Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Volume 40: 'Round Midnight: Book & Online Audio

This volume distills some of the most enduring standards in the jazz canon, each one a genuine classic that students will encounter repeatedly in real playing situations. The recorded rhythm section (Hal Galper, Steve Gilmore, Bill Goodwin) swings with authority and restraint, giving players room to develop their own voice without being overwhelmed.

A collection that spans from the moody introspection of Thelonious Monk's title track to the sophisticated urban glamour of Johnny Mandel and Henry Mancini. These songs feel lived-in and conversational, the kind of melodies that jazz musicians return to because they reward both intimate simplicity and complex exploration.

Intermediate and advanced jazz students across any instrument or voice who are ready to move beyond single-melody lead sheets and engage with sophisticated harmonic language and swinging accompaniment. This book works equally well for saxophonists, brass players, pianists, guitarists, and vocalists building their jazz vocabulary.

• Listen to the original recordings of these standards before practicing with the play-along tracks. Knowing the melodic shape and harmonic intent of composers like Henry Mancini and Johnny Mandel deepens your phrasing choices.
• Use the online audio to work on consistent time feel and comping in context. Play the melody several times, then step back and comp changes as if you were the rhythm section.
• Start with the melody presented straight before exploring reharmonization or substitution. These songs reward restraint and clarity before invention.

Reserve this for jazz ensemble warm-ups, combo rehearsals, or as a solo study resource for students preparing for jazz festival solos. Several of these standards translate beautifully to concert programming when arranged for your ensemble, giving audiences immediate melodic anchors while your musicians solo over genuine changes.

• Improvising over swing changes in common song forms (AABA, 32-bar structures)
• Internalizing standard jazz vocabulary and clichés through melody and harmonic context
• Maintaining consistent time feel and pocket alongside a recorded rhythm section
• Listening to and responding to recorded accompaniment as an interactive partner
• Recognizing and navigating chord substitutions and reharmonization options in familiar standards