Preludes & Predilections, Volume 3: Piano CD

Hearing a composer perform his own work reveals interpretive choices that a score alone cannot convey. This recording captures Dobbins' approach to his Preludes alongside his readings of four jazz standards, offering students a direct model for how these pieces balance architectural precision with expressive freedom. The pairing of original compositions with standards by Strayhorn, Konitz, Mandel, and Ellington creates a natural conversation about what makes a piece enduring.

The Preludes unfold with structural clarity and harmonic sophistication, each piece building its own world within a compact form. The jazz standards that follow maintain the same thoughtful musicianship, honoring the original compositions while allowing space for Dobbins' voice to emerge. Together, they create a listening experience that is both intellectually engaging and deeply musical.

Jazz pianists working through Dobbins' Preludes series will find this recording an indispensable reference. Piano teachers using these pieces as repertoire or teaching material benefit from direct access to the composer's interpretation. Advanced students preparing these works for recital or study will gain insight into phrasing, harmony, and stylistic approach.

• Listen to how Dobbins voices the harmonies in each Prelude; his choices offer solutions to questions you may have about left-hand voicings and voice leading.
• Notice the tempo relationships across the five Preludes. Pay attention to how rubato and rhythmic flexibility serve the harmonic content rather than working against it.
• Study the approach to the jazz standards alongside the original Preludes. Observe how Dobbins balances fidelity to the composition with personal interpretation.
• Use this recording as a reference for pedal technique and resonance. The recorded piano tone reveals how sustain and clarity can coexist.

Use this recording as a study companion to the published scores of Volume 3. It pairs well with a teaching curriculum that explores how composers work within jazz harmony and form. For students exploring jazz composition and arrangement, this recording demonstrates how a mature artist applies classical technique to jazz repertoire without compromising either tradition.

• Interpreting harmonic language in contemporary jazz composition
• Voicing chords across multiple registers on the piano
• Understanding the relationship between composed structure and interpretive freedom
• Applying pedal technique to sustain harmonic color without muddying texture
• Listening analytically to a peer's performance of the same material