The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread….REAL-ly! Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Recommended by Ben Huntoon, Jazz Education Specialist
What was one of the best books for teaching jazz improvisation is even better! Volume 1 of The Real Easy Book from the Sher Music Company is now published in a 3-horn edition including a 2nd harmony part and 3rd harmony part along with the lead sheet melody. For a mere $3 more (now $28) you get fully fleshed-out arrangements along with great sample bass lines, chord voicings and useful scales for improvisation. All that in ALL FOUR TRANSPOSTIONS… C book (cat #122), Bb book (cat #123), Eb book (cat #124) and bass clef (cat #125).
Additional educational material is also in each volume. Chords with complimentary scales for improvisation, basic drum patterns and a discography so your students can hear how the masters did it.
If you dig this book you also have to check out Real Easy Book, volume 2 which is just a little more advanced. Real Easy Book, volume 3 has all of the tunes organized by style periods…. GREAT for teaching jazz history. Volume 4 is all about Latin jazz from sambas and biaons to merengues and cha-chas.
One of the most versatile jazz combo books on the market! This book is also great for those high school jazzers looking to up their game a notch. Order today for programming on your final concerts of the school year or for your summer jazz camps.
Click here for a table of contents showing the number of REAL jazz tunes included in The Real Easy Book, volume 1.
Ben Huntoon is the Jazz Education Consultant at Stanton’s Sheet Music. He received bachelors and masters degrees in music from Capital University and The Ohio State University respectively. As a professional trumpeter, Ben is accomplished in a wide variety of genres and has performed throughout the Midwest on many stages over the past 30 years. He also teaches trumpet, coaches brass ensembles and serves on the jazz faculty at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.
