News

• A special vocal-only update

  This week we have five fantastic vocal pieces, including vocal transcriptions of legendary singers Anita O’Day, Chris Connor and Rachel Gould!

  If the rainy fall weather has got you down, we have a light, sunny bossa from Gloria Cooper with a lyric by Ira Gitler that immediately transports you back to the summer: Reveling In The Beat.

  For a good dose of Latin funk, check out Lonely Man, a vocal setting of Ray Bryant’s Erewhon with a lyric by Tina May. With a sassy lyric and appealing groove, it’s hard not to love.

  You, Judy Niemack’s lyric to Bob Brookmeyer’s composition Hum, is nothing short of charming. If you’re looking to add something classic to your repertoire without turning to overdone standards, this is the one for you.

  Rachel Gould’s ethereal, fanciful ballad My Magic Ring captures childlike wonder and melodic sophistication at the same time. To better understand how to interpret a free ballad like this one, we offer a vocal transcription of how Rachel sings it on the recording.

  Finally, a special treat: two versions of Al Cohn’s Night Bird by two powerhouse vocalists, Anita O’Day and Chris Connor. The Anita O’Day recording, featuring an arrangement by Gary McFarland, marries classical-inspired dissonance with true swing. Chris Connor’s version is arranged by Al Cohn himself, and has a mysterious Latin feel. We’ve transcribed the way both singers phrase the melody, and also offer a lead sheet for vocalists to try their own hand at it. Both recordings are truly out of this world, but the song itself is also a real gem with a poetic lyric by Kitty Malone.

  To stay up-to-date on our latest vocal lead sheets, be sure to check out Singer's Corner page!

  Just a note for those who like to sing or play along with accompaniment-only tracks: three of the new titles have accompaniment-only versions, and Judy Niemack’s delightful You is available exclusively on jazzleadsheets.com.

• Get low with these bass features

  The bass player is very important in all these new compositions, so they also add to our growing Bass Corner repertoire.

  Both Bass-ment by Kenny Drew and The Fuzz by Bobby Jaspar feature the bass playing the melody. Important bass lines that hold the whole arrangement together are found in Bill Hardman’s Jazz Messengers classic Politely and Bobby Watson’s Lemoncello.

  Bertha Hope’s Book’s Bok starts with the bass doubling the melody with the piano, and then moves into an important rhythmic accompaniment line. Bertha’s solo piano arrangement is available, as is a recording of it by pianist Glenn Zaleski.

  Drummer Billy Drummond’s opening 7/4 bass line had been going over in his head for quite some time before the rest of his composition Dubai came to him. As Billy is one of the gifted drummers who is included in our Drum Corner, we explore both a transcription of his playing behind the melody sections and his soloing over the ending bass line vamp. We also have some 7/4 exercises and groove patterns available.

  Check out this video of Billy talking about and playing Dubai! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more exclusive interviews of composers sharing their perspectives as well as tutorials and performances.
  

• Happy 50th anniversary to these legendary recordings

  We’d like to celebrate some recent landmark 50th year recording anniversaries!

  May 27, 1963: Steppin' Out (Blue Note)
  This was tenor saxophonist Harold Vick’s first album as a leader. Harold had 5 originals on this recording, which included Our Miss Brooks which Harold had also recorded earlier when he was a sideman (first with Grant Green, then with Jack McDuff):

  • Steppin’ Out
  • Dotty’s Dream
  • Trimmed In Blue
  • Vicksville

   

  June 3, 1963: Page One (Blue Note)
  This legendary album marked tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson’s first album as a leader with trumpeter Kenny Dorham. We're proud to offer two incredible Kenny Dorham originals from this session:

  • La Mesha
  • Blue Bossa

   

  June 11 & 12, 1963: Roland Kirk Meets The Benny Golson Orchestra (Mercury)
  On the first session day, Rahsaan Roland Kirk teamed up with the Benny Golson Orchestra. The next day was a quartet session, with Kirk’s beautiful slow swing ballad April Morning, his swingin’ blues Get In The Basement which is perfect for our Bass Corner, and the three-horn, three-part harmony Between The 4th And 5th Step.

