Levine - The jazz theory book

I was fortunate to have some great teachers. A New York jazz pianist, Joe Pace, introduced me to the beauty of the II-V-I progression. I spent two years studying with the great Jaki Byard, followed by a year with Hall Overton, who knew more about Thelonious Monks music than anyone else at that time, and was a profound and caring teacher. I spent a year or so studying with Herb Pomeroy, one of the all-time great jazz educators. I learned more in a single afternoon with Barry Harris than is found in most jazz harmony books. Most of what Ive learned, however, is from the masters themselves, by transcribing directly from recordings. Every great jazz musician has gotten the best part of his or her education by transcribing. Learn how to do it early and skillfully.

Ive been lucky enough to work with, and learn from, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Dave Liebman, Sonny Stitt, Milt Jackson, Art Farmer, Blue Mitchell, Harold Land, Cal Tjader, Carmen McRae, Art Pepper, Charlie Rouse, Johnny Griffin, Chet Baker, Mongo Santamaria, and Luis Gasca.

I value any comments you may have about this book. Please dont hesitate to write me, care of my publisher, Chuck Sher:

Mark Levine

Mark Levine records for Concord Jazz and is active on the San Francisco jazz scene, both with his own trio and as a sideman with many bands. He is currently on the faculty of both The San Francisco Conservatory Of Music and Mills College, and teaches at the following summer jazz camps: Jamey Aebersold, The Stanford Jazz Workshop, Jazz Camp West, and the Jazz Studio Camp in Brugge, Belgium.

Hall helped Monk with the big band arrangements for Monks 1959 album At Town Hall, Fantasy Records.

Although the author usually gets all the credit, books are a collaborative effort. In the case of this book, thats an understatement. Many friends and colleagues helped immensely on this project, and Id like to thank each of them.

To Chuck Sher, my publisher, thanks for your constant support and encouragement from start to finish. To Gypsy Zaboroskie, layout and design editor, thanks for making the book look so beautiful and friendly, and for your consistent good humor and unflappability in the midst of calamities such as earthquakes and the baseball strike. To Deborah Craig, text editor, thanks for being flexible, nit-picky, and cheery, all at the same time. To Chuck Gee, music editor, thanks for making the conversion from DMCS to Finale easy as pie, and for being a second pair of eyes for me.

Thanks to Harry Likas, technical editor, and to the readersBruce Williamson, John Halle, Jack Sayres, and Greg Aldridgefor your honesty and wit. To Graham Bruce, thanks for your eagle eye and encyclopedic knowledge of the music. Special thanks to Bruce Klickstein, not only for being The Worlds Foremost Computer Expert, but also for being a good friend when I needed one.

Thanks to the photographersLee Tanner, Tom Copi, Herman Leonard, Bruce Polonksy, K. Gypsy Zaboroskie, David Belove, and Michael Handlerfor your beautiful contributions. Thanks to Tom Madden, owner of Jazz Quarter, the hippest jazz record store in San Francisco, for your invaluable help. Thanks to Michael Mclntosh, Harvey Wainapel, Bud Spangler, David Belove, Carol Bach-Y-Rita, Dave Matthews, Robbie Kwock, John Worley, George Hughes, and John Santos for help in tracking down elusive bits of discography.

And a very special thank you to Hans Gruber of Advance Music, for your encouragement and support.

Thanks to my teachersJoe Pace, Jaki Byard, Herb Pomeroy, and Hall Overtonfor starting me down the right path.

And last, but far from least, thanks to Deborra and Si for putting up with me while I wrote the book.