Here’s another great solo transcription from one of my favorite recordings.  This is a fast blues called “Blues Up & Down” and is from the CD entitled “Heavy Juice”.  This CD features Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen both on the tenor saxophone.  Both of these great musicians swing like crazy on this album.  This is a recording I would want on a desert island!  That’s how good it is.   Any serious tenor sax player should have it in their collection.

I started this solo transcription a few years ago for a video lesson I did on transcription. In that lesson, I basically transcribed the first 3 pages of this solo as I talked about how to transcribe.  Slowing down the recording, figuring out the notes and rhythms, etc………… Transcription Video Lesson.   This last week I finally decided to finish this solo.   You could spend a year on all the material and lines in this solo.  It’s a goldmine!   Don’t be scared off by the fast tempo,  try playing the transcription slow at first to get the lines and rhythms down.  You can work up your speed gradually until you are ready to play it with Scott and Harry.

This solo is 24 choruses of a ripping  fast blues.  When you first look at the PDF you might be fooled into thinking this is an easy solo to play but try playing some of these lines with the recording and you quickly realize how awesome these guys are.

Blues Up & Down Solo Bb Key
Blues Up & Down Concert Key Solo

If you dig this solo make sure you pick up the whole CD of “Heavy Juice“.   It is  amazing!

If you like these types of blues lines like I do, be sure to check out my jazz video lessons and books for some great resources!  Here are just a few on a variety of blues improvisation topics.  I have 11 jazz improvisation books out now and over 500 30 minute+ video and audio lessons to choose from……..   Steve

Here’s some reviews:

• I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
• I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ‘em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!
• I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would have been fine! I’m not on commission here – just wanted to write a review to encourage people to do this. Without doubt the most time and cost effective investment I’ve made in taking my playing to where it should be…Cheers Steve.

 

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Here’s a burnin’ tenor saxophone solo from the great George Coleman.  This is from the album “Amsterdam After Dark”.  It is from the tune “Apache Dance” which has a solo section over the changes of “Cherokee”.  I was actually given this solo transcription by a teacher at Berklee  almost 30 years ago.   (I think it might have been Bill Pierce).  I remember shedding this solo like crazy. even though the solo was written for the tenor sax and I played alto sax at the time.  I was captivated by the extensive use of the bebop scale in this solo.   I had heard of the bebop scale before but to be honest, I never really heard anyone use it that much in the recordings I had.  This was the first recording and transcription where I saw it in action.

George Edward Coleman is an American hard bop saxophonist, bandleader, and composer, known chiefly for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master for 2015.

George Coleman

It was my first or second semester at Berklee and I was really wanting to get Cherokee down and burnin’ fast.  I remember taking the lines and concepts and transposing them to the alto key and trying to get them mastered.  i spent thousands of hours on these lines and over the course of time the transcription was destroyed or lost. Pages were ripped, pieces were missing, pages were lost……. Years later when i started teaching I decided to transcribe the solo myself to use with my students who were working on the bebop scale material.  (It wasn’t very hard as I knew many of the lines already.)    Working on the scale and links from my “Mastering the Bebop Scale” books is one thing, but nothing replaces hearing the lines and concepts pieced together in a real recording to hear how they can be used.

This solo is also a great demonstration of how to use diatonic scale patterns in a solo.  You can hear how,  at this incredibly fast tempo, Mr. Coleman has to rely on certain tools to build his solo from. A good portion of these tools are bebop scales, diatonic patterns, approaches and bebop links (that’s my name for them from my books)  You can hear the diatonic patterns on measures 23-24, 31-32, 35, 70, 71-72, 81-82, 103, 119-120, 187-188, 212-213,242-243.  Notice how he just uses little bits from each pattern within the lines.  Any more than that becomes too much…….

George Coleman

This is another solo that could keep you busy for a few years.  It’s not enough to just play through the solo and get it up to speed.  You really want to take apart the lines, understand the concepts and transpose them to other keys to really get them mastered and into your own playing.  Enjoy!!

Apache Dance-George Coleman Solo Bb

Apache Dance-George Coleman Solo Concert Key

*As a side note:  For those of you who like Eric Alexander, you can hear that Eric was heavily influenced by George Coleman as you listen to this CD.  Even in this solo, there is a lick at measures 193-195 that I have heard Eric Alexander play hundreds of times.  As you listen to George Coleman, I think you will hear many similarities as far as phrasing, articulation, lines and sound in my opinion.

