Gigi Gryce

• new July 18, 2012

  Donnellon Square (Kenny Drew)
  We’ve already made available several of Kenny Drew’s wonderful compositions that he wrote and recorded when he was well established in Europe in the 1970s. Now, we’re returning to his first recording date, in 1950, when he was just 21 years of age. You’ll hear he was already well versed in the bebop vocabulary. Listening to his opening solo piano introduction and hearing the depth of his composition, it’s easy to understand why he was on so many recordings during his career (over 250).

  The Opener (Hank Mobley)
  Here’s another great Hank Mobley composition and arrangement that he contributed to the “Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers” legacy. It’s a sincere tribute to the jazz artist/composer when the leader keeps their music in the repertoire after the artist leaves the group (Wayne Shorter was the tenor saxophonist on this recording).

  Straight Ahead (Gigi Gryce)
  The Jazz Lab was an important Gigi Gryce/Donald Byrd group for which Gigi wrote and arranged many great compositions. This slow swinger is certainly one of them.

  Three For Two (Jeanfrancois Prins)
  A very serious European jazz artist (guitar) and composer with a true melodic gift. We’re honored to be able to make his music and recordings available on jazzleadsheets.com. Also check out his new CD, "El Gaucho."

  Old World, New Imports (Hank Mobley): Philly Joe Jones drum transcription
  We’ve had the lead sheet for this composition available for some time. Now we’re adding the inspiration for the composition, drummer Philly Joe Jones’ valuable contribution. This composition definitely was written to be recorded with Philly Joe, and as usual, he comes through with flying colors. Check this one out, drummers! Also, visit the Jazz Drum Corner Blog.

  --Don Sickler

   

• new December 16, 2011

  Chips - Elmo Hope
  Stars Over Marrakesh - Elmo Hope

  We had a fun Elmo Hope experience in my rehearsal studio a few nights ago. I told pianist/composer Bertha Hope, Elmo’s widow and definitely the leading authority on Elmo’s music, that we needed to get together to play Elmo’s music with two special musicians. Bassist Putter Smith would be in NYC (he lives in California) and he’d like to play some Elmo AGAIN. In the late 1950s, when he was still a teenager, he got to gig with Elmo for quite a few weeks over a six month period in the Los Angeles area. Alto saxophonist/composer Jerry Dodgion had been talking to me about playing, and when I mentioned Putter, and that he had played with Elmo, I found out that Jerry had also played with Elmo in some jam sessions in San Francisco in the 1950s. Jerry said he was also definitely up for playing some of Elmo’s quintet music, so that’s what we did the other night. Bertha hadn’t known that Putter and Jerry had played with Elmo, so she was delighted. After we finished playing and were trying to get some air back into our lungs, I told Bertha that we should talk about their experiences with Elmo. We rolled some video, which we’ll be putting up soon on our jazzleadsheets.com YouTube channel.

  In preparation for that evening rehearsal, I got busy and put together a bunch more of Elmo’s quintet arrangements so we could read them and get them ready for jazzleadsheets.com. Normally I only put up one title by a composer at a time, but, in honor of that fun occasion, I’m putting out two of the ones we played that night. More Elmo Hope will be put on jazzleadsheets.com over the next few months.

  Our editions of STARS OVER MARRAKESH require a little explanation. This composition was recorded twice by Elmo, both as trio recordings. Both recorded arrangements are different. To avoid confusion, we’ve labeled them first version and second version. We believe the first version is the primary version, so we’ve expanded only that version for our other instrumental editions. Elmo’s piano melody always has a harmony part, therefore it’s perfect for two horns, so we’re also providing second part editions.

