An intimate exploration into the musical genius of fifteen living jazz legends, from the longtime New York Times jazz critic Jazz is conducted almost wordlessly: John Coltrane rarely told his quartet what to do, and Miles Davis famously gave his group only the barest instructions before recording his masterpiece "Kind of Blue." Musicians are often loath to discuss their craft for fear of destroying its improvisational essence, rendering jazz among the most ephemeral and least transparent of the performing arts. In The Jazz Ear, the acclaimed music critic Ben Ratliff sits down with jazz greats to discuss recordings by the musicians who most influenced them. In the process, he skillfully coaxes out a profound understanding of the men and women themselves, the context of their work, and how jazz—from horn blare to drum riff—is created conceptually. Expanding on his popular interviews for The New York Times, Ratliff speaks with Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman, and others about the subtle variations in generation, training, and attitude that define their music. Playful and keenly insightful, The Jazz Ear is a revelatory exploration of a unique way of making and hearing music.

Each book is accompanied by a cassette to assist with the exercises on the topic of the book. The straightforward text from David Baker will set the student on a clear path toward a better ear.

This comprehensive introduction to jazz, blues, and rock piano will offer easy-to- understand explanations of music theory, and guide you step by step as you develop your skills. Above all, Piano by Ear will help you to explore and develop your ability to improvise. Rather than focus on written notation, you'll learn to express yourself at the piano by relying on your ear and on your own creative instincts. Building on the fundamentals introduced in Book One, Book Two introduces a whole new world of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic possibilities. Only basic piano technique and basic music-reading skills are needed. Includes access to online audio

Leonard Feather's autobiography is also the story of jazz over the last half-century. Since arriving in New York from London in 1935, he has managed to distinguish himself as a producer, composer, pianist, and one of the music's most acute critics.

DIVCollection of essays on the role of gender in jazz studies./div