Jolly Minor – Freddie Redd
A good musically descriptive title, as this composition explores the relationship between major and minor keys. In addition to parts for every instrument from our exclusive "Freddie Redd Project" quintet recording, Minus You tracks for all instruments are also available.
- Recording: Don Sickler - Freddie Redd Project
- Recorded on: January 4, 2015
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1021)
- Concert Key: C
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Tenor Sax - Elijah Shiffer
- Piano - Julius Rodriguez
- Bass - Nick Dunston
- Drums - Jeff Brillinger
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
The unusual title of this song is very apt, as the song has both major and minor key qualities. The first part in our quintet arrangement plays the entire melody, and it works great in a quartet environment as you'll see if you try our Minus You track (minus melody). The full quintet arrangement is also available (with alternate parts). If you're a rhythm section player, check out our unique Minus You parts and tracks, a separate one for each instrument.
There is a six-measure rhythm section intro and coda, beginning with two measures of double-time feel. This intro/coda is a great rhythm section workout.
Minus You tracks are available for all instruments; these lead sheets can be used as is, with your own group, or with our minus you audio tracks. Click on the Minus You tab for details.
Composition analysis: It starts out implying A minor, but leads strongly toward C, the relative major, where the seventh measure resolves. In fact, there is only one A minor chord in the A section, in the fourth measure where it is in a II-V of V; the first chord of the head is F♯m7♭5, or A minor over F♯. The melody stays ambiguous as far as the major or minor quality, while the II-V7 to E major in the bridge is both a modulation from C or a V7 of V in A minor.
There is a six-measure rhythm section intro and coda, beginning with two measures of double-time feel. This intro/coda is a great rhythm section workout.
Minus You tracks are available for all instruments; these lead sheets can be used as is, with your own group, or with our minus you audio tracks. Click on the Minus You tab for details.
Composition analysis: It starts out implying A minor, but leads strongly toward C, the relative major, where the seventh measure resolves. In fact, there is only one A minor chord in the A section, in the fourth measure where it is in a II-V of V; the first chord of the head is F♯m7♭5, or A minor over F♯. The melody stays ambiguous as far as the major or minor quality, while the II-V7 to E major in the bridge is both a modulation from C or a V7 of V in A minor.
"The Freddie Redd Project" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
Three of these marvelous Freddie Redd compositions (this one, as well 1:00 A.M. Standard Time and There I Found You were introduced to Don Sickler thanks to short acetate recordings (unreleased) Freddie made with tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan and a rhythm section many years ago. Our jazzleadsheets.com recording is the only one currently available.
Three of these marvelous Freddie Redd compositions (this one, as well 1:00 A.M. Standard Time and There I Found You were introduced to Don Sickler thanks to short acetate recordings (unreleased) Freddie made with tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan and a rhythm section many years ago. Our jazzleadsheets.com recording is the only one currently available.
The Minus You tracks come from two takes. The Minus Melody and Trio Minus Melody tracks are taken from a quartet version that is the same length as the quintet take.
clip Form of the quintet version
-- intro
--melody
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- trumpet trading 8s with drums 1 chorus
-- trumpet trading 4s with drums 1 chorus
-- bass solo 2 choruses
-- out melody
-- coda
[clip] minus piano (quintet) - the Piano part has melody cues and a fill notated in the 6th measures of the A and C sections, which harmonizes the tenor sax counter melody.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- comp and play figures for the melody
-- solo 2 choruses
-- comp for trumpet trading 8s with drums 1 chorus
-- comp for trumpet trading 4s with drums 1 chorus
-- comp for the bass solo
-- comp and play figures for the out melody
-- play the coda
[clip] minus bass (quintet) - the Bass part has notated figures for the melody A and C sections as well as the intro and coda
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the melody
-- walk for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- walk for trumpet trading 8s with drums 1 chorus
-- walk for trumpet trading 4s with drums 1 chorus
-- solo 2 choruses
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the melody
-- play the coda
[clip] minus drums (quintet) - sticks throughout. The Drum part has the intro and coda notated for drums, with melody cues for the head.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the melody
-- comp for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- trade 8s with the trumpet 1 chorus (trumpet first)
-- trade 4s with the trumpet 1 chorus
-- comp for the bass solo 2 choruses
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the out melody
-- play the coda
Note from Don Sickler: After we finished the quintet take [with a piano and bass solo], I knew I needed a different format for a melody/solo minus you track, so I armed tenor saxophonist Elijah Shiffer with the melody part and put him in what is the percussion both at Rudy Van Gelder's marvelous studio. It's quite a distance from the other booths, so there's great isolation. I let Elijah stretch out, so the track length is the same as the quintet version, but the rhythm section comps for 6 solo choruses.