  Beat the heat with music!
  Don Sickler
  jazzleadsheets.com and Second Floor Music
  email don@secondfloormusic.com - phone 212-741-1175

• Birthday and anniversary megapost: 10 new products!

  This week (more precisely May 20 through May 24) has important anniversaries we want to honor so we’ve expanded our usual five new entries this week to cover ten celebrations.

  May 20 is the birthday of drummer/composer Victor Lewis (born in 1950 in Omaha, Nebraska). In honor of Victor’s birthday, here’s his great composition Seventh Avenue . For the drummers among you, in our Drum Corner, you can take a special look at some 7/4 “groove” patterns that Victor used on two different recordings.

  When we showed Victor what recordings of jazzleadsheets.com music took place on his birthday over the years, he was blown away. What great birthday presents master drummers gave him, unknowingly, by recording their music on his birthday. Were they omens or just subliminal influences, for a young man who has certainly become one of the great modern drummers?

  Here are Victor’s “birthday presents” that we want to share with you.

  Ittapnna by drummer Walter Bolden, a new composer to jazzleadsheets: on Victor’s third birthday: May 20, 1953, Walter recorded this on “Howard McGhee, Vol. 2” (Blue Note).

  On Victor’s fourth birthday, drummer Art Blakey recorded his Mercury album “Blakey,” (May 20, 1954) featuring these three Gigi Gryce compositions: Minority and Salute To Birdland by Gigi Gryce. The lead sheets have been available for some time but now you can explore Gigi Gryce (alto sax) and Joe Gordon (trumpet) solos for both titles. Plus a new title from that session, Hello, a beautiful ballad.

  For Victor’s tenth birthday, May 20, 1960, drummer Philly Joe Jones recorded his album “Philly Joe’s Beat” (Atlantic). Lead sheets for Joe’s Got To Take Another Chance have been available, but now you can check out Philly Joe’s drum transcription.

  Another drum master, Louis Hayes, recorded his album “The Real Thing,” on Victor’s 27th birthday, May 20, 1977. This session included Ronnie Mathews’ tour-de-force composition Loose Suite (lead sheet editions plus Ronnie’s solo piano arrangement edition).

  I couldn’t stop there, because on May 21, Cleo’s Blues (written and performed by tenor giant Paul Gonsalves) celebrates its 50th recording anniversary.

  And on May 22 bassist/composer Jon Burr celebrates a big one, his 60th birthday, joining jazzleadsheets.com. He has a perfect composition for our upcoming Bass Corner: Smokin’ O.P.’s.

  And finally, also on May 22 (or maybe it was May 24, the recording info on the liner notes doesn’t specify) pianist James Williams recorded his composition Mr. Day’s Dream (lead sheet editions and James’ Solo Piano Arrangement plus recording by Kenny Drew, Jr.).

  Celebrate!
  Don Sickler
  www.jazzleadsheets.com and www.SecondFloorMusic.com
  phone 212-741-1175 email don@secondfloormusic.com

• May 17, 2013: More anniversaries & birthdays to celebrate

  The week of May 13th we’re celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Johnny Griffin and Matthew Gee album “Soul Groove,” recorded for Atlantic Records in two sessions (May 14 and May 16, 1963). I couldn’t decide which one of Matthew Gee’s great soulful groove compositions to put up. Since Renee was recorded on the May 14 session and Here on the May 16 session, we can celebrate both.

  Six years before that, (on May 14, 1957) flutist Herbie Mann recorded Eddie Costa’s composition Here’s That Mann with Eddie on vibes in a sextet format. Herbie played tenor sax, unusual for him. Although it can be played in a quartet (or even trio) format, Eddie’s original arrangement is preserved, with the addition of separate Vibes and Guitar parts as well (the original sextet recording featured Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Vibes, Guitar, Bass and Drums).

  May 15th and 16th are birthdays for two more of our composers: trumpeter Joe Gordon (May 15, 1928) and trombonist Eddie Bert (May 16, 1922).

