Paul F. Berliner

Of all the books I own, I probably recommend this one to the most people! I love jazz and, as far as I'm concerned, this is the single best volume on the theory and practice of jazz I've ever read! It does get pretty technical at times, so it might not be good for people who don't know much musical theory.

For those who do know theory, it's a wealth of information! And it comes with transcriptions of many famous jazz solos so you can try and learn them yourself, to feel what it's like to play show more them, and to experience the vast gulf between the written note and the soul of the music. show less

This is a fantastic "how" AND "why" book (https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/oPEWyxJjRo4oKHzMu/the-3-books-technique-for-learning-a-new-skilll) for learning jazz. As best I can tell, Mark Levine's The Jazz Theory Book is a good "what" book.

Thinking in Jazz is a well-structured collection of interviews with jazz musicians, focusing on commonalities in their responses. It gives a fantastic insight into where jazz skills come from, what they're made up of, and how many of the world's best show more practitioners got where they are. I'd strongly recommend the first five chapters to any aspiring musician. show less