If you enjoy this solo be sure to check out my extensive books and lesson on “Mastering the Dominant and Major Bebop Scale” below:

Bebop Scale Material

• Altered Dominant Bebop Scale-Lesson 1
• Altered Dominant Bebop Scale-Lesson 2
• Bebop Scale Offbeat Workout Lesson 1
• Connecting Dominant Bebop Lines-Lesson 1
• Dominant Bebop Scale Around the Circle Lesson
• In A Mellow Tone Dominant Bebop Solo Lesson
• Mastering the Bebop Scale Review-Blues in all Keys-Lesson 1
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 1
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 2
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 3
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 4
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 5
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 6
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 7
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 8
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 9
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 10
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 11
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 12
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 13
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 14
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 15
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 16
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale-Lesson 17
• Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale-Lesson 18
• Mastering the Bebop Scales Lesson 19
• Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale (PDF Book)
• Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (PDF Book)
• Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound Overview Lesson
• The Major Bebop Scale Lesson
• Triplet Bebop Scale Workout Lesson 1
• Varying Your Dominant Bebop Lines Lesson
• West Coast Blues Bebop Scale Lesson

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Happy Holidays Everyone!!    Here’s another new transcription I have been working on. It’s Christmas Eve, the wife and kids are in bed, the presents are under the tree, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, when down from Steve’s office arose such a clatter, the sound of Michael Brecker……that was the matter……….

This is the first 8 choruses of a burnin’ Michael Brecker solo over the standard “Blue Bossa” from the Roppongi Pit Inn in Tokyo,  1985.  This was taken from a grainy video camera recording that is on youtube.  I have included the video below for you to enjoy.

 Michael Brecker in the 70’s

This solo might rattle your brain a bit if you are the kind of person that believes life…… and jazz  for that matter,  should be played by the rules.  That we should color within the lines if you will……….One of the things I always loved about Michael Brecker was the total freedom he had while soloing.  You don’t have to look far in the PDF before you notice certain anomalies. If you were to just see them on paper you might think “This guy isn’t playing the right notes” or “He doesn’t know what he’s doing”  but that is far from the truth. Brecker used these “outside” note choices to create exquisite tension and resolution throughout the lines of his solos.  These amazing lines are what drew so many of us to his concerts and recordings.

One very cool concept you see Brecker using in this solo is the use of the B melodic minor scale and E7 sound over the Bb7 chord.  Measure 12 outlines B minor. Measure 28 has a E Major vibe to it. Measure 44 starts with the remainder of the F minor line from the previous measure but on beat 3 he surprises us by not going to F but to F# and then outlining B-7. Measure 60 is all B melodic minor (also known as Bb altered scale).  Measures 75-76 sound like a strong E7  line.  He’s thinking of the tri-tone sub of Bb7 and playing it right through the whole ii-V would be my guess.  He even carries it in to the Eb Major bar a bit. He does the same thing in measures 92-93. Delaying the resolution of the Eb Major chord………Same thing with 108-109.

There are many other melodic “gems” and concepts in this solo to dig through and try to understand.

This is pages 1 -4 and includes the first 8 choruses.  I will put up the other 12 or so choruses of the solo as I complete them. Some of these sections are pretty hard so I will do what I can with no promises……..  I hope you enjoy this part of the solo. Let me know what you think or if you have any comments below (although I don’t blame you if you feel speechless after watching the video………….)  Enjoy,       Steve

Blue Bossa Solo-Brecker 1985 Pages 1-4 Bb (8 choruses)

Blue Bossa Solo-Brecker 1985 Pages 1-4 Concert Key (8 choruses)

If you want to learn more about using the melodic minor and altered scales for a modern sound while improvising, check out some of these great video lessons:

