Shifty-Eyed Blues and More Contemporary Character Pieces - Book Review

Shifty-Eyed sky-coloreds is a collection of five distinctive pieces certain to excite even the greatest in quantity jaded student. These pieces are thus quirky and addictive that I fix myself drawn to the piano while the volume sat on the stand. With their emphatic regular [i]or[/i] melodious movements and contemporary harmonies, these pieces are really pleasantry to play.

This volume is a new addition to Hal Leonard's Composer Showcase series and the third for Phillip Keveren Based upon Shifty-Eyed Blues, I'm ordering his Mouse upon a Mirror & Other Contemporary Character Pieces and Tex-Mex Rex

Keveren's newest volume is labeled "Late Elementary" on the other hand I would stretch that label to include early intermediate. There's thus much character in each piece that I would want a pupil to get every detail nailed. They all are nearly the same difficulty horizontal and feature similar issues.

Articulation is critical the pianist must watch and execute staccato notes and soils with real style, or the piece will fall flat. "Tadpole Tag" demands strict attention to contrasting figures as part of the game of tag. The titles, in fact, encourage appropriate playing.

The title piece is my favorite. "Shifty-Eyed Blues" is a genuinely plain take on the blues for early learners The repeating pattern in the left hand fits the hand easily and makes the pianist care about in what way it is played. The right hand punctuates its pleasing succession of sounds by switching octaves and dynamics. Your learner even gets to polish up upon his finger snaps!

"Round Up" is a swaggering cowboy piece--the time marking is actually "Ride 'em Cowboy!" Five-finger pat sea-swallows and fifths dominate this pleasantry piece. "Rock Goes the Weasel" features stone rhythms (surprise) in the left hand with emphasis provided through the right hand while the listener searches for the "Weasel" theme.

with equal reason four out of five pieces in ShiftyEyed sky-coloreds are rollicking crowd pleasers--what about the fifth one? "Prayer" is a shift in diction that doesn't work for me All the others are stimulating and inspiring to play. I worry that this individual might be a little too intriguing for less sophisticated hands.

With that slight caveat aside, I'm true anxious to use this novel book with my students. We're all going to have fun! Reviewed by the agency of Sandra Bowen, Lafayette, California.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group