Jazz Arrangements of Public Domain Songs (Sher Music) is a 130-page collection of jazz arrangements by Chuck Israels — who, in addition to being a legendary bassist with the likes of Bill Evans, Stan Getz and George Russell, has spent many years honing his jazz arranging skills. Available in physical and digital versions, the book includes jazz-oriented lead sheets for Tin Pan Alley songs such as “The Man I Love,” “You Made Me Love You,” “Always” and “Bye Bye Blackbird.” Traditional Americana tunes given new life with Israels’ hip, jazz sensibility include “Shenandoah,” “Wayfaring Stranger,” “Careless Love” and others. Tunes that musicians and their audiences will recognize but have never been given jazz interpretations before include “School Days,” “Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair” and “What’ll I Do.” A half-dozen songs in the collection offer more elaborate three-voice arrangements that are suitable for concert-like situations. Israels’ smart harmonizations make the songs fun to improvise over, and his astute arrangements contain multiple lessons on how to add color and motion to the relatively simple chord progressions of public domain repertoire.
Fender has expanded the Acoustasonic series with the new American Acoustasonic All-Mahogany models crafted in Corona, California. From acoustic shape-shifting to electric rhythm tones, these guitars use a Fender and Fishman-designed Acoustic Engine to deliver new sonic expressions from the studio to the stage. The guitars are available in natural or Bourbon Burst finishes and include the American Acoustasonic Telecaster All-Mahogany and the American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster All-Mahogany.