Complete Lesson  and Book Index

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So this week I wanted to keep to my transcription goal but things have been a bit hectic around here.  I was playing a Benjamin Allen Tony Dagradi model tenor mouthpiece most of today while I was practicing and it reminded me of a Tony Dagradi solo on Invitation that I had heard a while ago and have been meaning to transcribe.  I thought “I should start transcribing that solo while I play on this Tony Dagradi mouthpiece. That would be cool……”    I  actually got Finale out and started setting up the details of the music but at the last minute I thought maybe I should check to see if someone else has transcribed this…………   I did a google search and sure enough, I found a transcription of Ton’y solo and it is on Tony’ site none the less.   I thought I would share it with all of you in case you didn’t know about it also.  If you get a chance also check out Tony’s website at www.tonydagradi.com.  I recently got  the CD “Gemini Rising” and Tony Dagradi play’s Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone saxophone on each cut. It’s cool to hear hip tunes played my a sax quartet that is actually only one guy!!    Enjoy!

Tony Dagradi’s Solo on Invitation

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Here’s another great David Mann transcription from a Bb Blues that was sent to me from Igor Tomanoski.  This is a solo that Dave played on the tune Sun Down.  I made a few minor additions and changes to the transcription of some notes and rhythms I heard.  This solo is another great example of mixing bluesy emotional playing with modern lines.  Big thanks to Igor for  letting me post this.

David Mann

Here’s a short bio of Dave that I found on the internet:

Fresh out of the New England Conservatory of Music and new on the New York scene, David launched his solo career in the formative days of contemporary Jazz with the popular “Games” (1987) and “Insight” (1989) on the Island/Antilles label. Along with his brother, bassist Ned Mann, came the 1993 release of The Mann Brothers “Mann to Mann” on DMP Records. In 2001, David released “Touch” on N-Coded Music, which showcased his full range of abilities as a composer, producer, programmer, and of course as a saxophonist. Named “one of the best albums of the year” and “debut artist of the year” by Jazztrax, “Touch” finds David in fine company, teaming up with Bob James, Chris Botti, Chuck Loeb and Chieli Minuchi. Along with working on his own albums, David has become an increasingly accomplished composer and producer, working with such artists as Wayman Tisdale, Nelson Rangell, Steve Cole, Kim Waters, Point of Grace, and Rachel Z. In 2001 alone, David scored two #1 NAC singles (with Wayman Tisdale and Steve Cole).

David has performed and recorded with many of the biggest names in music, including Tower of Power (1993-1996), James Taylor, Paul Simon, Michael Jackson, Gil Evans, Pat Metheny, Sting, Madonna, Chaka Khan, George Michael, Billy Joel, Lyle Lovett, Bob James, Linda Eder, Liza Minnelli, Patti Austin, Ivan Lins, Michael McDonald, Alicia Keys, Vanessa Williams, Bette Midler, Michael Bolton, Chieli Minucci, Luther Vandross, BB King, Phish, Spyro Gyra, Sergio Mendes, Bobby McFerrin, Leni Stern, Elements, Miles Evans Orchestra, Ricky Martin, Chuck Loeb, Special EFX, Donnie and Marie Osmond, Al Jarraeu, Rob Mathes, Club 1600, Whitney Houston and George Russell. He also can be heard on many TV themes and jingles, including those for Monday Night Football, ABC News Nightline, NBA on TBS, The Early Show with Bryant Gumbel, Later Today, 20/20, 48 Hours and Super Bowl XXIV on ABC. Movie credits include “Lucky Numbers,” “Any Given Sunday,” “Shaft 2,” “The Mask” and “Scrooged.” David has performed as a soloist with the Boston Pops and the National Symphony and has toured extensively throughout the world.

David Mann Sun Down Solo Bb

David Mann Sun Down Solo C

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Here’s another solo transcriptions I started working on yesterday. This is from a clinic recording of Donny McCaslin demonstrating using sixth intervals while improvising over a standard blues on the tenor saxophone.  I have no idea what this is from or even where I got it but it must have been on the internet somewhere.  I tried doing a search for the rest of the clinic but couldn’t find it anywhere online.   Donny has graciously said he was ok with me posting the recordings and transcriptions for all to check out.

