The innovative jazz education website PlayJazzNow.com has just released a new series of downloadable backing tracks. The latest sets of tracks delve into both classic and contemporary jazz materials.

BEBOP STANDARDS is the new collection of tunes popularized by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and their “worthy constituents" in the 1950's. PlayJazzNow offers a fresh take on some of the most beloved and often performed standards from this era, available exclusively as high fidelity mp3 files.

ODD METER BASICS will help jazz players of all levels get comfortable with a variety of tunes and 12 key progressions in 5/4, 7/4 and 7/8. Playing in these meters is no longer a specialized skill in the world of contemporary improvised music; musicians in the 21st Century are expected to be able to play at the highest level in a variety of compound meters. Its not all 4/4 anymore! These tracks are designed to be used by anyone wanting to improve their groove in these time signatures.

Along the same lines, PlayJazzNow has released 7/4 BLUES. This is a set of 12 tracks, one in each key, which puts a 6-bar bluesy chord progression in the context of a funky 7/4 groove that is a lot of fun to play over.

As always, PlayJazzNow's tracks are performed by a live, swinging Chicago rhythm section and mixed especially for individual instruments. Brass, woodwind and string players play with a full jazz trio. Piano and guitar players are accompanied by bass and drums. Bassists play with piano and drums, and drummers are backed by piano and bass.

PlayJazzNow provides free charts for every track, including Bb and Eb transpositions for horn players. There are an increasing number of free instructional videos created primarily for beginning improvisers on the website as well. Other recent additions include TRANE TRAX and JAM SESSION TRAX, both of which have received rave reviews.

If you've never visited the site or haven't stopped by for awhile, now would be an excellent time to visit PlayJazzNow.com