Andrew Eales

Ben Crosland’s Jazz Beans!

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Ben Crosland’s Magic Beans for elementary players was one of the very first (and remains one of the best) music books to be reviewed on Pianodao, and in that review (which you can read here) I mentioned other Beans books in the series, Cool Beans and Easy Beans, concluding:

“To summarise, the ‘Beans’ publications establish Ben Crosland as a major voice in educational composing. The whole series is outstanding, and ‘Magic Beans’ easily lives up to the very high standards set by its predecessors.”

Crosland has subsequently concentrated on developing his career composing reflective contemporary pieces in the style popularised by Ludovico Einaudi and others.

Returning with new educational publications, Crosland’s Jazz Beans! series marks a welcome reappearance of three books which were previously published as Get Set Jazz, freshly baked for the Beans series. Suitable for Easy (Grades 0-2), Intermediate (2-4), and Advanced (4-7) players respectively, let’s find out how they taste…

Contradiction and Connection

Fermata • Pause and Reflect

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales

In her acclaimed novel Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus cleverly puts into words the observations of the character ‘Six Thirty’, who happens to be the main protagonist’s dog. Here’s an example of Six Thirty’s canine wisdom:

“Humans were strange, Six Thirty thought, the way they constantly battled dirt in their aboveground world, but after death willingly entombed themselves in it.”

A fair point! But perhaps it is our contradictions that both define us, and prove the quality of our connections with one another…

Alexis Ffrench’s ‘Classical Soul’

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Alexis Ffrench has long described himself on his website as a “classical-soul pioneer”, but I think it is with his most recent recordings that his unique style has most distinctly come of age.

The aptly-named Classical Soul Vol.1 was released as a 21-track album in late 2024, including 15 new compositions interleaved with short, reverent cover versions of five soul classics: Killing Me Softly with his Song (Roberta Flack), A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke), At last (Etta James), I Say a Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin) and Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers).

This has been followed by a second album, Classical Soul, Vol.1: The Solo Piano Collection. Dispensing with the atmospheric backings and guest musicians of the first release, French here delivers solo versions of his 15 original compositions only, now supplemented by a ‘felt piano’ remix of Reverie and two new bonus tracks.

These 17 originals have now been transcribed and published in a sheet music collection from Hal Leonard, Selections from Classical Soul, Vol.1, the subject of this review…

Attention to Details

Fermata • Pause and Reflect

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales

They say that “practice makes permanent”, and while that isn’t strictly true, the point is well made that inattention to the details when practising music can lead to long-term problems when it comes to playing, performing, or recording a piece.

Inattention to detail is often the symptom of impatience, a rush to reach the finishing-line and play the whole piece with a measure of fluency. We can’t wait! Perhaps we have listened to an inspiring recording and want our own playing to communicate the same flow of emotion and impact.

We too easily forget that such electrifying playing is typically only possible with detailed and careful preparation. And that very often, the most striking element of a performance is the clarity with which the details in the music are vividly brought to life.

Forest and Seaside Notebooks

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Composer Angeline Bell first emerged in late 2022 with two distinctive and nicely contrasted piano collections from Editions Musica Ferrum, specifically My Lyrical Notebook and My Quirky Notebook. My review of both books was among the first, and in my conclusion I noted:

“With these two collections, Angeline Bell has certainly burst onto the scene with music that has the same explosive energy as the flora and fauna erupting from the pianos on her book covers. On the strength of these, her debut publications, she can be greeted as a major talent.”

Since then, Bell has brought us the super My Garden Notebook, which I reviewed here, and which was nominated in the contemporary category for The Art of Piano Education Awards in 2024.

Bell has more recently produced another two collections in the same series, underlining the point that she is as prolific as she is imaginative. My Seaside Notebook and My Forest Notebook build on the success of the earlier publications and offer selections of her compositions that, while still intermediate, are a little more advanced overall.

Both these publications appear in Musica Ferrum’s traditional house style, with well-engraved notation presented on luxury cream paper, and thick card covers that mix professionalism with characterful, colourful, homespun charm. Let’s investigate…