One Up Front – Jon Davis
A laid-back swinger, very much in a hard bop style. This Jon Davis Trio recording has Rhythm Section Workshop Minus You tracks for piano, bass, and drums, as well as transcriptions of Jon's melody interpretation and solo from the same recording. In addition, there is another melody transcription from Jon's Solo Piano recording. Full audio tracks.
- Recording: Jon Davis - Jon Davis Trio
- Recorded on: September 4, 2010
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1043)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Piano - Jon Davis
- Bass - Daryl Johns
- Drums - Steve Johns
Simple and laid-back, this song has a classic hard bop sound. It's a medium swinger with a 32-measure AABC form; the C section is not a repeat of the A section. Though F minor is the starting chord, the A section travels to a few other key centers before cycling back for its repeat: E major, F♯ minor, and B♭ minor. The B section begins in A♭ minor with an inversion of the opening melody phrase. The changes here alternate A♭m and A7, while the C section also has stepwise alternating motion of D7 and D♭7 before resolving to the tonic. The use of these two chords to lead to F minor recalls Kenny Dorham's Back Road. The bass and drums play with a 2-feel on the A and C sections of the head, going to 4-feel for the B section and for the solos. Some countermelodies that Jon plays on the A sections are included in the lead sheet.
Our Rhythm Section Workshop version starts right on the head, without "one up front" (a chorus of solo piano introduction, as in the other recordings). The coda tags the last four measures of the head three times, ending on a juicy B♭7(♭9).
A Melody Transcription is available for this recording, showing how Jon plays both the in and out heads. This transcription includes all notable countermelodies, the top notes of important left-hand voicings, and right hand voicings where he plays notes above the melody. There is also a two-staff melody transcription for the in head, showing the entire left-hand voicings. Jon always comes up with different ways to play his own melodies, and this song with its laid-back, bluesy inflection is a perfect vehicle for his varied interpretation.
Separate piano, bass and drum parts are available along with Minus You audio tracks.
Jon's piano solo has also been transcribed and is available separately (see Solos tab).
Our Rhythm Section Workshop version starts right on the head, without "one up front" (a chorus of solo piano introduction, as in the other recordings). The coda tags the last four measures of the head three times, ending on a juicy B♭7(♭9).
A Melody Transcription is available for this recording, showing how Jon plays both the in and out heads. This transcription includes all notable countermelodies, the top notes of important left-hand voicings, and right hand voicings where he plays notes above the melody. There is also a two-staff melody transcription for the in head, showing the entire left-hand voicings. Jon always comes up with different ways to play his own melodies, and this song with its laid-back, bluesy inflection is a perfect vehicle for his varied interpretation.
Separate piano, bass and drum parts are available along with Minus You audio tracks.
Jon's piano solo has also been transcribed and is available separately (see Solos tab).
Composing One Up Front was an assignment from drummer Marcello Pellitteri who wanted Davis to compose a song in the style of the Modern Jazz Quartet for their upcoming recording with Italian vibraphonist Marco Pacassoni, "Weekend In New York: A Dedication To The Modern Jazz Quartet." On this project, One Up Front was released under one of its former titles, Marco's Mood. Davis' This Joker's a Smoker was also recorded and released as a part of this project. One Up Front was also recorded under the title One Out Front on drummer Art Lillard's record "It's Time."
The title comes from an expression by a vocalist Jon worked with, who would frequently ask him to "Do that one up front that you always play. Play that one up front!"
The title comes from an expression by a vocalist Jon worked with, who would frequently ask him to "Do that one up front that you always play. Play that one up front!"
A transcription is available of Jon's six-page, two-chorus solo [clip] on our recording. His linear solo is spiced by right-hand octaves and occasionally other two-note voicings in the right hand. Soft unaccented notes or chords, especially in the left hand comping, are indicated in this transcription by smaller noteheads. Some aspects of Jon's laid-back style are notated in the transcription: passages that lay behind the beat are indicated, as well as single behind-the-beat notes with direction arrows. In a few places, he plays quarter-note triplet figures across the center of the measure, either starting on the second beat or even off the beat.
Two melody transcriptions are available for this:
A melody transcription is available for this recording, showing how Jon plays both the in and out heads. This transcription includes all notable countermelodies, the top notes of important left-hand voicings, and right hand voicings where he plays notes above the melody.
There's also a two-hand version showing the chord voicings and rhythms for the in head.
A melody transcription is available for this recording, showing how Jon plays both the in and out heads. This transcription includes all notable countermelodies, the top notes of important left-hand voicings, and right hand voicings where he plays notes above the melody.
There's also a two-hand version showing the chord voicings and rhythms for the in head.
The head of One Up Front alternates in its feel every two bars; the bass can play a little more loosely on the first two, but should play fairly straight half notes on the following two in order to keep the flavor of the tune and to stay in line with the harmony of the piano (though this harmony is simplified in the solo changes). In sections E and F of the solos, which feature chromatically ascending and descending chords, you can try to create a funkier groove in your walking, as Daryl Johns does on the recording, or as you can hear Ron Carter do on a tune like Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil."
