Richard Wyands

  • The Gigi Gryce Project and more

    Introducing The Gigi Gryce Project. We're excited to be releasing the first two tracks from The Gigi Gryce Project, Evening In Casablanca and Satellite. Lead sheets for ten of the Gryce compositions we recorded are already available on jazleadsheets.com, but now we'll be able to add minus you tracks for all twelve of these wonderful compositions. Plus, we're expanding our editions to cover other Gryce recordings of the compositions and adding transcribed solos, giving you the opportunity for further insight into these great compositions and great soloists.

    In 1960, when Gigi started recording again as a leader, his rhythm section was centered around pianist Richard Wyands. The Gigi Gryce Project was also centered around Richard, with Gryce devotee Kenny Washington on drums and bassist Peter Washington rounding out the rhythm section. I elected to change Gigi's basic quintet front line of trumpet/alto sax to alto sax/tenor sax, using two of my favorite musicians, Bobby Porcelli on alto and Ralph Moore on tenor.

    With minus you tracks for every instrument, all musicians can have the experience of being part of the session. Stay tuned: we'll be releasing new titles and minus you tracks every week or so.

    With the recent online and DVD release of "Jaco: The Film" bringing renewed and well deserved attention to the late bassist Jaco Pastorius, we want to introduce pianist Jon Davis's beautiful tribute to the great musician, titled Ballad for Jaco. Jon had the honor of playing and recording with Jaco. Jon writes, "It was a life altering experience in that Jaco's musical inspiration and influence was such a powerful force." To premiere the ballad as a piano/bass duo he chose young bassist Daryl Johns, who was just 15 at the time of the recording and video of the session. Lead sheets and Rudy Van Gelder's exclusive audio of the duo are available.

    Geoffrey Keezer wrote Personal Space the day before the session for "Waiting In The Wings," his first album as a leader, recorded when he was only 17. Some years later, Geoffrey was the pianist accompanist for the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Bass Competition, where another young musician, 13-year-old bassist Daryl Johns, was one of the semifinalists. I got the two musicians together in 2011 for a duo session at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio. Geoffrey revisited Personal Space with Daryl playing the melody rubato for the first chorus. Piano solos from both versions are available, along with exclusive audio and video of the duo session.

    Vocalist/lyricist/composer Judy Niemack has Something To Say, and we have a lovely video of her singing it in the jazzleadsheets.com studio with guitarist Jeanfrançois Prins. Judy's complete track and a minus you track without vocal are both available in C minor

    TIP: You can find minus you titles by clicking on FEATURES in the top menu bar of every page and scrolling down to Minus You, then choosing For Instrumentalists or For Vocalists. Or type minus you in the search box at the top of every page (instrumental titles only). We'll be adding more in the coming weeks.

    Thanks for keeping the music alive!
    Don Sickler and the jazzleadsheets.com team

  • 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.

  • Welcome to the new jazzleadsheets.com!

    The wait is over . . . it's here!

    The big day has finally come: our new website is live on jazzleadsheets.com!

    Visit us now to see the brand new look and new features -- and new composers and music! Our new website includes an easy search function always at the top right of every page, embedded videos, expanded instrumental sections, new payment options (now including PayPal), and a mobile-friendly design. We now feature special content on our homepage, so be sure to click the dots at the bottom of the new arrivals graphic to browse this week's exclusive videos.

    We hope you enjoy this revamp as much as we do. If you have any suggestions, click here to let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you.
    It wouldn't be a news update from jazzleadsheets.com without new music. Here are our first releases of the summer.

    RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRKSerenade To A Cuckoo
    A sunny and whimsical swing featuring a video of Rahsaan Roland Kirk on flute.

    SLIDE HAMPTONFrame For The Blues
    This sultry slow blues is a classic. See three moving video performances.

    ROY HARGROVEMental Phrasing
    A fusion of modern jazz, hard bop, and Latin.

    JIM MCNEELY: Over The Edge
    A versatile samba with video of Jim McNeely & Stan Getz. Solo piano arrangement and exclusive audio track available.

    DON SICKLER: Tempo di Max
    A Don Sickler original with Minus You audio and a solo piano arrangement. See a 13 year-old Daryl Johns play at lightning speeds!

    RICHARD WYANDSYes It Is
    A syncopated swinger with exclusive audio and video.

    DOUG WATKINSBet
    Bass and trumpet play this medium swing melody. There's Minus You audio for every instrument.

    JIM ROTONDIMiller Time
    A cool and relaxed hard bop.

    BILL BARRONTone Colors
    Modern and striking!

    AL COHNThe Note
    Uptempo swing from a melodic master. This chart comes from the Al Cohn/Zoot Sims book -- make your own arrangement with our 1st and 2nd parts.

    Enjoy the music,
    Don Sickler and the jazzleadsheets.com team

     

  • October 15, 2011 ballads and more

    I’m a sucker for a great ballad, and this time three out of the five new compositions on jazzleadsheets are exactly that, ballads. They’re written by three great pianists, from three different generations, who are all known for their sensitivity as artists. It’s not surprising that the music is wonderful. I encourage everyone to check out our audio excerpts.

    Because the excerpts start at the beginning of the melodies, you don’t get an indication of the form of the compositions. Renaissance Lovers by James Williams is a beautiful continuously developing 12-measure melody. Richard WyandsWillow Tree spins out over 24 measures (ABA form), as does Cecilia Coleman’s 32-measure (AABA) Posie.

    If you listen to the intro of the recording of Charles Fambrough’s Alycia, where pianist Kenny Kirkland plays the C section of the AABC melody in a rubato ballad style, you could easily think that it’s also going to be a ballad, but Charles conceived it as a bossa. Of course, it could be performed as a ballad, as well.

    Our last composition this time is Ray Bryant’s Pawn Ticket, which is definitely not a ballad. It’s full of Ray’s wit and energy and will definitely put a smile on your face.

    --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 Methe 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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