Dear Ann – Paul Chambers
Paul Chambers' tribute to his wife is a lyrical ballad (first recorded at a slow swing tempo) with a deceptive key center. Besides our lead sheet, we have transcriptions of Paul's bass lines and solo from the original recording. Also, Don Sickler's 5-Bass arrangement and a Minus You version.
- Recording: Paul Chambers - Whims Of Chambers
- Recorded on: September 21, 1956
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 1534)
- Concert Key: C
- Style: Swing (medium slow)
- Trumpet - Donald Byrd
- Tenor Sax - John Coltrane
- Guitar - Kenny Burrell
- Piano - Horace Silver
- Bass - Paul Chambers
- Drums - Philly Joe Jones
Though this passionate, lyrical song was originally recorded at a medium-slow swing tempo, it certainly works as a slower ballad as well. The key center of Dear Ann is deceptive: the beginning of the A section implies B♭ major, but with a tritone-sub cadence (Cm7-F7-Em7) the changes ultimately descend to C major at the end of the section. Like several other Paul Chambers songs the bridge goes to a distant key—in this case B major.
Our lead sheet reflects the rubato intro (guitar) and coda (trumpet) from this original recording. As you can hear from trumpeter Donald Byrd's interpretation, this simple melody is very open to expressive embellishment.
Transcriptions of Paul Chambers' bass lines and solo are available; click on Solos and Bass Corner for more details.
Our lead sheet reflects the rubato intro (guitar) and coda (trumpet) from this original recording. As you can hear from trumpeter Donald Byrd's interpretation, this simple melody is very open to expressive embellishment.
Transcriptions of Paul Chambers' bass lines and solo are available; click on Solos and Bass Corner for more details.
Check out the other Paul Chambers songs from "Whims Of Chambers," recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack studio.
Paul Chambers named this song for his wife, Ann. Paul recorded Dear Ann again in 1959, on the sessions for his Vee Jay album "Go!"—though it was not released until the CD reissue. This slower ballad version is an arco bass feature, in a trio setting with Wynton Kelly on piano and Jimmy Cobb on drums.
Paul Chambers named this song for his wife, Ann. Paul recorded Dear Ann again in 1959, on the sessions for his Vee Jay album "Go!"—though it was not released until the CD reissue. This slower ballad version is an arco bass feature, in a trio setting with Wynton Kelly on piano and Jimmy Cobb on drums.
CLIP Paul Chambers solos for half of a chorus before trumpeter Donald Byrd solos on the bridge and takes the melody out at C. Our solo transcription includes the entire last chorus: Paul's solo on the two A sections and his 2-feel lines for B and C. The solo has detailed fingerings and articulations for an in-depth look at his unique style. A bass line transcription is also available for the rest of the track; click on Bass Corner for details.
This recording is three choruses total:
-- intro (Kenny Burrell)
-- melody (Donald Byrd)
-- Horace Silver solo AA
-- Kenny Burrell solo BC
-- Paul Chambers solo AA
-- Donald Byrd solo B
-- out melody and coda (Donald Byrd) C
Our bass line transcription consists of the first two choruses. Paul plays 2-feel for the melody chorus and walks for the first solo chorus (divided between piano and guitar solos). The melody is shown on a smaller staff above the bass for the in head chorus. The walking lines have detailed fingerings.
For the last chorus, a solo transcription is available; click on Solos.
-- intro (Kenny Burrell)
-- melody (Donald Byrd)
-- Horace Silver solo AA
-- Kenny Burrell solo BC
-- Paul Chambers solo AA
-- Donald Byrd solo B
-- out melody and coda (Donald Byrd) C
Our bass line transcription consists of the first two choruses. Paul plays 2-feel for the melody chorus and walks for the first solo chorus (divided between piano and guitar solos). The melody is shown on a smaller staff above the bass for the in head chorus. The walking lines have detailed fingerings.
For the last chorus, a solo transcription is available; click on Solos.
- Recording: Daryl Johns - Tribute to Paul Chambers - Daryl Johns: multiple basses
- Recorded on: June 13, 2010
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1002)
- Concert Key: C
- Style: Ballad
- Multiple Basses - Daryl Johns
An arrangement by Don Sickler for a unique ensemble: 5 basses, originally recorded by Daryl Johns overdubbed on all parts. This arrangement is an arco melody feature for Bass 1; the other parts play pizz. It's two choruses long; the first chorus is the head throughout, and Bass 1 solos for the two A sections of the second chorus, going back to the melody on the bridge. The solo section is played with a double-time feel and is written in cut-time twice as fast; this tempo change happens two measures before the end of the head to set up the solo.
