Archives: December 2011

  • new December 28, 2011

    If You Could Love Me - Norman Simmons
    A beautiful Norman Simmons composition, with lyrics by Norman. Sung in a slow Latin tempo by Carmen McRae, later, at different tempos by other vocalists. You can also gain interesting insight into Carmen’s phasing from our vocal transcription of her performance, available separately. Email us (don@secondfloormusic.com) for different keys!

    Juliano - Julian Priester
    Lead sheets and his trombone solo are available from his first recording as a leader, the KEEP SWINGIN’ album on Riverside Records. An energetic ABCD form composition. The melody is constantly modulating as it evolves.

    Valse Robin - Dexter Gordon
    Dexter Gordon’s beautiful waltz for his daughter Robin, a 64-measure expanded AABA form. Recorded on THE PANTHER! album.

    Harbor Freeway 5 P.M. - Jack Wilson
    Two separate lead sheet treatments. First recorded as an uptempo sizzler to feature the drums, it later became a beautiful laid back composition. Compare Jack’s interpretations.

    Out Of Joe’s Bag (Hank Mobley) - Philly Joe Jones drum transcription
    Evan Hughes’ transcription of Philly Joe Jones’ performance on the ANOTHER WORKOUT album. Includes solo drum introduction, playing behind the in and out melodies, and Philly Joe’s solo. More valuable insight into this phenomenal drummer!

    Don Sickler
    jazzleadsheets.com & secondfloormusic.com
    phone 212-741-1175
    email don@secondfloormusic.com

  • new December 16, 2011

    Chips - Elmo Hope
    Stars Over Marrakesh - Elmo Hope

    We had a fun Elmo Hope experience in my rehearsal studio a few nights ago. I told pianist/composer Bertha Hope, Elmo’s widow and definitely the leading authority on Elmo’s music, that we needed to get together to play Elmo’s music with two special musicians. Bassist Putter Smith would be in NYC (he lives in California) and he’d like to play some Elmo AGAIN. In the late 1950s, when he was still a teenager, he got to gig with Elmo for quite a few weeks over a six month period in the Los Angeles area. Alto saxophonist/composer Jerry Dodgion had been talking to me about playing, and when I mentioned Putter, and that he had played with Elmo, I found out that Jerry had also played with Elmo in some jam sessions in San Francisco in the 1950s. Jerry said he was also definitely up for playing some of Elmo’s quintet music, so that’s what we did the other night. Bertha hadn’t known that Putter and Jerry had played with Elmo, so she was delighted. After we finished playing and were trying to get some air back into our lungs, I told Bertha that we should talk about their experiences with Elmo. We rolled some video, which we’ll be putting up soon on our jazzleadsheets.com YouTube channel.

    In preparation for that evening rehearsal, I got busy and put together a bunch more of Elmo’s quintet arrangements so we could read them and get them ready for jazzleadsheets.com. Normally I only put up one title by a composer at a time, but, in honor of that fun occasion, I’m putting out two of the ones we played that night. More Elmo Hope will be put on jazzleadsheets.com over the next few months.

    Our editions of STARS OVER MARRAKESH require a little explanation. This composition was recorded twice by Elmo, both as trio recordings. Both recorded arrangements are different. To avoid confusion, we’ve labeled them first version and second version. We believe the first version is the primary version, so we’ve expanded only that version for our other instrumental editions. Elmo’s piano melody always has a harmony part, therefore it’s perfect for two horns, so we’re also providing second part editions.

    The second version is from Elmo’s second recording, eight years later than the first recording. It has melodic and harmonic differences, and the bridge is in a different key (see our details page for more explanation). Elmo’s wife, Bertha Hope, who is a fine pianist and composer herself, is also the authority for understanding Elmo’s music. Even Bertha doesn’t know why Elmo made the alterations he did for the second recording. Maybe he couldn’t find his original lead sheet or he didn’t go back to the original recording. I know if we didn’t have the first recording, the second one would be rewarding enough. The fact that we have both, and C treble clef editions of each are available, gives you a chance to examine these two recordings in detail, giving you further insight into this important composer.

