Jam Trax: Chicago Blues (Music Sales America) [Paperback]

Ralph Agresta (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1997

Full-band backup to 12 Chicago-style extended jams in authentic blues styles. Includes tips on scales and techniques to use with each track.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Music Sales America; 1st ed edition (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825616034
• ISBN-13: 978-0825616037
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chicago blues to bend to...., September 18, 2005

By 

M. Dahms "FenderBender" (Shelby, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jam Trax: Chicago Blues (Music Sales America) (Paperback)

Exactly as titled! Backing tracks to play over... nicely done with a great booklet explaining suggestion as to which parts of the scales to use with each track and progressions through the track... You will learn from this book and even enjoy just playing to the songs if you already think you got your scales down pat...covers a variety of beats per minute and scales, great improvisation tool. Also includes the chords so you can eventually just team up with friends and play the whole song without the backing tracks.. I now own six from this series and they all are very well done and worth every penny.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific and Fun way to Practice, warm up, etc!!!, May 17, 2006

By 

scorching_blues "steve" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jam Trax: Chicago Blues (Music Sales America) (Paperback)

I was amazed as to how much fun i had with this product. Not only does the book give descent advice on how to attack different chicago blues jams, it also gives the beginner blues guitarist (harmonica player OR even singer) an idea how blues jams are put together.

The included CD is what the books info is based on, and it is by far to most fun part. I was so struck as to how FUN it was! I put it in, and immediatly got into a GREAT groove and just started jammin away. DO NOT think that this is just a beginners book--IT IS NOT. Whether your a 13 year old wannabee or Buddy Guy himself, this book is a GREAT way to hone your skills or just keep in practice... If you dont think you need it for that, get it just for the FUN of it!


Personally, the reason i got the book was because I needed something to play with when im not jamming with anyone (which is a lot of the time--many of you might be in the same situation sometimes). I usually recorded a rhythm with bass onto a cheap, single track, cassette recorder so i could put it in my stereo and jam with it. It was fine for a while, but having to record a bassline for 2, 3 or 5 minutes can get REAL boring, especially when its the same rhythm over and over. It took a lot of fun and time outta my one man jam, and energy, with the resulting product sounding clumsy and off time (as i had no metronome or other instrument or device, except for my mind, to keep time). When i found this, i was elated! Over 10 tracks of FULL band back up!

Each track is unique, and intentionally leaves parts open for guitar fills and leads. you feel like your jamming with a real band without having to trouble yourself findingbarely decent musicians to frusturate yourself with!

I was worried about getting bored of the Trax after a while, but after hearing them, i realized that there were soooo many possibilities in each individual track and sooo many ways to approach it, i doubt i could ever get tired of it.


a great way to warmup, practice, improve your improvisation, or just to have fun! I highly recommend this book!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Play along fun, March 16, 2001

By 

Dirk P. Johnson "Dirk Johnson NoVAGuitarLesso... (Sterling, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jam Trax: Chicago Blues (Music Sales America) (Paperback)

This is a blues play along book and CD, with 13 songs. Lots of different song styles, beats, and tempos. The book includes basic notation and tab for each song, along with some scales for each song.

Overall, it's fun, and worth the price.

I would like to see a video version showing lead runs and rythym shapes and patterns for each song, etc...