Oscar Books

THis book is a collection of songs that Oscar Peterson approved himself. These transcriptions of classic songs such as "Hymn to Freedom" and "Oscar's boogie" are in it however these transcriptions are for real. They are seriously hard to play because they literally are note for note. Only if you are a seriously good pianist should you get this book. The master of jazz has it hardcore here, no simple stuff. Its the real stuff. On the up side, its magnificent.

I bought this book since Peterson is my favorite jazz pianist, and I'm playing the piano as a small hobby. And - I'm pleased with the book!

The transcriptions, as you might expect, are from a particular recording - 2 performances of the same jazz piece by the same artist will usually sound different... And indeed I have a few CDs in which some of the pieces from the book are performed with different improvisations and in different rhythm. But I did get some of the recordings the book refers to, and indeed the transcriptions are accurate. Note-for-note, as declared in the book. At least for the right hand...
In any case, most of the pieces as they are in the book sound great and cool (if you manage to play them!). Great moves, passages and improvisation techniques that give you a good taste of the musical world of one of the best jazz pianist ever.

I found myself using the passages and the ideas from the book in other jazz pieces, such as those from the Real Books. So performing the pieces as they are isn't the only reward you'll get - it will also improve your improvisation capability and technique in general.

I recommend studying at least a basic jazz theory before trying play from this book, so that you can understand the scales used for improvisations, the progressions and the left hand work done in the book. Besides, some of the pieces don't contain a left hand transcription. But since the technique for the left hand used by Peterson and in the book (tensions and voice spreading, for example) is covered by most theory books, you can easily figure it out by yourself.
There are no transcriptions for the bass line. But chords are written all the way (not all are 100% accurate actually), which makes it easy to play with a bass/guitar player.

As to the required level of playing - all the pieces in the book are hard to very hard to perform. Oscar Peterson was a great virtuous. You'd better work on your technique if you'd like to master them! Those who come from a classical music background will probably find it easier to read and play such scores.
There are no fingering specified, so it might be better for you to write down the fingering for the hard passages and such.

The accompanying CD is pretty helpful. It contains the piano parts performed exactly as they are written in the book, in the left channel (not performed by Peterson, of course. And played in MIDI I believe. Still, pretty nice), and bass and drum lines for some of the pieces in the right channel - useful if you'd like to play along with the bass/drums.

To conclude, I highly recommend this book for any jazz pianist (with a good enough technique!) or a classical pianist who wishes to try a good jazz

A little background info: I am a clasically trained pianist, and have played the piano for about 9 years. This book is an excellent tool for learning jazz... the transcriptions are extremely good, even though on the blues section there is no left hand transcription; all the songs are very challenging--even though I am in the advanced level of piano, I cannot play these solos very well by sight reading them. It would take a lot of practice to get these down well. Primarily I think this book is good for anyone who would like to learn Oscar Peterson's style of soloing and would like to get better at jazz soloing. The accomanying CD is great, even though it wasn't played on a real piano (it was played on a digital piano, synthesized, and recorded with the drums and bass on a computer). I really enjoy this book, and recommend it to anyone interested in jazz piano that has advanced enough skills to play it.

This is a great book, and I recommend it to all students of jazz piano. The book has lots of piano transcriptions from records, and its actually authored by Oscar Peterson himself. There's an accompanying audio CD so that you can hear the music as well.

Although I've been playing keyboards for over thirty years, I've only been playing jazz piano for six months, and let me say right away: I can't play a darn thing out of this book...yet. But, shortly after I got "Night Train", I went on a Duke Ellington kick, and it didn't take me long to figure I wanted to have a look at how one master of jazz treated another. So, although I've only delved briefly into this book, I expect it will be providing me tons of ideas and licks to insert in my own weighted-toward-the-standards jazz repertoire. And when I can finally play a little of what Oscar actually played, I'll know I've arrived. Anyway, this book is well organized, contains a great selection of songs, and is true to Peterson's and Ellington's work, making it a very valuable piece of written music for any jazz pianist.

This is a great volume of sheet music to get, it includes many classic Ellington tunes as perfomed by Oscar Peterson. I didn't realise when I purchased it that, the version of C-Jam Blues here is an exact transcription of the recording on the Night Train album. This alone makes the purchase worthwhile.

