Jim Dog – Gene Ammons
A classic early Gene Ammons blues. Gene's two recordings have slightly different melodies and arrangements. Transcriptions of his solos are available from both recordings, as well as from an alternate take of the later version—all together in one publication.
- Recording: Gene Ammons - His Golden Toned Tenor And Orchestra
- Recorded on: June, 1953
- Label: United (U-164)
- Concert Key: D-flat
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Johnny Coles
- Trombone - Lino Murray
- Tenor Sax - Gene Ammons
- Bari Sax - McKinley Easton
- Piano - John Houston
- Bass - Ben Stuberville
- Drums - George Brown
0:00
0:00
Buy MP3
Purchase Jim Dog - Gene Ammons
Purchasing this song through our affiliate links with certain retailers provides jazzleadsheets.com with additional support to help keep us bringing you the best lead sheets available. Thank you!
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
Our lead sheets are based on the later recording from 1958; for a description of the song click on the second album cover.
We have a Concert Condensed Score available for this original 1953 version. It's a bit slower than the later recording, with a slightly different melody and arrangement. Gene Ammons plays the intro melody by himself, with the other horns joining the rhythm section for the stop-time hits. These hits are on beat 3, instead of the "and" of 2 as in the other version. The last measure of the intro is different, with no pick up leading into the head. The horns are in octaves and unison for most of the head, but harmonized in the last phrase; the voicings here are rather spread out so our score shows them compressed into closer intervals. The melody of this phrase is a third higher than in the other version, but the latter's melody is essentially within the voicings. There are also a couple of phrasing differences in the coda, which goes straight from the drum break to the last chord.
A transcription of Gene's solo is available; click on the Solos tab for more details.
We have a Concert Condensed Score available for this original 1953 version. It's a bit slower than the later recording, with a slightly different melody and arrangement. Gene Ammons plays the intro melody by himself, with the other horns joining the rhythm section for the stop-time hits. These hits are on beat 3, instead of the "and" of 2 as in the other version. The last measure of the intro is different, with no pick up leading into the head. The horns are in octaves and unison for most of the head, but harmonized in the last phrase; the voicings here are rather spread out so our score shows them compressed into closer intervals. The melody of this phrase is a third higher than in the other version, but the latter's melody is essentially within the voicings. There are also a couple of phrasing differences in the coda, which goes straight from the drum break to the last chord.
A transcription of Gene's solo is available; click on the Solos tab for more details.
This particular lineup of Gene Ammons' band recorded three sessions in November 1952, April and June 1953. Most credits for these recordings indicate the presence of an unknown guitarist, but aural evidence suggests that there is in fact no guitar. The recordings from these sessions were first released as 78s for the United label, then sold to Savoy and released as 45s. Savoy reissued them on an LP, and later a CD, titled "Red Top." On most issues this song's title is Jim Dawgs.
Transcriptions of Gene Ammons' solos from the 1953 recording and both takes of the 1958 recording are available together in one publication. Gene's 1953 solo [clip] is five choruses long. The other horns play backgrounds on the third and fourth choruses. This solo is remarkably simple; he uses essentially pure blues vocabulary throughout, never once dipping into a bebop bag. The second chorus especially is very spare, essentially a single repeated riff. Gene is in no rush as he expresses the soulful mood of this tempo and this key.
Related Songs
Email Send Jim Dog to a friend
Send this page to a friend via email. Add your name or email in the first field. In the second, add one or more email addresses, separated by a comma.
- Recording: Gene Ammons & Bennie Green - The Swingin'est
- Recorded on: November 12, 1958
- Label: Vee-Jay (276)
- Concert Key: D-flat
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Cornet - Nat Adderley
- Trombone - Bennie Green
- Tenor Sax - Gene Ammons, Frank Foster, Frank Wess
- Piano - Tommy Flanagan
- Bass - Eddie Jones
- Drums - Tootie Heath
0:00
0:00
Buy MP3
Purchase Jim Dog - Gene Ammons
Purchasing this song through our affiliate links with certain retailers provides jazzleadsheets.com with additional support to help keep us bringing you the best lead sheets available. Thank you!
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
This simple riff blues is taken at a slightly faster than medium tempo, a classic "jump blues" bounce. Note the articulation—the first measure of the riff has short quarter notes on beats 1 and 2 and a long quarter note on beat 3, accentuating this beat to go with the 2-feel in the bass. Our lead sheets have a "turn" ornament in parentheses on this third beat; on the recording, the horns play this note with a distinct vibrato instead of overtly articulating the turn. There is a six-measure stop-time intro; the coda replaces the last four measures of the head, with the last phrase of the melody one measure earlier than in the head, followed by a drum break and final phrase.
