Category Archives: Winds

Bob Reynolds, Out of Nowhere

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Download the Transcription: Bb, Eb, C, Bass Clef

Today’s transcription comes from a video that Bob Reynolds posted to Youtube demonstrating playing in 7/4 time on the tune “Out of Nowhere.”  I chose this solo to transcribe, because quite frankly I’m pretty terrible at playing in odd-meter and I wanted to have a good example to practice along with; an etude of sorts.  This solo comes pretty close to that while still retaining a genuine/musical feel that I think etudes tend to lack (especially jazz etudes). Besides, there are some really killer phrases that go across the entire range of the horn that I really wanted to learn.

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Dave Douglas – November

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Download the Transcription: Concert, Bb, Eb, Bass Clef

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Anyone that knows me, knows that I love me some Dave Douglas. Dave has been a huge influence on me both as a writer and a trumpet player, and this particular solo has been one that has haunted me for many years. Dave is a lyrical master, and this solo is a perfect example of his prowess. Almost the whole solo is played over a simple I (vi), ii IV V progression, but its basically just Bb major the whole time. His two horn writing is really some special as it is on display on this track.

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Leroy Jones – Lord, Lord, Lord & Just A Closer Walk With Thee

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Download the Transcription: Concert, Bb, Eb, Bass Clef

Lord, Lord, Lord:

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Just a Closer Walk With Thee:

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This week is a two-for-one. If you read my blog post on my trip to New Orleans, you know that I had an exciting time while I was there. Among other things, I had the absolute pleasure of getting to hear Leroy Jones at Preservation Hall, and since the Jack Brass Band (band I was on tour with) had played there the night before, I got to meet Leroy and talk to him a little. Mainly, it was just a treat to hear this man play traditional New Orleans music all evening.

Since most people don’t know who Leroy Jones is (which is a damn same), I’ll just give you a short synopsis. Leroy is probably best know for his work with Harry Connick, Jr, but he was also a member of the band that became the famous Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Leroy has been performing all around the world with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Harry Connick, and was born and bred in New Orleans. Leroy is as authentic as it gets, and when you hear him play over these simple I IV V I progressions, you wonder if you should ever even try to play trads again. It’s that good.

Somehow Leroy has gone widely unnoticed in the trumpet community, which I am particularly perturbed about. It seems as though if a trumpet player comes out of the woodwork with a less than “standard” trumpet sound, the International Trumpet Guild doesn’t know what to do with him. He fits nicely in his cute little New Orleans box, so that’s where we put him and that’s where he stays. Spoiler alert: You’ve all been missing out. Continue reading →

Lee Morgan, Ceora

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Download the Transcription: Bb, Eb, C, Bass Clef

Ceora as performed by Lee Morgan from the 1965 Blue Note album “Cornbread.” Featuring Lee Morgan on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, and Larry Ridley on Bass.

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Roy Hargrove, Strasbourg/St. Denis

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Photo By Pieter M. van Hattem – courtesy of <vervemusicgroup.com>

 

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Download the PDF: Concert, Bb, Eb, Bass Clef

Roy is one my favorite trumpet players of all time. His mix of hard bop and soul/gospel in his playing is exactly where I want to be as a player, so I tend to listen to a lot of (too much?) Roy. This tune is no exception. It’s from his record Earfood, which is pretty much a standard quintet record, except it has this track on it, and this track really just blows away the rest of the album, as good as it is. Everyone on the record plays great throughout, but it’s like they were all born to play this tune. Each solo builds on the last creating a track that ebbs and flows just right, until you’re hitting the back arrow on your ipod to listen again.

It’s seriously so good.

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Guest Post: Bryan Lynch, Freehands

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Thanks to Ricardo Uziel Badillo Romero for today’s guest post!

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Download the transcription: Bb, Eb, C

FREEHANDS written by Brian Lynch & Eddie Palmieri, trumpet solo by Brian Lynch, from “Simpatico” album Recorded in 2005

I had heard about him, about his particular way to put the trumpet on and play with all those colors, I heard him in different type of recordings, including jazz, bop, salsa styles… when I meet him in person then I understood everything I heard about him….
management of bop chops with latin jazz, very clean sound and perfect understandable phrases make him one of my top favorites… I choose this tune because it’s my personal favorite of the whole album…

Really he is one of the most versatile trumpet players of our times

IN SPANISH

Había escuchado acerca de él, de su forma de tocar la trompeta y manejar todos esos colores, lo escuché en diferentes tipos de grabaciones, jazz, bop, y salsa, cuando lo conozco en persona entonces comprendí todo lo que me contaron acerca de Brian, el manejo de las frases de bop cuando toca latin jazz, un sonido muy limpio y frases perfectamente entendibles hacen de él uno de mis favoritos,… elegí este tema porque es mi favorito de todo el álbum…

Realmente él es uno de los más versátiles trompetistas de nuestros tiempos.

Body and Soul, Coleman Hawkins

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Photo by William P Gottlieb

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Download the Transcription: Bb, Eb, C, Bass Clef

In today’s post we take a look at Coleman Hawkins’ famous 1939 solo on the tune Body and Soul. Some consider this to be the definitive version and I certainly consider it a must study transcription (for saxophonists at least).

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There Will Never Be Another You, Sonny Stitt

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Photo by Tom Marcello

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Download the Transcription: Eb, Bb, C, Bass Clef

This track came from a compilation album called The Art of the Jazz Saxophone: Bebop & Beyond.  Unfortunately I do not know the original album that this track appeared on or the other artists that are present on it.  If someone else does please let me know so I can update that information.

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Tom Harrell, Joy Spring (unaccompanied solo)

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(photo credit: Claus Willemer)

Joy Spring, written by Clifford Brown and performed by Tom Harrell.  From Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown, released 1994 on Polygram Records.

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Download the PDF: Bb, Eb, C, Bass Clef

Legendary. That’s all I’ve got to say about this solo. Legendary.

Seriously, that’s not all I have to say. First of all, let me just issue an official promise to our readers that my next transcription will not be a trumpet player. Trumpet players, I am sorry. That being said, I just heard this track for the first time a few weeks ago and I knew I had to transcribe it. It’s just so amazing. Continue reading →

Joe Henderson, Isfahan

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With Neil Swainson, bass, at Harpo's, Victoria. Photo by Guy MacPherson

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Download the transcription: Eb, Bb, C, Bass Clef

“Isfahan” composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn and performed by Joe Henderson, Tenor Sax; Christian McBride, Bass.  From Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn, Verve Records 1992.

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