This collection of over 500 improvisation ‘games’ delivers a non-stylistic approach to introducing and developing musicians' improvisational confidence and abilities. The text points towards methods of de-coding the ‘rabbit-in-headlight’ syndrome that improvisation can induce in many musicians and seeks also to engage with creative inquisitiveness. The somewhat misleading title disguises its applicability to many different types of musician: classical to rock; inexperienced to the well versed; community musicians to the professional performer. It also offers alternative approaches for those already steeped in the improvisation language: I know at least two jazz educators who, impressed with this book's approach, have incorporated some of its elements into their own teaching.

Some texts in this area of work try to be inclusive of all forms of music and fail because they are too dull or not specific enough in their directions. Conversely, some are too steeped in stylistic tradition to allow for inter-stylistic learning, such as the scale/chord improvisation theory that I am told is the foundation of jazz studies. Fortunately, this is not something that Improvisation Games suffers from. It neither falls into the trappings of new-age hyperbole nor limits participation by stylistic elitism. In the form of musical games of exploration, Jeffrey Agrell provides work on motivic and rhythmic development, harmony, musical interaction and many more areas, even exploring modes and chromatic ii–V–I progressions.

The genesis of this collection comes from Agrell's own teaching of an undergraduate introductory improvisation course at the University of Iowa, but the range of this book is not confined to undergraduate training. Indeed, its beauty lies in its adaptability: Agrell gives enough information to describe each game's aim and content but allows enough flexibility to enable them to be translated for many different age ranges and abilities. Originally, Agrell wanted his students to focus on learning how to improvise through listening to themselves and each other, so the book is set out with no musical notation. This means that students who are both musically literate and those who are not confident with musical notation can participate equally in any of the games. Clear, concise, practical and fun, the games are adaptable for any situation but focused enough that you know that your students are learning key musical concepts through the improvisation process. Agrell also includes a useful resources list and there are some very well-formatted tables of musical information (e.g. chord structures and scale constructions) that are easily usable by any music teacher.

Written using American musical terminology, Improvisation Games is jargon-free, approachable and adaptable for music education ranging from primary to university studies. This book is highly recommended to anyone who wants to expand their understanding and utilisation of improvisation to enhance and entertain their own and others' musical creativity.