Author Archives: Don Sickler

• New standards to play all summer

  Summer is heating up -- and with new lead sheets and arrangements, things are hotter than ever at jazzleadsheets.com. This week, we're welcoming new composer Sara Cassey, whose beautiful pieces are a favorite of those in the know. Be sure to check out our Recording Anniversaries video to hear the great music we're celebrating every day this week. And if you're looking for a piece to play with your quintet or sextet, check out our Quintet/Sextet list, which you can navigate to by clicking FEATURES then "Quintet/Sextet."

  JAMES WILLIAMS: Alter Ego
  A subtle, classic bossa nova

  SARA CASSEY: Windflower
  A subdued & meditative minor blues variation. Full arrangement available.

  BOOKER LITTLE: Bee Vamp
  A vamp-based uptempo swing. Full arrangement available.

  BOOKER LITTLE: Aggression
  Open-ended and forward-thinking.

  KENNY DREW: Callin'
  A hard bop swinger with a short form.

  Plus, celebrate Philly Joe Jones with a special treat! When you visit his composer page, you can hear a clip of Philly Joe telling his favorite joke.

• Joy Spring, new composers and more hits

  Many people have enjoyed the solo transcriptions of Clifford Brown on his classic composition "Joy Spring," but we've often been asked where the lead sheets are. Until now, you've only been able to purchase the arrangement through Second Floor Music's sheet music affiliates, but we've now made individual lead sheets available for everyone in the original key in honor of the 61st anniversary of the septet recording. On top of that, we're adding two new composers this week: tenor saxophonist Ernie Wilkins and pianist Eddie Higgins. With additions to the Piano Corner, Bass Corner, and new quintet arrangements, this update may just raise the temperature a little more on this hot July week.

  CLIFFORD BROWN: Joy Spring

  The classic bop standard -- now available in the original key, plus Clifford Brown's trumpet solo from the septet recording.

  J.J. JOHNSON: NWPT

  Rhythm changes with a twist. Original quintet arrangement available.

  DON PATTERSON & SONNY STITT: Aries

  A laid-back, swinging ballad in two keys.

  GRACHAN MONCUR: Thandiwa

  A quirky waltz with first and second parts available.

  ERNIE WILKINS: Far Out East

  This bop melody has a serious swing.

  EDDIE HIGGINS: Shinjuku Twilight

  Charming and sweet with Japanese flair.

  RONNIE MATHEWS: John Charles

  A post-bop blues that features the bass.

  RONNIE MATHEWS: Salima's Dance

  Blues-like, with an even-8ths 3/4 groove. Solo Piano Arrangement available.

  RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK: Funk Underneath

  A simple laid-back riff blues.

  Plus, celebrate Hank Mobley's birthday (this past Tuesday, July 7) by checking out our extensive catalog of Hank Mobley lead sheets.

   

• Get the blues -- and more

  June is coming to a close, and what a month it has been! Between the launch of our new website and the start of our weekly music releases, it's been a busy and exciting time for us.

  GIGI GRYCE: Batland
  Classic hard bop blues

  CURTIS FULLER: Down Home
  Gospel-influenced swing with quintet and sextet parts. Try Richard Wyands's piano melody transcription.

  JON GORDON: Veil
  A sparse, floating, modern composition that makes use of counterpoint.

  JON GORDON: Along The Way
  Intricate, delicate and complex

  GENE ROLAND: Wailin' In The Woodshed
  A simple, catchy swing

  GENE ROLAND: Stairway To The Blues
  A riff blues that takes you up and away

  RICHARD WYANDS: Dee's Den
  A versatile blues head with exclusive audio and video

  Have you seen our Piano Corner? It's the ultimate tool for perfecting piano skills, complete with solo piano arrangements, transcriptions, and practice tools.

  Make sure to check out the videos to see the Recording Session Anniversaries and birthdays we're celebrating this week.

   

• Three new composers. One big update.

