Welcome to the world of Living Waters Jazz! Living Waters Jazz brings two different dimensions to the interested. We have our own Play-Along series and then the Living Waters Jazz Big Band. Since the late 1990’s Living Waters Jazz has entertained thousands world-wide via the Internet. Using compositions and arrangements by Rich Garber, the band has morphed into a smaller ensemble (4 brass and 4 saxes along with rhythm) and starting in 2013 began its own Play-Along music book series. Three books, optional accessories, and CDs are available for purchase. To see all that Living Waters Jazz has to offer, scroll-on down!

Living Waters Jazz has its own play-along series for instrumentalists who want to include Christian themed music in their practice, performance, or worship. Songs come in different genres such as rock, jazz, and praise. Music is for all the popular key instruments, C (treble and bass clef), Bb and Eb. For a free sample of our Play-Alongs, check out the free Play-Along downloads below.

Signing up for the Living Waters Jazz newsletter has its benefits. First, you get access to free Play-alongs by Living Waters Jazz. You also get announcements and special pricing on future Play-Along products as well as inside information on how the Play-Alongs are made. All you have to do is fill in the box right and you’re all set. And know that your information is kept confidential and will not be released to anyone ever.

Between the early 1900's and 1950's a sound we know as Jazz dominated the United States. Legendary performers with their unique styles cultivated this sound and created a style of jazz they called Swing. Swing bands grew in size, typified by vocalists, saxes, trombones, trumpets and rhythm.

Starting in the 1950’s big band jazz saw a decline in popularity and eventually morphed to a more modern style, and smaller in personnel.

The Living Waters Jazz big band is likewise a trimmed down version of the big band form to 4 brass (2 trumpets and 2 trombones), 4 saxes, and full rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums).  

Big Band music is a joyful sound with a beat. Living Waters Jazz combines that 'joy with a beat' and Christian themed music to create an exciting extravaganza of sound and praise!

Living Waters Jazz has catalogued a lot of listening time over the years (since the late 90’s) and has accumulated several locations you can hear the band free:

1) The most uptodate recordings of the band is right here on this page. Just click play on the embeded player to the right.

2) As the recording preferences and instrument personnel have changed over the years, the Living Waters Jazz page at Soundclick.com catalogs a small sampling of the different songs enjoyed over the years. Click the button below to open up our Soundclick page.

3) In 2008 Living Waters Jazz published its first and only CD, Get Up!, for purchase, at CD Baby. You can also listen to Get Up! in its entirety free on Youtube by clicking the button below. The Get Up! CD features Dave Bentley  as the singer.

I would like to welcome you to my world, the Living Waters Jazz. Living Waters Jazz started as my own big band ensemble that I have been arranging for since the late 90’s. Privately, I play sax and recently added something to my “interests” I have been wanting to do for some time, my own Play-Alongs.

The benefit of Play-Alongs is substantial in that they can be used in a wide variety of ways. First, for practice at home, it’s a great way to broaden your musical skills and also have that experience of playing along with other musicians. Also, Play-Alongs can be used in performances. It’s not uncommon these days to watch live performances with an accompaniment track. And to some degree you can even start your own band with Play-Alongs. LWJ play-alongs come with chords for the whole song and it’s conceivable the same music can be performed with a capable group of musicians.

Initially, my preference for jazz compelled me to create play-along tracks strictly devoted to Jazz. But of late LWJ now offers Play-Along tracks of the Lite-Rock genre (see Book #2) and of Christian independent artists whose original music is found on the web (see Book #3).

Each track is recorded and mixed to commercial standards for the best quality. Tracks laid down in studio are originally 24 bit. and then mixed to 16 bit (the commercial standard). Each track is tested on a variety of speaker systems for the best possible reproduction. While all tracks are stereo, I prefer a more monophonic mix to get the fullest sound from every part of the sound stage. Meaning where ever you are in the room, playing or listening, the sound is the same.

Have fun exploring the Living Waters Jazz site and please also listen to my very own Living Waters Jazz ensemble. The tunes are all Christian themes and are a great supplement to the contemporary secular music of our day. As I like to say, the Big Band sound is “Joy with a beat!”

Amazon/Create Space Purchasing Options Explained:

If you prefer a physical Play-Along book choose this option. The books are exceptional in quality and clarity. Professionally printed you can expect the same results as professional publications. These are softbound books with excellent bindings and will stand up to the rigors of usage. Book size is standard 8.5” x 11”. The books provide the download link to the MP3 accompaniment tracks (recorded at 320kb - CD quality).

(Optional) Accompaniment tracks on a physical CD. Professionally made CDs containing the audio content that comes with the play-along book. This option is for the person who prefers to have a hard copy of the accompaniment tracks. Plays in any media device that plays CDs.

(Optional) Full demo versions on a physical CD. Professionally made CDs containing the same exact full demo audio content you can download for free. You can listen to the full demo tracks anywhere - like your car, your living room, wherever you enjoy listening to good music. Great gift idea!

Returns: these are subject to Amazon/Create Space returns policy. Please see Amazon/Create Space returns policy via their site if you are concerned a return might be necessary.

Living Waters Jazz Direct Purchasing Options Explained:

About half the cost of purchasing the published version but requires a little more elbow grease. You do get the material faster since it’s a all digital and download only.

Here’s how it works. After purchase you are sent a receipt which includes links. You will need an extractor (I recommend 7zip) to extract the archived contents which will only be the PDF and audio tracks. The PDF is exactly the same as the published book version though resolution is 150dpi instead of 300dpi. Once your files are downloaded you are ready to print the pages of the PDF and play along with the accompaniment tracks.

For physical copies of the music and book, either the accompaniment tracks, demo tracks, or PDF, you are welcome to make for your use only copies but they cannot be uploaded or shared with others or sold.

Returns: If in 15 days you are not satisfied with the purchase simply email Living Waters Jazz and your money will be returned via Paypal’s refund policy. If you are not familiar with Paypal’s refund policy please see the Paypal site for that information.