Sitting In: Jazz Piano: Backing Tracks and Improv Lessons

Sit in with the band and bring your playing to life Soloing is an important part of your playing, but practicing on your own doesn't always get the creative juices flowing---there is nothing like the experience of sitting in with a full band. Though playing with a group isn't possible every time you want to jam, Sitting In: Jazz Piano brings the band to you anytime so you can practice comping patterns and soloing with the same energy as playing live. The book offers tips and techniques from veteran jazz educators Noah Baerman and Jen Allen to give life to your practice sessions and inspire you to add new sounds to your jazz vocabulary. Features: * High-quality studio play-along recordings performed by a live band * Progressions in the most important jazz styles including standards, modern jazz, bebop, Latin jazz, ballads, and more * Recordings include sample solos, and the progressions are repeated so you can jam freely * Soloing tips feature scales, modes, comping patterns, and other ideas to develop your jazz vocabulary * Each tune includes an overview and listening suggestions About the Authors Noah Baerman earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in jazz studies from Rutgers University, studying under Kenny Barron. To date, Noah has released nine jazz albums under his own name. Noah is active as an educator, directing the Jazz Ensemble at Wesleyan University and teaching at numerous other institutions. He has written nine other instructional books for Alfred Music, including the three-volume Complete Jazz Keyboard Method and The Big Book of Jazz Piano Improvisation. Jen Allen received her bachelor's degree in 2000 from The Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School, where she studied under McLean and other jazz luminaries, including Steve Davis, Nat Reeves, Andy Laverne, and Harold Danko. She regularly appears as a bandleader and sideman at major jazz venues throughout New York City and the Northeastern United States. Jen is a visiting lecturer at Trinity College and is also on the faculty of the University of Hartford.