Not Just Another Jazz Book, Book 3: Piano Book & Online Audio

Cruising, playful, and grounded in authentic jazz vernacular. Whether you're stepping into a tropical breeze or hopping through a Saturday morning groove, these arrangements capture the warmth and approachability that makes jazz enduring. The recordings give each piece a lived-in quality, like you're joining a session that's already in swing.

Late intermediate pianists ready to explore jazz idioms with real stylistic context. These pieces work equally well for students working toward jazz certifications, pianists looking to expand their recital repertoire beyond classical standards, and anyone who wants to understand how swing, blues, and ragtime actually feel when played alongside bass and drums.

• Let the recorded bass line anchor your time feel, especially in the swing numbers. Your left hand should dialogue with it, not fight it.
• Balance your melody voice with intention. In the ballad selections, your top note should sing above the accompaniment without drowning it out.
• Experiment with both tempos before settling on one for performance. The practice tempo is your friend for getting the phrases under your fingers; the full tempo reveals what the music is actually meant to feel like.
• Listen for the drum ghost notes and brush sounds on the recordings. They'll show you exactly where the pocket sits in each style.

Insert these throughout the year as palette cleansers between heavier classical works, or build an entire contemporary jazz concert around them. They work especially well as bridge pieces for younger students transitioning into jazz studies, and their accessible sophistication makes them solid recital choices for pianists who want to showcase style without sacrificing musicality.

• Jazz swing feel and articulation across eighth-note patterns
• Blues scale application and blue note expression
• Syncopated rhythmic accuracy in ragtime idioms
• Comping and accompaniment listening
• Maintaining time and groove independence from recorded rhythm section
• Style-specific pedal technique and tonal color matching