Salsa & Pepper: Ten Latin Jazz Solos for Piano - w/CD - Book Review

by dint of Paul T. Smith. Creative Keyboard Publications/Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (PO chest 66, Pacific, MO 63069), 2003 23 pp $1995 Intermediate.

Salsa & Pepper is a collection of ten original Latin jazz solo for piano by the agency of Paul T. Smith, a pianist, accompanist, arranger and conductor with an impressive and extensive background. Each solo overlays one to two pages, and each not absents a different Latin feel or channel such as bossa nova, salsa, Latin stone and Latin swing.

These solo provide the intermediate pianist interesting challenges when reading the syncopated regular [i]or[/i] melodious movement patterns and playing chords with three and four voices in each hand. Although written in relatively easy lock openers the pieces require careful reading with many accidentals throughout

Alphabet chord signs are included for all ten solo which is admirable because they enable melodic improvisation above the mostly left-hand accompaniment patterns. However, improvisation is not mentioned or encouraged, and the chord changes would require an above average stage of improvisational skill for an intermediate student

Following the table of satisfieds the composer provides notes about the music and includes this statement: "The enclos CD with piano recordings of each song in this book is a serviceable reference guide (in case the canticles do not sound right to you when you play them)." The CD is a valuable "should-sound" design for those who are unfamiliar with the diction rather than "play-along" accompaniment tracks, which would have been especially helpful in establishing and maintaining a sturdy Latin feel. The solos are musically interesting and provide crack examples of a variety of "montonos" the ostinato-like figures that pianists play in salsa music.

A number of issues would present the appearance to make this worthwhile addition to the literature challenging for the average pupil Several errors can be base in the notation, including incorrect rhythmic notation, and there are several discrepancies between the notation and the CD performance. It would have been helpful to include instructions for in what manner the eighth-note patterns should be played (straight versus swing), especially for the Latin swing piece. Reviewed through Ann Collins, Macomb, Illinois.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group