January 2008

January Newsletter

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Hello again from ejazzlines!

Welcome to 2008! We are back from the IAJE conference in Toronto, and ready to welcome in the new year with quite a few excellent items. We are very happy that we again had the opportunity to see many of you in Toronto, and we are already looking forward to 2009 in Seattle. This month features quite a selection of fantastic new books, as all of the publishers have been very busy after our holiday breaks. We also encourage all of the band directors out there to check out our very own new and expanding line of Jazz Lines Publications charts, which we are extremely proud of. Please stay tuned, as our next newsletter will be offering some amazing master class DVDs which feature legends like Hank Jones, Benny Golson, Barry Harris, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Cecil Taylor, and the Heath Brothers.

In our ceaseless and valiant effort to present all that is new and interesting, as of this newsletter we have added a total of 13 new big band arrangements for the month of January 2008 and 12 for December 2007; 18 new DVDs for the month of January 2008 and 16 for December 2007; 61 new music books for January 2008 and 18 for December 2007; 175 new CDs for the month of January 2008 and 55 for December 2007.

If you haven't visited our Imports and Rarities section lately, please check it out. We are now stocking more and more obscure, rare, and hard-to-find titles from Japan and Europe, including many titles that you may not be able to find elsewhere.

In our DVD section, we now carry over 1,600 jazz DVDs!

As always, please keep in mind that many of our new releases are available in limited quantities. We do our best to predict demand and fill orders as quickly as possible, but we do run out of new releases. Even if we run out of stock, everything featured in this newsletter should be available to ship within 3 weeks.

We thank you all again very sincerely for your continued support, and we hope everyone has a wonderful beginning of the new year!

