Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Volume 72: Street of Dreams: Book & CD

The rhythm section here is locked and responsive, giving your students the confidence that comes from playing with seasoned professionals. Mark Levine's piano voicings are sophisticated without overshadowing the soloist, and the song selection spans genuine standards alongside pieces that still sound contemporary. Twelve songs means your ensemble or studio students have real variety to explore without feeling like they're working through an endless catalog.

Sophisticated and swinging. These songs showcase jazz harmony at its richest, from the lush chromaticism of ballads to the rhythmic snap of uptempo numbers. The rhythm section never rushes you or oversimplifies; they trust you to find your voice within genuinely complex musical conversation.

Intermediate to advanced jazz students ready to solo over real chord progressions with professional accompaniment. Vocalists will find the included lyrics invaluable for understanding lyrical melody and song structure. Any improviser who wants to build fluency on standards with harmonic depth will benefit from this collection.

• Start by listening to the full track multiple times before attempting to play through. Absorb the groove, the harmonic feel, and the accompanists' interpretive choices rather than diving straight into note-reading.
• Work slowly with the minus versions first. The recorded rhythm section will sit steady while you develop accuracy with changes and phrasing.
• Pay attention to how the piano and bass define the harmonic space on each tune. Different songs call for different soloing approaches, and the rhythm section demonstrates this subtle shift.
• Read the lyrics even if you're an instrumentalist. Understanding the lyrical content and vocal phrasing shapes how you voice your own melodic lines and navigate the song's architecture.

Assign individual tunes throughout the school year as part of a jazz improv curriculum, rotating between ballads and faster tempos to build different technical and interpretive skills. This collection also works as a supplemental resource for jazz combos preparing for concert or festival performances. Vocalists can pair specific selections with solo recital preparation, using the recorded accompaniment as a springboard before transitioning to live rhythm sections.

• Soloing fluently over ii-V-I and extended harmonic progressions
• Recognizing and responding to different jazz feels (swing, waltz, Latin-influenced)
• Developing melodic vocabulary in mid-to-advanced harmonic contexts
• Listening and reacting to professional rhythm section articulation and ensemble communication
• Reading chord symbols quickly and adapting harmonic choices across multiple tempos and moods