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You are here: Home / Archives for Reviews / Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Mark Turner-Transcriptions and Essays by Jeff McGregor Review

February 10, 2021 by Steve Leave a Comment

For the last couple of weeks,  I have been checking out two amazing transcription books by Jeff McGregor entitled Chris Potter-Transcriptions and Essays and Mark Turner-Transcriptions and Essays. I already reviewed the Chris Potter Transcription book,  and today I will be reviewing Mark Turner-Transcriptions and Essays. Mark Turner-Transcriptions and Essays by Jeff McGregor If you […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Jazz Improvisation Tagged With: essays, Jeff McGregor, Mark Turner, solos, tenor saxophone, Transcriptions

Chris Potter-Transcriptions and Essays by Jeff McGregor Review

February 4, 2021 by Steve Leave a Comment

For the last couple of weeks,  I have been checking out two amazing transcription books by Jeff McGregor entitled Chris Potter-Transcriptions and Essays and Mark Turner-Transcriptions and Essays. Chris Potter-Transcriptions and Essays by Jeff McGregor If you were to gather ten saxophone players around a table and have a discussion about who the cutting edge […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Jazz Improvisation Tagged With: chris potter, essays, Jeff McGregor, solos, tenor saxophone, Transcriptions

The Bill Evans Omnibook for Piano Review

March 5, 2020 by Steve 4 Comments

*I posted all the recordings I could find on Youtube that go with this transcription book at the bottom of this review………Enjoy! Today, I am reviewing the Bill Evans Omnibook for piano that is published by Hal Leonard.  Hal Leonard has already released many other great Omnibooks that I have already reviewed here including the […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: bill evans, Hal Leonard, Omnibook, piano, review, solo, Transcriptions

From the Inside Out by Dr. Mark Watkins Book Review

January 1, 2020 by Steve 7 Comments

Today, I am reviewing “From the Inside Out” by Dr. Mark Watkins that is published by Outskirts Press. “From the Inside Out” is a revolutionary in-depth 309 page resource book for the development of saxophone sound.  When this book is described as “in-depth”, Dr. Watkins is not joking!  It is 309 pages of descriptions, scientific […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: development, Dr. Mark Watkins, From the Inside Out, MRI, saxophone sound, vocal tract

The Rhythm Book-Crossrhythms on 4/4 by Rory Stuart Review

November 18, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

Today, I am reviewing “The Rhythm Book-Crossrhythms on 4/4” by Rory Stuart that is published by Rhythm & Dues.  Rory Stuart has written a great beginning book for those of you who want to understand rhythm and notation in a deeper way that I reviewed as well as an intermediate book of more advanced concepts […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: crossrhythms, music education, performance styles, review, Rory Stuart, sight reading, The Rhythm Book

The Rhythm Book-Rhythmic Development and Performance in 4/4 by Rory Stuart Review

October 4, 2019 by Steve 7 Comments

Today, I am reviewing “The Rhythm Book-Rhythmic Development and Performance in 4/4” by Rory Stuart that is published by Rhythm & Dues.  Rory Stuart has written a great beginning book for those of you who want to understand rhythm and notation in a deeper way that I reviewed as well as an intermediate book of […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: music education, performance styles, review, Rhythmic Development, Rory Stuart, sight reading, The Rhythm Book

The Charlie Parker Omnibook Volume 2 Review

March 7, 2019 by Steve 22 Comments

*I posted all the recordings I could find on Youtube that go with this transcription book at the bottom of this review………Enjoy! Today, I am excited to be reviewing the Charlie Parker Omnibook Volume 2 that has just been released by Hal Leonard.  This great book of transcriptions was created by Chris “Doc” Stewart who […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Charlie Parker, Chris "Doc" Stewart, Hal Leonard, Omnibook, sax solos, transcription, Volume 2

The Rhythm Book-Intermediate Notation and Sight-Reading by Rory Stuart Review

February 13, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

Today, I am reviewing “The Rhythm Book-Intermediate Notation and Sight-Reading” by Rory Stuart that is published by Hal Leonard.  Rory Stuart has written a great beginning book for those of you who want to understand rhythm and notation in a deeper way that I reviewed the other day.  Today I will be writing about his […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Intermediate Notation, music education, review, Rory Stuart, sight reading, The Rhythm Book

