Review: Exploring Jazz Piano, Volume 2 by Tim Richards

Author: Tim Richards
304 pages
Copyright © 2005
Published by SCHOTT MUSIK

Summary:

If it appears my summary for Volume 2 is the same as for Volume 1, you are correct!

If you are just getting into Tim Richards' books, start with "Improvising Blues Piano" by Tim Richards because it's not just a book about the blues, it's about the roots of jazz and in Tim's "Exploring Jazz Piano" books he will expect you to understand concepts covered in the blues book.

Tim Richards' books are some of the world's best jazz piano books. You will be hard pressed to find books that are as well written, composed, thought out, and beautifully designed, from cover to cover.

His books take a spot in my top 5 list.

Description (book jacket or other publisher notes):

Volume 2 deals with more complex and colorful harmony, from suspended fourth, sharp eleven and thirteenth chords to diminished and altered scales. Advanced voicing, accompaniment and improvisation techniques are examined in detail, including the following topics: Quartal harmony, modal improvisation, long and short II V patterns, altered dominant chords, polychords, stride piano, Bossa Nova, clave and Partido Alto, Lydian and Locrian modes, how to make scales swing, building bebop lines, bebop scales, R235 patterns, the b3 pentatonic scale, rhythm changes, turnarounds, minor II V I, playing in 3/4 time, playing in double-time, tension and release, transcribing, practice routines. 32 pieces by the author appear alongside special arrangements of well-known jazz standards, including: Beautiful Love * Blue Bossa * Blue in Green * Caravan * Impressions * Ladybird * Misty * On Green Dolphin Street * Softly as in a Morning Sunrise * Summertime * Tune Up and Yesterdays. Also included are transcribed solos by Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly and Hampton Hawes.

Full Book Review and Other Notes:

Volume 2 picks up where Volume 1 ends. Please take a look at "Exploring Jazz Piano, Volume 1" by Tim Richards for details.