What books would you suggest local piano teachers use to encourage authentic jazz playing?
Much more than books, I would suggest that teachers urge parents to purchase jazz CDs for their children. I am a firm believer that jazz must be learned aurally. Knowing how the music sounds cannot be learned from a book. Discovering the joy of music-making and building an appreciation for jazz, coupled with correctly learning the fundamentals of playing their instruments, is my recommendation for younger students.
In the back of Mark Levine’s “The Jazz Piano Book”, published by Sher Music, there is an extensive discography which lists the most important recordings by all the best jazz pianists. In my opinion, this discography is even more valuable than the well presented,instructional content within this text. For middle school and high school pianists, “Voicings for Jazz Keyboard” by Frank Mantooth is a useful book, in addition to Levine’s.
