Mel Bay Alden Howard - Sweet And Lowdown - Guitar
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Mel Bay
https://www.melbay.com
email@melbay.com
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Summary of This Book
Released in 1999, Sweet and Lowdown stars Sean Penn as Emmett Ray, a fictional 1930s jazz guitarist convinced he is the second greatest guitarist in the world after Django Reinhardt. For the film, guitarist Howard Alden performed all the solo acoustic guitar parts and also assisted Sean Penn in preparing for his role.
This book compiles faithful transcriptions of Howard Alden's interpretations and improvisations, deeply rooted in swing and gypsy jazz styles. You will find iconic 1930s standards arranged with warm articulation, a sense of rhythmic bounce, and phrasing typical of swing guitar: perfect for enriching your vocabulary (voicings, melodic lines, harmonic progressions) and your sense of time.
Additionally, the book includes original solo guitar pieces composed by Dick Hyman, jazz pianist and longtime musical director for Woody Allen. Altogether, this collection is a valuable resource for guitarists seeking to develop a more idiomatic playing style, work on acoustic tone, and understand the mechanics of improvisation within the gypsy jazz and swing aesthetics. This collection has also contributed to the renewed interest in swing guitar and gypsy jazz by highlighting a playing style that is both personal, elegant, and grounded in a timeless tradition.
Technical specifications
| Musical Genre | Jazz, Blues, Soul | Publication | Sheet music |
| Composer | Dick Hyman (original pieces) and various (1930s standards) | Genre | Jazz sheet music (swing, gypsy jazz, transcriptions) |
| Artist | Howard Alden | Difficulty | Intermediate-Advanced |
| Instrumentation | Solo acoustic guitar (standard notation and tablature) | Pages | 80 |
Questions frequently asked
Are the Sweet And Lowdown sheet music transcribed in tablature?
The solo acoustic guitar is notated in standard notation and tablature, allowing precise follow-up of fingerings and the transcribed melodic lines.
What skill level is required to play Howard Alden's transcriptions?
The book is intended for intermediate to advanced level. Howard Alden's interpretations and improvisations require an already established mastery of solo playing, jazz voicings, and swing rhythm.
Which guitar styles are covered in this collection?
The content falls within jazz, with an emphasis on swing and gypsy jazz. The 1930s standards especially develop rhythmic bounce, acoustic articulation, and phrasing associated with this aesthetic.
How many pages does this guitar book contain?
This collection contains 80 pages of solo acoustic guitar sheet music.
Who composed the pieces included in the collection?
The transcriptions cover 1930s standards performed by Howard Alden for the 1999 film. Original solo guitar pieces composed by Dick Hyman are also included. Dick Hyman is presented here as a jazz pianist and longtime musical director for Woody Allen.
