Ten Compositions in a Chromatic Style: Book & CD

Liebman moves beyond theoretical abstraction by giving you ten fully realized compositions that demonstrate chromatic soloing in action. Each piece functions both as a listening model and a playalong vehicle, so your students hear the concept first, then apply it themselves with the recorded rhythm section. This bridges the gap between understanding chromatic harmony on the page and executing it fluently in real time.

These compositions breathe with jazz language while exploring the richness that chromatic voice leading brings to melody and harmony. The sound is sophisticated and intricate, rewarding careful listening and thoughtful execution rather than relying on muscle memory or standard licks.

Advanced improvisers on any instrument who already have solid harmonic knowledge and are ready to integrate chromatic thinking into their soloing vocabulary. This book serves musicians studying jazz composition or preparing for advanced ensemble and solo performance situations where harmonic sophistication is expected.

• Use the recorded accompaniment to internalize the harmonic landscape before focusing on your solo construction. Listen multiple times without playing to absorb how the rhythm section navigates the chromatic material.
• Build your solo methodically by targeting specific chromatic passages Liebman uses, then gradually expand your range across the whole composition. Resist the urge to play every chromatic possibility at once.
• Pay attention to how Liebman resolves chromatic lines into clear harmonic destinations. Notice where tension builds through chromatic movement and where it releases into stable tones.
• Record yourself soloing over each track and compare your phrasing to Liebman's approach on the CD. Identify moments where your chromatic lines lose direction, then refine your targeting.

Deploy this in advanced jazz combos, small group coaching sessions, or as independent study material for serious improvisers developing a personal voice. The contained ten-piece format also works well as part of a semester-long elective on jazz composition and harmonic theory.

• Targeting chromatic approach notes to specific harmonic destinations
• Constructing coherent solo lines that integrate chromatic movement with functional harmony
• Listening to and transcribing chromatic soloing strategies from a master player
• Composing jazz melodies that leverage chromatic language expressively
• Balancing tension and resolution in improvised lines over complex harmony