Author Archives: Don Sickler

• 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!

• Be jolly: Deck your music stands with new lead sheets.

  'Tis the season of giving, so we're keeping these holidays merry and bright with a new collection of lead sheets.

  HANK MOBLEY: Night Watch
  That’s right — we’ve got more of this classic composer and we can’t wait to share it! Hank Mobley’s winning melodic style — singable, simple lines — is on display here in this Latin/swing hybrid.

  NORMAN SIMMONS: Slumberettes
  Don’t sleep on this jazzy lullaby. This sweet, lilting waltz by composer/pianist Norman Simmons is sensitive and graceful. Pianists, be sure to check out our solo piano arrangements: one by Norman himself and an easy piano arrangement by Don Sickler. Both were recorded exclusively for jazzleadsheets.com by maestro Kenny Drew, Jr. Concert condensed score and second parts available.

  BILL BARRON: Minor Mode
  Don’t confuse this piece with the Booker Little composition of the same name! This energetic medium swing makes a great introduction to the underrated (but always impressive) hard bop composer Bill Barron. Second and third parts available.

  JON BURR: Rainbow Over Harlem
  Jon Burr’s charming medium swing has a memorable and dreamy melody — and it’s available in editions both for instrumentalists and singers! Vocalists will love stretching their ears with this piece that we’ve made available in both female- and male-friendly keys. And everyone will enjoy the laid-back feel that supports the alluring melody.

  ROB BARGAD: Tears
  A sultry, slow Latin piece that mixes a modern jazz melody with a smoldering cha-cha/bolero groove. Rob Bargad flaunts his compositional prowess on this chart. If you’re not hip to this current composer yet, now’s the time to start!

  Share the joy with us at jazzleadsheets.com!

• Add some fall spice to your repertoire with these charts.

  Hey jazz lovers,

  Have you missed us? We know it’s been a while! We’ve been hard at work putting together the beautiful new website. Soon, it will be easier than ever to find the music you love and to discover new gems you never knew you were missing.

  Until then, we’ve got some great compositions by some fantastic composers to tide you over until the new site goes live.

  LUCKY THOMPSON: Little Tenderfoot
  Looking for that perfectly classic sound? After an A section melody over rhythm changes, this charming, cheerful head takes some harmonic detours. The familiar changes make it a breeze to solo over and Lucky Thompson’s impeccable melodic writing is not only lovely to hear, but great fun to play.

  ROY HARGROVE: Ballad For The Children
  From the Grammy award-winning album HABANA, this Latin ballad is deeply emotional. Try the lead sheet on its own or get the full transcription of everything this jazz superstar plays — both the melody and the solo! Learn ballad phrasing from Roy Hargrove himself by studying exactly what he does.

  STEVE NELSON: Kirk’s New Delight'
  Go on a musical journey with Steve Nelson. Kirk’s New Delight is a laid back swing with a melody that tells a story through its developing melodic themes. A little extra flair comes from Steve’s embellishments on the melody, which we’ve included on all editions of the lead sheets.

  GRANT STEWART: Cyclops
  Angular and unflinching, Cyclops is equal parts bebop and modern jazz. Grant Stewart peppers the melody with #11ths and major sevenths that delight the ear. The harmonic progression is easy to pick up, which makes this a great choice to work on soloing over chord extensions.

  VALERY PONOMAREV: Fifteenth Round
  Don’t miss this explosive powerhouse! Your audience will be rapt with toe-tapping attention after the first line of this hard-bop infused quintet. We’ve made the second parts available as well as a concert condensed score for rhythm section players.

  Don’t settle for standards. Try something new at jazzleadsheets.com.

• Hank Mobley in February

  We hear “Keep the Hank Mobley coming!” from jazzleadsheets customers. As we continue with our celebration of Blue Note Records 75th year, we find that February was a big month for Hank Mobley as a leader. We already have four titles available from Hank’s classic "Soul Station" album (recorded on February 7, 1960). Now we’ve added Third Time Around to the three already up from his February 5, 1965, “The Turnaround” session (also released on the “Straight No Filter” album and recorded again on the “A Caddy For Daddy” album). That composition was also recorded in December as a sextet, and both arrangements are available, plus drum transcriptions of Billy Higgins’ playing on both sessions.

