Customer Reviews

Essential Jazz Standards: Jazz Play Along Series Vol. 7 (Hal Leonard Jazz Play-Along)

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have about 15 different HL play-alongs. I like them a lot as they provide a solo example as well as the track without the solo - very useful to kick start your ideas. The issue is that all the tunes are in the 'wrong' key. Any fake/real book, other play-alongs, band arrangements, CD recordings have these tunes in the key we are familiar with (the key they were written in). HL, for some reason (copyright maybe), have most of the tunes in some strange key, which spoils the fun and renders it useless for any gig-worthy practice session.

Well, despite what the previous reviewer wrote, 8 out of 10 of these tunes appear to be in their original key. (Maybe the other reviewer accidently was looking at the sections written for Bb and Eb instruments?) Why "Cotton Tail" and "Easy Living" are not, I don't know. But I recommend that you use a tempo changing, pitch changing, variable looping program to play these anyway. Then you can play them in whatever key you want to practice in. I'm a MacBook user, so I use Audiolobe for this. Works great. Makes all the alterations "on the fly," no need to make and save a new file for any reason.

I picked up my sax after a twenty year layoff and have been having a good time incorporating these songs in my practice time. Group is good and swings just great. I put in my ipod and listen with earbuds while i pracitce. Loads of fun