I'd like to get into jazz/blues piano... but I'm clueless!

[frugalfuzzpig]

I mostly play classical, but I'd like to mix things up a bit.

Technically I'm around grade 8/beyond but as it's so different, I'd need something easier (and I'm out of practise anyway as I don't get to play much)

The only books I've used before are Blue Piano and, in my beginner years, Jazzin' About :o

Any suggestions please?

Jazzwise magazine had an on-line sales arm, but I now find changed name to "sendmemusic" so no wonder I couldn't find them!

Jamey Aebersold does over a hundred tutor books, on jazz for all instruments, with CDs. There are many other tutor books for jazz piano, so you should find something out of this lot. There also transcriptions of all the famous pianists - Peterson, Shearing, Brubeck, Tatum, etc, often graded for various ability levels.

Learn the Twelve Bar Blues chord theory thoroughly, then more advanced variations on it. If you feel brave, Giant Steps is a challenge! Most Charlie Parker tunes were based on well known chord sequences.

You also need to know all chords, is all keys, and there are books for that too.

If I find specific books that might help I'll try and come back.

(I played drums for forty years, so didn't need this difficult stuff!)

So start with this: sendmemusic.com/jazz/jamey-aebersold.html

My memory wouldn't dredge him up yesterday, but now I remember: - Tim Richards, is good for piano tuition:

www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk/

www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk/teaching.html

After mastering (?) Twelve Bar Blues, try "I Got Rhythm", the chords can be used in various tunes, and are often referred to as "Rhythm Changes".

Just found this - there is some good stuff out there!:

www.freejazzlessons.com/jazz-standards-you-should-learn-part-1/

(Wow! It's got Green Dolphin Street, one of my favourite tunes of all time!)

www.freejazzlessons.com/jazz-standards-you-should-learn-part-2/

This is another of my favourites. Forty years ago I dismissed Ahmad Jamal as too 'cocktail-ish' but appreciate him now. When I ran a Year2 percussion club in primary school, I tried to get kids to play along to this, but they only wanted to dance to it!

Michel Camilo is a pianist/composer well worth listening to if you don't already know him:

vimeo.com/73080195

Let me know how you get on, sometime.

That's great ferguson, thanks so much for all the ideas :)

Hi - I realise now I have replied to you twice, and sent you Ahmad Jamal both times; Sorry about that!

Another very famous jazz album was Andre Previn's MyFair Lady, though the session was in the name of drummer Shelly Manne. Recorded in 1956, it was in 'best seller' lists for years. When the film version was made, Andre Previn was also in charge of the studio orchestra.

I had expected to be able to find transcriptions of the album, but haven't succeeded yet. Here is info about it though:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Fair_Lady_%28Shelly_Manne_album%29