Mister Man – Eli "Lucky" Thompson
A medium-up blues originally recorded on one of the classic Lucky Thompson/Oscar Pettiford trio sessions. Our own recording, from a quartet session featuring bassist Daryl Johns, has Minus You tracks for all instruments.
- Recording: Lucky Thompson - Featuring Oscar Pettiford, Vol. 2
- Recorded on: December 11, 1956
- Label: ABC-Paramount (ABC 171)
- Concert Key: F
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Tenor Sax - Lucky Thompson
- Bass - Oscar Pettiford
- Guitar - Skeeter Best
Mister Man, like The Plain But The Simple Truth, is a blues originally recorded in a drummer-less trio setting, with the bass doubling the horn melody. It's a relatively simple head, with space in the fourth and sixth measures for fills in which the guitar or piano "answers" the melody phrase. The "turnaround" is unusual: a return to the IV chord for two measures followed by two measures of tritone sub II-V7, making a cyclical chord progression for the head.
Also like several other Lucky Thompson songs, this one has a striking rhythmic intro and coda with mostly quartal harmonies. After the first eight measures of the intro, there is a solo bass figure for four measures leading into the head.
Our Concert Condensed Score shows the guitar voicings and bass double-stops for this version's intro and coda. It also includes the guitar "answers" on the fourth and sixth measures of the head, which are different from the piano "answers" in our quartet version.
The basic lead sheets under each album are identical and are applicable for both recordings. The "Don Sickler Quartet" version album (above right) includes Minus You audio tracks.
Also like several other Lucky Thompson songs, this one has a striking rhythmic intro and coda with mostly quartal harmonies. After the first eight measures of the intro, there is a solo bass figure for four measures leading into the head.
Our Concert Condensed Score shows the guitar voicings and bass double-stops for this version's intro and coda. It also includes the guitar "answers" on the fourth and sixth measures of the head, which are different from the piano "answers" in our quartet version.
The basic lead sheets under each album are identical and are applicable for both recordings. The "Don Sickler Quartet" version album (above right) includes Minus You audio tracks.
Mister Man and The Plain But The Simple Truth were both recorded at the second Lucky Thompson/Oscar Pettiford/Skeeter Best trio session. Several other songs from these sessions also feature the bass doubling the tenor sax melody: Dancing Sunbeam, O.P. Meets L.T. and Pettiford's classic Tricotism. Other songs from these Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 include A Lady's Vanity, Little Tenderfoot, and Bo-Bi My Boy, another blues.
Voicings and rhythms played by guitarist Skeeter Best.
- Recording: Don Sickler - Don Sickler Quartet featuring Daryl Johns
- Recorded on: January 31, 2010
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1001)
- Concert Key: F
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Piano - Michael Cochrane
- Bass - Daryl Johns
- Guitar - Steve Johns
Our quartet version is slightly different from the original trio recording. With trumpet and piano instead of tenor sax and guitar, the intro is voiced differently with the melody on top. The piano "answers" to the melody in the fourth and sixth measures of the head are also different, being the same as the preceding melodic lines played in octaves. Drums start with sticks on the hi-hat for the intro, going to brushes for the head.
The Concert Condensed Score reflects these changes and should be used by piano and drums. The basic lead sheets are applicable for both recordings. The bass part shows the melody
The Concert Condensed Score reflects these changes and should be used by piano and drums. The basic lead sheets are applicable for both recordings. The bass part shows the melody
"Don Sickler Quartet Featuring Daryl Johns" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
This "session was recorded to feature bassist Daryl Johns, 13 years old at the time, on quartet versions of seven bass-centric songs. The others are Bet, Ease It, Visitation, The Plain But The Simple Truth, Dancing Sunbeam, and O.P. Meets L.T. (coming soon).
This "session was recorded to feature bassist Daryl Johns, 13 years old at the time, on quartet versions of seven bass-centric songs. The others are Bet, Ease It, Visitation, The Plain But The Simple Truth, Dancing Sunbeam, and O.P. Meets L.T. (coming soon).
Another feature for the bass, where the bass plays the melody along with the horn. Check out other compositions featuring bass melody in our Bass Corner. On that page the compositions are organized by bassist.
On this recording, drummer Steve Johns uses sticks for the intro, switching to brushes during the bass break. He plays brushes for the melody, switches to sticks at the beginning of the trumpet solo, to brushes for the bass solo and out melody, and back to sticks for the coda. Sticks or brushes throughout can also be explored, or any combination of changes between sticks and brushes. The melody, played by the trumpet, is doubled by the bass, making for a very interesting playing experience. There is no walking to lock into during the melody, so the time is really up to the drummer: a fun responsibility!