  The second version is from Elmo’s second recording, eight years later than the first recording. It has melodic and harmonic differences, and the bridge is in a different key (see our details page for more explanation). Elmo’s wife, Bertha Hope, who is a fine pianist and composer herself, is also the authority for understanding Elmo’s music. Even Bertha doesn’t know why Elmo made the alterations he did for the second recording. Maybe he couldn’t find his original lead sheet or he didn’t go back to the original recording. I know if we didn’t have the first recording, the second one would be rewarding enough. The fact that we have both, and C treble clef editions of each are available, gives you a chance to examine these two recordings in detail, giving you further insight into this important composer.

  more editions of: A Night At Tony’s - Gigi Gryce
  Stupendous-Lee - Gigi Gryce

  The lead sheets and second parts for these two important Gigi Gryce compositions have been available for some time. We’ve had some general requests for more transcribed solos, so both Gigi’s and Art Farmer’s solos from these recordings are naturals to make available. Studying these two soloists is rewarding, especially examining and comparing their solos on the same recording, and even trading fours with each other on A NIGHT AT TONY’S. They’re both what I call real note players: their lines always have such clarity of thought. All their articulations are also notated, giving you the real fingerprints of these great artists. Full B-flat and C editions give everyone the opportunity to examine these solos on their own instruments.

  Workout - Hank Mobley (Philly Joe Jones drum transcription)

  Again, we’ve had the lead sheets for this one out for some time. This is a great drum feature composition, and now you can examine in detail the mastery of the legendary drummer Mobley wrote the composition for: Philly Joe Jones. You can see his eight-measure solo drum intro, followed by everything he plays on the head (full of two-measure exchanges between the horns and Philly Joe). Also, unique to our publications, you always see what the horns are playing (in a smaller staff, above the drum staff). For students or professional drummers, these transcriptions are amazing to study! Also check out Evan Hughes’ blog, the Jazz Drum Corner. See and hear Evan playing his transcription of Philly Joe’s fours with the soloists on NO ROOM FOR SQUARES, and you’ll see why he’s such an important part of our transcribing staff.

  Enjoy!
  Don Sickler
  Second Floor Music and jazzleadsheets.com
  don@secondfloormusic.com
  phone 212-741-1175

• new May titles

  Dexter Gordon’s Le Coiffeur, a title with echoes of 1950s TV, but hipper

  Ronnie Mathews’s Dorian, an exploration of the dorian mode, along with Ronnie’s solo piano arrangement

  Basheer’s Dream by Gigi Gryce, from Kenny Dorham’s Afro-Cuban album

  Sound Within An Empty Room, a beautiful ballad by Fritz Pauer, played by Art Farmer and Pauer. Pauer’s solo piano arrangement available, too.

  The vocal version of Pauer’s instrumental ballad, with lyric by vocalist Mark Murphy, titled Empty Room

  Enjoy the music. Make time to play new music every week!
  Don Sickler

• Two new composers: Mal Waldron and Gene Roland

  Mood Malody by Mal Waldron
  This is the first Mal Waldron composition on jazzleadsheets.com. It was recorded by Mal on piano, on what was Jackie McLean’s first album as a leader, with a young Donald Byrd on trumpet in the front line. As far as we can determine, it’s Mal’s first recorded jazz composition. Melody and second parts available.

  Rat Race Blues by Gigi Gryce
  This composition definitely brings to mind the tension and discord of modern life in a big city. Although the melody starts out simply, it is eventually played simultaneously by three instruments, each in a different key. Gigi expanded the composition into a larger form for a film project, and it became the soundtrack of a prize-winning film. See details on jazzleadsheets.com.

  Same To You by Johnny Griffin
  A playful Johnny Griffin title that gives you a good technical workout. It was recorded by an unusual ensemble: tenor sax, drums, and two basses, on Johnny’s “Change Of Pace” album. This album is having its 50th anniversary this month.

  Good Old Soul by Tina Brooks
  We feel it’s very important that everyone has the opportunity to buy the original track. This arrangement appears twice (with an added alternate take) on the original Blue Note session, but they’re both long tracks. At iTunes, you have to get the whole album. Amazon makes longer takes available, so I’ve now added this arrangement to jazzleadsheets.com along with the other two shorter Tina Brooks compositions that we already have online. “True Blue” is a great album, played by an important cast of jazz artists assisting Tina Brooks: Freddie Hubbard, Duke Jordan, Sam Jones and Art Taylor.
  Latin bridge, swing solos. Great to play. Second parts available.

