Book excerpt: DESCRIPTION JOE PROCOPIO LIVE IN CONCERT Solo Collection It has always been difficult for young musicians to find the virtuosity of improvised music by master musicians written out so that they may study the musical minds of those they admire. For example, Mozart, considered by many to be one of the greatest composers, once said: “It is a mistake to think that the practice of my art has become easy to me. I assure you, dear friend, no one has given so much care to the study of composition as I. There is scarcely a famous master in music whose works I have not frequently and diligently studied.” Keep in mind that this was said by a master whose surviving music shows no erasures. He simply heard it in his head and wrote it down with no mistakes. In like manner, improvisation is composing music off-hand while composition is taking the time to think about your musical thoughts before writing them down. It is safe to say that some of the world’s most beautiful music by masters such as Mozart and Beethoven has never been heard except by those who were there at the time because the technology to record improvised music simply wasn’t available and their improvisations were never recorded. In like manner, if one sees their compositions as frozen improvisation, then the study of improvisation itself becomes another key for all musicians to unlock some of the mystery in making meaningful and long-lasting music. The following 8 transcriptions are written copies of improvised jazz solos recorded live and written down later. Here lies the wonder of recorded music. Now improvised music can be studied frequently and diligently. From The CD: Joe Procopio Live In Concert - Featuring Joe & Greg Procopio: Secret Love (Track 1) My Funny Valentine (Track 2) The Preacher (Track 3) This Masquerade (Track 5) The Argument (Track 6) Stardust (Track 8) Don’t Blame me (Track 9) I’m Confessin‘ (Track 10) 1 The Enjoyment of Music by Joseph Machlis 3rd edition ©1970 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York pg 205