The Rhythm Book-Beginning Notation and Sight-Reading by Rory Stuart Review

February 12, 2019 by Steve 1 Comment

Today, I am reviewing “The Rhythm Book-Beginning Notation and Sight-Reading” by Rory Stuart that is published by Hal Leonard.  Rory Stuart has written a great beginning book (beginning meaning dealing with everything rhythmically up to and including hard eighth note rhythms) for those of you who want to understand rhythm and notation in a deeper […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Hal Leonard, music education, notation, review, Rory Stuart, sight reading, The Rhythm Book

The Cannonball Adderley Omnibook Review

August 19, 2018 by Steve 6 Comments

Today, I am reviewing the Cannonball Adderley Omnibook that is published by Hal Leonard.  This great book of transcriptions was created by Chris “Doc” Stewart who also transcribed the Sonny Rollins Omnibook that I reviewed earlier in the year. I bought this book after receiving a gift card from a student of mine. I went […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: alto sax solos, Alto Saxophone, Cannonball Adderley, Chris "Doc" Stewart, Hal Leonard, Omnibook, review

The Sonny Rollins Omnibook Review

March 27, 2018 by Steve 4 Comments

*I posted all the recordings I could find on Youtube that go with this transcription book at the bottom of this review………Enjoy! My first recording of Sonny Rollins that I heard as a teenager was “Saxophone Colossus”.  I checked it out of the local library. I didn’t play tenor saxophone back then but I was […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Bb instruments, jazz sax, Omnibook, solos, Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone, Transcriptions

NEW Book-Mastering the Minor ii-7b5 V7b9 Bebop Scale

March 23, 2018 by Steve Leave a Comment

“Mastering the Minor ii-7b5 V7b9 Bebop Scale” is a new approach to learning to play great jazz lines over a minor ii-V progression.  If you have worked out of my “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” book, you know that the bebop scale and the “bebop links” that can be added to it can be a […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: bebop scale, Jazz Improvisation, jazz method, licks, minor ii-7b5 V7b9, patterns, steve neff

The Stan Getz Omnibook Review

June 19, 2017 by Steve 25 Comments

*I posted all the recordings I could find on Youtube that go with this transcription book at the bottom of this review………Enjoy! It’s with a bit of embarrassment that I admit that in the past, I have never really been a big fan of Stan Getz.  I remember hearing his name when I was younger and checking […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Hal Leonard, jazz sax, Omnibook, Stan Getz, tenor saxophone, Transcriptions

Dave Koz Saxophone Play-Along Book Review

June 15, 2017 by Steve 6 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a saxophone play along book by Hal Leonard.  This is the Volume 6 play-along entitled Dave Koz.  Dave Koz is a smooth jazz saxophone player and I thought it would be interesting to check out this book.  I was a little nervous in reviewing this book because talking about smooth jazz […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Dave Koz, Hal Leonard, play along, review, saxophone, smooth jazz

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Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
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Your major diatonic patterns book is great. I”m studying the first twenty patterns (first twenty pages) each day with different articulation each day and slowly increasing the tempo each week or so.  There is a noticeable improvement in finger coordination across all keys and its amazing how much more secure I feel on the difficult keys when attempting to play pieces with 5+ flats/sharps. I’m able to sort out the fingerings for these pieces now much more quickly than before, often in one or two … Read more
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Mr. Neff,  I want to thank you for sharing your God-given talents through your on-line lessons.  My husband, Michael, is blind, but he is a great sax player and he has been enjoying your lessons for quite some time now.  It’s not unusual for me to hear “Hey, babe, listen to THIS!” – and he will cut loose on his sax, just thrilled at what he learned during his session with you.  His excitement warms my heart!  You have no idea how much you have poured into my husband.  You have opened musical … Read more

Carole B
I bought Steve’s dominant bebop book and took a couple of online lesson from him. I really appreciated Steve’s careful listening of what I wanted to get done in a lesson and his clear, concise ideas on next steps to improve my playing and musical interpretation.  His mastering  the Dominant Bebop Scale has lots of exercises to use a scale that addresses the largest percentage of chords I come across in pop/blues music. The dominant V7.  Needless say it has improved my playing.  I teach and a… Read more
Keith
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!
Hi Steve, I can’t express just how much I appreciate your teaching. My playing has improved so much over the past year since I have been studying and practicing with your lessons. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, these lessons are proof! Thanks, Michael Byington
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