Recently, I reviewed Shawn Purcell’s latest album 180 which was released on Origin Records.
Today, I’d like to focus on his two new eBooks that accompany his new album release.
One is a compilation of his original compositions, another is a transcription of his improvised solos from the album. Both books showcase something that I wish more jazz guitarists do regularly to accompany their album releases.
In this day and age, It’s important for creative musicians to document and release the surrounding works around the music.
It is helpful for younger musicians who want to learn the work in a deeper way, and also for music fans who want more ways to support the artist.
Personally, I look for every opportunity to learn more about a musician’s creative process… especially when they are doing the kind of work I aspire to.
There’s this cool Leni Stern book entitled “Composing and Compositions” which documents her compositions which has inspired me over the years. Besides containing the lead sheets, Leni also shares insights on how she wrote the music and how the songs came together. (You can read the review I wrote for that book here)
This is similar to what Shawn has done in his new book.
With the transcription book, it’s helpful to see how Shawn wrote down his solos, and also how he analyzes his work.
All in all, this output is important because it’s helpful for others… and it presents context for this work for future study.
So much knowledge has been lost because books were not published, papers were not released and websites are lost over time.
I for one am grateful for any opportunity to learn from other musicians on their journey.
Thanks Shawn for the eBooks!
I strongly recommend checking them out if you like Shawn’s playing and his music.
Pros: Great jazz guitar educational eBooks, well organized and useful resources for the aspiring jazz guitarist or music student.
Cons: None
TLDR: If you enjoy Shawn’s music, it’s a no-brainer to get these excellent eBooks alongside the new album.
Get the eBooks here: https://www.shawnpurcell.com/shop
Thanks Shawn for the advance review copies of the album & the accompanying eBooks.
[Review Archive]
I wrote a lot of other book, course and video reviews too.
Check out the rest here:
[Read more reviews]
[Submissions for Review Consideration]
- Are you an author who wrote a jazz, guitar or music book?
- Have you created a DVD or an online video course or subscription based website?
- Would you like me to review your book/course?
Please send me a message at azsamad3 at gmail.com with:
For courses: a link to the course/video/product + access info etc.
For books: a link to the book (Dropbox) or PDF attachment (if it’s small) for review consideration.
Depending on whether I dig the book/course, I’ll let you know if I do plan to review it!
I cannot guarantee a review for every submission & if I’m not too into it, I may opt not to review it. I mean, it’s better to get a good review that for me to write a bad review just because it’s not a match for the kind of stuff I dig right? :p
NOTE: All reviews reflect my honest personal opinion so be aware that I will point out both cool Pros and Cons that I see in the work. You dig?