Crossover Pieces for Saxophone: Tenor or Soprano Saxophone Book & CD

Lehel constructs a genuinely useful bridge between classical saxophone study and the jazz and contemporary idioms most students actually want to play. Each piece anchors itself in a distinct style while teaching specific compositional devices, so students aren't just absorbing groove; they're decoding how melody, harmony, and structure function across genres.

Ten distinct worlds unfold across these pages: you'll step from hip hop bounce into Latin grooves, smooth through a bossa nova, and navigate funk and ballad textures. Each piece carries its own flavor and rhythmic DNA, making the collection feel like a curated playlist rather than a workbook.

Tenor or soprano saxophonists at the intermediate level who are ready to move beyond classical and standard jazz repertoire into contemporary crossover styles. This book also suits students who want to understand the theory and structural logic behind the music they're learning, not just the mechanics of playing it.

• Study the structural commentary before diving into each piece. Lehel's analysis of composition techniques and harmonic movement will sharpen your phrasing choices and help you understand what makes each style distinct.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock in the rhythmic pocket and harmonic context. Listen multiple times to internalize the groove before adding your own voice.
• Work through the creative exercises tied to each piece as preparation, not as separate homework. These targeted studies address the specific technical and stylistic demands you'll encounter in the concert piece itself.
• Explore the improvisation ideas Lehel suggests. Even if you're not an improviser yet, these frameworks show you where and how to personalize your interpretation within each style.

Program individual pieces across the year as soloists in recitals or ensemble concerts where contemporary repertoire fits your artistic vision. The stylistic variety also makes these pieces ideal for demonstrating to students what a complete saxophonist's toolkit can include, or for creating a themed concert around 21st-century crossover aesthetics.

• Idiomatic comping and phrasing in jazz, funk, boogaloo, and Latin styles
• Reading and performing syncopated rhythms across hip hop, blues, and shuffle feels
• Understanding harmonic movement and melody construction in contemporary contexts
• Improvisation over chord changes and groove-based frameworks
• Stylistic flexibility and code-switching between classical tone production and contemporary articulation