One of the
very few seminal contributions to jazz theory to emerge
from the UK,
this book with
its
clear, modular approach has opened musical doors and
enhanced the understanding and development of thousands of
musicians since the first edition was published in 1985.
Charles
Alexander, Musician and Director of JAZZWISE publications.
Every
musician who succeeds in memorising a large number of chord
sequences surely does so in some such way as Conrad Cork
describes in this excellent and thorough book
Lionel
Grigson, late Professor of Harmony, Guildhall School of Music
and Drama, and author of ‘Practical Jazz’, ‘A Jazz Chord
Book’ and many others.
Suffice
it to say... ‘Wow!’. I find the vital prose style as
liberating as the splendidly regulated methodology. The book
is important - very so. Needed.
Ken
Rattenbury, noted musician and scholar, and author of ‘Duke
Ellington, Jazz Composer’
A
remarkable achievement. Cork has not only given us a reliable
way in to understanding the inner mechanisms of the jazz
harmonic and formal language, but he has also provided us with
a series of insights that have relevance to a wide range of
disciplines. His concepts are being applied in such diverse
fields as linguistics, cognitive psychology, computing and
aesthetics. As with the potential applications of any great
idea, the only limiting factor remains our imagination. The
New Guide to Harmony with LEGO Bricks remains top of my
recommended reading list for students at every level. He is to
be congratulated.
It
is recommended reading for anyone who wants to know more about
musical creativity. The New Guide to Harmony with LEGO
Bricks goes straight to the heart of the matter. It is so
refreshing to find a work that avoids the tired old myths
about jazz, and seeks instead to establish a whole new view of
the art form. Don't lend this one out - you're unlikely to get
it back!
At
last, we have the Plain English, no-nonsense version of 'How
It Works', applied to Jazz. Whether you're an established
musicologist or simply an enthusiastic listener, you should
have this on your bookshelf. The New Guide to Harmony with
LEGO Bricks has a great deal to offer.
Robin
Dewhurst, Head of Popular Music, Faculty of Media, Music &
Performance, University of Salford, UK
Full
of wisdom. He looks with fresh eyes at much of the traditions
and concepts of jazz and music in general. Cork's approach is
thorough and, where appropriate, he is not afraid to be
light-hearted or controversial. Amen.
Graham
Collier, Director of Jazz, Royal Academy of Music. London
The
cunning of its method, potentiated by a combination of
passion, intelligence, and experience, make this book an ideal
basic text for its subject. Set it beside George Russell’s Lydian
Chromatic Concept and get to work!
Evan
Parker, poll-winning master saxophonist.
It
is excellent, and I shall certainly recommend it to my jazz
tutors and students. The conversational tone makes it sound as
if the author is there in the room with the student. I like
very much the way he backs up principles with practical advice
(for both learning and playing) that obviously comes from
years of first hand experience. It all very much fits within
my schema of jazz understanding and so its methods make
complete sense to me.
Louise
Gibbs, Lecturer in Charge for Music, Goldsmiths College,
University of London.
I
like the first premise of this book - that the music comes
first. The chapters on how to listen and what to listen for
are very valuable to a beginner. I would recommend this book
to students who have started to learn, and know something of
the history of the music and love it; they will have a good
time.
Eddie
Harvey, leading Jazz Educator, musician and arranger.
It
is excellent.
John
Robert Brown, Director of Jazz Studies, City of Leeds College
of Music, UK
This
wonderful book.
Henry
Lowther, master trumpeter.
A
highly original approach to the problem of improvising on
standard jazz sequences - we wish it well.
Jazz
College (UK) Ltd