  We're back with another big update! This week, we're welcoming three new composers to the site: tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette, cornetist Ruby Braff and bassist Santi Debriano. Our Recording Session Anniversaries this week celebrates the anniversary of the first recording of Gigi Gryce's Capri with new lead sheets in the original key -- including two Clifford Brown trumpet solos; the recording sessions for Kenny Drew Jr.'s album "A Look Inside" (Alhambra, A Look Inside); Ray Bryant's legendary performance at Montreaux; and Ruby Braff's recording session for his album "Braff!" on which Here's Freddie was recorded.

  We're also celebrating birthdays: vocalist Rachel Gould, pianist Elmo Hope and bassist Santi Debriano. Join us in marking all of these anniversaries and birthdays with great music!

  Check out this week's new music:

  GIGI GRYCE: Capri 
  Now available in the original key with two Clifford Brown trumpet solos

  KENNY DREW JR: Alhambra
  A lyrical, flowing bossa

  KENNY DREW JR: A Look Inside
  A cheerful & bubbly medium swing

  RAY BRYANT: Blues #3
  Master the blues in G with this three-chorus piano solo transcription

  RAY BRYANT: Blues #2
  A blues tour-de-force: seven choruses of piano solo transcription

  PAUL QUINICHETTE: Prevue
  A simply & catchy medium swing that makes a great choice for vocalists. Paul Quinichette's tenor sax solo transcription available.

  RUBY BRAFF: Here's Freddie
  Classic, laid-back mainstream jazz

  SANTI DEBRIANO: Abra Cadabra
  A bright Latin piece

  Have you seen our new inline audio player? It's a simple blue box that appears in our text notes whenever we want to feature a sample in the middle of text. If you come across a blue box with a triangle on it like this , click it and listen to the music!

  Make sure to click on the dots under the home page slider; we've put some fun ways to look at this week's music there. 

  Enjoy the music!

• Celebrate these birthdays & anniversaries

  The temperatures are rising in New York and we're ready for a summer full of hot music. This week, we're wishing happy birthday to Eli "Lucky" Thompson, who would have turned 91 on this Tuesday, June 16, and Billy Drummond, who turns 55 on Thursday, June 19. We're also celebrating some anniversaries of a few recording sessions we love that feature compositions from our catalog: Grant Stewart's "More Urban Tones" (June 15, 1995), Hank Mobley's "Dippin'" (June 18, 1955), Benny Golson's "Gone With Golson" (June 20, 1959), and Nat Adderley's "Good Company" (June 20 & 21, 1994). There's no better way to celebrate than releasing some new lead sheets, transcriptions, and arrangements!

  Check out these new additions to jazzleadsheets.com:

  ELI "LUCKY" THOMPSON: To A Mornin' Sunrise
  master this sensitive ballad with lucky's own melody transcription

  GRANT STEWART: Manhattan Bridge
  a moody post-bop ballad

  CURTIS FULLER: Bit Of Heaven
  a bit of your own jazz heaven -- try the Fuller-Golson two horn arrangement for yourself

  RAY BRYANT:  Staccato Swing
  a minor medium up swing with parts for tenor, trombone, & piano

  ROB BARGAD: Rob's New Song
  distinctive soulful flair & powerful changes

  ROB BARGAD: War Zone
  a driving uptempo swing

  HANK MOBLEY: The Break Through
  NEW for drums - Billy Higgins drum transcription

  
  Psst! Did you know you can see all of our transcribed solos in one place? Check out this tour of the Transcribed Solos page!

  Enjoy the music,
  Don Sickler and the jazzleadsheets.com team

• New composers and new music all summer long

  We hope you're enjoying the new website. With our reboot behind us, we're back to focusing on what matters the most: the music. To start the summer off right, we're releasing new music every week. This week, we're proud to welcome composers Adriano Acea, Jon Gordon and John Webber to the site. We also have lead sheets and transcriptions of trumpeter Art Farmer, pianist Geoffrey Keezer and drummers Bill Stewart and Carl Allen to round out a selection that has something for everyone. Don't forget to check out our homepage for new videos and other featured content -- click the dots under the slider to see all the new material, updated weekly.

