Jerome Kern Piano Solos.

Jerome Kern Piano Solos, arranged by Bill Boyd. Hal Leonard Corporation (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, W1 53213), 2004. 63 pp. $7.95. Intermediate.

This collection contains twelve song arrangements for piano with the lyrics printed at the close. Songs from the '20s, '30s and '40s represent collaboration with lyricists Oscar Hammerstein II, Ira Gershwin and others. Some songs are from well-known musicals such as Show Boat and Roberta, others being lesser known. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man, Ol' Man River, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and All the Things You Are are among the songs included. There is a variety of tempos.

The original harmony is retained in a thin texture. Left-hand accompaniment patterns are mostly arpeggiated chords confined to one octave, with occasional finger pedaling and octaves in either hand. The arrangements are similar to those in the Reader's Digest collections, but thinner.

Ol'Man River would appeal to boys ages 10-14, sounding more difficult than it is with a nice climactic ending, whereas Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is a very lyrical, tasteful and linearly moving arrangement.

There is great clarity in the music's layout and editing. Wide spacing for psychological and physical benefit makes the reading easier--four measures per line and four scores per page. Fingering is given where hand position shifts are required, on chromatic lines and on first beats of measures where a new phrase begins. Slower readers actually might prefer that the finger number coincide with the pick-up note on which the phrase actually begins.

These pieces would appeal to an older generation of recreational pianists and are practical for informal recitals, sight reading for pleasure and professional musicians who are seeking an acquaintance with older popular music and who might perform them with their own embellishment for anniversary parties and family gatherings.

Ruth Holmes, NCTM, Lubbock, Texas.