Customer Reviews

Jazz Violin Glaser/grappelli

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This book would a fantastic way to understanding how six great jazz violinists improvise - if only there was easy access to the recordings. Even when I have found cds available that have the same title as refered to for the transcriptions, they don't always have the track that has been transcribed. What this really needs is to be packaged with a cd recording of all the tracks transcribed in the book. If anyone can suggest an easy way of getting hold of all these tracks please do so. Perhaps Amazon could even compile a list of where to find these specific tracks on cd? Any one wanting a more tuitional guide that you can start using strait away, see Jazz Fiddle Wizzard.

The prior reviewers mention they're sorry they couldn't find recordings to match up to these transcriptions but I don't think having the recordings would make this book any more useful because Matt Glaser knows nothing about notation. I have several versions of Stephane playing "After You've Gone" for example and I can play each one note for note. But when I play Matt Glaser's notation of it, it doesn't resemble Stephane's style AT ALL. Clearly Matt did not grow up reading music and didn't spend time playing in orchestras because he knows nothing about practical notation which is much more than just putting notes down and drawing them into measures. For example he has the entire page in sixteenth and 32nd notes including those notes which would have been a wide vibrato or merely ornaments by Stephane. Because of this it just reads as a jumbled mess. On the page, Matt's notations bear little resemblance to Stephane and it is a shame they didn't have a better musician write them out. I feel this book is a huge waste of money and based on this book alone I have a considerably lower opinion of Matt than I otherwise would have. Either Matt is really that bad at notation or he did it to deliberately confuse the type of violinist who could actually read this stuff!

I love this book! The interviews are insightful, and Matt Glaser's transcription of the jazz pieces are nothing short of amazing. I have to concur with the other reviewer who said that it would be very helpful to have recordings. I have managed to find a few of them on iTunes, but it's difficult since this book was published in 1981 and a lot of the recordings used are now out of print. Maybe Mr. Glaser can release a new one with different songs on it...I can always hope. This book feels like a great gift...unlocking a mystery. I love the motifs that he included as well...Stephane Grappelli's most used licks. That is SO helpful!

I could be such a valuable learning resource if it came with a cd or accessible tracks. I cant find any of the tracks. They dont seem to be clearly defined where to hear them.This book is destined for many to sit unused on the shelf. Glaser's other book Texas and Swing Fiddle is so good because of all the cd's. My readings ok, but reading intricate jazz transcriptions without a recording is a tedious and inefficient prospect. There are better books out there.