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I'm not sure if this is the right part of the forum to ask this question. If not, could somebody point me in the right direction?
I am looking for the Real Book for BIAB preferably for the RealBand instruments. I did a Google search but I only found one site called " Learn Jazz Standards" they offer the Realbook for BIAB for 35.-
I wanted to buy it but I had a couple of questions. On the website I could not find a way to contact customer service or support. So I'm suspicious and I'm holding off on my purchase. Has anybody here bought this from them. Or do you know of other sources?
Thank you
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I haven't bought the BIAB files, but I'm subscribed to his course and find it helpful. Our own "Notes" Norton here does a huge range of BIAB styles and songs from RealBooks +++ here +++There are several more links in these fora +++ here +++
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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https://www.realbooksoftware.com/Let the buyer beware! I will go even further. Avoid this product. That is all I will say regarding this product.
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The Realbook companion with BiaB RealTrack files is available here: https://www.nortonmusic.com/fake37.htmlWith a couple of free samples. Look at the song list on the right and download the linked titles. Notes ♫ PS, all but volume 6 is on my site, and I'm working on that one.
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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If you search the internet you will eventually find numerous sources for BIAB versions of the Real Book. Some are free. Some are pay., Most all of them suffer from some level of poor quality. Often the changes are wrong, the melody is wrong (if mgu is present) and generally the style selection is antiquated.
So in short all of them will require some attention. Some of the free stuff is worth much less than free.
I have purchased a few things from Notes Norton over the years. His work is solid.
I do believe that his stuff is mostly (entirely?) midi based.
That may or may not matter to you.
For my $.02 purchasing his (Notes Norton) versions and getting the Real Book it covers might be the best approach to jump starting your effort.
Last edited by mrgeeze; 12/26/23 04:09 PM.
biab2026(Mac) Latest Build
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The work of Notes Norton is indeed solid. I've purchased styles from him for decades.
It is also my understanding that his styles use all MIDI, but do not let that dissuade you. You can always substitute a RealTrack for any MIDI track. The value in Notes' work is getting the right chords and feel to start with.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Thanks for the kind words, mrgeeze and Matt. The Real Book disk is the only fake disk I did with all real styles, and it generated the most complaints. Why? The MIDI people didn't have a style suggestion. - If I assign a MIDI style, in most cases the BiaB app will recommend a Real Style
- On the other hand, if I assign a Real Style, the BiaB app will never recommend a MIDI style
In order to give both the MIDI and RealTrack people a suggested style, I went back to doing my fake disks with MIDI styles. Of course, you can use the MIDI style, the BiaB recommended style or another style of your choice. It's one of the wonderful things about BiaB, it's extremely flexible. Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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The work of Notes Norton is indeed solid. I've purchased styles from him for decades.
It is also my understanding that his styles use all MIDI, but do not let that dissuade you. You can always substitute a RealTrack for any MIDI track. The value in Notes' work is getting the right chords and feel to start with. I have purchased a few of Notes fake book disks and they are fantastic. Not only are the chords right you don't have to type them in and that saves a lot of time. I have also purchased some of his style disks. I highly recommend them.
OK, a random thought;
Why does toilet paper need a commercial? Who's not buying it?
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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As an aside, as a jazz player, I get tired playing the RealBook trying to emulate the original performances. For me, there is no challenge in that. The only exception might be at an open jam session with students. I feel the same about singers doing endless copies of the American Song Book. Music should grow! As Notes said, you can take his files and apply your own style or instruments and make them your own. I recommend it. Those in the audience who know the song will still recognize it but will applaud you for doing something creative with it. I realize my comments may not apply to a commercial gig; I'm just talking about playing RealBook tunes in jazz concerts. Notes' files can be the start of something better. You can use BIAB for what it does best: new styles and random variations.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Thanks, Mario.
- - -
I agree with Matt, try playing the songs in a different style, especially if you are doing a jazz gig.
