Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation Teaches the Language of Jazz

Cambridge, Massachusetts - April 2007

Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation is a comprehensive new approach designed to help beginning musicians explore jazz improvisation. Created by innovative educator and clinician Brian Kane, the book series explores jazz improvisation from stylistic, communicative, and phrasing perspectives. "This book is unique because it explores jazz improvisation as a language, with grammar and syntax," says author Brian Kane. "Most books on jazz improvisation focus on harmony and technique. This book focuses almost exclusively on the creative elements of jazz improvisation. If you want to learn how to structure and focus your creativity during a solo and have dozens of creative exercises for practicing, this is the book for you."

The book, which is designed to meet all of the national frameworks for music education, contains ten progressively difficult chapters, dozens of practical improvisational exercises, and dozens of short solo transcription examples. The book also contains a 52 track play-a-long and demonstration CD. "The CD is fantastic. Listeners can hear both outstanding play-a-longs for practicing improvisation and actual demonstration solos for every concept in the book. The demonstration solos are played on alto sax, trombone, trumpet, and tenor sax. The players on the CD are among the very best musicians and college educators in the world and I'm proud to have them participate in this project."

"The book is perfect for individual musicians, but I also wanted to create a book that could be equally practical in classroom settings. Until now, teachers have told me that there has not been a single book that can be used in a beginning improvisation or ensemble class. This book has group discussion topics, transcription assignments, listening assignments, and even extra practice homework assignments. This book will teach students to speak the language of jazz with their instrument."

Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation will be available in May 2007 in Concert Key, Eb, Bb, and Bass Clef Editions. The retail price is $24.95 and the book is 168 pages with CD.


Contact: Brian Kane
Tel. 617-721-7635
Email: Bkane@jazzpath.com