    more editions of: A Night At Tony’s - Gigi Gryce
    Stupendous-Lee - Gigi Gryce

    The lead sheets and second parts for these two important Gigi Gryce compositions have been available for some time. We’ve had some general requests for more transcribed solos, so both Gigi’s and Art Farmer’s solos from these recordings are naturals to make available. Studying these two soloists is rewarding, especially examining and comparing their solos on the same recording, and even trading fours with each other on A NIGHT AT TONY’S. They’re both what I call real note players: their lines always have such clarity of thought. All their articulations are also notated, giving you the real fingerprints of these great artists. Full B-flat and C editions give everyone the opportunity to examine these solos on their own instruments.

    Workout - Hank Mobley (Philly Joe Jones drum transcription)

    Again, we’ve had the lead sheets for this one out for some time. This is a great drum feature composition, and now you can examine in detail the mastery of the legendary drummer Mobley wrote the composition for: Philly Joe Jones. You can see his eight-measure solo drum intro, followed by everything he plays on the head (full of two-measure exchanges between the horns and Philly Joe). Also, unique to our publications, you always see what the horns are playing (in a smaller staff, above the drum staff). For students or professional drummers, these transcriptions are amazing to study! Also check out Evan Hughes’ blog, the Jazz Drum Corner. See and hear Evan playing his transcription of Philly Joe’s fours with the soloists on NO ROOM FOR SQUARES, and you’ll see why he’s such an important part of our transcribing staff.

    Enjoy!
    Don Sickler
    Second Floor Music and jazzleadsheets.com
    don@secondfloormusic.com
    phone 212-741-1175

  • new to jazzleadsheets.com December 5, 2011

    In addition to four new lead sheets (including a melody transcription) and a transcribed solo, jazzleadsheets.com introduces our new Drum Corner with an in-depth look at the artistry of master drummer Philly Joe Jones.
    Drum Transcription: Philly Joe Jones’s performance on No Room For Squares (the master take).
    Of course, drum solos are important to drummers, but equally important (if not more important) is how a master drummer accompanies the ensemble. Therefore, our transcription starts with Philly Joe’s great hi-hat work on the intro under the horn line, followed by his intricate interplay during the opening melody. Everything Philly Joe plays during his delicious exchanges of “fours” with Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan is also transcribed. Joe’s interplay during the out melody and coda ends the transcription.
    Also, unique to our drum transcriptions, the melody sections are shown above the drum staff (in concert key). Now you can see exactly how the drummer is reacting to the horns!
    The transcription was done by drummer Evan Hughes, a new member of my staff.
    Please visit our Drum Corner and tell your drummer friends it, and also about Evan Hughes’ jazz drummer blog at JazzDrumCorner.com. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in jazz drumming.

    Blue Bossa - Kenny Dorham
    jazzleadsheets.com gave me the opportunity to create a new edition of this important Kenny Dorham “jazz standard.” I’m sure practically every musician has at least heard “Blue Bossa,” if not played it. But have you really checked out the first recording of it? Are you aware that K.D.’s melody was created around a bass line that was equally important to Kenny? Now, in our C edition, you’ll see the melody with the bass line added under it on a separate staff for both the head and K.D.’s shout chorus.

    It’s No Time To Be Blue - Kenny Dorham, Kenny Burrell and Larry Jackstien
    When Kenny Burrell called and told me he wanted to write a lyric to his good friend Kenny Dorham’s composition, Blue Bossa, I knew his lyric would fit K.D.’s melody perfectly. Kenny Burrell sang this lyric on his 2003 CD “Blue Muse” on the Concord label.

    Minor Ballade - Don Friedman
    This is a beautiful modulating ballad by Don Friedman, described more fully in our notes. I feel it’s important to be able to examine in detail an artist/composer’s interpretation of his melody, so I’ve also transcribed his performance of the opening melody.

    Minor Mode - Booker Little (plus Booker’s trumpet solo)
    This is Booker Little’s first recorded composition. His recording career started only a month earlier. Although Booker only lived to be 23 years of age, fortunately he left us with quite a few recorded compositions and solos to study. He was one of the great jazz trumpet players and a mature composer at an early age.

    --Don Sickler

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