The Power of Two

by Doug Beach and George Shutack

Duets are a great way to learn many of the skills necessary to become a successful musician. In jazz, duets are especially effective when performed with a rhythm section. These 12 easy-medium level jazz duets include a variety of styles, tempos and harmonic progressions and can all be performed with the accompanying rhythm section MP3 tracks. The parts are fully interchangeable among the various instrument editions, making these books ideal for lesson groups. The most exciting feature of these books is that there are 4 downloadable MP3 tracks for each duet: an individual can play either duet part while the MP3 plays the other part; two players can practice playing both parts along with the rhythm-section-only tracks; and a player can also work on improvisation skills by playing along with the rhythm-section-only tracks. A full performance track is also included for listening purposes.

As a supplement, the rhythm section books can be used individually or together in conjunction with the duet books to create 12 charts for jazz combo. The pieces include a variety of styles, tempos and harmonic progressions. Three downloadable MP3's are included for each piece; a full performance, only the rhythm section parts, and finally a track that features both duet and rhythm section minus your part.

Contents: The Five Note Blues; Dorian Journey; Super Chief; Monk Lives; Whoopin' Blues; Timeline; Two Of A Kind; Street Smart; All In For The Blues; Amber And Trinita; Got Rhythm?; Coffee With Melnick