Our lead sheets are based on this later recording. Click on the other album cover for details about the earlier version, which has a slightly different melody and arrangement (with a Concert Condensed Score).
For information about Gene's solos click on the Solos tab; transcriptions for both master and alternate takes are available in one publication, as well as Gene's solo from the earlier version.
Our lead sheets are based on this later recording. Click on the other album cover for details about the earlier version, which has a slightly different melody and arrangement (with a Concert Condensed Score).
For information about Gene's solos click on the Solos tab; transcriptions for both master and alternate takes are available in one publication, as well as Gene's solo from the earlier version.
First released as a 45, this master take later appeared on a Vee Jay LP titled "The Swingin'est." There is an alternate take which was issued on another Vee Jay LP, "Juggin' Around."
This session is the only recording with Gene Ammons alongside Frank Foster. Frank Wess, however, also played with Gene in Billy Eckstine's big band briefly in 1946; Wess and Ammons were the front line on the 1960 Prestige album "Angel Eyes." Earlier in 1958, Gene played on another Bennie Green album, "Soul Stirrin'" for Blue Note with another all-star lineup; this one is the only recording that Gene ever did with pianist Sonny Clark.
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded Jim Dog several times in the '70s, including a version with Johnny Griffin.
This session is the only recording with Gene Ammons alongside Frank Foster. Frank Wess, however, also played with Gene in Billy Eckstine's big band briefly in 1946; Wess and Ammons were the front line on the 1960 Prestige album "Angel Eyes." Earlier in 1958, Gene played on another Bennie Green album, "Soul Stirrin'" for Blue Note with another all-star lineup; this one is the only recording that Gene ever did with pianist Sonny Clark.
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded Jim Dog several times in the '70s, including a version with Johnny Griffin.
Transcriptions of Gene Ammons' solos from the 1953 recording and both takes of the 1958 recording are available together in one publication.
It is fascinating to compare Gene's solos on the master take and alternate take , and also with his solo from the earlier recording. On these two takes he plays three choruses. The third chorus of these two solos is mostly the same, with slight variations in phrasing and embellishment, and only the last measure substantially different. Both solos also begin with the same phrase. Much more remarkably, his first chorus on the alternate take is largely the same as the first chorus of his solo on the original recording from five years earlier! This is testimony to how much Gene Ammons was rooted in the old swing-era tradition of having solos memorized rather than entirely improvised. Years of gigs and the relative success of the recording would have solidified this chorus (and probably the third chorus that he plays the same on the two 1958 takes) as the solo that Gene Ammons played on Jim Dog.
It is fascinating to compare Gene's solos on the master take and alternate take , and also with his solo from the earlier recording. On these two takes he plays three choruses. The third chorus of these two solos is mostly the same, with slight variations in phrasing and embellishment, and only the last measure substantially different. Both solos also begin with the same phrase. Much more remarkably, his first chorus on the alternate take is largely the same as the first chorus of his solo on the original recording from five years earlier! This is testimony to how much Gene Ammons was rooted in the old swing-era tradition of having solos memorized rather than entirely improvised. Years of gigs and the relative success of the recording would have solidified this chorus (and probably the third chorus that he plays the same on the two 1958 takes) as the solo that Gene Ammons played on Jim Dog.
Related Songs
Email Send Jim Dog to a friend
Send this page to a friend via email. Add your name or email in the first field. In the second, add one or more email addresses, separated by a comma.
Gene Ammons
April 14, 1925 – July 23, 1974
Gene Ammons is the son of the great boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons. Born in Chicago, Gene studied music at Du Sable High School under Captain Walter Dyett. He left Chicago at 18 to tour with King Kolax. On September 5, 1944, at the age of 19, he made his first recording with Billy Eckstine and his Orchestra. The Eckstein band was truly legendary, with Dexter Gordon on tenor sax, Leo Parker on baritone, Dizzy Gillespie in the trumpet section, Art Blakey on drums, Tommy Potter on bass, Sarah Vaughan singing with the band, and Tadd Dameron as one of the arrangers. It was a hothouse of talent and creativity and an immense opportunity for the young Gene, whom Billy nicknamed “Jug” when the straw hats ordered for the band were too small for his head. Read more...
There was a problem.
...