Naturally these transcriptions are very difficult and will require a lot of time and effort to get anywhere near the original recordings. Its worth pointing out, that most, if not all the recordings these transcriptions are based on, are available to buy. So at least you will be able to hear how they are supposed to be played, even if you never quite reach that standard!

Heralded as one of the greatest pianists to ever live by critics. This book is a good resource for those to see the genius of Peterson and how he composed and improvised. The licks and chord voicings are wonderful.

This book is great for anyone who listens to an Oscar Peterson recording and wants to try it out. The transcriptions are fantastic-- great way to begin to understand how OP would perform a piece. Also gives you insight into how talented this man truly was. Perfect for the aspiring jazz pianist.

This is a simple book on a very complex subject, written by someone who spent a lifetime in perfecting the craft of getting to the essence of living a rewarding life. Dr Bekoff's message is timeless, for all ages, cutting accross cultures, clear, practical and convincing. If you are looking for practical advise and want to start now, buy this book. Cornelis Slenters, prof. Organizational Behavior, Geneva, Switzerland

"It's Yours For The Asking" is an easy read that packs a powerful punch. Dr. Beckoff's common sense approach to life, helps you place yourself and others in the right perspective. You will wonder why you thought life was so complicated. I return to his wisdom time and time again.

Hi Dr. Bekoff!!! I just finished reading your book, and I justhad to tell you that I found it absolutely fabulous!!!! I feel that Iam a new person after reading it! You have totally changed the way I will look at events in life and deal with problems! I am so glad that you decided to write this book and share with us your experiences. I am going to share this book now with my boyfriend, and I am positively sure he will get as much out of it as I have!! God bless you and your family always! Keep up the great work! You are truly a special and caring person with a heart of gold! Thank you so much for all the help you gave in your book. Melissa

Praise for It's Yours For The Asking

Oscar Bekoff is one of the most fascinating people I have met in my twenty years as a counselor. One comes away from a meeting with him feeling excited and enthused about life. Now those who read his book will have the same opportunity to be moved towards a more constructive lifestyle. By combining his own experiences and the insights of other students of the human condition, he has written a book that will be of great appeal to anyone who is tired of going through life in the role of a victim. --Dr. James M. Woodcock, Director, Counseling Resources, Huntington, New York

It is a shame that this book is out of print; anyone who missed it really is unfortunate. The pictures are very vivid and expressive as well as pretty. The rhyming, familiar song will soon become a favorite of any person, young or old. Three years after seeing it, and I can't forget it. Please republish it so I can purchase several.

This is a wonderfully illustrated book of a classic song. The animals are beautiful as well as sweet and humorous. The song is, of course, an awesome classic; and the illustrations bring it alive. I would greatly like to see it re-published.

This book is so wonderful! As a Kindermusik teacher and music therapist, I know the value and appeal this book has on children of all ages. Please consider re-printing it!

The illustrations for this classic song, help even the youngest little people sing along. It is our family favorite and I very much want to bring it to the hearts of all of my Kindermusik students as well. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider reprinting this timeless book. I have been telling my classes about it and now..... THX!

This is a wonderful story, I have read it to all my grandchildren, as young as 3 years old and they understand the meaning. They request it over and over, especially the 3 yr old, (the version I read to them is from a book of Oscar Wilde short stories, with no pictures, and they still love it)

After reading this book to my 5 year old dozens of times it is still one of her favorites. The illustrations by Bill Bell captivate her as much as the story. An amazingly clear and moral story. I would recommend this book be on every child's book shelf. This one is a life long keeper!

This favorite story, by Oscar Wilde, has been expertly redone in Mr. Bell's unique style. Full of color and vivid imagery this book will become a favorite in every home. Bill Bell has the ability to capture a moment in brilliant color and this book is no exception. A great collectable for fans of Mr. Bell's art and for readers of classic literature.

Good story, good illustrations, no PC mumbo jumbo.

