Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Volume 35: Cedar Walton: Book & Online Audio

Few play-along volumes offer you the chance to learn nine original compositions from the composer himself on piano, backed by two of jazz's most recorded musicians. The harmony parts drawn directly from Walton's own recordings give your students a chance to hear authentic voicings in context, which is far more educational than generic fills. Ron Carter and Billy Higgins anchor each tune with the kind of pocket and taste that makes students understand what swinging really means.

You're sitting in a New York studio in the 1970s, watching Cedar's fingers find those particular voicings, listening to Ron Carter's bass lines speak directly to the melody, and feeling Billy Higgins' brush work guide the shape of each phrase. These nine tunes capture that moment when jazz was still finding new paths without losing its swing.

Intermediate and advanced high school and college jazz combos ready to move beyond standards and into original material written by a master. Soloists who want to develop their language over changes that feel fresh but not abstract will find solid ground here.

• Lock into Billy Higgins' time first. His touch defines the groove on these tunes; once your students feel secure there, the piano and bass voice become much clearer.
• Transpose one or two tunes to keys that suit your soloists better. Most of these sit well across the range, but Cedar's Blues and Bolivia offer good candidates for transposition without losing their character.
• Study Cedar's harmony parts before the first rehearsal. They're voiced for practical voicings on your instrument, not theoretical ideals; understanding how he voiced them teaches more than listening passively.
• Record your ensemble playing over the rhythm section and listen back as a group. Hearing yourselves against these pros reveals timing and tone issues that feel invisible in real time.

Build a concert around Cedar Walton compositions as your centerpiece, pairing this volume with recordings of his best-known tunes so the audience hears both the originals and your students' interpretations. Alternatively, use three or four of these pieces as part of a broader jazz ensemble repertoire, alternating them with standards so your players experience how original writing deepens their understanding of form and harmony.

• Improvising over original changes with clear harmonic architecture
• Reading and executing written harmony parts on your instrument
• Developing swing feel through listening to and matching a world-class rhythm section
• Recognizing the relationship between composed melody and underlying chord substitutions
• Building repertoire of compositions moving toward jazz standards status