth notes and syncopation actually breathe.
• Shape the seventh-chord harmonies in the accompaniment with careful voicing and dynamics. These chords define the jazz sound, so resist rushing through them.
• In the first movement, let the solo part sing with legit phrasing while the accompaniment maintains rhythmic clarity. Balance between melody and groove is everything.
• Mark the uneven eighth notes in the third movement. Count them metrically at first, then relax into them once the pattern lives in your hands.

Program this at a festival or recital where you want to showcase variety and break up a classical-heavy concert. The three contrasting movements give pianists a chance to demonstrate stylistic range without requiring advanced technique, making it ideal for late elementary festival selections and student recitals where you want to feature duet work.

• Reading and performing syncopated rhythms and swing eighth-note patterns
• Understanding jazz harmony, particularly seventh chords and their voice-leading
• Balancing solo melody and accompaniment texture in ensemble playing
• Interpreting jazz waltz and jazz ballad styles with appropriate phrasing and articulation
• Coordination and rhythmic independence between two pianists