Dirk Bleese
*15 November 1968
Works by Dirk Bleese
Biography
Dirk Bleese has been part of the jazz scene in his hometown of Hamburg, and further afield in Germany, since studying jazz piano at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin in 1993.
He founded the Hamburg Jazz Orchestra, the JazzHaus Hamburg e.V. initiative, the Jazzbüro Hamburg e.V., and has directed several festivals of various formats. He has worked at Hamburg's state theaters, musical theaters, and stage plays and cabaret stages, as a musical director, conductor, composer, keyboard player and on-stage musician.
For the past twenty years he has taught piano at the Staatliche Jugendmusikschule Hamburg, where he directed the preparatory course for rock/ pop/ jazz studies. As a composer, he has written numerous stage plays, including two musicals and several plays for children. He has been a guest conductor for the NDR Big Band, using his arrangements. In 2016 and 2018 two albums by the Dirk Bleese Trio - "in between" and "in zwischen" - were released by LAIKA-Records.
Even before the pandemic, he had decided to explore new avenues, including as an author of music textbooks, to which he can contribute his experience as a professional musician and as an educator.
About the music
jazz piano volumes 1-5 are inspired by Dirk Bleese's work as an educator. He has composed jazz pieces in a broad range of grooves, tempos and styles, which are suitable for all students, even those with no jazz experience.
jazz piano 1-5 consists of ten compositions from different jazz styles, arranged according to students' level and technical requirements. It includes pieces of various difficulty levels, ranging from first concert pieces to more ambitious jazz piano lessons. Additionally, finger, rhythm, and improvisation exercises are included.
In addition to the experience gained from his many years as a piano teacher, these books also incorporate the wishes of his students, who are just as interested in classical music as they are in jazz and improvisation, as well as in acquiring a solid piano technique.
jazz piano 1-3 start from complete beginner level and contain 90 small performance pieces, finger and rhythm exercises and tips for improvisation.
jazz piano 4 contains 8 performance pieces and studies of harmonic form for intermediate level piano.
jazz piano 5 contains 10 performance pieces for the advanced pianist.