Now, years later, I think it is important for young sax players and students to learn some smooth jazz. At the very least, to be well rounded. \u00a0In my day it was Grover Washington Jr. and Dave Sanborn. Today, it’s players like Dave Koz, Candy Dulfer, Richard Elliot, Boney James and many more…….<\/p>\n
Dave Koz Saxophone Play-Along<\/strong><\/p>\n The Hal Leonard Dave Koz play along book is a great introduction to this style of music. \u00a0It has eight songs in it of different tempos and styles. The songs are comprised of four alto songs, 3 soprano and one tenor song. \u00a0Even though the audio tracks are on different saxophones, the book is written out in Eb and Bb so \u00a0you can play along on alto, tenor or soprano saxophone. \u00a0The songs are probably on Youtube if you want to look them up. They are All I See Is You, \u00a0Can’t Let You Go,Emily, Honey Dipped, Know You By Heart, Put the Top Down, Together Again and You Make Me Smile.<\/p>\n The audio tracks can be downloaded from a Hal Leonard website with a code that is in the book. They include one version of the song with Dave Koz playing and one version that is the play along.<\/p>\n One of the great aspects of this book is that all the nuances of Dave Koz’s playing are written out for you. Every grace note and bend. Grace notes are a huge stylistic technique in smooth jazz and this book has tons of them to learn from and practice. \u00a0I think the book is worth the price just to get the “grace note” effect down solid.<\/p>\n Another great aspect is the books focus on 16th note rhythms. \u00a0Every song has a multitude of 16th note rhythms that many young jazz band students might not have much experience with. \u00a0This is a great way to practice some of these complex rhythms.<\/p>\n Although looking at the notes on the page is a huge help, the real work is done by listening closely to every note and nuance of Dave Koz’s playing and really trying to get it down and master it. \u00a0Rather than just playing along with the whole song, I would suggest working with each lick one at a time. Listen to it closely, turn off the player and then try reproducing\u00a0it exactly. Copy the vibrato, the articulation, the exact way he bends the note, etc…….this process is where the real magic happens………<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.neffmusic.com\/2017\/DaveKozplayalong.jpeg\")
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