Donny McCaslin is a great tenor player who was just leaving Berklee as I was arriving there in the 80’s.  He doesn’t know it, but he had a large part in inspiring me to move to Boston.   I went to Boston during the summer of 1986 to visit my girlfriend who was going to Berklee at the time.  I remember going to a concert at the Berklee performance Center.  Donny McCaslin was playing alongside Warren Hill.  They were both students at the time and a little bit older than me.  I remember being amazed at that concert.  I don’t remember exactly what they played but I think I remember a Steps Ahead tune like “Trains”  and maybe also a Sanborn tune.   I remember deciding right there at the concert that I had to leave Ithaca College and transfer to Berklee immediately.  If these were the kind of players Berklee was turning out then I wanted to be there.  I transferred to Berklee that fall and am very glad that I did.

I remember even at that time that Donny seemed to have his own sound and concept going on.   He had long flowing original lines that weaved in, out and around the harmony.  His technique was amazing.  He would play complicated patterns and intervals throughout the range of the horn with ease. Even at that time,  I remember getting to Berklee and finding a recording of Donny playing on “There will Never Be Another You” from some performance.  I transcribed that solo and interestingly enough, even though it was 28 years ago, I remember there were also lines with fourths and sixths throughout that solo………

I decided to transcribe this solo because it is unique in it’s use of sixth intervals as well as some of the rhythmic ideas used.    Make sure to also check out the transcriptions of Donny demonstrating a blues using fourths as well.

Please be sure to check out Donny McCaslin’s recordings and website.   Thanks again to Donny for giving me permission to post these recordings as well as being such an inspiration in today’s jazz scene.     Thanks, Steve

McCaslin Blues in 6ths Bb PDF

McCaslin Blues in 6ths C PDF

If you love these type of outside  type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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We are in for a treat today!  I contacted Rick Margitza (a great tenor saxophone player) on facebook the other day and asked if I could share his two transcriptions of Michael Brecker’s solos from two Steps Ahead bootlegs of Four Chords.  I came up with the idea of placing these two transcriptions along side my transcription from the original Paradox CD  to compare Brecker’s lines and ideas over the chords.

 Steps Ahead in the 80’s

I’ve found that by placing the 3 solos next to each other on staves you can find certain similarities and concepts in common through each chord.  This is a great way to decipher and pinpoint an approach or concept that Brecker might have used when soloing over certain chord changes.  The similarities make these concepts all the more recognizable.

Let’s take a look at these concepts one measure at a time (We will be referring to the Bb key for the chords). I will start on the first measure (not counting the pickup measure):

Measure 1-F#-11 (the original Don Grolnick score has this chord as a F#-7sus)

For the most part, Brecker is highlighting the F# minor pentatonic during these F#-11 chords. The main notes are F#ABC#E F#.  When playing over a minor chord the question arises on what to play for the 2nd and 6th degree of the scale.  If you go with dorian the 2nd would be G# and the 6th would be D#.  Brecker does not do this.  During the times that he includes those scale degrees he goes for a G for the 2nd and a D for the 6th. This is the Phrygian mode. F#GABC#DEF#.  When trying to figure out what scale to use over a minor chord I teach students that they have to do a little detective work with the chord before and after the specific minor chord (as well as using their ears).  In this case the chord before F#-11 is a G13(has a G and D). The chord after the F#-11 is a C#7#5#9 (also G and D if you use the C# altered scale). So in this case the phrygian mode makes sense for this minor chord.

Measure 2-C#7#5#9  (the original Don Grolnick score has this chord as a F#-7sus although there is a F in the bass on the sheet music and I know I hear an F in the comping on this measure so I’m going with C#7#5#9……..)

The typical approach to this chord is the C# altered scale which is C#DEFGABC#.  Brecker’s lines over this measure generally take on the form of outlining a C# altered scale, F Lydian type of idea or a G7 bebop scale type of line.  F lydian is FGABCDEF and the G dominant bebop is GABCDEFF#G. You can see how the F Lydian and G7 bebop lines share most of the same notes as the C# altered scale.  The lines sound great over this chord and using these 3 concepts over altered chords will give us a load of new ideas and lines!

Measure 3-DMaj7

Brecker treats this measure with some pretty common D Major patterns on every chorus.  He even throws in a common Coltrane line a bunch of times (top of page 8 solo 2 DMaj7 , bottom of page 10 solo 3 DMaj7, top of page 12 solo 2 DMaj7, middle of page 13 solo 2 DMaj7, bottom of page 18 solo 3 DMaj7.  It’s obvious that Brecker likes this lick and probably got it from Coltrane as did the rest of us that studied Coltrane at one time…………

Measure 4-C#-11 F#7#9

Here we have a ii-V going to B minor.  For the most part Brecker seems to be treating this whole measure as F#7 altered or G melodic minor.  These are the same scale GABbCDEF#G.  The difference  in my opinion is usually when a player is thinking G melodic minor the G minor sound is outlined. When the same notes aren’t outlining G minor then the player is probably thinking more of the F# altered scale.

