Jazz Arranging and Performance Practice

Unlike most jazz arranging books, which focus on the rudiments of arranging (transposition, ranges, notation, and so forth), this book deals with the real substance of arranging for small jazz ensembles, in addition to the rudiments. Rinzler devotes a chapter to each of the following arranging elements: intros, endings, accents/breaks/dynamics, time and tempo changes, style changes, form, rhythm section procedure, harmony and orchestration. Over a hundred musical examples demonstrate arranging techniques that apply to 147 jazz standards and modern compositions.

Paul Rinzler (Doctor of Arts, University of Northern Colorado) teaches music theory and jazz studies classes at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has played jazz piano professionally for many years and was recently awarded an NEA jazz performance grant. His big band compositions are published by Walrus publishing, and his articles on jazz have appeared in the New Grove's Dictionary of Jazz and the Annual Review of Jazz Studies.