For those of you on Facebook, be sure to follow Smoke Jazz Club in NYC. They stream live jazz regularly and I hope it’s something they continue.
As I’m writing this I’m watching the Eric Alexander Quartet featuring David Kikoski, Peter Washington and special guest Al Foster!
Update August 2021 – There is a new post with updated photos and a full table of contents that lists every solo included in the book.
Updated July 2019 – This post was originally posted in 2017. Two years later there’s a new version of The Philly Joe Jones Solo Book available with an additional 32 transcribed drum solos! I’ll list them at the bottom of this post.
The Philly Joe Jones Solo Book is well worth the $50 – $60 price tag. It was transcribed over the course of 10 years by Joerg Eckel, a student of John Riley’s.
There are over 320 380 pages of Philly Joe Jones drum solo transcriptions in the book. Each one includes stickings and lists the album that each solo is on.
You can get a copy at Memphis Drum Shop or Columbus Percussion. I’ve heard that Maxwell’s Drum Shop will be getting some copies as well.
Read on for details, photos and the list of solos included in the book.
Continue reading “Philly Joe Jones Solo Book”I’ve been into drummer Joe Chambers lately and picked up a copy of Bobby Hutcherson’s album Total Eclipse. It’s a great album that features Harold Land, Chick Corea, Reggie Johnson and Joe Chambers and I’m glad it was recently reissued.
I’m studying the song Herzog at the moment, which is the first track on Total Eclipse. It’s a complicated head and the solo form is tough until you can hear the chords.
Here’s how the solo section breaks down (in number of measures of 4/4):
8-8-3-3
8-8-3-3
3
Those last 3 bars can also be thought of as 4 bars of 3/4 time, which makes a little more sense harmonically. I’ve seen it written both ways.
The lead sheet is easy to find and is in the standard Real Book and also The New Real Book, Vol. 3.
Here’s a great video I came across of Bobby Hutcherson’s quintet playing live. I’m pretty sure it’s the same concert that’s on the live album called Blow Up, which is hard to find.
There’s not much footage of Joe Chambers, but what is shown is intense. The camera does stay on him during the transition to the piano solo. Watch how masterfully he brings everything down to make a fresh start for Stanley Cowell’s solo.
Bass – Reggie Johnson
Drums – Joe Chambers
Piano – Stanley Cowell
Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson
Recorded July 25, 1969 / Juan-les-Pins
