Review

Gene Zika
The Zika Book: 501 Jazz Tunes: Jazz Fake Book: “C” Bass Clef Book: Jazz, Bebop, Latin, Cool School, Hard Bop Volume 1:

, United States
Publisher: Zikamusic.com Music Publisher
Date of Publication: 2023
URL: http://www.zikamusic.com

501 pages

Primary Genre: Jazz Material - etude

Gene Zika is a veteran multi-instrumentalist working mostly in Texas and New Mexico. His principal instruments were trumpet and trombone, though he now mostly plays piano and composes. This collection of original tunes might be useful as sight-reading for experienced players, or as study material for younger trombonists. Ranges are exceedingly conservative, rarely venturing beyond an octave-and-a-half, f1's are scarce. Keys also rarely make it past one sharp to several flats. A vast majority of the tunes are in common time, though Zika does deliver on the stylistic variety promised in the subtitle. Chord changes are provided, should one wish to perform them with rhythm section. Spiral binding and paper quality are consistent with The Real Book and other published fake books. One can readily guess the challenge in dreaming up 501 titles, many of which create a roll-call for jazz trombonists: Maxed Out Masso, J.J. Jazz Bone, Sliden' With Hamp, Brookmeyer's Bulge (?), etc. You get the idea. Another sequence is named for trumpeters. Articulation marks are consistently clear. One quibble: the middle of the measure often disappears in Zika's notation of syncopated figures (e.g. this author was trained to use tied eighth-notes, instead of a quarter-note, to make beat three visible), but this could improve reading skills. To be up-front, these are not complete jazz etudes; they are just "heads." If it is a blues, the tune is only 12 bars long. None is more than 32 bars. So, this is a blessing of riches, if it suits your fancy and serves your purpose. If so, have a blast.

-Gerry Sloan  
University of Arkansas