Essential Folk Songs, Spirituals and Blues

Among the reasons for the instant appeal and durability of folk songs, spirituals and blues are their melodic, harmonic and rhythmic simplicity and accessibility. They are passed down by oral tradition from generation to generation, often undergoing changes in the process. Having deep feelings in his heart for this material and having been inspired by his own background in jazz, jazz improvisation and jazz education, Lee Evans offers his own 21st century piano solo arrangements of these folk and spiritual classics. Also included are two original blues pieces, all written at the intermediate level with a tasteful touch of jazz. Lastly, a template is provided for students to create their own blues improvisation.

Among the reasons for the instant appeal and durability of folk songs, spirituals and blues are their melodic, harmonic and rhythmic simplicity and accessibility. They are passed down by oral tradition from generation to generation, often undergoing changes in the process. The provenance of such songs is often not known. However, some such songs of similar character may sometimes be attributed to specific known composers. (Examples of the latter include such well known gems as Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land, Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind, and Pete Seeger's If I Had a Hammer, among several others.) Each folk song and spiritual in this collection is imbued with a cultural heritage that reflects its roots. At the same time, one cannot fail to notice various musical fingerprints added by later musicians over the years. Having deep feelings in my heart for this material and having been inspired by my own background in jazz, jazz improvisation and jazz education, I herewith offer my own 21st century piano solo arrangements of these folk and spiritual classics, plus two original blues pieces, all written at the intermediate level with a tasteful touch of jazz. Additionally, a template is provided for students to create their own blues compositions, as well as suggested guidelines for blues improvisation. I am the author of over 100 published solo piano books in the United States, 38 in Japan, and 2 in the former Soviet Union. Of all of them, I am especially proud of my early and intermediate level books such as Razzle Dazzle, Color Me Jazz books 1 and 2, ¡Ole! and ¡Fiesta! (both books consisting of original Latin American songs), Crash Course in Chords (a foundation theory/performance workbook), and my early-advanced level Jazz Piano Scales and Exercises.

Dr. LEE EVANS – Currently Performing Arts Department professor of music (and former chairperson of the Theater & Fine Arts Department) at Pace University, 140 William Street, New York, NY 10038. Born in the Bronx, Lee Evans graduated from NYC's High School of Music & Art, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University, as well as Master of Arts and Doctor of Education degrees from Columbia University Teachers College. (He is also the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Five Towns College in Dix Hills, NY.) Dr. Evans is a well-known author of numerous music magazine articles, pianist, lecturer and clinician, as well as author, composer and arranger of slightly more than 100 music books in the United States for the Hal Leonard Corporation (including his critically acclaimed recent book Crash Course In Chords); plus several recent books for The FJH Music Company (including the late beginner/early intermediate levels Color Me Jazz, Books 1 and 2, the intermediate/late intermediate levels Ole! Original Latin-American Dance Music and Fiesta! Original Latin-American Piano Solos.) Additionally, Dr. Evans is a co-author of Keyboard Fundamentals, 6th Edition (Stipes Publishing), a one-volume beginning piano method for the older beginner (of junior high and high school age and older.) Thirty-eight of his books have as well been published in Japan and two in the former Soviet Union. In the area of professional performance, Lee Evans concertized for ten consecutive seasons on the Community Concert circuit as The Lee Evans Trio and The Lee Evans Orchestra & Voices. Over the years he has recorded seven albums for Capitol Records, Command Records and MGM Records. Dr. Evans has also served as pianist, music director and/or music coordinator for such show business luminaries as Carol Channing, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cat Stevens, Gilbert O'Sullivan and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Dr. Evans was also bandleader and music director for almost seven years at the Royal Box night club in NYC's Americana Hotel. Former chairperson of the Theater & Fine Arts Department, Dr. Evans is currently Professor of Music in the Performing Arts Department at Pace University.