Exclusive Minus You Audio tracks
CLIP This is the format of the full track:
-- intro
-- melody [2 choruses]
-- trumpet solo [5 choruses]
-- piano solo [6 choruses]
-- trumpet and drums trading 4s [4 choruses]
-- bass solo [5 choruses]
-- out melody [2 choruses]
-- coda There are two different Minus Melody tracks, a practice edition with the same format and a shorter performance edition. In the practice edition, the soloist has the opportunity to play accompanied by bass and drums only, as well as by piano and drums only. For more information about these two minus melody editions, check out our "Gigi Gryce Project" songs with a similar format such as Salute to Birdland.
mp3 minus melody (this tracks works for any solo or melody instrument--get the lead sheet appropriate for your instrument)
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
practice edition: solo [11 choruses]
5 choruses with full rhythm section
6 choruses with bass and drums
-- trade 4s with drums [4 choruses]
-- solo 5 more choruses with piano and drums
-- play the out melody and coda
performance edition: solo [5 choruses]
-- trade 4s with drums [4 choruses]
-- play the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Piano - there is a separate Piano part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play figures and comp for the intro and melody
-- comp for the trumpet solo [5 choruses]
-- solo 6 choruses
-- comp for trumpet/drums trading 4s [4 choruses]
-- comp for the bass solo [5 choruses]
-- play figures and comp for the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Bass - the Bass part also works for the arrangement of the original recording
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- walk for the trumpet solo [5 choruses] and piano solo [6 choruses]
-- walk for trumpet/drums trading 4s [4 choruses]
-- solo [5 choruses]
-- play the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Drums - Drummers should read from the Concert Condensed Score.
On this recording, drummer Steve Johns uses sticks for the intro, switching to brushes during the bass break. He plays brushes for the melody, switches to sticks at the beginning of the trumpet solo, to brushes for the bass solo and out melody, and back to sticks for the coda. Sticks or brushes throughout can also be explored, or any combination of changes between sticks and brushes.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play figures and comp for the intro and melody
-- comp for the trumpet solo [5 choruses] and piano solo [6 choruses]
-- trade 4s with trumpet [4 choruses] (trumpet first)
-- comp for the bass solo [5 choruses]
-- play figures and comp for the out melody and coda
mp3 trio (minus melody: bass & drums only)
By eliminating the comping piano track from the minus melody track, we made a 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). Perfect for an audition tape.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- solo 11 choruses
-- trade 4s with drums [4 choruses]
-- play the out melody and coda
CLIP This is the format of the full track:
-- intro
-- melody [2 choruses]
-- trumpet solo [5 choruses]
-- piano solo [6 choruses]
-- trumpet and drums trading 4s [4 choruses]
-- bass solo [5 choruses]
-- out melody [2 choruses]
-- coda There are two different Minus Melody tracks, a practice edition with the same format and a shorter performance edition. In the practice edition, the soloist has the opportunity to play accompanied by bass and drums only, as well as by piano and drums only. For more information about these two minus melody editions, check out our "Gigi Gryce Project" songs with a similar format such as Salute to Birdland.
mp3 minus melody (this tracks works for any solo or melody instrument--get the lead sheet appropriate for your instrument)
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
practice edition: solo [11 choruses]
5 choruses with full rhythm section
6 choruses with bass and drums
-- trade 4s with drums [4 choruses]
-- solo 5 more choruses with piano and drums
-- play the out melody and coda
performance edition: solo [5 choruses]
-- trade 4s with drums [4 choruses]
-- play the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Piano - there is a separate Piano part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play figures and comp for the intro and melody
-- comp for the trumpet solo [5 choruses]
-- solo 6 choruses
-- comp for trumpet/drums trading 4s [4 choruses]
-- comp for the bass solo [5 choruses]
-- play figures and comp for the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Bass - the Bass part also works for the arrangement of the original recording
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- walk for the trumpet solo [5 choruses] and piano solo [6 choruses]
-- walk for trumpet/drums trading 4s [4 choruses]
-- solo [5 choruses]
-- play the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Drums - Drummers should read from the Concert Condensed Score.
On this recording, drummer Steve Johns uses sticks for the intro, switching to brushes during the bass break. He plays brushes for the melody, switches to sticks at the beginning of the trumpet solo, to brushes for the bass solo and out melody, and back to sticks for the coda. Sticks or brushes throughout can also be explored, or any combination of changes between sticks and brushes.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play figures and comp for the intro and melody
-- comp for the trumpet solo [5 choruses] and piano solo [6 choruses]
-- trade 4s with trumpet [4 choruses] (trumpet first)
-- comp for the bass solo [5 choruses]
-- play figures and comp for the out melody and coda
mp3 trio (minus melody: bass & drums only)
By eliminating the comping piano track from the minus melody track, we made a 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). Perfect for an audition tape.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- solo 11 choruses
-- trade 4s with drums [4 choruses]
-- play the out melody and coda
Eli "Lucky" Thompson
June 16, 1923 – July 30, 2005
Saxophonist Lucky Thompson is one of the great treasures of jazz. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina, but was raised in Detroit, Michigan. He played in local groups with Hank Jones, Sonny Stitt and others. In August, 1943, when he was 19, he left Detroit with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra, eventually arriving in New York City. Still a teenager, his first recording date was with Hot Lips Page on March 18, 1944. Later in 1944 he started recording with both Lucky Millinder and Count Basie. Read more...