Doug and Rob at ejazzlines


FEATURED NEW JAZZ MUSIC BOOKS: We encourage you all to check out January’s books, as we feel this is one of the best monthly collections we have offered in quite a while.
CHORDED SOLOS WORKBOOK Jim Bastian just sent us copies of his brand new one, the Chordal Solos Workbook, the third volume in his very popular How to Play Chordal Bebop Lines for Guitar series. All three volumes are available individually, as well as in a specially priced set of all of them.	REAL EASY BOOK, VOL. 3 Our friend Chuck Sher has just released three new books, led off by Volume 3 of the Real Easy Book series. This book is a peerless teaching tool for educators, taking students through all eras and styles of jazz.
WALKING BASSICS This is an in-depth method book on how to create authentic-sounding walking bass lines, designed for the beginning bassist. Includes many exercises to get any aspiring bass player up and walking on their own, as well as complete transcriptions of every bass note played by swinging NY bassist Ed Fuqua on the accompanying play-along CD. Designed for beginning players or anyone wanting a solid foundation for learning jazz bass.	AFRO-CARIBBEAN GROOVES FOR DRUMSET This is the only book published on how to play over 100 grooves from a dozen Caribbean nations, arranged for drumset. The book has been given rave reviews by Peter Erskine, Horacio Hernandez, Berklee professor Mark Walker, and others. Text in both English and French.
BIG BAND PLAY-ALONG, VOL. 3: DUKE ELLINGTON The folks at Hal Leonard have also been busy, and we are thrilled to offer Volume 3 of their Big Band Play Along series, featuring the music of Duke Ellington, which should be perfect for all of the aspiring Cat Andersons and Paul Gonsalveses out there. They have also released several other new play alongs, featuring Broadway tunes, Jazz/Blues songs, and the music of Paul Desmond.	JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK Alfred has just published Michelle Weir’s Jazz Piano Handbook. If you're a jazz singer or instrumentalist and don't already have basic skills in jazz piano: now is the time! Piano skills are the gateway to understanding chords and progressions, checking lead sheets for accuracy, learning new tunes, arranging, writing your own tunes, becoming a better improviser and so on. This book outlines an easy step-by-step process for learning basic jazz piano in just six months.
MILES DAVIS READER This book is a compilation of everything DownBeat magazine has written about Miles Davis - a must for Miles fans (wait until you read the blindfold tests!).	ESSENTIAL MUSIC THEORY FOR ELECTRIC BASS Mel Bay has added Essential Music Theory for Electric Bass to their renowned collection of educational books. This book is designed to help guide a beginning music theory dialogue between instructor and student in private one-on-one lessons. Six areas of beginning music theory are covered: the major scale, the natural minor scale, intervals, triads, seventh chords and harmonized major and minor scales. Fingerings, intervallic structures and note names are also diagrammed in each chapter.
ALL JANUARY 2008 NEW JAZZ MUSIC BOOKS ALL DECEMBER 2007 NEW JAZZ MUSIC BOOKS
FEATURED NEW BIG BAND ARRANGEMENTS: We recognize that you have many choices of where you may order music from, so we have tried to assemble the most complete and user-friendly online catalog available. We carry nearly 3,000 arrangements from publishers located all over the world. We also have an educational program to provide our vast jazz catalog at discounted prices. All school band directors are automatically enrolled in our program and there is no minimum order to receive discounts. In addition, you may complete purchase orders directly on our website without the need of a credit card. For more information about our educational program, please email or phone us.
THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME: AS RECORDED BY FRANK SINATRA Here is Neal Hefti's brilliant chart from the Frank Sinatra recording 'Sinatra and Swingin' Brass.' This medium swing chart in the Basie style has that unmistakable Hefti sound. Featured is a short muted trumpet solo. This has been transcribed by Syd Potter. There are no doubles. Vocal Key: Eb	NEARNESS OF YOU: ARRANGED BY JOHN CLAYTON Feature the vibes (or piano) with this creatively arranged standard that was written specifically for vibes legend Milt Jackson (heard on this excerpt). The melody is bookended by plaintive statements for solo alto sax, and the ensemble provides a lush accompaniment throughout.
I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO CHANGE MY PLAN: AS RECORDED BY TONY BENNETT WITH COUNT BASIE This version of 'I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan' was recorded by the great Tony Bennett with the Count Basie Orchestra and is a laid back swinger in true Basie style. The only change to the Ralph Sharon original is to voice the brass for an 8 piece section. Aside from the big instrumental soli in the middle of the chart it is the saxes who do most of the backing lines behind the vocal, using some innovative voicings to give the chart a great jazz feel. The trumpet lines are quite high, with lead reaching high F# and second to high C#. Although not a long chart, it is a classic of its genre and worth its place in any library. Another great transcription from Jon Harpin. The vocal key is C and there are no sax doubles.	AVALON: AS RECORDED BY NATALIE COLE Written in 1920 by Jolson & DeSylva, this song was a favorite of Nat King Cole, and later featured by Natalie Cole on her 'Unforgettable' album. This is a transcription of her Bill Holman chart. It moves along at a very fast pace, and nimble fingers along with good playing technique are needed for your band to get it right, especially in the middle instrumental chorus. Lead trumpet is written to high F and lead trombone to high C. This is a punchy and very powerful arrangement full of interesting tonal color, and makes a rousing feature for any vocalist. It is a tough chart, and we have graded it as advanced. There are no sax doubles, and the vocal key is C throughout.