  Here's what's new on jazzleadsheets.com:

  Art Farmer - Flashback
  Get inside this medium swing, featuring Art Farmer's solo transcription, Geoff Keezer's piano solo and melody comping transcriptions, and Carl Allen's drum comping transcription

  Tom McIntosh - With Malice Toward None
  Appealing, adaptable with a touch of soul. Available in two different keys.

  Jon Gordon - Shape Up
  Intricate, contemporary and rhythmically complex. With Bill Stewart's drum comping and solo transcriptions and a video of Bill.

  Jon Webber - So Young
  An introspective and quirky ballad with second parts.

  Adriano Acea - Little Leona
  An enticing Latin/swing hybrid.

  Enjoy the music,
  Don Sickler and the jazzleadsheets.com team

• Don't forget to check out the dots!

  Special new additions every week! Click on the dots under the slider to view them all.
  June 1:

  • • Daryl Johns performs Tempo di Max
  • • June recording anniversaries from jazzleadsheets.com (June 1-7)
  • • June birthdays from jazzleadsheets.com (1st week)
  • • Help page aid

• Welcome to the new jazzleadsheets.com!

  The wait is over . . . it's here!

  The big day has finally come: our new website is live on jazzleadsheets.com!

  Visit us now to see the brand new look and new features -- and new composers and music! Our new website includes an easy search function always at the top right of every page, embedded videos, expanded instrumental sections, new payment options (now including PayPal), and a mobile-friendly design. We now feature special content on our homepage, so be sure to click the dots at the bottom of the new arrivals graphic to browse this week's exclusive videos.

  We hope you enjoy this revamp as much as we do. If you have any suggestions, click here to let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you.
  It wouldn't be a news update from jazzleadsheets.com without new music. Here are our first releases of the summer.

  RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK: Serenade To A Cuckoo
  A sunny and whimsical swing featuring a video of Rahsaan Roland Kirk on flute.

  SLIDE HAMPTON: Frame For The Blues
  This sultry slow blues is a classic. See three moving video performances.

  ROY HARGROVE: Mental Phrasing
  A fusion of modern jazz, hard bop, and Latin.

  JIM MCNEELY: Over The Edge
  A versatile samba with video of Jim McNeely & Stan Getz. Solo piano arrangement and exclusive audio track available.

  DON SICKLER: Tempo di Max
  A Don Sickler original with Minus You audio and a solo piano arrangement. See a 13 year-old Daryl Johns play at lightning speeds!

  RICHARD WYANDS: Yes It Is
  A syncopated swinger with exclusive audio and video.

  DOUG WATKINS: Bet
  Bass and trumpet play this medium swing melody. There's Minus You audio for every instrument.

  JIM ROTONDI: Miller Time
  A cool and relaxed hard bop.

  BILL BARRON: Tone Colors
  Modern and striking!

  AL COHN: The Note
  Uptempo swing from a melodic master. This chart comes from the Al Cohn/Zoot Sims book -- make your own arrangement with our 1st and 2nd parts.

  Enjoy the music,
  Don Sickler and the jazzleadsheets.com team

   

• A better jazzleadsheets.com is coming. Stay tuned.

  We’ve grown so much over the last few years that our current website literally can’t handle us anymore: we can’t add any new composers or albums! So we’re keeping our fingers crossed that March will be the month we can unveil the new look and features of the new jazzleadsheets.com. The expanded and enriched new site has been close to three years in the making, and while it’s been a long road, the final product will be worth the wait.

  Fortunately, we still have more great charts from albums and composers that are already on our current site, so here are seven new additions.

  LUCKY THOMPSON: N R #1
  An angular blues with an unusual form, this quirky Lucky Thompson piece is pure fun. The melody twists through the blues scale in unexpected patterns, creating a memorable, modern sound. Sleek and sophisticated.

  LUCKY THOMPSON: N R #2
  The unusual name of this piece and N R #1 might imply that the two go together, but you’ll hear that they couldn’t be more different. It has a classic sound with Lucky’s charming melodic style. Lead sheets and second parts available.