One up Front by Jon Davis is a bluesy melody with a AABC form. This minus you track gives you (the drummer) a chance to trade 4s. Finger snaps have been added during the empty spaces in the 4s to help you keep the time. Jon Davis's energetic playing will inspire you to play some great exchanges and take some chances.
Exclusive Minus You audio tracks and parts Our Minus You bass and drum parts show the melody as Jon plays it on the in head. Bassists and drummers playing with the Minus You tracks should listen closely to the piano on the out head to really lock in and interact; if they want to know exactly what's going on here they should read the melody transcription.
CLIP Format of the Minus You tracks:
-- melody
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- bass solo 1 chorus
-- piano and drums trading 4s 1 chorus
-- out melody
-- coda
mp3 minus Piano - any melody instrumentalists can also play this part for a trio setting with bass and drums
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the bass solo 1 chorus
-- trade 4s with the drums 1 chorus
-- play the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Bass
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play 2-feel and walk for the melody
-- walk for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- solo 1 chorus
-- walk for piano/drums trading 1 chorus
-- play 2-feel and walk for the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Drums - sticks throughout
-- count off sets up the melody
-- comp for the melody
-- comp for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the bass solo 1 chorus
-- trade 4s with piano 1 chorus (piano first)
-- comp for the out melody and coda
CLIP Format of the Minus You tracks:
-- melody
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- bass solo 1 chorus
-- piano and drums trading 4s 1 chorus
-- out melody
-- coda
mp3 minus Piano - any melody instrumentalists can also play this part for a trio setting with bass and drums
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the bass solo 1 chorus
-- trade 4s with the drums 1 chorus
-- play the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Bass
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play 2-feel and walk for the melody
-- walk for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- solo 1 chorus
-- walk for piano/drums trading 1 chorus
-- play 2-feel and walk for the out melody and coda
mp3 minus Drums - sticks throughout
-- count off sets up the melody
-- comp for the melody
-- comp for the piano solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the bass solo 1 chorus
-- trade 4s with piano 1 chorus (piano first)
-- comp for the out melody and coda
- Recording: Jon Davis - Solo Piano: Jon Davis
- Recorded on: May 26, 2012
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1044)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Piano - Jon Davis
Jon's solo piano version is considerably faster than the two trio recordings. He takes "one up front" on this version—a rubato improvised chorus, a full 32 measures this time before the head (not included in the audio clip above). He then improvises three choruses in time and plays the head out, vamping the last four measures seven times before playing the 12-measure "tag" coda as in the trio versions.
Our melody transcription shows his interpretation of the in head, out head, and final tag. Notable left-hand notes and rhythms are indicated below the single staff. At this faster tempo, he puts a little more bounce in the melodic rhythm. The solo setting gives him freedom to vary some of the rhythms that are more consistent in the trio arrangement, for example the third and fourth measures of the A sections especially on the out head. The fifth measure of the A section is played differently: instead of accenting the C♯ on the "and" of beat 3, Jon leans on the A♮ on beat 3, moving the C♯ to beat 4.
Our melody transcription shows his interpretation of the in head, out head, and final tag. Notable left-hand notes and rhythms are indicated below the single staff. At this faster tempo, he puts a little more bounce in the melodic rhythm. The solo setting gives him freedom to vary some of the rhythms that are more consistent in the trio arrangement, for example the third and fourth measures of the A sections especially on the out head. The fifth measure of the A section is played differently: instead of accenting the C♯ on the "and" of beat 3, Jon leans on the A♮ on beat 3, moving the C♯ to beat 4.
On May 26th, 2012, Jon recorded solo piano versions of 15 original compositions at the Van Gelder Studio. These include six of the ten songs recorded at the 2010 trio session with Daryl and Steve Johns. In addition to One Up Front, Jon recorded solo versions of But Jon, What If?, First Love, Just Because Of You, The Loop, and Wedding Waltz. All will be available here soon.
- Recording: Jon Davis - One Up Front
- Recorded on: May 23, 2013
- Label: Posi-Tone (PR 8110)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Piano - Jon Davis
- Bass - Joris Teepe
- Drums - Shinnosuke Takahashi
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Unlike our trio version, this recording does have "one up front." Jon improvises by himself for a chorus, rubato and without the last two measures, before the bass and drums come in at the top of the head. The rubato section is not included in the audio clip above. The format is otherwise very similar to our "Jon Davis Trio" version; this one is slightly slower and more laid-back, with the bass and drums playing through the coda without a break.
Though he's recorded since the '80s with many notable musicians, Jon only started recording as a leader in 2010. "One Up Front" is the second Davis-led album, and the first one with a trio. Jon had previously recorded with Joris Teepe on the bassist's big band album, "We Take No Prisoners," in 2008.
Jon Davis
born on July 22, 1957
Jon Davis is a pianist and composer based in New York. He has performed with and contributed compositions to many of the top jazz musicians worldwide throughout his career, which has spanned over 35 years, and has recorded several albums as a leader. Jon took up piano and guitar as a young teenager; he was inspired to play jazz after hearing records of Red Garland and Miles Davis. He briefly studied with Lennie Tristano then attended New England Conservatory, where his teachers included Ran Blake, Jaki Byard, and Madam Chaloff. After six months, he left to begin gigging around Boston. Read more...