Dena DeRose

• New Minus You, Ray Starling, and more new arrivals

  Just in time for Father’s Day, we have a message from Justin Robinson. Love Thy Father is a ballad with colorful harmonies, which Justin recorded both in 1997 and 2017.

  We have more new titles up on jazzleadsheets.com. Two of them have exclusive “Further Explorations” audio available in Minus You format. The first of these is May Moon, a dreamy, lyrical 3/4 song by pianist/vocalist Dena DeRose. Lost In You is a warm, impassioned ballad by jazzleadsheets.com’s Don Sickler. This song is available in a unique duo Minus You setting accompanied only by piano. Now’s your chance to work on your ballad playing with legendary pianist Ray Bryant!

  We’re welcoming another new composer to jazzleadsheets.com. Ray Starling was a trumpeter, mellophonist, and pianist who played in several big bands in the ‘60s. He wrote Mellophobia and Four Of A Kind to feature the mellophone section of Stan Kenton’s big band, which he both played in and wrote for in 1961-62. Our lead sheets for these songs show the intros, codas, and a few countermelodies from the big band arrangements; both songs certainly work just as well in a small group setting.

  Also new to jazzleadsheets.com are two easy, laid-back blues heads in a classic hard bop style. Nice ’N Greasy is a funky riff head by Adriano Acea, originally recorded by trumpeter Lou Donaldson. The JAMFs Are Coming is a Johnny Griffin classic; Johnny recorded it many times from the ‘60s to his very last album in 2008. Not a blues but in a similar vein, The One Before This is one of Gene Ammons’ best-known compositions. We have condensed scores and horn parts for the two-horn arrangement from the classic Ammons/Sonny Stitt album “Boss Tenors,” as well as a three-horn arrangement recorded in 1995 by organist Jimmy Smith.

• We'd never trick you: here are some new treats from your favorite composers

  We’re back this week to add to our collection of “incredible music” (a customer’s phrase!) with some great instrumental and vocal lead sheets.

  To kick off this week, a hard bob title from Sonny Clark: SONNY’S CRIB. The bluesy head is the perfect foundation for incredible solos (check out Coltrane’s blowing on the recording featured here!) and its clean simplicity is undeniably appealing.

  If you’d like something a bit more exotic, check out Bob Brookmeyer’s BLUE CHINA, a fun send-up of Chinese-style music. A cultural collision comes forth in the B section, when the Chinese-style melodies of the piano and horns break into full American swing. It’s an unexpected twist that really makes this piece pop! The extraordinary communication between flugelhornist Clark Terry and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer is natural, seemingly effortless and totally delightful.

  Rounding out our instrumental selections is a Freddie Redd composition, WALTZIN’ IN. This bouncy waltz recalls a couple gliding across a ballroom floor, but the driving rhythmic pulse keeps the piece edgy and modern.

  For vocalists, we have three different takes on that classic theme, love. Meredith d’Ambrosio’s MELODIOUS FUNK reflects on love lost, lamenting the end of a relationship and the lonely feelings that just won’t go away. The sultry, laid-back swing vibe keeps it from getting too dark, though, and the blues-inflected melody is supremely catchy.

  If you’re feeling romantic, look no further than WITHOUT YOU, Shelley Brown’s lyric version of Renee Rosnes’s Malaga Moon. This meditative ballad has a haunting, ethereal melody that draws the listener in. The poetic lyric compares a lover to the stars and moon—without him, there is only the darkness of night. Both words and music are nothing short of beautiful! Accompaniment-only audio available.

  Our final vocal selection is another ballad—the wistful, dreamy IN THE GLOW OF THE MOON, with music by Dena DeRose and lyric by Meredith d’Ambrosio. This waltz has a strong rhythmic pulse that makes it work best at a medium tempo, so it’s a great choice for singers looking for a ballad that isn’t too slow. It also showcases a variety of different ranges and techniques of the singer’s voice as it travels to distant keys and back again. Both composer and lyricist have recorded this song, so we offer transcriptions of both their renditions—it’s a great comparison tool as you can study how to make a gorgeous song like this your own while still staying true to the already-lovely melody.

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