Let's Go Solo!, Book 3.

Let's Go Solo!, Book 3, by David Karp. The FJH Music Company Inc. (Westport Business Park, 2525 Davie Rd., Ste. 360, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33317), 2006. 24 pp. $5.50. Late Intermediate.

Composer David Karp's Let's Go Solo, Book 3, is an eclectic collection of eight pieces in an array of compositional styles. The collection is aptly recommended for the late-intermediate level and could serve as a wonderful catalyst to the development of musical personality. The diversity of styles includes impressionistic, jazz, nocturne, contemporary and Broadway ballad.

Though nothing exceeds the technical demands of an intermediate-level student, the collection does assume a comfort level with the entire range of the keyboard. Most left-hand figures are in open position sometimes ranging over a tenth. Such passages, however, involve shifts of hand position and do not present difficulties for small hands. The right hand also indulges freedom of range and, in addition to encompassing larger intervals, is often required to move seamlessly from register to register. Chords of three or more notes never exceed a sixth and only one piece that is in a stride jazz style, "Saturday Night Stroll," contains a few measures with octaves in the left hand. Students who have studied scales and arpeggios will discover the necessity of these skills in mastering much of the passagework that includes ascents and descents over a two-octave range.

The array of styles and the success of their realizations are rather unusual for a single collection. Each piece is imminently suitable for recitals and teachers can cull material for jazz, contemporary and romantic festivals. Teachers will also appreciate the engaging manner in which sophisticated harmonies and angular intervals are crafted onto a more familiar harmonic palate.

Each piece in the collection offers an opportunity for the exploration of expressive and imaginative playing through a surprising diversity of styles that will probably bring as much pleasure to the teacher as it does to the student. The edition is clearly printed, easy to read, with ample room between staves for instructional comment. Eric Hicks, Austin, Texas.