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HI EVERYONE,,,,I'M A CLASSICAL PLAYER BUT WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO JAZZ...ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD STARTING JAZZ MUSIC? PREFERABLE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE AN ACCOMPANYING CD SO I CAN HEAR THE MUSIC FIRST??!!

Okay, the first thing to learn is to... turn off capslock!

Heheh, sorry.

First things first, pick up a bunch of jazz CDs -- I recommend Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett stuff for starters, but definitely check out as much jazz as possible. Also go to as many live jazz concerts as possible. Just get the music "into your system."

Next you might want to pick up an instructional book, like "Jazz Piano" by Mark Levine. Also look into getting some of the New Real Books (fake books) that contain jazz standards for you to learn.

Oh, and it might help to take lessons from a private instructor, too.

I would suggest that you listen to a wide range of jazz styles for piano. Not just the modern ones. Have you been listening to a certain style? Some modern styles are theory-wise quite advanced, though as a classical pianist, if you like modern classical, you may like modern jazz more. Modern jazz does favour the technical side somewhat, I think. It is a wide ranging subject.

Try and see a live tape of Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson. The latter is currently available from the Montreaux Jazz Festival 1977. On DVD. You will be amazed at his pianistic agility I should think.

Alan