Form of the quartet version
-- intro
-- melody
-- solo 6 choruses
-- out melody
-- coda
[clip] minus melody - from the quartet take, Minus You for any melody instrument
-- count off sets up the intro
-- wait for the intro and play the melody
-- solo 6 choruses
-- play the out melody, tacet for the coda
I recently realized that I was still missing something. Freddie loves playing his melodies himself, in a trio context. By eliminating the comping piano track from the minus melody track, we made a perfect track where the pianist can play the melody and be featured throughout. This bass & drums only track also works great as a feature for guitar or any other instrument [tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins loved to play with just bass and drums, for example).
[clip] bass and drums only - to feature piano, guitar, vibes, or any melodic instrument that likes to play without harmonic accompaniment. The Piano (trio) part has the intro and melody entirely notated.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- solo 6 choruses
-- play the out melody and coda
clip Form of the quintet version
-- intro
--melody
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- trumpet trading 8s with drums 1 chorus
-- trumpet trading 4s with drums 1 chorus
-- bass solo 2 choruses
-- out melody
-- coda
[clip] minus piano (quintet) - the Piano part has melody cues and a fill notated in the 6th measures of the A and C sections, which harmonizes the tenor sax counter melody.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- comp and play figures for the melody
-- solo 2 choruses
-- comp for trumpet trading 8s with drums 1 chorus
-- comp for trumpet trading 4s with drums 1 chorus
-- comp for the bass solo
-- comp and play figures for the out melody
-- play the coda
[clip] minus bass (quintet) - the Bass part has notated figures for the melody A and C sections as well as the intro and coda
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the melody
-- walk for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- walk for trumpet trading 8s with drums 1 chorus
-- walk for trumpet trading 4s with drums 1 chorus
-- solo 2 choruses
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the melody
-- play the coda
[clip] minus drums (quintet) - sticks throughout. The Drum part has the intro and coda notated for drums, with melody cues for the head.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the melody
-- comp for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- trade 8s with the trumpet 1 chorus (trumpet first)
-- trade 4s with the trumpet 1 chorus
-- comp for the bass solo 2 choruses
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel where indicated for the out melody
-- play the coda
Note from Don Sickler: After we finished the quintet take [with a piano and bass solo], I knew I needed a different format for a melody/solo minus you track, so I armed tenor saxophonist Elijah Shiffer with the melody part and put him in what is the percussion both at Rudy Van Gelder's marvelous studio. It's quite a distance from the other booths, so there's great isolation. I let Elijah stretch out, so the track length is the same as the quintet version, but the rhythm section comps for 6 solo choruses.
Form of the quartet version
-- intro
-- melody
-- solo 6 choruses
-- out melody
-- coda
[clip] minus melody - from the quartet take, Minus You for any melody instrument
-- count off sets up the intro
-- wait for the intro and play the melody
-- solo 6 choruses
-- play the out melody, tacet for the coda
I recently realized that I was still missing something. Freddie loves playing his melodies himself, in a trio context. By eliminating the comping piano track from the minus melody track, we made a perfect track where the pianist can play the melody and be featured throughout. This bass & drums only track also works great as a feature for guitar or any other instrument [tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins loved to play with just bass and drums, for example).
[clip] bass and drums only - to feature piano, guitar, vibes, or any melodic instrument that likes to play without harmonic accompaniment. The Piano (trio) part has the intro and melody entirely notated.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- solo 6 choruses
-- play the out melody and coda
Related Songs
Email Send Jolly Minor 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.
Freddie Redd
May 29, 1928 – March 17, 2021
Pianist Freddie Redd, best known for his role as composer and actor in the play and movie "The Connection," started playing the piano when he was in the Army. Mostly self-taught, he learned while performing in clubs with other musicians. According to Nat Hentoff's liner notes to "Shades Of Redd," Freddie says he's "been influenced by many things I've heard on a lot of instruments. What I do is try to piece together what stimulates me into my own way of feeling things musically." Redd's music is simultaneously optimistic and knowing—it makes you want to play along with it, to join in the experience. Read more...
There was a problem.
...