Smooth Jazz for Alto Sax - Instrumental Solos Book/Online Audio (Hal Leonard Instrumental Play-Along)

I wish they had had these when I was 40 years younger! Having only recently gotten back into the horn again,these Hal Leonard Play Along sets are lots of fun and much better than the old "Music Minus One" series that came on tape and LP. The backup musicians are very professional and the arrangements are much like the popular recordings of these tunes, even including background vocals on a couple of charts.Speaking to the alto sax charts, as in many arrangements for E-flat instruments, you'll be playing mostly in sharps keys, but for the most part they're held to one or two sharps. These arrangements are fairly easy to play, but do not leave much space for ad libbing. Pitchwise, they're pretty much right on and not hard to play in tune with.I find earphones help a lot in being able to hear the backup band while I'm playing. Even better would be to mike the sax for the best electronic blend.

I found it difficult to follow for a true beginners level but nothing impossible as long as you’re willing to put some effort in. Quality compositions just wish there had been more included

The backing tracks on the CD are good. However, I expected the tracks on the CD that included the melody would have an alto sax play the melody. In today's market, when one buys a product such as this designated for a specific instrument, you expect that instrument on the CD. Instead, the melody is played by a piano, someone plunking it out with his right hand. You can hear the melody, but you can't learn any saxophone articulation, slurs, staccato, etc. I am keeping the book because the sheet music is good and I can find the original songs played by a saxophone on YouTube.

I bought the Trumpet play along book. The accompanying instrument used to teach how to play the songs is a piano. While this helps you get the rhythm, it does not help with intonation etc.. I also should have checked the selection of songs as they are not at all familiar to me. I do like the Hal Leonard play along series and the "ultimate" play along books but I don't care for this one.

This book is marvelous, great arrangements, fun tunes, gives players a challenge without being out of reach.

and I bought this for him. He loved it, and I like listening to him play the music! :-) I have been able to buy other good music ( sheet) through Amazon and that's been very helpful. In fact, I have also been able to buy his chanters for practicing bagpipes, and all his reeds for the saxophone.It's so much easier than driving to the music store.

This is a great CD and book.The play-along group is much more than piano, bass & drums on many of the tunes. We have guitar, flutes and multiple vocals. It's cool jazz and it's easy on the musician playing along.I highly recommend Smooth JAzz to any musician regardless of the talent level.Dann

Why don't they have a combo C, Bb. Eb book available .. Sure would be cool ... or even a Bb tenor book ??

This music book contains 11 Smooth Jazz tunes for alto sax.The publisher, Hal Leonard, provides play-along audio tracks for practising the exercises and for developing improvisation technique. These are downloaded from the Hal Leonard online audio library using a code hidden inside the book's cover. This seems to be the preferred method by this publisher instead of providing a CD. I added the tracks to my iTunes library so I have easy access, or you can log into your Hal Leonard library of tunes at any time, providing you have internet connection.The demo tracks uses a keyboard to play the guide notes for the saxophone, which seems a bit strange. I would have preferred a saxophone, for the demo tracks. But it helps me get my timing, which is the most important thing. In addition to the demo tracks, you get backing tracks which don't have the keyboard and so you can use these to perform the tunes or improvise.The melodies are easy to play, but the tempo for the tunes is quite fast (for a beginner like me!). But with lots of practice they are all playable with the accompanying backing.In my opinion, this book is more suited for intermediate standard players because of the relatively fast tempo of these tunes.The titles include:• Bali Run• Breezin'• Harlem Nocturne• Just the Two of Us• Morning Dance• She Could Be Mine• Silhouette• Sonbird* This Masquerade• Tourist in Paradise• We're in This Love Together

I actually bought this book by mistake - having really wanted something less 'cheesy' and more big band. However, I've found that even though I wouldn't choose to listen to many of these pieces; they are mostly good fun to play... I specifically didn't want a book with lots of sections for improvisation and this meets that requirement nicely..I think my favourites have got to be Tourist in Paradise, In this love together and Harlem Nocturne, with Bali Run and She Will Be Mine as other firm favourites (the latter being a fun Latin piece in the upper register, although I still can't reliably hit a Bb above the stave and it's the only piece which doesn't offer an easier alternative)All-in-all a fun book with some challenging pieces for the intermediate player - excellent backing tracks. I just wish that it didn't contain the two Kenny G pieces - they're sooooo cheesy.

I took up playing my tenor sax 4 years ago, initially I was teaching myself to play, but after 2.5 years I got to the stage whereby I needed some expert tuition. Throughout the early stages of my learning I found the Hal Leonard music books invaluable,the early books in the series whilst providing a lot of well known tunes, weren't always clear in how the notes were written so in some cases I wasn't sure as to whether I should play a high C, D or E?.Overall though great books as I now have nine!I chose this book with two pieces of music particularly in mind, 'Breezin', written by Bobby Womack, but for me best known for being played by George Benson, and 'Morning Dance' by Jay Beckenstein (Gyro Spyro).The more recent books are clearer in content and because of this I had a good grasp of the two tunes I have mentioned within a couple of hours. I have my sights set on a number of other books in the series.

this kind of playalong book with CD is disappointing. the cd music is played with a kind of keyboardmaking a poor sound, unlike many other playalong books with CD where the music is real, composedof different real instruments

Excellent book of music as usual with Hal-Leonard. The Play-along the accompaniment is not over bearing with Piano and Rhythm Section. The tunes are long enough and good enough to use as performing tunes, and I am putting a few of the tunes in my list of Pub Tunes to Play.