Tommy Turrentine

  • Introducing MINUS YOU: a brand new way to practice

    It’s been busy here in our New York office — on Monday, January 6, we celebrated Blue Note’s 75th anniversary with two Meade Lux Lewis piano transcriptions (Melancholy / Solitude) which comprised BN-1, the actual first Blue Note release. On Wednesday, January 8, we celebrated the anniversary of the recording of Kenny Burrell’s classic Blue Note album Midnight Blue. Today we’re back with another round of great charts — and a new collaboration with a new series of audio editions!

    In addition to making leadsheets and arrangements available, jazzleadsheets.com is starting a new series of instrumental audio play-a-long editions for every member of the recorded ensemble. We call it our [minus you] editions. We've long offered practice tracks of our Singer's Corner compositions so vocalists could sing with a professional ensemble, but with our [minus you] series, we're taking it to the next level. We're now offering tracks of the highest caliber musicians with options for each part removed -- so you can practice with professionals.

    I’m starting this new series with the help on one of my old friends, fellow trumpet player, Brian Lynch. We’ve always had the  common quest to pay tribute to very important trumpet player/composers who haven’t received their due. Several years ago Brian came up with his “Unsung Heroes Project” recording concept and came to us to get some music by three of their mutual heroes: Idrees Sulieman, Tommy Turrentine and Joe Gordon.

    We’re starting this marriage of jazzleadsheets.com and Brian’s Hollistic Music with one composition each by these important trumpet/composer giants:
    Big Red (Tommy Turrentine)
    Terra Firma Irma (Joe Gordon)
    Orange Blossoms (Idrees Sulieman)

    Big Red was recorded as a quintet by Brian.
    Terra Firma Irma was as a sextet by Brian, and also originally recorded by Joe Gordon as a quintet.
    Orange Blossoms was recorded by Brian in a quartet context. Judy Niemack also wrote a lyric to this beautiful ballad, which required a new title for the lyric version: With You.

    The written music is available in separate editions: go to each song page for a list of what is available.

    Transcribed trumpet solos are also available for Terra Firma Irma (for Brian and Joe) and Big Red (Brian only).
    Specific [minus you] editions are also available: you can substitute yourself for any instrument in the ensemble!

    "Front line" is the term used to signify the melody player along with anyone else in "the front line" playing harmony parts, as in a quintet or sextet. Our [minus you] editions for front line players feature them as the only soloists; they play in the ensemble for the melodies.

    Solos for front line players: On the original recordings there are often various soloists. On our [minus you] front line editions, you are the only soloist. Rhythm section players play with the whole original recorded track.

  • Happy birthday these composers: let's celebrate with new music!

    Jazzleadsheets.com’s calendar revealed some important birthdays the last week of April. Two composers are already on jazzleadsheets.com (Johnny Griffin and Tommy Turrentine). This is a perfect time to post another composition for each of them and to introduce the new ones.

    April 21, 1932 SLIDE HAMPTON
    One of the great trombonists who is also an important composer and arranger. Wikipedia calls Slide “A master composer, arranger and uniquely gifted trombone player.” Sister Salvation.

    April 22, 1928 TOMMY TURRENTINE
    Tommy was a great composer and trumpet player. His brother Stanley told me that he felt that Tommy was the real musical talent in the family. Tommy wrote this composition for his and Stanley’s sister, Bonnie.

    April 22, 1935 PAUL CHAMBERS
    The dominant bassist of his generation who was sought after by everyone, he played on over 350 session in his short life. He was also a master of creating melodies that could feature himself along with others in the group, like Ease It.
    In honor of Paul’s birthday, we’re announcing jazzleadsheets.com’s jazz Bass Corner which will be launched in full this summer. We are blessed to be involved with many great bass players. Paul and his music will get special attention this summer thanks to a unique Paul Chambers project I had the honor of working on with a truly gifted young bassist, Daryl Johns. Be sure to check out the two clips of Daryl playing “Ease It” when he was thirteen.

    April 24, 1928 JOHNNY GRIFFIN
    A true “Little Giant” of jazz with a captivating and uplifting personality, and incredible talent as a tenor saxophonist and composer. He wrote and performed this moving ballad for his tribute album to vocalist Billie Holiday, White Gardenia.

    April 27, 1917 DENZIL BEST
    A gifted pianist and trumpet player (also bassist) who became one of the important drummers of his generation, Denzil Best also composed several jazz standards. Try his Surgery.

  • You asked for it, we got it!

    The Feelin’s Good - Hank Mobley
    Recently I got a very nice email from one of our customers, Steve Christian: “I wanted to express my gratitude for the wonderful resource you have created …” He went on to say great things about Hank Mobley music, and asked: “I hope you have plans to release more of Hank’s treasures in the future. I would love to see The Feelin’s Good from “Straight No Filter.”

    This jogged my memory, and I remembered the session was recorded sometime in 1963. Lo and behold, I discovered the 50th anniversary was right around the corner. March 7, 1963. Today! A perfect time to make The Feelin’s Good available. That Mobley recording session produced three more gems that are already on jazzleadsheets.com. Instead of releasing that session on one LP, Alfred Lion of Blue Note Records put these four selections on three different recordings. Check out the others for more historical information:
    East Of The Village
    Old World New Imports
    Up A Step

    Happy 50th Anniversary! Hank Mobley’s music: it’s always feelin’ good.

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    Adding another great composer to jazzleadsheets.com: Freddie Redd - And Time Marches On
    Pianist Freddie Redd is a marvelous composer we’ve known since 1985 when I produced two albums for him for Uptown Records. The second trio album, where Freddie played this title, with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Ben Riley, is still unissued. However, you can hear this great track as Freddie played it with his International Jazz Connection. Freddie’s music is a delight to play. Listen to this one; more is on the way.

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    Joao - Tommy Turrentine
    A beautiful slow samba first recorded by tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, brother of Tommy. Take a look at the descriptive notes to learn about the brothers’ differing views on the song. Recorded on Stanley’s “Nightwings” album.

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    Fred’s Delight - Tadd Dameron
    We’ve also received some requests for more Tadd Dameron lead sheets. Plus, the long awaited Paul Combs book, The Life and Music of Tadd Dameron, has just been released. Paul Combs was instrumental in getting me a copy of Tadd’s big band score (in Tadd’s manuscript) for “Fred’s Delight,” and the big band arrangement (score and parts) is available from ejazzlines.com. Even without a big band, everyone should get a chance to play Dameron’s distinctive melody and harmonies and add it to their combo repertory.

    Thanks for visiting jazzleadsheets.com!

    Don Sickler (phone 212-741-1175, email don@secondfloormusic.com)

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