Don Friedman

  • 57 years of music in one week

    The dog days of summer are here. We're marking the start of August with a release that features our classic repertoire and highlights some of our special projects. This week's releases concentrates on important recording anniversaries. Classic recordings like Clifford Brown's Daahoud and Joy Spring (now available in F in addition to the E-flat version added earlier this summer) with details to these classics that are frequently overlooked. We've also added a new vocal selection: Jon Hendricks's lyric to Moanin' by Bobby Timmons.
    Three more of our composers recorded four years ago this week in what we call our "Duos with Daryl" in a project with the extremely talented young bassist, Daryl Johns, who had just turned 15 years old at the time. We're releasing three pieces, two of which have only been recorded as part of this project, to commemorate the anniversary: Red Sky Waltz (Don Friedman),  Silk (Norman Simmons), and Blues Scam (Richard Wyands).
    To celebrate their birthdays this week, we are also adding A Laugh For Rory (Rahsaan Roland Kirk) and Smoke Signal (John Webber).
    This release celebrates music recorded from 1954 to 2011 -- a diverse and exciting selection:

    CLIFFORD BROWN: Daahoud
    How well do you know Daahoud? Try it exactly how the quintet played it. Two Clifford Brown trumpet solos available.

    CLIFFORD BROWN: Joy Spring
    Think you know Joy Spring? Think again! New lead sheets in F available. Clifford Brown trumpet solo transcriptions available: master and alt takes from the quintet version (B-flat and C editions); septet version (B-flat and C editions).

    BOBBY TIMMONS & JON HENDRICKS: Moanin'
    A gospel-inspired lyric on a soul-jazz classic.

    RICHARD WYANDS: Blues Scam
    Angular hard-bop blues with a bridge. Piano-bass duo score available. This piece has never been recorded before. From the Duos With Daryl series; a jazzleadsheets.com audio exclusive.

    NORMAN SIMMONS: Silk
    Smooth rhythm changes. Piano-bass duo score available. This piece has also never been recorded before. From the Duos With Daryl series; a jazzleadsheets.com audio exclusive.

    DON FRIEDMAN: Red Sky Waltz
    Flowing & lovely with changing meter. Piano-bass duo score available. From the Duos With Daryl series; a jazzleadsheets.com audio exclusive.

    RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK: A Laugh For Rory
    Simple & modal, in two-part harmony. First and second parts available.

    JOHN WEBBER: Smoke Signal
    A modern head with many rhythm section hits in the head.

  • 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

  • Three new composers

    Hello, music fans. For this week’s jazzleadsheets.com releases, I decided it would be fun to compare compositions by two gifted pianist/composers from Second Floor Music. The compositions start out with some definite similarities, but develop very differently.
    A Touching Affair by James Williams (first recorded in 1984)
    vs.
    Flamands by Don Friedman (first recorded in 1995)

    —- melodic similarities
    Both composers love the minor key, and they both started their compositions with a vamping piano/bass figure. Another striking similarity is the rhythmic shape and melodic contour of the opening phrase of each melody. This is where the similarity ends. Don’s opening G minor melodic phrase moves from the 5th up to the minor 7th then down to the 11th, while James’ opening F-sharp minor melodic phrase moves from the root up to the minor third then down to the minor 7th.
    —- melodic phrase development
    Don repeats the opening phrase melody, then keeps the melody almost intact, but in F minor. James develops his opening phrase over twelve measures.
    Interestingly, Don’s melody was originally spread over twelve measures when he first recorded it on his “Almost Everything” session. On his “Straight Ahead” session it’s developed over sixteen measures.

    You Never Leave My Mind by James Williams and Marc Ostrow
    This is the lyric version of A Touching Affair. It’s in a different, female friendly key. In addition to the vocal lead sheet, an accompaniment-only track is available, complete with full chorus (long form) solo section.
    Besides being a great composer and pianist, James Williams was also a champion for many other artists. He introduced me to Bobby Watson, Billy Pierce (and the other musicians on “Alter Ego”) and later, Donald Brown, Geoff Keezer and many other great artists.

    Horizon Reassembled by Bobby Watson
    The “Horizon Reassembled” CD reunites the exact same personnel that recorded together in 1991 and 1993. You can find more info about Horizon in the Historical Notes for this composition. Also, I want to mention that Second Floor Music has quite a few Bobby Watson “Horizon” combo arrangements available. Search by Recording Leader for "Bobby Watson & Horizon" on SecondFloorMusic.com. I’ve always loved Bobby’s music. He definitely has a strong compositional voice that is easy to recognize. Look for more of his compositions on jazzleadsheets.com soon.

    Sunset by Kenny Drew
    Kenny Drew is probably most known as one of the great rhythm section pianists. It’s hard to find artists that he didn’t record with. He’s also a gifted composer, and we’re introducing him on jazzleadsheets.com with one of his beautiful ballads. Kenny Drew is also the father of another exceptional pianist/composer, Kenny Drew, Jr., who is already represented in jazzleadsheets.com. Obviously, two Kenny Drew’s can be confusing, but we’ll try to make that confusion worthwhile as we bring you more of their great music.

    Thanks for visiting jazzleadsheets.com
    Don Sickler

  • New titles and composers at jazzleadsheets.com!

    Enjoy the music of two new composers, both pianists and well-known jazz artists.

    Composer and pianist Don Friedman and a trio composition, Almost Everything, based on the changes of the standard “All The Things You Are.” C treble clef, B-flat, E-flat and C bass clef editions are available, as well as Friedman’s own solo piano arrangement.

    Richard Wyands, also a composer and pianist, with another trio feature, Half And Half. A great rhythm section feature, with the rhythm hits shown in the C treble clef edition. In addition to the standard C treble, B-flat, E-flat and C bass lead sheets, Richard Wyands’ solo piano arrangement is available along with an MP3 of pianist Kenny Drew, Jr., performing it, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder.

    We also have new compositions by composers familiar to jazzleadsheets.com visitors:
    -One new composition by Gigi Gryce, with first and second parts and Gigi’s transcribed alto sax solo in E-flat, B-flat and C editions. Transfiguration was recorded by Mal Waldron on Mal 1, with Gryce and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet.

    -Two new Ray Bryant offerings: I Don’t Care, originally recorded by the Cannonball Adderley Orchestra on "In The Land Of Hi-Fi," with Junior Mance on piano. And Talk To Me, the lyric version of I Don't Care from singer Tina May. Tina's version, which she recorded with Ray himself, is in G minor. The result is a delightful vocal. In addition to the lead sheet, we’ve made MP3 files available, both with the vocal and without the vocal (accompaniment only). Great for learning and playing both songs.

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