Jazz Classics: Jazz Piano Solos Series Volume 14 (Jazz Piano Solos, 14)

I practiced most of the transcriptions from this book and found only one that somehow really misses the mark -- That piece is 'Along Came Betty'. I practice this piece from Benny Golson's book, 'The Genius of Benny Golson' and am very pleased with it (available from Amazon). However the transcriber of Jazz Classics thought that having a bass that runs along in the depths of G1, A1 and B1 notes would somehow sound good. Sadly the emphasis on such low notes makes this happy piece sound like it is trying to dance on top of a dirge. But that is the only real clunker in this nice collection of tunes. It is in the same key as Golson's book (A flat) and the melody is very similar, but the bass HAS to be reworked. If you really want 'Along Came Betty', then do not purchase this book for that tune - go for 'The Genius of Benny Golson' (which may not be available anymore).The rest of the pieces are wonderful. Those are:Afternoon in ParisAllen's AlleyAlong Came Betty (see above comment)Azure-Te (Paris Blues)Bernies TuneBirdlandDonna LeeFootprints - excellentImpressionsJump for JoyLamentMonk's Mood - excellentMy Little Suede ShoesNefertitiOn Green Dolphin StreetRed ClayRobbin's Nest - excellentSt. Thomas - excellentTurn Out THe StarsYardBird Suite - excellentI definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes classic jazz.

Another great book in the Hal Leonard Jazz Piano series - I think this is the one to get if you want to just get one to try/start out (I have about 10 books in this series and this is my favorite one).

Another strong entry in the Jazz Piano Solo Series. Good selection of tunes, great arrangements yet quite playable for intermediate/early advanced pianists. Keep 'em coming. Also, the chord symbols are quite helpful for seeing the structure of the pieces.

I would totally concur with a previous reviewers "excellent" for YardBird Suite. (Maybe because it sounded pretty great for me straight out of the gate.) I struggled a little with Birdland at first, and now I'm pretty happy about how it's coming together. It has some unpredictable rhythms requiring interplay + independence of both hands - tricky, but worth the effort.My teenaged son is obsessed with Impressions, and he's using this arrangement as a vehicle for improving his piano chops and his ability to mess with Coltrane's mind-bending experiments in tonality. We are both under-trained as pianists (with more formal skillz on other instruments) but enthusiastic. I sightread notes like a she-demon; he mostly uses the chords; together we are happy. This book, and this series, lets each of us build on our strengths and stretch into new directions.

Somehow they managed to simplify the arrangements so that they still sound professional, but not so tricky that only a gifted few can play them. I have many sheet music transcriptions of Bill Evan, Chick Corea, Mehegan jazz studies, etc that I purchased over the years, but most are so technically challenging that you can forget about getting in a relaxed groove, so I ended up just playing some playable classical sheet music from time to time to keep in practice. But this jazz piano series of Hal Leonard has really filled a need, in my opinion.