Customer Reviews for Cocktail Piano Styles - Volume 1
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marian
Location: from Elkins Park, PA
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
April 2, 2012
Cocktal Piano Styles Volume 1
I like this book. Nice chording and not too difficult to read. Would like to see more of these arrangements.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Los Angeles
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
March 10, 2009
Not Quite What I thought
The good thing about these arrangements is that they do include the chord symbols and these symbols are accurate consistently (although this is one possible "bop" way of doing subs). I found the quality of the written piano stylings to be inconsistent and a few of the songs are obscure today while many other common standards are missing: Stardust? As time Goes By? Over the Rainbow?
8 of 16 people found this review helpful.
W.T. Crawford
Location: from Longmont, Colorado
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
February 19, 2009
Disappointed
I was very disappointed in this book. Not only were the arrangements mediocre, the choice of songs was also poor. I would have returned the book on your no questions asked return policy, but I waited too long to do so.
8 of 18 people found this review helpful.
Brian Ingram
Location: from Manchester UK
September 11, 2008
Left Handed Bliss
I always enjoyed playing the traditional boogies of Mead Lux Lewis Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons. These in this work, are harmonically more interesting,as some of these pieces have several chords in their structure. I particularly like where the left hand goes deep down in the bass, while the right, is right up there in the treble.
10 of 18 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Alabama
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
August 11, 2008
Sophisticated yet very playable
I am not a big jazz fan, but these smooth, lush stylings are exactly the kind of jazz I do like. And I was glad to find the words inserted, so they can easily be modified to use as vocal accompaniments. I have no real ability to create my own arrangements, but I'm pretty picky about those I'll play, whether for audiences or pure pleasure. Wish I'd found this book sooner!
8 of 18 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
June 23, 2008
Good value
Bill Irwin's arrangements are always good and this book is no exception. It would have been nice though if the pieces were a little longer.
7 of 18 people found this review helpful.
Paul K.
Location: from Upstate SC
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
December 11, 2007
Most arrangements are pretty nice
This is a nice collection of standards with a quite a few nice melodies that you don't ofter see in mixed folios like this. Generally, the chords are reachable by even the less than spider-fingered, but many are marked as and require a wrist roll. I guess by main objection is that quite a few of the pieces are in a somewhat boogie style that's just not my strong suit, especially when the left hand notes are way down in the bass region of the keyboard. That's a personal prejudice, though.
3 of 6 people found this review helpful.
R. Henry
Location: from Houston, TX
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
April 19, 2007
Excellent For Parties and Receptions
I am a professional pianist and this is a great book. It takes well known tunes and adds rich, jazz chords and harmonies. I play these pieces at weddings, parties and receptions.
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from San Francisco, CA
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
July 31, 2004
Wonderful collection
Mr.Irwin does a great job with the arrangments of this collection of music. This happens to be one of my favorite books and I carry it with me when I travel.
3 of 6 people found this review helpful.