Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Volume 2: Nothin' but Blues Jazz and Rock (3rd Revised Edition): Book & Online Audio

Volume 2 delivers exactly what intermediate players need: enough variety in the blues to prevent boredom while keeping tempos grounded so students can actually hear what they're doing. The eleven tracks across multiple keys and moods give your ensemble repeated exposure to the blues form without feeling like drills, and having the chords and scales printed right on the page removes the excuse for not trying.

Anchored and accessible. The slower tempos let you hear the weight in the swing, and moving through different keys and moods reminds you that blues isn't one thing but a language with texture and flexibility. Playing over Haerle's comping and Reid's steady bass teaches you what solid jazz rhythm section playing actually sounds like.

Intermediate players ready to sound like jazz musicians rather than students reading jazz exercises. This works for your section players who need to swing, your soloists who need a groove to develop phrasing over, and anyone who hasn't yet grasped why the blues matters to jazz.

• Spend at least two weeks on a single track before moving on. Repetition across multiple rehearsals lets students internalize the groove rather than just reading through it.
• Have different sections take the melody on repeat cycles. This keeps energy high and ensures everyone understands the head, not just the soloists.
• Start with the slower blues tracks and work toward the rock tempo ones. This progression builds confidence in phrasing before speed becomes a factor.
• Listen to the recorded accompaniment together as a group before the first rehearsal attempt. Hearing the rhythm section lock in sets expectations for how it should feel.

Use this as the core of a three-week unit on blues fundamentals. Follow Volume 1 if your students need more foundational material, or place this as a step up for musicians who already understand basic swing. The recorded accompaniment makes it work whether you're reinforcing concept in sectionals or using it as a jumping-off point for improvisation in full rehearsals.

• Blues tonality and phrasing across multiple keys
• Swing feel and groove in slow to medium tempos
• Reading chord symbols and scales in staff notation
• Listening and responding to a functioning rhythm section
• Improvisation within the 12-bar blues form
• Sound production aligned with jazz conventions