Composing Blues For Jazz Performance

by John Stein, Erica Meltzer (Editor), Joe Harrington (Photographer), Craig Bailey (Photographer)

Overview

Digital Edition. Learn to write Blues tunes that showcase your strengths as a musician and express yourself in a variety of Blues genres. Blues provides an endlessly fascinating vehicle for improvisation and Blues can be approached stylistically in many ways. Blues underlies much popular music and is a foundational skill for jazz musicians. The book features 11 of John's compositions. The lessons in the book were originally published in Just Jazz Guitar Magazine. John Stein is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Hardcopy edition features an audio CD with recorded performances of all the musical examples, available separately.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940015755688
Publisher:	JS Jazz
Publication date:	12/07/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	54
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Internationally renowned jazz guitarist John Stein was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri USA where he took up his instrument at an early age. His talent for and love of music ultimately earned him a faculty position at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he is an Associate Professor in the Harmony Department.

John has performed as a leader or a sideman with some of the world's finest jazz acts, including collaborations with John LaPorta, David "Fathead" Newman, Larry Goldings, Bill Pierce, Zé Eduardo Nazario, John Lockwood, and many others. His compositions and performances cover the spectrum of jazz, from blues to bebop to bossa to swing. John has toured in the United States as well as in Brazil, Germany, France and Switzerland, and enjoys playing in a variety of contexts -- from solo guitar to large ensembles.

John is a proliferate recording artist and has released many albums as a leader in addition to the contributions he has made to other artists' projects. His newest recording, Bing Bang Boom! [WSC 062], will be released in January 2013 by Whaling City Sound.

John has published educational columns in Just Jazz Guitar Magazine for many years that focus on composition and arranging for jazz guitar.

He has compiled the compositional materials into two books that are now available: Composing Blues For Jazz Performance, and Composing Tunes For Jazz Performance.

Berklee Press has published John's arranging materials in a book that is now available, entitled: Berklee Jazz Standards For Solo Guitar.

John has long been affiliated with Berklee College of Music and is an experienced teacher, clinician, recording artist, author, and performer.

"My music is the result of a lifetime's involvement with my instrument, the guitar, and many hours studying theory, composition, arranging, and musical history," says John. His warm and deeply expressive creative jazz performances move and excite audiences wherever he appears.

Editorial Reviews

In Composing Blues For Jazz Performance, various techniques are explored that aid composers in writing Blues Songs. Forms, harmonies, scales and tonality are examples of some of the elements covered in this book. Both of Stein's books are excellent resources for anyone wanting to gain more insight into composing. The recordings on the CDs are superb and are very useful.

Just Jazz Guitar - Brandon Bernstein

What makes Stein's books stand out among the crowd: each and every tune is fun to play. They are not studies written solely for the book, but are intended to be performed. Readers can learn any of these pieces and, while furthering their knowledge and skill set, add these tunes to their set lists and jam repertoire.

Guitar International - Dr. Matt Warnock

It is always great to discover people in the jazz world who are not merely dedicated to elevating their own position (musically speaking) but are willing to reach back and extend a hand to pull up those who are seeking ways to further develop their musicianship. For those who are wise enough to stick out their hand, John's arm is already extended, waiting to lift you up to the next level.

KC JAM - Wayne Everett Goins