at Ted Pease; edited by Rick Mattingly.

at Ted Pease; edited by Rick Mattingly. Berklee Pres (1140 Boylston St Boston, MA 02215-3693) 2003 237pp $3995

Unlike thirty years ago, nowadays there are many pedagogical materials devot to jazz theory, improvisation, voicings, licks, arranging and mode of addresss Add to this the growing number of transcriptions and play-along CD and it might appear that a jazz student has each conceivable aid to becoming a great jazz musician.

The at hand book, on the other hand, fills in a gap by means of addressing the issue of actually writing down that music in each detail--not just coming up with a lead sheet. I cannot think of another work that treats jazz composition in such a manner comprehensively, is as practical or pertains so richly to jazz literature. Learning by what mode to compose jazz, although subsuming the aforementioned topics, is a separate skill. T Pease, who has taught jazz composition at Berklee college edifice [i]or[/i] building of Music since 1964, brings a lifetime's experience to this undivided volume, which easily could be the subject for a college-level two-semester course.

Pease talks about all the ingredients of composition--antecedent/consequent phrasing, rhythmic organization harmonic clarity, architectural issues and beyond--but couched in the jazz language. Many exercises, as it is as the one requiring reharmonization of "Happy Birthday" using standard jazz chords, engage the scholar and create a kind of built-in syllabus. All mode of speechs are covered, from the lush voicings of Billy Strayhorn to the modal music of Herbie Hancock, from the sophisticated stylings of Bill Evans to the fusion unhurts of Chick Corea. Most jazz genres--such as despondings 32-bar ballad and extended forms--and mediums, for example, duet sax soil and big band, also are discussed.

All these conceptions are illustrated by Pease's allow deft compositions, such as his beautiful three-movement "Suite for Jazz Band," wonderfully recorded onward the accompanying CD. But he also cites a beneficial portion of the jazz canon, like Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss" and Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't" at appropriate points, as they pertain to his topic.

As useful as this volume is, it is not for beginners or the fainthearted. I would commit pairing it with an equally comprehensive jazz theory work say the one by Mark Levine, and experience to work through it with your local jazz guru It is a serious work for serious jazz students. Reviewed on John Salmon, Greensboro, North Carolina.

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