In the Key of Jazz, Book 2: Intermediate Piano Book

This collection nails the intermediate sweet spot by offering genuine stylistic variety within a single book. Students aren't just playing jazz exercises; they're inhabiting different moods and grooves, from swing to Latin to funk, which keeps practice sessions engaging and builds real interpretive flexibility.

A masterclass in mood. One moment you're floating through a laid-back swing groove, the next you're navigating the rhythmic heat of a street-level Latin piano moment, then you're caught up in something quirky and propulsive that defies easy categorization. Each piece has personality.

Intermediate pianists ready to explore jazz beyond basic voicings and comping patterns. This book serves students who want real style and expression in their jazz studies, not just technical exercises.

• Listen to recordings of each style before diving in. En Calle Ocho will land differently once your student has heard authentic Latin jazz piano; the grooves will click into place.
• Isolate the left hand in Whazzitooyah? and lock the rhythmic drive separately. The originality Olson brings to this piece lives in the unpredictable comping, so control that foundation first.
• Shape Swingin It with restraint. The relaxed quality comes from resisting the urge to overstate the swing feel; let the ease come through in your touch and phrasing.

Slot individual pieces into recitals or student showcases to represent different jazz traditions in a single program, or assign the whole book across a semester to build stylistic literacy. These solos also work well as stepping stones before diving into lead sheet playing and improvisation.

• Swing feel and articulation in a relaxed ballad context
• Latin rhythmic patterns and accompanying grooves
• Comping vocabulary and left-hand independence
• Stylistic interpretation across multiple jazz idioms
• Reading and performing original jazz compositions with idiomatic expression