  Opus In Chartreuse by Gene Roland
  We have the honor of publishing quite a few Gene Roland gems. Opus In Chartreuse was an important mainstay of the Stan Kenton band. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to see this master, Gene Roland, at work, doing what he did best, which was write music. I can’t remember who called me, or exactly when it was, but it had to be sometime in the 1970s. I was living in New York, in the theater district, and I got a call to make a rehearsal band. When I arrived I was introduced to Gene Roland, who handed out a few charts, and we rehearsed. I knew who Gene was, and I knew he was a trumpet player, but at this rehearsal he also played tenor sax. After the rehearsal, we were asked if we could make another rehearsal in a week, and we all agreed to come back. The following week, to my utter amazement, Gene passed out a whole book, 20 or 30 complete arrangements for the band. It wasn’t a full big band, but there were seven or eight horns and rhythm section. Gene had not only written the entire book of arrangements that week, but he’d also written out all the parts himself. I was blown away!

  Enjoy the music.
  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.

• 5 new titles, with alto sax, trumpet and piano solos

  Nica’s Tempo is a significant Gigi Gryce composition that he revisited several times during his career. We’ve posted lead sheets for two different quintet arrangements by Gigi that were recorded almost 5 years apart, and I’ve explained some important differences between the two. Melody and second parts are available for both. Also, Gryce’s and Farmer’s solos are available, both great studies in improvisation. Trumpet players, especially newer players, should get a lot out of studying both the Art Farmer and Gigi Gryce (B-flat edition) solos. Alto solos transposed to B-flat generally don’t go too high, giving trumpet soloists who haven’t yet developed their high range new ideas in a lower register.

  Elmo Hope was one of Monk’s favorite composers. It’s fascinating to follow his compositional history since his style of writing changed over the years. I feel it’s important to start with his earlier works, like Happy Hour. We’ll post a few more over the next weeks, then get into the later period.

  January 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of Bobby Timmons’s recording career as a leader. Although we’re starting with a 1961 session here, with Easy Does It, we’ll get to his 1960 gems to commemorate their 50th anniversary later this year. Check out our first transcribed piano solo, Bobby’s six piano choruses on five pages. Timmons’ solos should be available for study. He’s always so full of energy, movement and swing. We’ve really made an attempt to indicate his articulations, which are so much a part of his playing. He can create a great funky feel, or just swing like hell. Either way, he doesn’t hold back, he’s always generating his own type of energy. He exhibits the qualities of a true artist: he always sounds like “Bobby Timmons.”

  We’ve already given you two of Ray Bryant’s Latin-jazz classics: Cubano Chant and Cuban Fantasy, but we also want you to hear Reflection. We’ve posted two different recordings, one by Ray himself, and one by his friend, pianist Phineas Newborn. Fun to compare the two approaches.

  Tina Brooks had the soulful trumpeter Johnny Coles at his side for “The Waiting Game” session, and I’m sure Johnny Coles loved this one. Dhyana is soulful and definitely swinging.

  Thanks for visiting jazzleadsheets.com!
  --Don Sickler

• 2 solos and a new Harold Land composition

  In the week before Christmas, check out two new transcribed solos for one of Gigi Gryce’s most popular compositions, Social Call. Learn Art Farmer’s trumpet solo and Gigi’s alto sax solo. C treble clef editions for both, as well as E-flat and B-flat for Gigi’s solo, and B-flat for Art’s. This is the first Gigi Gryce solo on jazzleadsheets.com. More coming soon. The lead sheets for Social Call are also available.

  Also, Harold Land’s Landslide, from the Curtis Counce album of the same name. Now three tracks from that album are available on jazzleadsheets.com, including Mia by Carl Perkins and A Fifth For Frank by Gerald Wiggins. Great trumpet/tenor charts. Make your fingers work for the holidays!

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