I bought this book as a continuation book from niehaus's intermediate jazz conception book. Like the previous one however, it lacks exercises in the rhythmic aspects of jazz playing, which are of course crucial. I play the tenor saxophone, so the CD was of no use to me because it is for an alto saxophone, I didn't mind that though. If you are advanced enough to play from this book, you don't need a play along CD. The tunes are nicely written, with lots of melodic colors and shapes to add to your jazz playing and improvisational skills. It will help your versatility throughout the entire sax range and your sight reading of pitches.