  In honor of Joe Gordon’s birthday, listen to his beautiful ballad Heleen. Joe was a very important trumpet player whose peers thought would help take the trumpet to another level. Sadly, he died far too young at the age of 35. Trumpeter Brian Lynch in his recent Unsung Heroes project pays a beautiful tribute to Joe, also recording Heleen.

  Transcribed Solo editions: Both Joe Gordon’s and Brian Lynch’s solos and melody treatments are available in separate B-flat and C treble clef editions. An unusual and rewarding opportunity to see how both of these great trumpet artists interpret the same ballad.

  Losing Eddie Bert this last year was a blow to many of us. For his birthday I’m giving everyone the chance to hear Eddie’s trombone victoriously attacking one of his great blues melodies (Ripples). The audio excerpt teases with the beginning of his aggressive solo.

  Plus, the second drum transcription of master drummer Charli Persip: six pages of detail, including Dizzy Gillespie and Charli’s exchanges on the famous recording of The Eternal Triangle.

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

• New at jazzleadsheets.com May 11, 2013

  Noting some anniversaries …

  I found it very interesting that on the same day, May 9, in two different years (1954 and 1966), Elmo Hope was in a studio, recording.
  Maybe So was recorded May 9, 1954.
  Roll On was recorded May 9, 1966 (Elmo’s last recording session).

  On May 12, 1964, organist Don Patterson recorded Up In Betty’s Room. This is the perfect time to introduce him to jazzleadsheets.com.

  Plus, the Drum Corner welcomes two new drummers, "Papa" Jo Jones and Billy Higgins.
  The first transcription of the legendary "Papa" Jo Jones is from the Jo Jones Trio recording of Ray Bryant’s Philadelphia Bound. The lead sheets for this blues are available, too.

  And, you can examine under your musical microscope the artistry of one of the truly great drummers: Billy Higgins. See what he plays behind the melody as well as his exchanges with Dexter Gordon on Dexter’s Benji’s Bounce (8s then 4s then 2s). The lead sheets are already posted.

  Jazzleadsheets.com is preparing for a website upgrade: we want an easy-to-use search engine and a smooth checkout experience on a faster server. Maybe video clips. If you have suggestions, let us know by emailing me at don@secondfloormusic.com.

  Thanks,
  Don Sickler
  www.jazzleadsheets.com and www.SecondFloorMusic.com
  phone 212-741-1175
  email don@secondfloormusic.com

• Happy birthday these composers: let's celebrate with new music!

  Jazzleadsheets.com’s calendar revealed some important birthdays the last week of April. Two composers are already on jazzleadsheets.com (Johnny Griffin and Tommy Turrentine). This is a perfect time to post another composition for each of them and to introduce the new ones.

  April 21, 1932 SLIDE HAMPTON
  One of the great trombonists who is also an important composer and arranger. Wikipedia calls Slide “A master composer, arranger and uniquely gifted trombone player.” Sister Salvation.

  April 22, 1928 TOMMY TURRENTINE
  Tommy was a great composer and trumpet player. His brother Stanley told me that he felt that Tommy was the real musical talent in the family. Tommy wrote this composition for his and Stanley’s sister, Bonnie.

  April 22, 1935 PAUL CHAMBERS
  The dominant bassist of his generation who was sought after by everyone, he played on over 350 session in his short life. He was also a master of creating melodies that could feature himself along with others in the group, like Ease It.
  In honor of Paul’s birthday, we’re announcing jazzleadsheets.com’s jazz Bass Corner which will be launched in full this summer. We are blessed to be involved with many great bass players. Paul and his music will get special attention this summer thanks to a unique Paul Chambers project I had the honor of working on with a truly gifted young bassist, Daryl Johns. Be sure to check out the two clips of Daryl playing “Ease It” when he was thirteen.

  April 24, 1928 JOHNNY GRIFFIN
  A true “Little Giant” of jazz with a captivating and uplifting personality, and incredible talent as a tenor saxophonist and composer. He wrote and performed this moving ballad for his tribute album to vocalist Billie Holiday, White Gardenia.

