Overview
In Chasin' the Sound: Learning Jazz Improvisation through Historical Models, authors Brian Levy and Keith Waters use solos by famous jazz musicians to outline a melodic and rhythmic vocabulary of jazz improvisation. In contrast to mainstream approaches based on rote memorization and generic chord/scale pedagogies, Chasin' the Sound encourages hands-on learning with activities that highlight the intangible yet key aesthetics of sound, groove, and feel. By studying jazz fundamentals alongside well-known examples of those fundamentals in practice, students and instructors will gain a broader and more meaningful understanding of the art of improvisation. In addition to exploring the mechanics of what to play, Levy and Waters offer ideas on how to play the essential roles of timekeeping, comping, and soloing, and how to develop routines within these roles. Supported by classroom-tested exercises and hundreds of original annotated music examples, students will learn the core rhythmic and melodic tenets of jazz while studying and playing along with the improvised solos and accompaniments of Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Sarah Vaughan, Bud Powell, Clifford Brown, Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, Red Garland, Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins, among many others. Throughout, Levy and Waters show that great soloists and accompanists do not in fact have an unlimited vocabulary but rather use limited melodic and rhythmic resources as modules for infinite recombination.Written for all experience levels, Chasin' the Sound is a substantial workout for students and instructors to build chops and knowledge along the way.
Full Product Details
Author: Brian Levy (Director and Associate Professor of Jazz Studies, Director and Associate Professor of Jazz Studies, San Diego State University (SDSU).) ,
Keith Waters (Professor of Music, Professor of Music, University of Colorado Boulder)
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Weight: 0.925kg
ISBN: 9780197643532
ISBN 10: 0197643531
Pages: 306
Publication Date: 14 June 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
What sets jazz apart from other music is its rhythm and feel. This book does such a masterful job at showcasing the elements that are essential to this music. The detail and explanations make it accessible to all who want to improvise. The relationship between soloist and rhythm section is highlighted in the transcriptions that are in the book. This book is a knockout!!! * Jerry Bergonzi, World-renowned jazz saxophonist and educator * Brian Levy and Keith Waters have accomplished something remarkable in Chasin' the Sound, creating a thorough and practical guide for students interested in learning the language of jazz, the melodic and rhythmic vocabulary at the heart of the music that often gets overlooked by teachers of jazz improvisation who never get beyond setting up the palette of scales and chords that jazz players can draw from. * Ken Schaphorst, Co-Chair of Jazz Studies, New England Conservatory * In Chasin' the Sound, Brian Levy and Keith Waters have managed to synthesize the seemingly intangible qualities of jazz feel, rhythmic phrasing, and group interaction into a comprehensive text that can prove valuable to musicians of all skill levels. The emphasis placed on the historical model is so often left out of pedagogical texts on jazz, but is arguably the most important way for improvisers to build upon the shared language of the music. As someone who felt held back by overly intellectual approaches to jazz education, Levy's teaching materials gave me the tools necessary to shape my voice within the idiom. * Cecil Alexander, Assistant Professor of Guitar, Berklee College of Music * Frankly, the book already has me reimagining my approach to teaching and practicing jazz improvisation. It focuses on identifying, deconstructing, and then reconstructing jazz language, especially from bebop and hard bop traditions. The fact that most exercises are derived directly from performances of jazz masters is a clear strength (and a must!). The text also includes written, aural, and performing exercises, a beneficial mix which provides different vantage points from which to understand jazz music. * Matthew James, Professor of Saxophone & Jazz Studies, Ohio University School of Music * This book is an excellent resource for any music student looking to improve and deepen their improvisational skill set. Featuring examples of iconic solos by legends such as Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker, this book emphasizes the importance of understanding the playing styles and techniques of these icons as a foundation for expanding your musical vocabulary. I highly recommend this book as an essential step in improvisation education. * Willie Jones III, Lecturer in Jazz Percussion, Northwestern University * In Chasin' the Sound, Keith Waters and Brian Levy bring their extensive backgrounds as jazz players, analysts, historians, and teachers to a new approach to teaching and learning improvisation, based on the rhythmic and melodic content of carefully selected historic solos by Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and others, explored through transcription, listening, and structured practice exercises. This is, in a sense, a new application of a traditional approach: learning from the language of past masters and innovators. It proposes a complement and corrective to the frequent overemphasis on simply identifying the 'right' notes and scales at each moment in jazz improvisation pedagogy. * Allan Chase, Professor of Ear Training, Berklee College of Music *
Author Information
Brian Levy is Director of Jazz Studies at San Diego State University (SDSU). Prior to this role, he was a full-time member of the faculty at The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) from 2013-23, where he held joint appointments in the Department of Jazz Studies and the Department of Music History and Musicology. In 2021, he received the prestigious Louis Krasner Teaching Award. As a saxophonist, Levy performs regularly in the US and Europe. Keith Waters is Professor of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder. As a professional jazz pianist, he has recorded and performed with jazz artists such as James Moody, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Harris, Dave Liebman, Janis Siegel, and many others. As an author, Waters is the author of The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68; Postbop Jazz in the 1960s: The Compositions of Wayne Shorter; Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea; and Jazz: The First Hundred Years (with co-author Henry Martin).
