PDF version now available from Lulu.com
A valuable tool and resource for all those teaching jazz improvisation!
— Paul Contos
Monterey Jazz Festival
About the book
Singing with Solos is not a manual for “how to Improvise”; the masters of jazz improvising show us that through their solos.
Singing with Solos, the book, contains a detailed description and analysis of singing with solos, the practice – a practice developed by jazz pianist/teacher Lennie Tristano to help his students hear more deeply into music and to express what they heard through their voice. The purpose of singing with solos is to stimulate and develop the student’s own innate creativity as an improviser. Tristano considered singing with solos to be a fundamental practice for all his students – instrumentalists, drummers, vocalists.
The book takes us step-by-step through the practice of singing with solos and then describes how that practice can be applied to our instrument and our improvising. The final section includes quotes by several of Tristano’s former students, describing their experience of singing with solos. Also included is a list of suggested reading.
Singing with Solos, the book, contains a detailed description and analysis of singing with solos, the practice – a practice developed by jazz pianist/teacher Lennie Tristano to help his students hear more deeply into music and to express what they heard through their voice. The purpose of singing with solos is to stimulate and develop the student’s own innate creativity as an improviser. Tristano considered singing with solos to be a fundamental practice for all his students – instrumentalists, drummers, vocalists.
The book takes us step-by-step through the practice of singing with solos and then describes how that practice can be applied to our instrument and our improvising. The final section includes quotes by several of Tristano’s former students, describing their experience of singing with solos. Also included is a list of suggested reading.
Good job, Frank – a definite contribution to the music!! You got the point(s) across, mainly that the imitation phase is necessary, but one should never forget that it is the personal feeling of the artist under study that is the real deal. |
I would certainly recommend it to all my students, and would suggest to all our faculty that they recommend it to their students. I applaud you for taking the time to document this important discipline in an effort to involve young musicians in developing this invaluable tool for internalizing the jazz language. |
Singing with solos is an essential practice for any jazz studies program, whether to help students to develop their ability to improvise, or simply to develop their ability to listen and deepen their experience of music. Although rooted in the jazz tradition, singing with solos is an effective practice for any music tradition that encourages improvising: folk/blues, country/bluegrass, rock/metal, early music/baroque.
Lennie Tristano, in addition to being a teacher of improvising, was one of the most influential improvisers in the history of jazz; not only directly through his piano playing, but indirectly through the playing of his students – most notably saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. Lennie Tristano’s music and concepts have inspired and influenced not only his students, but musicians worldwide.
Lennie Tristano, in addition to being a teacher of improvising, was one of the most influential improvisers in the history of jazz; not only directly through his piano playing, but indirectly through the playing of his students – most notably saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. Lennie Tristano’s music and concepts have inspired and influenced not only his students, but musicians worldwide.
I just finished the book. I was on the right track, but you made me go deeper… it was like taking a private lesson from a Master Teacher… I respect that you have thought about this very deeply and appreciate that you are sharing it. |
Just wanted to say thanks for passing this along! I teach jazz theory and ear training at NEC and we encourage pretty much these exact ideas. I'm going to forward the link to your ebook to the students. It was really interesting to read. |
This book looks great and I look forward to reading it and sharing some of the information in and about it with my students. I teach courses in transcription of great soloists through jazz history, and singing is part of the process we use. |
Much respect to you for putting the valuable concepts of singing with solos together – a dynamic some of us are always trying to do with students of jazz and absorbing of the language of improvising. |
This would be very appropriate for the piano department at Berklee. I'm sure my faculty and students would be interested as well in purchasing one. |
Features quotes by Lee Konitz, Alan Broadbent, Ted Brown, Sal Mosca, Kazzrie Jaxen, and others.
Frank Tehan, the author, studied with both Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz.
Book facts
Title: Singing with Solos: Lennie Tristano's Fundamental Practice for the Art of Improvising
Length: ~5,100 words
Format: e-book (Kindle, EPUB, and PDF)
Price: USD$9.99
Title: Singing with Solos: Lennie Tristano's Fundamental Practice for the Art of Improvising
Length: ~5,100 words
Format: e-book (Kindle, EPUB, and PDF)
Price: USD$9.99
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