Transcription Assignment and Ideas (Jazz Final)

Here is a link to the assignment.

Ideas for Final Assignment

This is far from an exhaustive list, remember you’re not required to choose from this list.  It’s just a list of youtube (or spotify) links that I’m sure will continue to grow, containing some great (and playable!) solos by master jazz improvisers on a variety of instruments.  If you hear one you like, look to acquire a copy of the track in mp3 format so you can begin your own transcription.

 

1.  All instruments: anything from Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, but especially solos on:

• So What
• Freddie Freeloader
• All Blues

2. Saxophones:

• Lester Young, “Blue Lester”
• Sonny Rollins, “St. Thomas”
• Lou Donaldson, “Blues Walk”

3. Trumpets:

• Preservation Hall Hot 4, “Corinna, Corinna” (12-bar blues; this trumpet solo is the one I’m going to work on!) – spotify link
• Anything by Chet Baker, here are a couple:
  • White Blues
  • There Will Never Be Another You
  • Blue Mitchell, on “Tru Blue”

4. Trombones:

• Curtis Fuller on “Blue Train” (just choose from the first 1-2 choruses, before the double time feel begins)
• J.J. Johnson, “Blue Bossa” (with Joe Pass)
• Curtis Fuller, “Blue Lawson” (spotify link)

5. Guitar:

• Wes Montgomery, “Movin’ Along”
• Jim Hall, “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To”
• Joe Pass, “Sometimes I’m Happy” (on Oscar Peterson’s Tribute to my Friends) (spotify link)

6. Piano

• Red Garland on “If I Were a Bell” (Miles Davis’ recording)
• Horace Silver, “Song for My Father”
• Barry Harris, “Moose the Mooche”

7. Bass

• Wilbur Ware, solo on Sonny Rollins’ recording of “Softly As in a Morning Sunrise”
• Ray Brown, solo on “Blue Bossa” on The Big 3 (Milt Jackson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown)

8. Drums

• Max Roach, solo on Sonny Rollins’ recording of “Blue Seven”
• Max Roach, solo on “For Big Sid”
• Art Blakey, opening solo on “Evidence”
• (you could also choose to transcribe a few sets of “trading fours” if you’d prefer this to a longer solo, such as Philly Joe Jones’ fours on “Billy Boy” from Miles Davis’ Milestones starting at 4:25)