New Orleans Jazz Styles, More New Orleans Jazz Styles, Still More New Orleans Jazz Styles with Interactive Instrumental Accompaniments

American Music Teacher, Oct-Nov, 2004 by Rebecca Grooms Johnson

New Orleans Jazz Styles, More New Orleans Jazz Styles, Still More New Orleans Jazz Styles with Interactive Instrumental Accompaniments, by William Gillock. The Willis Music Company (7380 Industrial Rd., Florence, KY 41042), 2001. 3377. each. $3. 50-3.95. Early to late intermediate.

These three books have been wonderful staples in the piano teacher's library of "pupil savers" since they were first published in the 1960s and '70s. They now have been reissued with all three in a folder along with an accompaniment CD or MIDI disk. Although they are not leveled, the first book, New Orleans Jazz Styles, would seem to be at an early to-mid-intermediate level, while the last two, More and Still More, appear to be at a mid- to late-intermediate level. Some are technically challenging, and most are rhythmically challenging. They are well edited, with pedal markings that help the student realize the special effects pedaling needed for a jazz styling, and adequate but not overdone fingerings. Each book offers a nice array of blues, jazz and Dixieland pieces, and they still sound very fresh and appealing.

The copy I reviewed contained the CD accompaniments. All three books' accompaniments are contained on a single CD, with each piece given at two or three tempi. The first tempo is a fairly conservative practice tempo, and the second rendition is at the published metronome marking. If there is a range of tempi given, the second and third performances are at the lowest and highest metronome markings. The background orchestration usually includes drum set, mallet percussion and sometimes a Hammond B3 organ, brass, guitar, synth/strings and so forth. The piano plays on each track.

If I had access to a Roland electronic piano, I would buy the MIDI disk rather than the CI). With the MIDI disk (one assumes) the piano track could be mined off and the tempo con[d be set at an optimum rate. On the CD any use of rubato is impossible, and it is unusable in a performance situation. The CD seems to be most useful as a listening tool. It is unfortunate there is not a second CD with only the orchestrations and no piano track--then it would be much more useful to the teacher who has no access to the technology needed for the MIDI disk. Reviewed by Rebecca Grooms Johnson, NCTM, Columbus, Ohio.