  April 27, 1917 DENZIL BEST
  A gifted pianist and trumpet player (also bassist) who became one of the important drummers of his generation, Denzil Best also composed several jazz standards. Try his Surgery.

• April celebrations: Birthdays and anniversaries from composers old and new

  We want to add more titles from composers who are already on jazzleadsheets.com, but we’re also trying to add more composers to the site. Looking at the calendar this month we found birthday anniversaries of two new-to-jazzleadsheets.com artist/composers, and we also found some recording anniversaries. We’re celebrating the middle week of April with these:

  April 16, 1923: Trombonist Bennie Green’s 90th birthday. Listen to his B.G.’s Groove Two.

  April 18, 1925: Celebrate baritone saxophonist Leo Parker’s 88th birthday with Glad Lad.

  April 19, 1958: Art Farmer recorded his end-of-session blues. Hear how he relaxes with Back In The Cage [trumpet solo only, B-flat and C editions].

  April 19, 2000: The 49th anniversary of Lucky Thompson’s 1964 recording of Prey Loot, being celebrated with violinist Regina Carter’s new recording.

  April 20, 1956: The first recording of pianist Barry Harris’s High Step, on a piano-less recording with John Coltrane, Pepper Adams, Curtis Fuller, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

  We’re also finishing up more drum transcriptions: check out Charli Persip’s drumming on his recording with Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Three For The Festival.

  In case you haven’t seen Charli talk about his experiences, check out our YouTube channel.

• 50 years of Kenny Dorham

  April 1, 1963, was the recording date of trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s landmark album Una Mas. We’ve had the title composition of the album available on jazzleadsheets.com for some time. When we realized the 50th anniversary was coming up, we geared ourselves up to make sure that we’d have both of Kenny’s other originals, Sao Paulo and Straight Ahead, on jazzleadsheets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark recording.

  Kenny Dorham’s music from this session is important, and the album itself is classic. It’s tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson’s first recording session. The incredible young rhythm section had recorded together once less than two months earlier for what was drummer Tony Williams first recording session. Pianist Herbie Hancock had only been recording since 1961, and bassist Butch Warren since 1960.

  jazzleadsheets.com gives you the option of playing these compositions in any instrumental format: as a quartet or as originally recorded (a quintet), with the original instrumentation or with alternate instrumental parts available.

  We’re also making available Kenny Dorham’s solos on Sao Paulo and Straight Ahead in both B-flat and concert key editions.

  We’ll also be celebrating additional important Kenny Dorham 50th anniversary recordings this year.

  Enjoy this great music!
  Don Sickler
  phone 212-741-1175 - email don@secondfloormusic.com

• New lead sheets from 5 great pianists

  Soul Time - Bobby Timmons
  Another delight, this time in 3/4, from Bobby Timmons, which he recorded on three occasions. We’re also offering Bobbby’s complete piano voicings.

  Freffie - Elmo Hope
  Another great “II-V” blues melody to add to your repertory. Read more about it in our notes.

  Gone To See T - Bertha Hope - new composer to jazzleadsheets.com!
  Bertha Hope, whose first jazz teachers were Elmo Hope and Richie Powell, recalling the days she and Elmo hung out with T (Thelonious Monk). Definitely not just the wife of Elmo Hope, Bertha is a tremendous talent herself, both as a composer and as a pianist.

  Something In B-flat - Ray Bryant
  As you can see by scanning our Composer list, we already have a lot of great Ray Bryant on jazzleadsheets.com and there are other gems that we’re still working on. Ray had almost forgotten about his Something in B-flat, which was the opening track of Benny Golson’s “New York Scene” album. I immediately got his attention when I told him that this track was used in the Tom Hanks movie “The Terminal,” in which Benny Golson, and some of Benny’s music, also played a prominent role.

  Two Sides Of A Penny - Cecilia Coleman
  One of my favorite Cecilia Coleman compositions, from her California period.

  Enjoy the music!
  Don Sickler
  phone 212-741-1175
  email don@secondfloormusic.com

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