My favorite musical is South Pacific. The 1958 movie version introduced me to the beautiful scenery of warm Pacific islands, a compelling story, and above of all, to some of the most memorable songs I have ever heard. How this magnificent motion picture came to be is told in this book. But the movie is only part of the fascinating story that unfolds on the richly illustrated pages. First there was the Second World War and a naval officer named James Michener. The South Pacific Companion tells the story of how this former book editor's observations of the men and women stationed in the South Pacific led to his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, a sweeping novel full of characters and places. How Hammerstein and company pulled the plot and storyline from that novel provides another interesting part of this book. Rogers composed the music, seemingly without effort. Then the cast had to be chosen. Soon the reader is a witness to how it was done on Broadway, and also gets to see how that hit production was translated into the celebrated film. A person can learn a lot about how Rogers and Hammerstein worked their magic in this wonderful book.

In this beautiful coffee-table book, Laurence Maslon gives us the complete history of the musical theatre masterpiece "South Pacific." As in his previous book "The Sound Of Music Companion", Maslon is well-researched and always entertaining. The photographs, both color and black and white-- printed on glossy stock; many of them taking up a full page-- illustrate the emotional power of the original 1949 Broadway production starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza; as well as subsequent, though infrequent, productions.
Maslon puts particular emphasis on the historical importance of this musical, beginning with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He gives a thorough, detailed history of World War II, and describes the various fates and events that brought author James Michener, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and director Joshua Logan together to create "South Pacific" in 1949. Just as Michener's original book "Tales Of The South Pacific" won a Putlitzer Prize for literature, so to did "South Pacific" win the Putlizer Prize for drama; one of the few times that honor was bestowed upon a musical; "Of Thee I Sing" from 193l being the only other.
Rodgers and Hammerstein made no concessions to conventions. "South Pacific," which confronts racism and prejudice head on, was ground-breaking and still is controversial. The song "Carefully Taught," the point of the ENTIRE show, makes plenty of people nervous and uncomfortable to this day. Rodgers & Hammerstein were pressured, at various times during various productions, to remove the song from the show. They steadfastly refused to do so.
The disasterous 1958 movie version, with those wretched color filters that nearly ruin every song, nearly ruined "South Pacific's" reputation. Maslon is much too kind to the movie version. Rodgers, Hammerstein, and Logan all HATED the movie version. Yes, Logan directed the Broadway, National Tour, and London Productions AND the movie version-- and he HATED the movie version. Ironically, London critics hated the stage production, but went MAD over the movie version, which played uninterrupted there for several years. Equally appalling, both the 1958 movie version and the 2001 TV adaptation (with Glenn Close and Harry Connick, Jr.) violate the carefully crafted structure of Logan's and Hammerstein's original stage libretto. The 2001 TV adaptation is not as painful to watch as the 1958 film version, but it is equally misguided.
Thankfully, the 2005 "South Pacific In Concert At Carnegie Hall" (starring Brian Stokes Mitchell and Reba McEntire) returned to the original structure and libretto. The success of the Carnegie Hall "Concert Version" undoubtedly led to the 2008 Broadway revival. Directed by Bartlett Sher and starring Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, the revial (which swept the 2008 Tony Awards; exactly like the Original Broadway Production had done in 1949) reaffirms that "South Pacific" is an important, historical and musical theatre, masterpiece. Maslon concludes: "Almost sixty years after its premiere, nearly a decade into a new century, there is still much to be carefully taught by that most eloquent and rhapsodic of "Teachers"--"SOUTH PACIFIC."

This book delivers on its promise to guide you through the development and success of Rogers and Hammerstein's musical SOUTH PACIFIC. Filled with anecdotes and insights into the major productions, it adds to the enjoyment of this musical theater masterpiece. A more thorough and detailed look at the current Broadway revival at Lincoln Center (a PERFECT show, go see it!) is all that is lacking. (You will find a couple of pages on the revival all the same.)

Laurence Maslon has given us an indispensable treasure of a book in this South Pacific companion.

