A First Book of Jazz (with Downloadable MP3s)

Accessible to novices of all ages, these 21 easy-to-play melodies for the piano include George Gershwin’s “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” by Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern’s “They Didn’t Believe Me,” and “Bethena” by Scott Joplin. Additional selections include “Frankie and Johnny,” “Hello! Ma Baby,” “Ja-Da,” “Indiana,” “‘Taint Nobody’s Business If I Do,” and other jazz standards. Suitable for the true beginner, these arrangements are simpler and more melodic than other versions. They include suggestions for fingering and are arranged in order of increasing difficulty.