The tradition of jazz music is conveyed to a great extent aurally. Despite the existence of excellent books and a pedagogical tradition that includes fairly comprehensive theoretical understanding, it is in the listening to and emulation of admired musicians that is the right of passage to the jazz musician.

Regardless as to whether or not the process involves the strict notation of the music on paper, this process is critical to not only the development of aural skills but in defining style and understanding what is truly possible. Differences between the reality of music played and what might be conveyed to a studying musician for the purposes of teaching must be reconciled.

Below are links to some of my transcriptions (with short analysis) taken from recordings that will hopefully illuminate interested readers and listeners to some of the methods (and often transcendence of methods) that go into these masterful performances and development of an ever changing medium that is improvised jazz music.

John Taylor, Touch Her Soft Lips and Part (William Walton), Peter Erskine, As it Is, ECM (1996) 1594

Brad Melhdau, Resignation, Elegiac Cycle, Warner Bros. (1999) CDW 47357

Larry Schneider, Sno’ Peas (Phil Markowitz), Bill Evans, Affinity, Warner Bros. (1979) CD 3293

Mulgrew Miller, Promethean, Tony Williams Trio, Young at Heart, Columbia (1996) CK 69107

Keith Jarrett, What is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter), Whisper Not, ECM (2000) 1724/25