Improvising Sabor: Cuban Dance Music in New York begins in 1960s New York and examines in rich detail the playing styles and international influence of important figures in US Latin music. Such innovators as José Fajardo, Johnny Pacheco, George Castro, and Eddy Zervigón dazzled the Palladium ballroom and other Latin music venues in those crucible years. Author Sue Miller focuses on the Cuban flute style in light of its transformations in the US after the 1959 revolution and within the vibrant context of 1960s New York. While much about Latin jazz and salsa has been written, this book focuses on the relatively unexplored New York charangas that were performing during the chachachá and pachanga craze of the early sixties. Indeed, many accounts cut straight from the 1950s and the mambo to the bugalú’s development in the late 1960s with little mention of the chachachá and pachanga’s popularity in the mid-twentieth century. Improvising Sabor addresses not only this lost and ignored history, but contends with issues of race, class, and identity while evaluating differences in style between players from prerevolution Cuban charangas and those of 1960s New York. Through comprehensive explorations and transcriptions of numerous musical examples as well as interviews with and commentary from Latin musicians, Improvising Sabor highlights a specific sabor that is rooted in both Cuban dance music forms and the rich performance culture of Latin New York. The distinctive styles generated by these musicians sparked compelling points of departure and influence.

Designed for professionals and students alike, the material contained in this comprehensive volume can be applied to any instrument as well as classes or ensembles of varied instrumentation. In "Creative Jazz Improvisation," readers will find: Detailed information on how to practice, how to improvise in a creative way, and how to teach jazz improvisation A complete explanation of all aspects of jazz theory and forms Practice materials designed to help the reader gain facility with the jazz vocabulary and develop his or her ear Keyboard, ear-training, and theory exercises Lists of important jazz compositions, indexed to the popular Aebersold play-along recordings Eighteen transcriptions of solos by master jazz artists-- analyzed, transposed, and edited for all instruments The third edition expands on previous editions by adding: A new chapter, "Whom to Listen To," which lists major innovators, important contributors, and women in jazz Considerable expansion of the chapter on "Rhythm" and the section on "Creative Jazz Improvisation" New transcriptions of solos by Max Roach, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans Inspirational quotations by jazz masters, designed to motivate the student and give insight into the workings of the creative mind Author/trombonist/composer Scott Reeves draws on over twenty-one years of experience teaching at institutions such as the City College of New York, the University of Southern Maine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Memphis State University, and Western Washington University to create a book that covers all aspects of jazzimprovisation without superfluous information. Students and teachers alike will appreciate its accessible, well-organized approach to a complex subject.

Includes "Bibliographical section".