Photo: Rich and Chris Battistone “proofreading” Vol.3 of I'd Rather Be Boppin' at Chris's home in Silver Spring, MD, April, 2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Wow - Rich Willey has done it again! His new book, The Melody Lingers On, is simply spectacular. Rich is not only a prodigious trumpet talent but also a remarkable composer and arranger. Evidence of his great improvisational technique and mastery of the bebop vocabulary is interspersed throughout these etudes, making each one a challenging composition that is fun to play. This is a great book for instrumentalists of all proficiency levels and the CD accompaniment is certainly a plus for the practice room. I highly recommend this to all players who are serious about their instrument.” — RICK SIMERLY, Trombonist, Clinician, and Professor at Milligan College, Elizabethton, TN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Since my copy of The Melody Lingers On arrived I've been having a blast! The solos are musical; they feature real jazz melodic and rhythmic vocabulary on chord progressions that every jazz musician needs to know. The CD accompaniment is a great feature. I especially like the fact that each etude can be played with the recorded accompaniment at 2 different tempos. The slower tempos are great for less experienced players. The faster tempos are a real kick in the pants for me. This set is also fabulous for working on sight-reading. Thanks, Rich!” — PAT HARBISON, Trumpeter & Professor of Jazz, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“These studies are great! Just the kind of material I’ve been looking for to help my students with jazz reading. They’re written in a comfortable range but include sophisticated rhythmic and melodic figures that aid in developing the ability to read figures in the jazz idiom. In short, a sensible, musical way to develop both jazz sight-reading and soloing skills. I recommend this book to all of my students.” — CHRIS BATTISTONE, Jazz & Trumpet teacher, Levine School of Music, Washington, DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“This new book by Rich Willey continues the tradition of excellence begun with his Bop Duets books! I’ve been using the Bop Duets with students for some time now, and wishing there were a CD to have them play along with. Along comes Rich’s new book, based on the same changes, which has a CD that works for both the solo book (new) and the duet book (Vol.1). Thanks, Rich, for another great addition to trumpet repertoire! You’re the best!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Just want you to know that I just received The Melody Lingers On and I think it's GREAT! I am quite familiar with the tunes and changes, but your CD and music solos are a GREAT refresher and practice help. The accompaniment and the 2-pace tracks are great. You write some nice licks, too! GREAT job all around, man!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
