Product Review

Due to the runaway success of the 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs, Andrew D. Gordon's book "100 Ultimate Jazz Riffs" consists of, as the title suggests, 100 Jazz riffs based on common chord progressions used in jazz such as the II-V-I, III-VI-II-V etc.

There are five separate ections: Jazz Swing, Jazz Ballad, Jazz Funk, Jazz Waltz and Latin Jazz. Each musical example has a single note improvised melody line with the right hand and chord accompaniment with the left hand. At the end of the book there is the chord progression for the popular jazz standard "Blue Moon" showing you how to use various examples from the 100 riffs to create an improvised solo over the chord progression.

By demonstrating this technique you can pick most jazz standards and create your own improvisational ideas using the book.

The CD is recorded with the right hand piano part on the right channel and the left hand piano part on the left channel (bass and drums on both channels) with most of the examples recorded at normal and slowed down tempos. An absolute must for musicians learning and playing various jazz styles.