Any advice for a beginning jazz musician?
I’ve been a classical musician for a while now and have been taking classical piano lessons but, in an effort to expand my knowledge I have joined my schools jazz band as the jazz pianist as my best friend who was the pianist graduated last year. I understand how chords are formed from my music theory class but what alludes me is the concept of comp work and soloing. I was wondering if anyone could explain this to me or provide good references and also if anyone knows were I can get a copy of the jazz piano book by Mark Levine that would be helpful as well thanks 
The Mark Levine volumes « The Jazz Piano Book » and « The Jazz Theory Book » would make excellent reference texts for any developing jazz pianist (I have learned a lot from them with regard to how pianists think- I play piano a little thanks in part to these well-written books, but understanding how a pianist thinks helps how I listen to them). Look below for a link to the publisher; you can order a copy there.
On comping: the term is derived from the word « complementary »; effective comping has the pianist selecting rhythms and chord voicings which blend with the scale choices and rhythms of the soloist. The most coherent insights on comping I’ve ever read were written by pianist Hal Galper (who has played with the likes of Cannonball Adderly, Chet Baker, and Phil Woods); you can read the most salient of these at the second link below.
Best wishes for your development as a jazz pianist.
Best Pieces for Solo Piano: Part 6
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TAYLOR SWIFT PIANO SOLO SHEET MUSIC BOOK. LEARN TO PLAY GREATEST HITS. BEST OF €17.26 |
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BEST ESSENTIAL LUDOVICO EINAUDI ISLANDS PIANO SOLO BOOK €18.42 |
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The Very Best of Barbara Hendricks €6.99 THE VERY BEST OF BARBARA HENDRICKS… |
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Le Meilleur De Bartok €4.90 … |
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The Best Classical Music Ever: Piano Solo €8.46 … |
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The Best of Yanni: Piano Solos €10.16 Une sélection de onze morceaux de Yanni arrangé pour piano soloTitres :A Word In Private;Almost A Whisper;First Touch;Marching Season;Nostalgia;Reflections Of Passion;Secret Vows;Swept Away;The Mermaid;The Rain Must Fall;True Nature… |
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The Joy of Ballet Music: Thirty-Seven Best Loved Themes from Famous Ballets and Ballet Scenes from Operas, Selected and Arranged for Piano Solo by Denes Agay €11.63 Une Question ? Un conseil ?Nos conseillers sont à votre disposition pour vous informer sur les caractéristiques techniques de ce produit. N’hésitez pas à les contacter !… |
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Obispo Pascal Best of (crock’music vol 1 ) – Piano solo €17.94 … |
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The Best Of Yanni: Piano Solos Onze sélections à partir des enregistrements haut de la compositrice, interprète et artiste de renommée internationale d’enregistrement. Inclut «presque un murmure», «First Touch», «v?ux secrets » et « Reflections Of Passion ‘…. |
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Partition : The Best Of Yanni: Piano Solos – Piano – Book Only PF 80pp … |