The Real Book, 6th Edition, is commonly used by jazz musicians and students as a ‘guide’ for learning different well-known and not-so-well known jazz tunes. This current 4 part series focuses on the ‘not-so-well-known’.

Another great guide, I’ve discovered, is a website put together by pianist/teacher Ron Drotos, called keyboardimprov.com, and his youtube videos called “Journey Through the Real Book”….where he has taken on a project of playing each of the 400 tunes in the Real Book. In this episode, I introduce you to Ron’s introduction to an amazing saxophonist/composer named Wayne Shorter. I also play the original 1965 recording of his complex piece called ‘Deluge’ and one year later, his recording with Miles Davis of Dolores. This is all my attempt to understand Wayne Shorter’s music better—-and I hope that you’ll come along for the ride.

In this episode you’ll also hear a couple wonderful tunes by the great Antonio Carlos Jobim—-ones that are a little less known than Desifinado, Ipanema, Wave, and his other great ones.

I start off the program with two versions of a tune that people wonder why. Why is it even in both the original Real Book and the later edition? And why don’t more people play it? It’s a Steve Swallow tune called Arise Her Eyes, and I’ve discovered a very different rendition by Canadian guitarist Yvan Jacques.

Also in this program is a Herb Ellis tune called Detour Ahead, a fun gospel-ish composition by Charles Mingus, a fantastic rendition of Cole Porter’s ‘All of You’ by Paul Jost, and I take you home with a relaxing bit of blues by Kenny Burrell.

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