I have a lot of jazz recordings where the artists have completely re-interpreted the song, and some of the new ways I like better than the original. Some so different and both so good that I can't pick a favorite. Mark Murphy and Frank Sinatra did an entirely different treatment to “You Go To My Head” and I like them both for different reasons, and if you asked me which one I liked better, I couldn't answer.
Latin American and Reggae artists have done this for years, molding the jazz standard to their favorite rhythms.
When I was young, I used to hang out in music stores and made friends with a lot of musicians who were much older than me. I went to some of their gigs. On one, they did “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” as the “Chattanooga Cha-Cha”. That was probably my first experience with radically changing a song. It sounded like something Tito Puente might have done. The audience loved it, BTW.
And it doesn't have to be the jazz genre. Here in South Florida, there is a big demand for Jimmy Buffett songs. Being tired of doing them stock, we changed “Volcano” and “Son Of A Sailor” to reggae, and “A Pirate Looks At 40” as a gentle bolero. We've never had a complaint, and a regular customer who told me “Pirate” was her favorite Buffett song says she likes it the way we do it even better than Buffett. Of course, I'm sure others disagree.
Being a commercial band, other songs we do, we try to reproduce them close to the famous recording.
It depends on the song. We've had successes and failures in changing them. The successes outnumber the failures, so with the ones that don't work radically changed, we just re-do them straight.
One of the beauties of BiaB is that you get to try different styles with just a couple of clicks. You can try dozens until you find one that is just right.
Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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I'm not sure if this is the right part of the forum to ask this question. If not, could somebody point me in the right direction?
I am looking for the Real Book for BIAB preferably for the RealBand instruments. I did a Google search but I only found one site called " Learn Jazz Standards" they offer the Realbook for BIAB for 35.-
I wanted to buy it but I had a couple of questions. On the website I could not find a way to contact customer service or support. So I'm suspicious and I'm holding off on my purchase. Has anybody here bought this from them. Or do you know of other sources?
Thank you The guy is a guitarist and teaches how to learn jazz standards in a pretty methodic way. He is legitimate. I have dealt with him and some of his course work. I would not be suspect. His contact page has a form and he is responsive. Look up to the top right hand side of the page above the Join Now button and you will see Contact.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
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Thank you I'll check it out. Do you think that Bob Norton't real book files are better? There is only a small savings between them and I am not so concerned with that.
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There’s discussion (argument) regarding the changes for many songs in just about every Real Book.
Some of it seems useful, much of it is just noise
The 5-1 turn (4 bars) on Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” comes to mind as one that provokes discussion.
In the end its a 5-1 turn on a minor blues. You should be able to pull that off either comping or soloing.
A lot of people get all cranked up about it..
Try worry about it too much.
As mentioned by others we try to move the music forward, make it our own.
That involves change.
Respect the masters before us, pay homage to them a little if you like, but stamp it with your voice
If it sounds right, it is right
biab2026(Mac) Latest Build
Mac OS (Latest)
Apple Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram
Logic Pro (latest or pretty close)
Blue and White Sea Star
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I am old enough to remember the old, illegal Real Book, before Hal Leonard started publishing it.
It seems the philosophy of the day was, “If a chord is good enough to play, it's good enough to substitute,”
The Hal Leonard version fixed a lot of the wrong chords and improper substitutions.
They also left out a few songs that they couldn't get the rights to reprint, but at least it's legal, and when you buy it, the songwriters are compensated.
Now there are six volumes of the Real Book, and there are plenty of great songs.
Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Thank you I'll check it out. Do you think that Bob Norton't real book files are better? There is only a small savings between them and I am not so concerned with that. I own a lot of Bob's stuff and I can attest it is very good. The styles are good and the "fakebooks" are excellent. Saves a lot of time. No typing, no picking styles, unless you want to that is. Good stuff and a large variety beyond just the real books.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
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Thanks, Joe.
I don't know if anyone does it better, but Mrs. Notes and I have been doing fake books, and I've been part of the PG Community since the early 1990s when we sent them out on 3.5" and 5.25" floppy disks.
If anyone finds BiaB "Fakebooks” that are better, please let me know. I'll use the info to improve what I do.
Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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