Brad Mehldau - Not You Again (There Will Never Be Another You) solo

Alright, so looks like I lied yesterday about it being my last post for a while.  Once you get into a rhythm working with Sibelius, you get pretty quick at inputting things and might as well keep going!  This is definitely it for at least a week or so... I gotta practice this stuff!!!

Not You Again is a John Scofield contra-fact over the changes of There Will Never Be Another You.  It can be heard on the 2000 album, Works For Me.  My ensemble director back in my first year of undergrad (2003), Jamie Clark, had us playing this tune and urged us to check out the album and its "dream band": John Scofield, Kenny Garrett, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & the late Billy Higgins.  Jamie, you were onto something!

Listen to Brad's solo

Click here to view WITH chord symbols (my interpretation) over his LH superimposed chords

Click here to view WITHOUT chord symbols over his LH superimposed chords

As you can see from the date stamp, I first transcribed this YEARS ago (stayed up all night doing it, much to the annoyance of my parents).  Tinkered around with it to make my ego feel good that I had worked out something "hip", although I never really studied it properly - I was 18 at the time and terrified of what I was hearing.  I decided to take another look at it today so I could clean it up (my LH chords in the 2nd chorus were way off), put it through Sibelius and post it on this blog.  6.5 years on, and it still scares me... although thankfully not as much!  I still don't really know what's going on in the 2nd chorus, but at least I'm now in a better position to try and work it out! :-)

I tried to transcribe McBride's bass line too, but didn't get very far (hard to hear the pitches clearly, especially when he sometimes gets lost in the mix with the drums).  From what I can hear overall, he mostly sticks to the changes as written.

Anyway, enjoy this one.  If anyone can shed some light on what sort of "concept" Brad is using to reharmonise the 2nd chorus, leave me a comment.  Cheers!

More Mulgrew Miller tunes!

No more Mulgrew solos for now... but can you dig more Mulgrew tunes?

Soul-Leo, from 1987's Wingspan, is in that 60s Blue Note "funky" kinda vein, but with a slightly bent bridge.  I think I transcribed this one just for the hell of it.

Soul-Leo

Somewhere Else & New Wheels are both from 1993's With Our Own Eyes.  It looks like this one is out of print as it doesn't seem readily available on Amazon, nor is it on iTunes.  Let me know if you've really got your heart set on getting a hold of this recording though.  Somewhere Else sounds very McCoy-ish to me - I like the "crunchy" harmony.  New Wheels is a chromatic rhythm changes head.  Chromatic lines never cease to baffle me, so I thought I'd write this one out (only had to work out 16 or so bars!).

Somewhere Else
New Wheels

This will be my last post for a while until I input more things I've written down (yes, with a pencil and manuscript!) into Sibelius.  I might scan, or even input into Sibelius, some old transcriptions I did by hand years ago too.  Most of what I've uploaded in the past couple of days has been done over the past 6 weeks, so my rate of posting will most definitely slow down in comparison to the past 24 hours!  Hope you enjoy what I've put up so far.

Cheers
Damo

Hank Mobley & Wynton Kelly - Remember solos

Here are Hank Mobley & Wynton Kelly's solos from the opening track of 1960's Soul Station.  Love this album - it's usually one I just enjoy listening to but I'm now starting to check it out on more than a surface level, just to work out what makes it hip.


Hank's solo (Bb)
Hank & Wynton's solos (concert)


Sorry if the Bb PDF is a bit messy - it was just a quick cut/paste job from the concert chart.  Didn't go through and check if there were any Cb/E#s either, but I'm sure you'll be fine with it.  Also, with regards to the rhythmic placement of things (laying back/pushing/wailing), I haven't made any markings and the wailing sections may be slightly inaccurate.  However, as with any transcription, this is just a guide and if you wanna nail it, check it out with the recording.

Mulgrew Miller - Small Portion

Just the tune.  It's from With Our Own Eyes, which I believe was recorded around the same period as the classic Hand in Hand (1993).  Both of these albums are killer.

Click here to view

I particularly like this tune for a couple of reasons.  Even though it's a conventional AABA form (how I hear it anyway), there's a few twists here and there (e.g 6 bar A sections, extended B section).  Furthermore, the harmony is pretty straight-ahead, yet used effectively within this style/context with nice modulations and a great tune to boot.  The slight feel change in the B section (basically a pedal during the long Maj7 chords) and all the hits (suggested by the melody if not marked above) help "make" the tune.  Check out the recording if you can find it!

Mulgrew.  Solidly kicking arse for 25+ years!

Marc Copland - Dark Territory

A Marc Copland original.  I was really into his stuff for a while (still am), but have never really sat down and tried to work out his concept (on the to do list, eventually).  I should really revisit this transcription as it looks like I've got some of the voicings down too!  Totally dig his album Haunted Heart & Other Ballads (2001), especially Drew Gress's sound.

Click here to view

I'm just realising now that Google Docs is piss-farting around with some of the fonts on the music  (e.g coda, fine, etc.).  Sorry... whatever.

Kenny Barron - The Pelican

Great tune, brisk & fun.  From Kenny's Spirit Song (1999).


Click here to view

It'll be fun to play on a gig one day!

Joel Frahm - Away From Home

Just the tune.  I think this was transcribed for the same gig as When We Met.  'Twas a very mellow set as I recall.  This is from Joel Frahm & Brad Mehldau's duo recording, Don't Explain (2004).

Click here to view

A beautiful tune.

James Williams - Alter Ego

This is just the head for James Williams' tune, Alter Ego.  Pretty sure there's an LP of the same title too.  First heard this tune on Kenny Barron's Live At Bradley's (1996), and then on Roy Hargrove's The Vibe (1992).


Click here to view

I've enjoyed playing this one on gigs.  Kenny Barron uses a voicing based on 5ths to harmonise the long tones of the melody (e.g Am11 = LH A E B / RH C G D) and the ending.  Roy Hargrove has 3 horns harmonising the melody in 3rds (e.g G B D for the first D of the tune).

Wynton Kelly - This I Dig Of You solo

Wynton Kelly's solo on This I Dig of You, from Hank Mobley's Soul Station (1960). RH only (Marc!!!). :)

Click here to view

Checked it out because I like some of Brad Mehldau's early playing, such as on the Fresh Sound New Talent label and with Peter Bernstein and Grant Stewart.  To me, he sounds like a turbo-charged Wynton Kelly.  Hence, checkin' out some Wynton Kelly for myself!

Marc Copland - When We Met

I transcribed this back in 2008 for a duo set I was performing with James Sherlock.  It's from the Kenny Wheeler/John Abercrombie/Marc Copland album That's For Sure (2001).

Click here to view

I haven't listened to the original recording in a while, but I'm pretty sure the solo form I wrote out is different to what those guys do.  I think they vamped a few chords suggested from the melody, and each soloist had a different set... I really can't remember.  Fairly sure I just used the tune's form as the solo form.

Cheers

Damo

Mulgrew Miller - If I Should Lose You solo

Here is Mulgrew Miller's intro (where the band comes in) & solo on If I Should Lose You, from Live at the Kennedy Center Vol. 1 (2006).

Intro
Solo

In the event of an error, fix them for yourself.  If you feel it's a major error, let me know!

Cheers

Damo

First post

Hi everyone

I will be using this blog to post transcriptions I've done of jazz tunes/solos.

About me: Damian Sim, 25 year old pianist based in Brisbane, Australia.  Favourite vegetables include carrots, baby broccoli, broccoli, cauliflower and snow peas.

Cheers

Damo