Global Groove: Book & CD

This book cuts through the intimidation of odd meters by giving every instrument in your ensemble concrete material to work with. The three-level exercise structure means you're not asking students to sink or swim; you're building their confidence from simple ostinatos up to genuinely complex rhythmic independence. Pair it with the included recordings and suddenly improvisation feels achievable rather than abstract.

Rhythmically grounded and exploratory at once. The pieces pulse with clarity despite their metric complexity, drawing from African, Middle Eastern, and contemporary jazz vocabularies. There's a sense of discovery here, not struggle; the music invites you to find your place within larger rhythmic architecture rather than forcing you to fight it.

Any ensemble serious about developing rhythmic facility across world music styles. Pianists, guitarists, and percussion players will find material they can own immediately; wind and brass players get the chance to navigate complex meters alongside a complete harmonic context. Improvisers and composers will especially appreciate how the exercises translate into real musical application.

• Start with the basic patterns at tempo before attempting the polyrhythmic layers. Lock the foundation first, then layer complexity.
• Use the play-along tracks as your rehearsal partner, not just as a performance reference. Students internalize groove far faster when they're responding to actual accompaniment rather than a click.
• Encourage players to transcribe or notate their own improvisations from the recording. This bridges ear training and composition directly into the learning cycle.
• When moving between pieces, have your ensemble discuss which odd meter felt most natural and why. The visceral experience matters as much as the technical execution.

Schedule this during a concert or festival dedicated to world music or contemporary jazz. The range of instrumentation means you can build an evening around these pieces, using different groupings and soloists for contrast. Alternatively, thread individual pieces throughout a season to gradually condition your ensemble's comfort with non-traditional meters before a major contemporary work arrives.

• Reading and performing odd meters (5/8 through 25/16)
• Polyrhythmic independence and cross-rhythmic awareness
• Polymetric subdivision and metric modulation
• Improvisation within fixed harmonic frameworks
• Listening and responding to world music percussion textures
• Ensemble lock and rhythmic synchronization in complex time signatures
• Arranging and composing in non-standard meters