  VALERY PONOMAREV: Mirage
  A contrast in snappy, punctuated riffs and long, lyrical lines. The striking interplay of the bold A theme and the soft B theme creates appealing drama. Lead sheets and second parts available.

  KENNY DREW, JR.: Passionata
  An evocative, masterful bossa which evolved from a manuscript fragment by Kenny Drew, Sr.,  completed by his son. We’re featuring two different clips of this tender bossa, both from the same album: one is Kenny Drew Jr.’s opening trio rendition and the other is his album-closing version with strings.

  NORMAN SIMMONS: Good Humors
  A laid-back, supremely cool swing from Norman Simmons. The call-and-response between the persistent groove in the rhythm section and the contrasting melody in the horns creates a great conversation. Lead sheets and second parts available.

  STEVE NELSON: For Wes
  A beautiful ballad dedicated to quitarist Wes Montgomery, from composer/vibist Steve Nelson. He performs the solo section with a double time feel a la Wes Montgomery. Wistful and heartfelt, the melody of this ballad is simply gorgeous.

  VALERY PONOMAREV: Means Of Identification
  Another Valery Ponomarev piece to expand your repertoire! This brassy piece is in 3/4 and combines hard-bop vocabulary and a hint of Latin influence. Valery sets a bright horn melody over a rich rhythmic background.

  Check out our new charts today!

• Swing in the new year with new charts galore

  It’s been a great year here at jazzleadsheets.com: we celebrated Blue Note’s 75th Anniversary, launched our Minus You audio features, and introduced handfuls of new composers and more great music. We’re still working with our developer on the improved version of jazzleadsheets.com which will feature a more visually-exciting interface and a better checkout experience. To keep you swinging into 2015, we’re topping you off with one last group of lead sheets for the year with some picks we know you’ll love.

  GIGI GRYCE: Boxer’s Blues
  A different type of altered blues! This Gigi Gryce piece moves back and forth from a double time groove to a laid-back swing. Gigi’s intriguing quintet arrangement is captured in each of our lead sheet editions; his original recording featured trumpet and alto sax alternating lines, but both are notated in all editions so you can choose how you want to approach it.

  TINA BROOKS: Miss Hazel
  A bright, brassy Tina Brooks composition full of fun II-V changes. This uptempo swing is also available as a quintet arrangement; we have a concert condensed score available (featuring the melody, counter-melody and rhythm section hits), lead sheets for all instruments and second parts.

  LUCKY THOMPSON: Once There Was
  A perfect example of Lucky Thompson’s masterful ballad writing and interpretation. To show both sides of Lucky’s talent, composing and performing, all editions include a transcription of everything he plays on the form: the head in, a short solo over the bridge, and the last A section out.

  WALTER DAVIS, JR.: Scorpio Rising
  “Walter Davis, Jr., loved to play this piece to get his adrenaline going,” remembers Don Sickler. This wild medium-up swing with a strong rhythmic pulse will get you going, too!

  KENNY DREW, JR.: Nelson Avenue Morning
  A light, breezy, constantly evolving medium swing melody from a virtuoso pianist-composer. This unusual ABABC form of this piece is a refreshing twist on typical song forms — the way Kenny only uses four measures of the B section when it returns and the unexpected new themes at the end keep everyone on their toes.

  ROY HARGROVE: The Mountaings
  Keep things spicy with this Cuban son-jazz hybrid. The 2/3 clave groove gives The Mountaings an authentic Cuban vibe, but Roy Hargrove’s melody is modern jazz-oriented. This composition comes from Roy’s Grammy-winning album HABANA and is sure to be a winner for you, too.

  GEOFFREY KEEZER: Pierce On Earth
  A personal, sensitive ballad written for saxophonist Bill Pierce. Geoff weaves together contemporary jazz idioms with soulful licks in this tender composition. Geoff’s own solo piano arrangement is also available.

  DONALD BROWN: The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For
  This stately ballad features an unusual abbreviated form with just four measures for the A sections and three measures for the B. The dramatic sustained chords under the main theme define the character of this Donald Brown composition.

  Start your 2015 the right way with jazzleadsheets.com!

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