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JAZZ TRANSCRIPTIONS

Here is a small collection of jazz transcriptions. If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact me.

e-mail Bert Ligon at

bligon@mozart.sc.edu

Phone: 803.777.6565/803.777.4280

USC JAZZ STUDIES

Jazz Improvisation Books by Bert Ligon

TITLE DESCRIPTION
A NIGHT IN TUNISIA

  • A Night in Tunisia Paquito D'Rivera's solo.
  • Transcribed by Lauren Meccia.

    From the Turtle Island String Quartet CD, Danzon.
    TOUCH of YOUR LIPS

  • Touch of Your Lips Bill Evans solo.
  • From Live at Montreux

    FUNKALLERO

  • Funkallero Bill Evans solo.
  • From The Bill Evans Album

    I Remember You

  • I Remember You: Tom Harrell's solo.
  • Listen to the solo at: www.youtube.com/
  • Transcribed by Colin Campbell.

    Tom takes simple material we all know and makes great music.
    There Will Never Be Another You

  • There Will Never Be Another You: Carl Saunders' solo.
  • Transcribed by Colin Campbell.

    There will always be another solo on this tune. Compare this to the solos by Woody Shaw, Kenny Garrett, and Chet Baker, [below] and take a look at Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson on Split Kick based on the same chord progression.

    Stella By Starlight

  • Stella By Starlight (.mp3): Rich Matteson's euphonium solo.
  • Stella By Starlight (.pdf): of Rich Matteson's euphonium solo shown 8va in treble clef.
  • Stella By Starlight (.pdf): in score form to compare choruses.
  • Exercises derived from solo.

    Try applying these exercises to this tune and then transposing the ideas to all 12 major and 12 minor keys.

  • The amazing and swinging Rich Matteson on euphonium playing Stella By Starlight.
    Three solos from Improv IV

  • Windows Chick Corea Piano solo transcribed by Evans McGill.
  • Star Eyes Chris Potter solo transcribed by Lauren Meccia.
  • A Foggy Day Red Garland Piano solo.
  •  
  • All The Things You Are: Joe Pass guitar first chorus
  • This is from a duet with Bob Magnusson and can be viewed at www.youtube.com/
    This first chorus is so simple and a great place to begin. He laters fishes for his pick and continues with some blistering lines.
  • Blues in G:Joe Pass solo guitar
  • This is from an instructional video that can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/
  • Autumn Leaves: Arrangement (.pdf)
  • Autumn Leaves: Trumpet solo (.pdf)
  • Autumn Leaves: Head and Trumpet solo (.mp3)
  • This is from a session recorded in March of 1988. Rob Smith on trumpet, Chris Seiter on Trombone, Bert Ligon on piano.
  • West End Blues
  • Cherokee
  • So What
  • MUSC 100L transcriptions. - Listening Guide -

    Three contrasting trumpet styles. West End Blues - Louis Armstrong, Cherokee - Clifford Brown, So What - Miles Davis.

    Touch of Your Lips Bill Evans "Live at Montreux" version. Great extended arpeggios from melodic minor modes (like Abm over G7, Fm over D half-dim.7, Cm over F9#11), and swinging development.
    All of Me Sarah Vaughan scat chorus from All of Me. The original version may be from "Swinging Easy" (1954), but can be found on "Essential Sarah Vaughan" and other compilations. (The recording is a bit out of tune and in between keys.)
    Eternal Triangle Here is the head and five choruses from Sonny Rollins on Eternal Triangle from the Dizzy Gillespie "Sonny Side Up" CD. Anyone up for transcribing the Sonny Stitt solo and the trading that follows?
    Confirmation Michael Brecker improvisation on Confirmation. Duet with Chick Corea on drums from Corea's "Three Quartets".
  • The Two Lonely People: Solo
  • The Two Lonely People: Melody
  • Bill Evan's Tune and solo from "The Bill Evans Album".
  • Bill's Hit Tune
  • Peri's Scope
  • Comrade Conrad: Solo
  • Comrade Conrad: Melody
  • Tom Harrell solos from the Bill Evans album: "We Will Meet Again".
    Waltz for Debby Bill Evans second solo (in four) from "The Bill Evans Album." Great development of ideas.
    Invitation
  • Bill Evans
  • Tom Harrell
  • Two great solos on Invitation. Bill Evans solo is from the CD "Intuition".
    Take the A Train Classic solos by Harold Land and Clifford Brown.
    D Natural Blues Great solos by Tommy Flanagan and Wes Montgomery with Percy Heath's bass line.
    Invitation Bill Evans solo from "Intuition".
    Split Kick Classic Lou Donaldson and Clifford Brown solos from "Live at Birdland". Split Kick is a Horace Silver contrafact based on There Will Never be Another You. Compare Brown and Donaldson to Chet Baker, Woody Shaw, Carl Saunders and Kenny Garrett over the same progression.
    There Will Never be Another You
  • Woody Shaw and Kenny Garrett solos
  • Chet Baker solo
  • Carl Saunders trumpet solo
  • Compare Chet Baker, Woody Shaw, Carl Saunders and Kenny Garrett on There Will Never be Another You to the Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson solos on Split Kick, based on the same progression.
    Scrapple from the Apple
  • Charlie Parker
  • Kenny Garrett
  • Tom Harrell
  • Compare several great improvisers on Scrapple from the Apple. Kenny Garrett's and Tom Harrell's solos are from the CD "Moon Alley". (I will add Kenny Barron's solo soon.)
    What's Her Name Rich Matteson on Tuba(!) over the changes to All the Things You Are.
    When the Saints Blue Mitchell on the classic tune.
    I Want to be Happy Sonny Rollins solo on I Want to be Happy.
    Tenor Madness Sonny Rollins solo classic blues tune.
    Pennies from Heaven Stan Getz and Oscar Peterson: melody and swinging solos from both.
    Sancticity John Scofield playing on a tune by Hank Mobley written using the changes to Stompin' at the Savoy.
    Sancticity Analysis Scofield's improvistion and a thorough discussion of Scofield's improvistion.
    In Love In Vain Keith Jarrett solo from "Standards, Vol. 2". Rhythmic accuracy is next to impossible in some Jarrett passages. This moves from easy eighth-note swing to flurries of notes barely in time and then back to the easy, swinging eighths.
    Country Keith Jarrett solo from "My Song". Very simple piece, very short solo, beautifully constructed.
    Stella By Starlight Keith Jarrett solo from "Standards Live". Rhythmic accuracy is next to impossible in some Jarrett passages. As with all transcriptions, listen to the recording as standard notation can never capture jazz performance nuances.
    Straight No Chaser Miles Davis solo. Takes Cannonball's last few notes and runs.
    What is This Thing Called Love, pp.1-4
    What is This Thing Called Love, pp.5-8
    What is This Thing Called Love, pp.9-12
    What is This Thing Called Love, pp.13-14
    Keith Jarrett's improvisation from the CD Whisper Not. Plays three choruses out front over left hand ostinato-like accompaniment. Chorus No.4 is the melody statement. He then plays eleven more choruses before hands it over to the bass solo.

    Other transcription sites:

    Very long list of Cannonball Adderley solos
    Mostly Saxophone
    Assorted Instruments
    Jazz Trumpet
    French site
    Guitar
    Bass
    Misc.
    And More
    And More
    Colin Campbell's Transcription Site

    Original Compositions by Bert Ligon

    For more information e-mail Bert Ligon at

    bligon@mozart.sc.edu

    Phone: 803.777.6565/803.777.4280

    USC JAZZ STUDIES

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