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Bill Boyd (1933-2001)

Bill Boyd played professionally as both a solo performer and band member in hotels, supper clubs, and private clubs in New York and Long Island for many years. Boyd composed numerous jazz collections published by Hal Leonard, including the Think Jazz piano method and the Jazz Starters series for beginners. He received a Master's degree from Columbia University and taught junior high school in Huntington, Long Island, for over twenty years. He retired to Florida in the late 1980s, where he continued to devote his time to arranging and composing. Boyd's ability to impart the essence of "true" jazz style to very young piano students is a hallmark of his writing, even in the truly primer-level pieces he wrote for piano, such as his Jazz Prelims. As such, his popular and imaginative compositions comprise a lasting and important contribution to the world of piano pedagogy.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Boyd Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre
A Chording to Charlie (Hal Leonard, 1984)
True Blues and Jazz Waltz (Hal Leonard, 1984)
An Introduction To Jazz Chord Voicing For Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1986)
Jazz Delights (12pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1988) [I]
Jazz Fest (10pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1988) [I]
Jazz Bits (And Pieces) (11pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1990) [EI]
Intermediate Jazz Chord Voicing For Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1991)
Exploring Jazz Scales for Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1992)
Jazz Starters (10pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1993) [E]
Jazz Starters II (10pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1993) [LE]
Exploring Basic Blues For Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1993)
Jazz Starters III (12pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1994) [LE]
Think Jazz! - A Jazz Piano Method (Hal Leonard, 1994) [EI]
Jazz Prelims (12pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1995) [EE]
Jazz Sketches (8pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1996) [I]
Exploring Traditional Scales And Chords For Jazz Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1996)
Jazz Keyboard Basics (Hal Leonard, 1996)
Jazz Chord Progressions (Hal Leonard, 1997)
Jump Around Rag (Hal Leonard, 2000) [EI]
Soft Shoe Shuffle (????; Hal Leonard, 2002) [LE]
I've Gotta Toccata (????; Hal Leonard, 2003) [EI]
The Snake Charmer (????; Hal Leonard, 2004) [LE]
New Orleans Jamboree (????); Hal Leonard, 2009) [E]
Calypso Charlie (????; Hal Leonard, 2010) [LE]


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Boyd Links     ~ top of page ~
Piano
A Chording to Charlie (Hal Leonard, 1984)
True Blues and Jazz Waltz (Hal Leonard, 1984)

Jazz Delights (12pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1988) [I]
 - Blue Waltz
 - Satin Latin
 - Three For Jazz
 - A Chording to Charlie (originally pub. 1984)
 - Ballad For Amy
 - Rock Shock
 - Latin Logic
 - Waltz For Amy
 - Hang Out
 - In A Latin Rock Mood
 - Nothin' Could Be Finer Than Minor
 - Once Over, Lightly

Jazz Fest (10pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1988) [I]
 - Everybody's Blues
 - Three, Four - Shut the Door
 - Andy's Blues
 - A Minor Contribution
 - A Little Jazz Waltz
 - The Love Rock
 - Very Bass(ie)
 - Perfect Achord
 - The Jazz Line
 - Swing Street

Jazz Bits (And Pieces) (11pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1990) [EI]
 - Over Easy
 - Easy Over
 - Rock-a-Bye
 - Jazz Waltz (originally pub. 1984)
 - Swing Ding
 - What’s Up?
 - True Blues (originally pub. 1984)
 - "Must Do" Blues
 - Ragtime
 - Minor a la Mode
 - Chordially Yours

Jazz Starters (10pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1993) [E]
 - Rockin' The Boat
 - Chill Out!
 - Stompin'
 - A Little Latin
 - Swing-A-Ling
 - Double Treble
 - B.B.'s Boogie
 - Blue Rock
 - Minor Is Finer
 - Blues Prelude

