Jazz Gems, Book 2: Piano Book

Konowitz writes jazz repertoire that actually sounds like jazz, not jazz-flavored etudes. These pieces teach genuine rhythmic and harmonic concepts while remaining musical enough to engage students and audiences, making them ideal bridge material between classical training and jazz literacy. The collection balances accessibility with authentic style, so students don't feel patronized while they're still building their foundation.

Conversational and grooving. These pieces invite you into the world of jazz without requiring virtuosity; there's space to breathe, syncopate naturally, and feel the swing. The writing celebrates keyboard color and the pleasure of authentic rhythmic placement over technical flash.

Pianists working through late intermediate repertoire who are ready to explore jazz idioms beyond classical training. Students in piano studios or school music programs who need stylistically authentic material that deepens rhythmic flexibility and chord vocabulary without overwhelming technical demand.

• Listen to professional recordings of the jazz styles represented in each piece before rehearsing; Konowitz's titles suggest the idiom, so let the recordings anchor your interpretation before you teach note accuracy.
• Separate swing rhythm from straight rhythm early. Mark the score where you intend swing eighth notes versus even divisions, and use recordings to calibrate feel.
• Treat comping changes and accompanying figures as equal partners to melody lines during practice. Jazz piano demands independence between hands and attention to harmonic color, not just note accuracy.

Feature individual selections in student recitals to showcase jazz musicianship and demonstrate range across genres. Use pieces as enrichment material during regular piano lessons to break up classical technique work while building sight-reading and rhythmic independence in the same practice time.

• Swing rhythm and jazz articulation
• Reading and comping with jazz chord symbols
• Syncopation and rhythmic independence between hands
• Jazz piano voicings and harmonic color
• Stylistic interpretation and phrasing in jazz contexts