Review: Patterns For Improvisation by Oliver Nelson

An exhaustive collection of improvisational jazz patterns in various meters and feels.

Author: Oliver Nelson
64 pages
Copyright © 2010
Published by Jamey Aebersold Jazz

Summary:

Oliver Nelson is one of the fathers of jazz and has composed some of the most played jazz standards in existence. "Stolen Moments" is probably his most well known song.

Description (book jacket or other publisher notes):

One of the world's most popular patterns books, many jazz greats have fond memories of practicing from this book! An exhaustive collection of improvisational jazz patterns in various meters and feels. Comments and suggestions by the author, a legendary composer, arranger, conductor and instrumentalist. This is a very popular book because it helps spell out some of the basic building blocks of the jazz language. Regarded by many jazz teachers as one of the essential texts for their students.

Full Book Review and Other Notes:

The reviews for this book are all 5 star.

One of the Best

"I own the original publication. My copy is more than 40 years old and is in really poor shape. We are so lucky that Jamey Aebersold is republishing this now. It is the very best book of scale studies on the market today. Oliver Nelson was a musical genius. There is no baloney theory, just concentrated scale and chord progression studies that are superb for speed, ear training or just plain limbering up. This book is a great addition to your Jazz music studies program."

Patterns For Improvisation

"Good exercises for jazz musicians good patterns but you have to know where you can use these patterns.you cant find where you can use these pattern in this book.which means you need to have some harmonic and theory knowledge to understand this book."

This Book is an Old Friend

"I had this book many years ago and,like other books or records, lent it to someone who never returned it. It used to be the bible of jazzers in the 70's and 80's, in fact Phil Woods played one the tunes in the back of the book as a full - blown jazz number. Luckily it's still in print and Amazon stock it at a good price so I have my old friend back.

This book should be used as Oliver Nelson suggests, that is to take bits and pieces and incorporate them in your jazz solos. Phil Woods again is a supreme example of this. You hear one or two phrases coming up in his solos, but being the genius he is they are so beautifully incorporated and lead to other ideas of his own. Follow Mr. Woods folks, and you'll see what I mean!"