Especially in Jazzy Style, Book 1: Piano Book

Alexander's facility with accessible jazz language makes these pieces immediately rewarding to play without sacrificing authentic harmonic color or rhythmic interest. Each of the eleven pieces in this book carries his signature approach: strong melodic writing paired with grooves and harmonies that feel genuine to jazz style rather than simplified approximations. Early intermediate pianists gain genuine musicality and style fluency from material that actually sounds like jazz, not piano exercises dressed up with swing eighths.

These pieces sparkle with personality. Lyrical moments arrive without sentimentality, infectious grooves stay playful, and harmonic color gives the ear real surprises. You feel the variety Alexander promised—each page brings a new mood and rhythmic character, making the book feel less like a series of etudes and more like a set of mini jazz performances.

Early intermediate pianists ready to move beyond classical technique and discover how jazz language works through actual performance. Students who respond to melody and rhythm more than purely technical studies will find genuine motivation in this collection.

• Treat the rhythm section figures as the pocket rather than accompaniment. Lock into the pulse of the left hand patterns and let the right hand melody sit comfortably on top.
• Experiment with swing eighths in the marked pieces and notice how straightening them for other sections creates stylistic contrast. Alexander writes these shifts intentionally.
• Listen to jazz recordings of the styles referenced in piece titles (rhumba, blues, Tahitian influences) so your interpretation goes beyond notation. The character emerges in tone choice and articulation.
• Use the harmonic colors Alexander gives you. These aren't generic chord progressions; specific sonorities appear intentionally, and respecting them keeps the jazz sound authentic.

Ideal for jazz-adjacent recital programs, especially when you want to showcase student versatility across genres in a single concert. Use individual pieces to balance classical or contemporary selections, or program several consecutively to demonstrate an early intermediate pianist's range and growing jazz comfort. The Federation Festivals 2024-2028 selection status also makes these reliable choices for competition and festival preparation.

• Reading and performing swing rhythms and straight eighth-note contexts
• Voicing jazz harmonies and understanding chord extensions
• Developing rhythmic independence between melody and accompaniment
• Interpreting stylistic markings and articulations specific to jazz
• Building left-hand groove patterns and comping figures
• Recognizing and executing stylistic variations (blues, rhumba, ballad)