Philadelphia Bound – Ray Bryant
A driving blues head with an old fashioned sensibility. Philadelphia Bound requires a lot of stamina and strength to play it at the original lightning pace! Ray's solo piano arrangement, an MP3 of Kenny Drew, Jr. playing it plus Jo Jones drum transcription available.
- Recording: Jo Jones - Jo Jones Trio
- Recorded on: March, 1959
- Label: Everest (LPBR 5023)
- Concert Key: C
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Piano - Ray Bryant
- Bass - Tommy Bryant
- Drums - Jo Jones
Video
- Gustavo Cortinas (drums) with Joaquin Garcia and Gustavo Cortiñas t Northwestern University.
In 1958 they recorded five times together, first with Budd Johnson, then the Jo Jones date we've already mentioned, followed by three singer dates: Big Maybelle, Chuck Berry (both at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival) and Mae Barnes. In 1959, after the Jo Jones date featured here, they can both be heard together on three Jimmy Rushing sessions.
In 1992, pianist Harold Mabern also recorded Philadelphia Bound
.Pianist Kenny Drew Jr. recorded Ray's arrangement for jazzleadsheets.com at Rudy Van Gelder's studio and the MP3 of his recording is available.
-- solo drum introduction
-- in melody (horn melodies are shown above the drum staff)
-- Jo Jones’ time as he plays behind Ray Bryant’s piano solo (first two choruses)
-- piano and drums trading fours (six choruses)
-- out melody
On YouTube there's a great clip of Jo Jones playing another one of Ray's compositions, Cubano Chant. Jo Jones's "most tap-dance-like drum solo" and very enjoyable!
Ray Bryant
December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011
Following performances in his native Philadelphia with guitarist Tiny Grimes and as house pianist at the Blue Note Club with Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Miles Davis and others, Ray Bryant came to New York in the mid-1950s. His first jazz recording session in New York was with Toots Thielemans (August, 1955) for Columbia Records. That session led to his own trio sessions as well as sessions with vocalist Betty Carter for Epic Records in May and June ("Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant"). On August 5, 1955, Ray recorded with Miles Davis, and on December 2, 1955, with Sonny Rollins, both for Prestige Records. Read more...