CHLOE: AS RECORDED BY TED HEATH Chloe was originally a chart made famous by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, thanks to a stunning arrangement by Bill Finegan. Structurally and harmonically it was probably ahead of its time, and certainly showed the sort of direction that the Sauter Finegan band was set to take later on. This is a transcription of the Ted Heath version which is essentially the same as the Dorsey / Finegan chart. There are solo features for baritone, piano, trumpet and tenor, with some great trombone and sax passages. The second alto doubles clarinet, to lead over the saxes in their soli and to solo over the band in the final chorus. All of the as-played solos are written out, though your tenor, trumpet & piano players can improvise from the chords if they wish. This is quite an exacting chart to play. Dynamics are crucial and the brass ranges are fairly high, hence this has been graded as advanced.	I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT: AS RECORDED BY HARRY JAMES I'm Beginning To See The Light is a popular tune, recorded by most of the great vocalists. This is the Harry James version originally sung by Kitty Kallen. The chart is unusual in that it features a couple of guitar solos (though these solos have been cross cued onto the piano part in case your band doesn't have a guitarist) and the opening and closing choruses are taken by a trumpet, tenor and baritone trio. Being a Harry James chart there is of course a little feature solo for trumpet (written on the second trumpet part). Second alto doubles clarinet, and the vocal key is Db.
ALL JANUARY 2008 BIG BAND ARRANGEMENTS ALL DECEMBER 2007 BIG BAND ARRANGEMENTS
FEATURED NEW DVDs: This month’s DVDs feature educational releases. Great new Jimmy Bruno, Robben Ford, and Joe Diorio guitar lessons have just been released on DVD, and for newer players, we also have a brand new 3 DVD set titled You Can Play Jazz Guitar. Ed Friedland has a new Jazz Upright Bass DVD, and Funkifying the Clave should help any rhythm section achieve a more authentic Afro-Cuban sound. We also have a new DVD featuring vintage performances from many eras of Mahalia Jackson’s long and sterling career.
JIMMY BRUNO: INSIDE "OUTSIDE" JAZZ GUITAR Roundly dubbed the most accomplished jazz guitarist in Philadelphia history, Jimmy Bruno sustains an unusual reputation for his ability to transition with great fluidity between hard-driving bop and smooth, gentle ballads. In the process, Bruno has worked with everyone from The Buddy Rich Big Band to Joey de Francesco. Bruno headlines the instructional release Jimmy Bruno: Inside Out Jazz Guitar, in which he teaches aspiring players the fundamentals of the titular instrument and style.	ROBBEN FORD: THE ART OF BLUES RHYTHM As one of the most emulated blues players of our time, Robben Ford's impeccable soloing techniques, phrasing and tone have been the subject of several books and videos, but for the first time, Robben brings his smooth and tasty rhythm playing to the forefront in this DVD. He explains and demonstrates dozens of blues rhythm concepts and techniques from 12-bar shuffle blues rhythms to mixing in jazz chords to blues comping. Robben also takes you through several of his tunes showing his chord voicings, rhythms, and right-hand picking/finger techniques.
JOE DIORIO: CREATIVE JAZZ GUITAR In this DVD, Joe discusses and demonstrates his techniques of composing and building solos with motifs along with many unique patterns for major and minor II-V-I progressions. Joe also includes his system for expanding your chord vocabulary to help you develop more contemporary and exotic chord changes. Joe's inspiring solos and demonstrations will give you a rare look at jazz from one of the world's greatest players.	YOU CAN PLAY JAZZ GUITAR 3 DVD SERIES This hands-on jazz primer contains an enormous amount of information, from progressions, scales, modes, and voicings to arranging a complex jazz standard. Mike DeMicco teaches important basics, then shows how to put them to use.
JAZZ UPRIGHT BASS In this information-packed DVD, bassist Ed Friedland reveals the technical and stylistic details behind professional jazz upright performance. Through live band demonstrations and detailed, step-by-step analysis, Ed shows you how to: develop stylistic left- and right-hand techniques for maximum tone and sustain; arrange scale and arpeggio patterns for greater range and efficiency whether walking or soloing; deal with typical live performance challenges, performance protocol, stock intros, endings, trading fours and more; and play classic stylistic variations including Latin jazz, up-tempo tunes, the two-feel, ballads, 3/4 time and more.	MAHALIA JACKSON: RARE LIVE TELEVISION APPEARANCES Per its title, the compilation release Mahalia Jackson: Rare Live Television Appearances 1947-1962 brings into one collection many nationally-broadcast performances by gospel powerhouse Jackson, during the stated fifteen-year period.
ALL JANUARY 2008 DVDs ALL DECEMBER 2007 DVDs