The Joy of Boogie and Blues: Piano Solo

A teacher gave this book to me as a child. Now, many years later, I've started playing again and I STILL love this book. The pieces are difficult enough to be interesting, with some sophisticated sounds, yet there are enough downright easy arrangements (3-4 in the beginning of the book) that you shouldn't get too frustrated. This is not a beginning, learning-to-play book, but you don't need to have any background in the blues. My biggest complaint is that most songs do not have the words, even when I know they exist. Some songs have words, and all songs have chords listed. I only recently looked at the back of the book and realized that there are many more in the Joy series. I've tried a few, and so far they are all interesting and right at my level. Also note that there is a Joy of Boogie and Blues, Book 2.

Good book for beginners-intermediate learners.To be a very good one it lacks,however,a CD with the songs recorded.A reference to the speed in the metronome would also be helpful.

This 64-page book is an excellent supplement to someone learning to play piano and wanting some interesting variety in the tunes they learn. There are 27 songs included in the popular idioms of Jazz, Ragtime, Rock, and, of course, Boogie and Blues. As a teenager, I played the accordion, and then later, I learned to play the electronic organ. Recently I purchased a portable keyboard and wanted to become more agile at two-handed piano playing. This book fit in perfectly with my program of study. For example, two early songs in the book, the Aunt Rhody Boogie and the Boll Weevil Boogie, include a distinctive, but easily playable, boogie accompaniment to a jazzy rendition of these classic folk tunes.About half of the tunes are original compositions or arrangements by Denis Agay, the editor of this book, but you will also find such classics as Sunrise Serenade (Franke Carle), Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin), and China Jumps (Thomas "Fats" Walker). For those with older eyes, the music is clearly printed and easy to read and most of the arrangements can be played without worrying about turning the page in the middle of the song. Beginning to intermediate piano players should be able to master any of the tunes in this book and will be able to add some very delightful and pleasing arrangements to their repertoire.