Nocturnes
Piano Solos Sheet Music Book
By Dave Brubeck

There are at least four pieces in this collection that are worth the entire purchase price: Joshua Redman Softly, William, Softly Lost Waltz (Edited Version) The Desert And The Parched Land I am a music teacher and a student of improvisation, was introduced to this book by my piano teacher...

, used the aforementioned pieces as sight-reading and a good example of jazz arrangements that use simple, authentic voicings. The left- hand accompaniment patterns are helpful to use in one's own improvisations and compositions. I also like Brubeck's other book, "Themes from Eurasia", for this same reason. There is a lot of variety in this volume of Nocturnes. Many pieces are advanced and contemporary, but better to explore his contemporary side here (where you'll also find some gems), than to unwittingly purchase a whole volume of Brubeck's atonal/12-tone pieces. (Avoid Brubeck's other book, Two-Part Adventures, if you don't like Schoernberg.)

Being able to make the same sounds my favorite jazz pianist makes is a thrill for this old diletante. I look forward to receiving the published xmas book, too!

I have collected a wide variety of intermediate to advanced short pieces over the years. Others include Gershwin At the Piano Songbook of original improvisations (recording available by Jacques Thiollier), Songbook for Anna Magdalena Bach, Bach's Goldberg variations (listen to Murray Peraha's recording), Chopin Preludes, Vince Guaraldi Snoopy...

collections and Bill Evans arrangements of Jobim. These pieces are mostly intermediate, but require some work on ryhthm. If you get the Salmon recording you will have hours of fun trying to play these beautiful little pieces. You will find touches of Poulenc, Ravel, Copeland, Albenez and Jobim and Gershwin here.

Having taken up the piano after a 40+ year hiatus, I am pleased to recommend this wonderful book. The compositions are rewarding to work through and play.

I bought this book for "Strange Meadow Lark" from the Time Out album, and the notes are the way Brubeck plays them except for some runs and left hand fill-in chords that aren't notated. A good book for someone who isn't ready for improvisation yet, but wants...

to get a feel for Brubeck's chord voicings and tone.