New Sher Music Books for 2016

We’re very happy to add four new books to our catalog as of the beginning of this year.
In no particular order, they are:

Wisdom of the Hand: A Guide to the Jazz Pentatonic Scales by Seattle pianist, educator and composer, Marius “Butch” Nordal
This is, dare I say, a revolutionary approach to fingering the pentatonic scales on piano. The wider intervals of the pentatonic and blues scales call for a different approach than the traditional Western “thumb under” technique. This book opens up a new and better approach to this conundrum all pianists face.

But don’t take my word for it—check out the sample pages and see for yourself!

An Approach to Comping, Vol. 2: Advanced Concepts and Techniques by Jeb Patton
Also for pianists, this is Jeb Patton’s second book for Sher Music. Endorsed by Kenny Barron, David Hazeltine, Harold Mabern, etc., Jeb’s second book is a masterful and thorough look at the comping of Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and others.

As a bassist, I know that the pianist’s comping is one of the most crucial elements in creating forward motion in a band, and Jeb’s books are the definitive word on the subject.

Rhythm First!: A Beginner’s Guide to Jazz Improvisation by Tom Kamp
Designed for K–12 music students and their teachers, this book begins with a powerful idea: kids are often turned off to music when they’re forced to learn scales and chords before they get to actually play music.

In this book, Tom gets students playing jazz right away by teaching them to play rhythms first, before introducing note choices. Rhythm First! then gives students a systematic way to learn all the basic rhythmic figures they’ll need for years, while slowly introducing the notes of the blues scale.

A long-overdue, revolutionary approach to teaching jazz that we hope will become a classroom staple.

Building Solo Lines from Cells by Randy Vincent
Randy Vincent has turned his last guitar book (The Cellular Approach) into a method book for any instrument. This book came into being when Jamey Aebersold, soon after reading The Cellular Approach, wrote:

“This book is good for ALL instruments. The patterns and exercises are excellent! There is much food for thought in here.”

Naturally, we agreed—and this was the genesis of Building Solo Lines from Cells.

Also, stay tuned for two unique books to be released in March of this year:

• One for drummers (by George Marsh)

• One for percussionists (by Michael Spiro)

As well as our Digital Standards Songbook—featuring 170+ individual songs, downloadable in any key, from the best of Cole Porter, Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini, and more. All are pristine Sher Music lead sheets—the gold standard in jazz charts.

Thanks for supporting our labors of love, and keep swinging!
– Chuck Sher