One might have thought there might not be much to be said about this wonderful Rodgers & Hammerstein Musical, but Prof Maslon has created a wonderful book worthy of the show. Like his earlier Sound of Music book, Maslon begins by relating the background of the show, and recounts how the Second World War inspired James Michener's creative juices to flow in writing his book. Prof Maslon did a really wonderful job in telling of how the war influenced everyone involved in the creative team so that they could bring their unique talents to the making of the musical. After reading it I felt sure that R&H were able to write the show with the background of the war that influenced the creative team, and so they didn't write the show off their own bat. Prof Maslon's narrative is compelling and readable, just like his earlier Sound of Music book, and it was wonderful of him to tell us how the theme of racism was there from the moment when Michener penned his book. Though I would have liked there to be more coverage of the impact of this R&H musical, it was still an enjoyable book, with the photos and the song commentaries an added bonus. A minor quibble is that I wish there was more coverage on what influenced the writing of each song, such as the mention of Hammerstein's desire to write a "verb lyric" when he wrote Some Enchanted Evening. Also a new feature in this book is Prof Maslon's analysis of how language plays a part in the musical, and it does make me wish that this commentary on the show had been included in the Sound of Music book too.

In short, this book is such a wonderful follow-up to the Sound of Music book, and it's an indispensable part of any R&H fan's collection. I really think these books deserve to be in print forever. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to similar companions for The King and I and Cats, and I wish Prof Maslon every success in his future books on R&H musicals.

This book had me gripped from the first paragraph. It is very interesting and well written. I am very interested in the paranormal and this book is a wonderful find for me. I highly recommend this book to everyone. You will find it very hard to put the book down once you start reading.

SPIRITS OF TEXAS AND NEW ENGLAND reads like good conversation! De Los Santos enters the realm of the paranormal with an absorbing collection of real-life stories that make readers feel as if they are sitting listening to an exceptional storyteller. The stories retold by De Los Santos are engaging and full of truthful twists of human nature and show that when in the face of the paranormal, we often become quivering masses of uncertainty. In addition, these stories demonstrate that regardless of time, gender and geography or the circumstances of contact with the supernatural, people's experiences of being human are very much alike. The family members provide some of the liveliest and most vivid stories and De Los Santos includes helpful explanations of paranormal activity. He's a writer with insight and scope.

I recommend Spirits of Texas and New England for several reasons. First off, De Los Santos documents the supernatural experiences of himself, his family, students, and friends. The personal experiences make for a compellingly intimate read that is assured to offer the reader paranormal cases that he or she has not heard. Secondly, unlike other books that I've read on the subject, this work offers explanations on recurrent supernatural themes. Take for example De Los Santos' hypothesis that adolescents encounter ghosts more frequently than adults because their emerging sexuality lowers their defense to other entities and also endows them with an increased awareness of a spirit's presence.

To sum up, what I love most Spirits of Texas and New England is that it's simultaneously elucidating and relatable. It contains everything from everyday ghosts, to inner voices, psychic knowledge, phantom phone calls, astral projection, extraterrestrials, and possession. This is a varied and wonderful book. Highly recommended!!

This book was receommended to me by a friend and I am glad that I gave it a shot. The stories here are realistic even though they are quite strange and about a mysterious world that many of us never give a second thought about. I thought the story about his grandmother calling on the phone was creepy but very heartwarming too. But there are pages after pages of similar events retold by his friends and family. I never thought there were ghosts in Texas because you never hear about them that much. New England is always full of weird stuff, but I was surprised how much happens in Texas too. Well written.

This is the new space age way of teaching tennis. It already propelled Spain into the top rankings, as well as Srichaphan, Kuerten, Spadea, the Williams sisters, and now is being used by Russia, where this book was translated, for their star tennis development, with great success.
The success stories from this system of teaching are astounding.

I bought the two video tapes plus the book about 10 years ago. Gratefully my tennis has improved over the years. Not having watch the tapes for over eight years, it was such a refreshing experience to review the tapes recently. Now I am hitting my backhands and forehand groundstrokes with far more power and confidence.

Get the book plus the two videos, Master Strokes Volume 1 & 2

Highly recommended.

Oscar does a great job showing you how easy it is to hit like a pro. If you order the tapes then don't order the whole series. It's basically the same material presented in the first series just under a different title.

In my view, this is the most important book on stroke mechanics ever written. It breaks down the myths of traditional tennis instruction and details the techniques that good players have always used. It teaches a logical and efficient way to play that works with your body rather than fights it.

If you read this book, you'll find out why some of the things commonly taught on the tennis court simply don't feel right.

As an aside, a book written in 1962, called "Instant Tennis" was the earliest work I found that challenged traditional tennis teaching. It's flawed in my view, but worth a read if you're interested in the topic.

Excellent guide to the wildflowers in my region of Southwest Virginia. Good pictures and descriptions.

