Please take notice to following commentary of 


Mr. JON DEAK 
Associate Principal Bass
Creative Education Advisor
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC


 May 19, 2002


To Whom It May Concern:

Having read through Cecil McBee's vast and thorough work titled Anthology of String Bass Improvisation ( Books I, II, III ), I can say 

without  hesitation that it is a unique and precisely valuable addition to the literature of the instrument, and a godsend to musicians in 

general. Bassists everywhere these days are being called upon to be versatile in all the forms and styles of music and the standard 

method of instructions received, while much improved over the last generation or two, still is glaringly weak or even absent all together 

in the areas of improvisation, particularly those of Jazz and Blues.

Mr. McBee's opus contains virtually all the materials and fundamentals even a beginning student would require: Musical, Technical, 

Physical, Theoretical. 

The harmonic progressions and structure of improvisations will be a great benefit to the beginner, advanced student and professional 

alike. In fact, I might emphasize how much this method can benefit and enhance the performance of professionals, who, like myself, 

received thorough training in all areas save this all-important one.  For the student. perhaps the works is best approached with the 

guidance of a teacher, but even here, the work is designed to be used unaided, supplemented, of course, by listening , asking, and 

playing with others.

An additional word of advice to professionals encountering this work: If you think you know all about a particular topic Mr. McBee is 

discussing, don't skip it. Take an additional minute and consider. Even here, you may learn something.

My hope is that this Anthology of String Bass Improvisation will quickly find a major publisher a be available as soon as possible. We 

need it, and we need it now.


JON DEAK