A Framework for Jazz Mastery

Summary

A Framework for Jazz Mastery is a wealth of information from one of the great modern jazz piano voices, Richie Beirach.

Richie lays out in the first of three sections ten essential tips for becoming the jazz player you have the full potential to become. His tips include how to develop the necessary technique, the value in transcribing solos and how to best use them, how to learn a tune, reharmonization, composition, and more.

In the book's second section called Root Flower Fruit, Richie discusses his view on how a musician fully develops into an accomplished jazz musician. Each of the three stages is described with examples given from his own life and career, as well as those of others.

The final section called Heart Ear Hand takes listeners through Richie's process of sitting at the piano experiencing an emotion and the quick reaction of that emotion that triggers his fingers to improvise music on the keyboard. This is a description of improvisation unlike any you'll ever hear as told by a master of the art.

While the bulk of the book is narrated by Michael Lake, Richie, Dave Liebman, and Randy Brecker also have a hand in narrating those sections of the book written by them. Liebman also narrates the section penned by him in the physical book on ten tips of non-musical considerations for all musicians.

With complex musical examples recorded on the piano while Richie discusses them, this is a rich aural collection of priceless information from which any level of jazz musician will benefit.