melody transcription

• Jon Davis: innovative, impressive, memorable

  Jazzleadsheets.com is excited to release music from three recording sessions featuring pianist and composer Jon Davis. The first of these was recorded on September 4, 2010, at the Van Gelder Studio, with Daryl Johns on bass (who was 14 years old at the time), and his father Steve Johns on drums. Ten Jon Davis compositions were recorded at this session, and as they are added to jazzleadsheets.com they will appear in Rhythm Section Workshop format with Minus You tracks for piano, bass, and drums. This is a great opportunity to get into Jon's compositions in detail.

  In addition to lead sheets and Rhythm Section Workshop piano, bass, and drum parts, most of these songs have a Melody Transcription available which shows exactly how Jon plays the melodies on these recordings. Jon always finds new ways to interpret his own songs, constantly re-imagining the melodic and rhythmic material; the transcriptions may inspire you to come up with your own expressive interpretation of these songs.

  On May 26, 2012, Jon came to the Van Gelder Studio again, this time by himself, and recorded solo piano versions of six of the same songs, as well as several others. These solo piano recordings also have melody transcriptions, which show further ways to interpret these melodies. Videos are available from this session so you can literally see how he plays.

  Plus, check out the August 24th, 2011, session of Jon Davis and Daryl Johns duo. A jazz piano master and a kid? Not so!

• 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.

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