Jazz Starters II (10pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1993) [LE]
 - Dixieland Jam
 - Primetime Blues
 - Hand-To-Hand Combat
 - Major Song
 - Minor Song
 - Rock Exchange
 - Sweet Swing
 - Rather Raucous Rock
 - Why Not?
 - Six Ate Beets

Jazz Starters III (12pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1994) [LE]
 - Back Porch Swing
 - Boogie Rock
 - The Dixieland Tuba
 - Hickory Dickory Rock
 - Igneous Rock
 - Jazz Theme And Variation
 - Minor Blue
 - Ragtime Waltz
 - Too Blue
 - Too Cool To Fool
 - Two-Four-Six-Eight
 - Woogie Boogie

Jazz Prelims (12pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1995) [EE]
  - A Minor Effort
  - Bass Guitar Blues
  - Bass Guitar Rock
  - Blues Parade
  - Follow the Leader
  - Imitation
  - Jazz Time
  - Love Theme for a TV Series
  - Smooth Groove
  - Take A Rest
  - Tick Tock The Jazz Clock
  - Triple Play

Jazz Sketches (8pcs) (Hal Leonard, 1996) [I]
 - Home Fried Potatoes
 - Oh So Blue
 - Move It!
 - Sound Advice
 - Ragtime Blue
 - The Bass Man Walketh
 - Swingin' Easy
 - Perpetual Motion

Mister Machine (Hal Leonard, 1997) [E] [in "Piano Solos, Book 1]
Quiet Night (Hal Leonard, 1997) [E] [in "Piano Solos, Book 1]
The Wild Rest (Hal Leonard, 1997) [E] [in "Piano Solos, Book 1]
Tick Tock the Jazz Clock (Hal Leonard, 1996) [in "Piano Lessons, Book 2]
Tap Dance (Hal Leonard, 1996) [E] [in "Piano Solos, Book 3]
To the Magic Forest (Hal Leonard, 1996) [E] [in "Piano Solos, Book 3]
Jump Around Rag (Hal Leonard, 2000) [EI]
Soft Shoe Shuffle (????; Hal Leonard, 2002) [LE]
I've Gotta Toccata (????; Hal Leonard, 2003) [EI]
The Snake Charmer (????; Hal Leonard, 2004) [LE]
New Orleans Jamboree (????); Hal Leonard, 2009) [E]
Calypso Charlie (????; Hal Leonard, 2010) [LE]

Methods and Educational Series
Exploring Basic Blues For Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1993)
Exploring Jazz Scales for Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1992)
Exploring Traditional Scales And Chords For Jazz Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1996)
Intermediate Jazz Chord Voicing For Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1991)
An Introduction To Jazz Chord Voicing For Keyboard (Hal Leonard, 1986)
Jazz Chord Progressions (Hal Leonard, 1997)
Jazz Keyboard Basics (Hal Leonard, 1996)
Think Jazz! - A Jazz Piano Method (Hal Leonard, 1994) [EI]

Standard Arrangements
Great Jazz Standards (17 songs) (arr. by Bill Boyd) (Hal Leonard) [I-LI]
Jazz Favorites (15 songs) (arr. by Bill Boyd) (Hal Leonard) [I]
Music of Duke Ellington (Hal Leonard, 1995) [Easy-Medium]
Swingtime Favorites (Hal Leonard, 1987)
Cole Porter Piano Solos (Hal Leonard, 1988)   
George Gershwin Piano Solos (Hal Leonard, 1988)
Beatles - Piano Solos (Hal Leonard, 1987)

. . . and many other collections of piano arrangements


BOYD LINKS                                                            Works by Genre      ~ top of page ~

Composer's website (none at the moment)         Inquire about Bill Boyd:  here

Boyd @ Wikipedia [no listing at the moment]

Publisher
Boyd @ Hal Leonard
Boyd @ J.W. Pepper
Boyd @ Sheetmusicplus
Boyd @ Amazon.com

Streaming Audio
[none at the moment]

Recordings
[none at the moment]

Video
Boyd @ YouTube

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