  In addition to the two compositions we already have up from Hank’s "Peckin’ Time" album (February 9, 1958), we’re adding Stretchin’ Out and Git-Go Blues.

  There’s one more Hank Mobley February Blue Note leader session ("Third Season" - February 24, 1967) which has five more Mobley compositions. This was a septet session, with the melody sometimes moving from instrument to instrument. We’re putting out regular lead sheets, so anyone can play the whole melody. For now, we’ve selected Don’t Cry, Just Sigh and Boss Bossa from that session.

  Here’s an alphabetical list of Hank’s compositions that were recorded in the month of February and that are on jazzleadsheets.com:
  Boss Bossa (new!)
  Dig Dis
  Don’t Cry, Just Sigh (new!)
  Git-Go Blues (new!)
  High And Flighty
  Pat ‘N Chat
  Peckin’ Time
  Soul Station
  Split Feelin’s
  Straight Ahead
  Stretchin’ Out (new!)
  Third Time Around (new!)
  This I Dig Of You
  The Turnaround

  We have more proof that jazz is alive and well: check out 15-year-old drummer/leader Julius Rodriguez and his quintet as they perform the Bobby Timmons hit, A LITTLE BUSY. This group is all high school students! These remarkable young men are on a very important mission — they’ve been selected as finalists in the Next Generation High School Open Combo Division contest. If they win, they’ll play at the Monterey Jazz Festival, but they need help to get there. Hear them talk about the great opportunity that awaits them and the music that inspires them.

• Introducing MINUS YOU: a brand new way to practice

  It’s been busy here in our New York office — on Monday, January 6, we celebrated Blue Note’s 75th anniversary with two Meade Lux Lewis piano transcriptions (Melancholy / Solitude) which comprised BN-1, the actual first Blue Note release. On Wednesday, January 8, we celebrated the anniversary of the recording of Kenny Burrell’s classic Blue Note album Midnight Blue. Today we’re back with another round of great charts — and a new collaboration with a new series of audio editions!

  In addition to making leadsheets and arrangements available, jazzleadsheets.com is starting a new series of instrumental audio play-a-long editions for every member of the recorded ensemble. We call it our [minus you] editions. We've long offered practice tracks of our Singer's Corner compositions so vocalists could sing with a professional ensemble, but with our [minus you] series, we're taking it to the next level. We're now offering tracks of the highest caliber musicians with options for each part removed -- so you can practice with professionals.

  I’m starting this new series with the help on one of my old friends, fellow trumpet player, Brian Lynch. We’ve always had the  common quest to pay tribute to very important trumpet player/composers who haven’t received their due. Several years ago Brian came up with his “Unsung Heroes Project” recording concept and came to us to get some music by three of their mutual heroes: Idrees Sulieman, Tommy Turrentine and Joe Gordon.

  We’re starting this marriage of jazzleadsheets.com and Brian’s Hollistic Music with one composition each by these important trumpet/composer giants:
  Big Red (Tommy Turrentine)
  Terra Firma Irma (Joe Gordon)
  Orange Blossoms (Idrees Sulieman)

  Big Red was recorded as a quintet by Brian.
  Terra Firma Irma was as a sextet by Brian, and also originally recorded by Joe Gordon as a quintet.
  Orange Blossoms was recorded by Brian in a quartet context. Judy Niemack also wrote a lyric to this beautiful ballad, which required a new title for the lyric version: With You.

  The written music is available in separate editions: go to each song page for a list of what is available.

  Transcribed trumpet solos are also available for Terra Firma Irma (for Brian and Joe) and Big Red (Brian only).
  Specific [minus you] editions are also available: you can substitute yourself for any instrument in the ensemble!

  "Front line" is the term used to signify the melody player along with anyone else in "the front line" playing harmony parts, as in a quintet or sextet. Our [minus you] editions for front line players feature them as the only soloists; they play in the ensemble for the melodies.

  Solos for front line players: On the original recordings there are often various soloists. On our [minus you] front line editions, you are the only soloist. Rhythm section players play with the whole original recorded track.

• 51 Years Ago Today: "Midnight Blue"

  January 8, 1963: Kenny Burrell’s “Midnight Blue” album was recorded in Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio, featuring the title track which was an instant classic, Midnight Blue. Rudy says, “I built the studio for music like that, where people are comfortable playing and the music fits the space that they’re playing in.”

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