This is quite a detailed, layered arrangement with largely contrapuntal accompaniment for the melody. The accompanying bass parts play together in a few important places including the beginning of the first A and the first half of the bridge. On the solo section, Bass 5 plays a 2-feel; Basses 2, 3, and 4 have harmonized background figures together. At the coda, Bass 1 plays a solo cadenza and cues in a final ensemble chord.
The Bass 1 part has cues throughout the melody showing combined rhythms of the other four parts. Meanwhile the other parts have mostly the rhythms of the melody as a cue, with a few important countermelody rhythms included.
This track is also available in Minus You format; click on the second album cover for details.
This is quite a detailed, layered arrangement with largely contrapuntal accompaniment for the melody. The accompanying bass parts play together in a few important places including the beginning of the first A and the first half of the bridge. On the solo section, Bass 5 plays a 2-feel; Basses 2, 3, and 4 have harmonized background figures together. At the coda, Bass 1 plays a solo cadenza and cues in a final ensemble chord.
The Bass 1 part has cues throughout the melody showing combined rhythms of the other four parts. Meanwhile the other parts have mostly the rhythms of the melody as a cue, with a few important countermelody rhythms included.
This track is also available in Minus You format; click on the second album cover for details.
Don Sickler: "On February 2, 1959, Paul Chambers was in Chicago, doing his "Go" album for Vee Jay where he did a couple of takes of Dear Ann arco, as a ballad—the melody is played by Paul with pianist Wynton Kelly providing the accompaniment. I thought it made a great ballad, so that's the way I arranged it for Daryl—ballad arco bass melody going into a long-meter double time feel for the solo section. I also had a lot of fun playing it on "Don & Daryl."
"We also have Paul's Ease It from his "Go" album on two recordings with Daryl."
Daryl Johns was 13 years old when he recorded the "Tribute To Paul Chambers" project. More Chambers compositions in multiple-bass arrangements are coming soon to jazzleadsheets.com. Also check out Don Sickler's Tempo di Max, recorded (and filmed!) as part of this project on the day before Daryl's 14th birthday.
"We also have Paul's Ease It from his "Go" album on two recordings with Daryl."
Daryl Johns was 13 years old when he recorded the "Tribute To Paul Chambers" project. More Chambers compositions in multiple-bass arrangements are coming soon to jazzleadsheets.com. Also check out Don Sickler's Tempo di Max, recorded (and filmed!) as part of this project on the day before Daryl's 14th birthday.
- Recording: Don Sickler - Don & Daryl
- Recorded on: June 2, 2020
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1066)
- Concert Key: C
- Style: Ballad
- Flugelhorn - Don Sickler
- Multiple Basses - Daryl Johns
Video
- Don Sickler's arrangement for 4 basses and muted trumpet, performed by Don Sickler, muted trumpet; Ryan Lakritz, Raviv Markovitz, Zach Ostroff, Charlie Hack, basses. Don's anniversary concert celebrating his 25 years of teaching at Columbia University. April 15, 2012.
An unusual opportunity to play with the accompaniment of three overdubbed basses. Our Minus You melody part includes combined rhythms of the bass countermelodies below the staff. The minus melody track has a space for the soloist to play the cadenza on the coda, but includes the final arco Bass 1 melody phrase at the end to cue in the final chord.
As this is a more complicated arrangement than our other multiple basses Minus You tracks, our parts include measure numbers at the beginning of each system to really lock in the form.
Click on Minus You for more details.
As this is a more complicated arrangement than our other multiple basses Minus You tracks, our parts include measure numbers at the beginning of each system to really lock in the form.
Click on Minus You for more details.
This recording is the same take as the "Tribute To Paul Chambers" 4-bass arrangement, but with Don Sickler on flugelhorn replacing the Bass 1 track. More arrangements from this project are coming soon to jazzleadsheets.com.
MP3 Minus You melody format:
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo (2 D sections)
-- play the out melody (D.S.)
-- solo cadenza on the coda - arco bass cue sets up the final chord, and fill over the chord
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo (2 D sections)
-- play the out melody (D.S.)
-- solo cadenza on the coda - arco bass cue sets up the final chord, and fill over the chord
Paul Chambers
April 22, 1935 – January 4, 1969
Bassist Paul Chambers was a leading rhythmic force in the 1950s and 1960s. He became one of the signature bassists in jazz history. Born in Pittsburgh but raised in Detroit, Chambers initially took up the baritone horn as a child. He followed suit with the tuba and didn't become interested in the string bass until 1949. Listening to Charlie Parker and Bud Powell and studying under a bassist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Chambers began making headway in small bars of Hastings Street area and doing club jobs with Kenny Burrell, Thad Jones and Barry Harris. He did classical work in a group called the Detroit String Band, a rehearsal symphony orchestra. Read more...