Customer Reviews

Lennon and McCartney: Jazz Play-Along Volume 29 (Jazz Play Along Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like all the Hal Leonard Jazz-Play-Along series this new addition is both challenging to play, great jazz version arrangements (very creative interpretations that not only are good..but add new "flavor" to all the included songs), and useful for practice or performance. As a matter of fact, I have a solo act and will be performing several of the songs in this book today! well worth the $ and useful for beginner to pro players!

For serious Jazz musicians only! You may have played Beatles tunes before, but not like this. These are definately Jazz versions of these Beatles standards. A must have for the Jazz musician who wants to add Beatles songs to his set list.

I LOVE this play-along volume. I'm a hardcore, longtime Aebersold user - and this is the very first play-along I've tried from this particular series. Very glad I did.

These jazz versions of Beatles classic are consistently inventive and often challenging. I think some people - both experienced improvisers and newcomers - think that play-alongs in general are cheesy. While nothing is a substitute for working with real live musicians, I think book/CD combos such as these are indispensable for practicing improv.

The CD has each of the tunes with a horn playing the melody line over the piano, bass, drums backing. And then the same track without the melody line. My only real issue is that the tracks are shorter - Aebersold's provide much more room to stretch out and improvise over the changes.

"Let It Be" is given a reggae-ish vibe. "Lady Madonna" has calypso feel. "Come Together" is rendered as appropriately funky fusion. "Fool on the Hill" becomes a bossa nova. I love working with these and plan to incorporate these versions (the chord progressions have been reharmonized and work very well) in a live setting.