Nice guide targeted at our area. Each page is on a specific plant - there is a large photograph covering the first 2/3 of the page with a short description below. The photos are excellent - very useful for identification (or at least narrowing in on the id) if the plant happens to be in bloom at the time. The descriptions are quite short - only a few sentences but do tell if the plant is native or introduced, if they're common or not, where they're likely found, the family they're in, and some description of unique aspects of the plant. I've found this to be a very useful book as I walk around our yard which was once an old farmers field and is now grown up with trees and thickets and other plants that were deposited by birds or brought in by the wind. Having the photos made identification easier. Also being focused on just plants of our area takes a lot of guess-work out. I then can use other books or online resources for more details such as benefit to wildlife etc.

This book is an excellent summary of wildflowers you can expect to find in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. The full color pictures are beautiful and organized to make identification of flower names easy for the beginner.

This is a non-technical field guide, designed for people with all skill levels. Wildflowers are organized by blossum color and illustrated with color photographs. A very useful book when searching for that elusive flower name in the Shenandoah Valley or Blue Ridge Mountains. The authors have written a similar book on Trees and Shrubs in the Shenandoah Valley.

Allegro opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theater on October 10, 1947, running for only 315 performances. It starred John Battles as Joseph Taylor, Jr., Annamary Dickey as Majorie Taylor, William Ching as Dr. Joseph Taylor, Roberta Jonay as Jennie Brinker, Lisa Kirk as Emily West, and John Conte as Charlie Townsend. It was directed and choreographed by Agnes de Mille. The production received mixed reactions from critics, which is perhaps the reason that it, along with only three other R&H productions, was never performed on the big screen. Be that as it may, it did win three Donaldson Awards including Best Book, Lyrics and Score.

According to Stephen Sondheim (who was a production assistant for the original Broadway production), in his introductory remarks prior to the 1994 New York City Center Encores! concert reading of the show, Allegro may have suffered the most disastrous opening night in theatre history. In addition to a falling flat, during a dance number in Act One, one of the actors caught his tap shoe in a track on the stage, tearing every ligament in his leg, and had to be carried - screaming - from the stage. In Act Two, Lisa Kirk, who was making her professional stage debut, caught a heel in another track and fell headlong into the orchestra. Mr. Sondheim confesses his memory may be faulty, but he recalls that she was back up on the stage without missing a note.

Oscar Hammerstein often claimed that he wished he could go back and rewrite the second act of Allegro; he felt audiences didn't get the show properly, leaving the show thinking it was a simple story of an Everyman returning to his roots. Hammerstein claimed the show was his most autobiographical work, and that Joseph Taylor, Jr.'s life was a mirror of some of his own experiences.

Looking at and playing with this score today, one realizes that despite the bad opening night (and Sondheim has had some fairly bad openings himself since then) the material for this show is sparkling. This show is a musical and book achievement that would do well today in our world of Indies and art pieces. As a full scale Broadway musical, even with the likes of Lisa Kirk (who would become a legend)America wasn't interested in having a theatre piece hold a mirror into their faces and say, "Look: this is us. This is America." Every great theatre collaborator has attempted this, at times relentlessly. Again, look at Sondheim. But then Sondheim studied under Oscar Hammerstein, so it should surprise no one that "allegro" is of such high quality. The difference between "Allegro" and "Oklahoma" is that "allegro" withstands time and "Oklahoma" is a delicate piece of history to be placed on a curio shelf and kept well dusted. Take a look at Allegro-full of musical riches, buy the libretto for this and consider this show the next time you want a huge old fashioned musical that everyone isn't sick of seeing over and over.

This book is a wonderful substitute if you don't need the entire vocal score...it's a great option for those of us who love this musical, but only want the "big" songs out of the show!

This Vocal Score has all of the music from the show...from scene change music to bows and exit music. The ALLEGRO Vocal Score is very thick as well...an impressive 245 pages (I'm looking at the book now). If you plan to do the show, want the music, or for any reason: GET THIS VOCAL SCORE! Allegro is a great show (I love R&H no matter what) and I'm 100% satisfied. (I bought the book-new and never before used-in a zShop with Amazon for cheap!) I now have all of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Vocal Scores- and I'm so excited to add this one to my collection!

(...)