Measure 5-B-7

Brecker is mainly outlining the B minor sound.  I notice a greater use of approaches to B minor in these measures.

Measure 6-A-7b5 D7(b5)

For the most part,  Brecker seems to be going with A locrian on this measure. ABbCDEbFGA.  Once in a while he throws in a B instead os the Bb or an F# instead of F.  He also uses the D7 altered scale at times as well as just some cool chromatic lines.  The chord on the sheet music is D7b5 but I don’t see Brecker trying very hard to hit an Ab on the D7b5 chord…………

 Michael Brecker in the 70’s

Measure 7-G#-7b5 Gm6 Bbm6

The common theme with this measure seems to be B’s and G#’s during beats 1 & 2.  In general Brecker does a great job of staying within the chords on beats 3 & 4.  They happen fast at one beat each and I’m surprised he stays withing the chord changes as many times as he did during the solo for those beats.  That is mastery!!  Sometimes he chooses to also go chromatic on beats 3 & 4 also…………….

Measure 8-C#7#9

You guessed it……more of the altered scale madness. C#DEFGABC#. (Which again is also D melodic minor).  He also goes the chromatic route a number of times during this measure.

Measure 9-F#-7

Same as measure 1 above…….Lot’s of F# minor pentatonic lines going on…………….

Measure 10-E-7 A7

These lines are pretty straight forward outlining the E-7 and then Brecker usually morphs into an A altered line during A7. Page 15 solo 2 is interesting as Brecker is outlining E-7 F7 Bb Db7……and then continues into D Major on the next page with F#  which of course we recognize from Coltrane also (Countdown)…………

Measure 11-DMaj7

Same as measure 3 above…………..

Measure 12-C#-11 C13

This is an interesting measure as it is a ii-V with a tritone substitution for the V7.  The V would be F#7.  I didn’t specifically hear the C13 expect for a few times and thought that chord was a F#7 altered.  I’m guessing that the band goes back and forth on that chord.  Brecker certainly seems to be favoring the F# altered scale (G melodic minor) on this measure.  Many times he starts the measure with EGBbD over the C#-11 chord. (I love the line on page 10 solo 1 on this chord!! He’s using wider intervals on the altered scale to give it an almost pentatonic sound…….)

Measure 13-B-11(the original Don Grolnick score has this chord as a B-7sus)

Same as measure 5 above…………..

Measure 14-FMaj7 EbMaj7

Brecker does a great job of outlining these chords in this measure.  So much so that I knew the chords just from the lines he was playing.  There is a  line on page 11 solo 3 where he seems to be thinking triad pairs of F and Eb over the whole measure and creating a random line with that concept.

Measure 15-AMaj7b5

For the most part, Brecker is just playing with A major ideas during this measure.  I don’t see him trying very hard to incorporate the b5 into his lines although once in a while he does.

Measure 16-G13

Brecker’s going totally bebop scale crazy on this measure usually.  It is so dominant that before I even knew the chords I thought that was a G7 chord there just from Brecker’s lines.  There are some classic hardbop lines to check out here.  Page 8 solo 1 is one of my favorites on that measure.

Michael Brecker-Steps Ahead Poster

Again,  special thanks to Rick Margitza for allowing me to post his incredible transcriptions.  I feel like I learned a lot by placing them side by side with my own and analyzing the lines.  I’m looking forward to continuing to work on these solos and implementing the lines and concepts into my own playing more and more.  Brecker was the man!!!!  We all miss you!

**If you run across any ideas or concepts that I overlooked in my analysis please feel free to comment on them below.  Have fun practicing!!!!

Four Chords-3 Brecker Solos Combined

Four Chords Brecker Live 2-NYC 9-81 original transcription by Rick Margitza

Four Chords Brecker Live 2-NYC 9-81 Bootleg mp3 (right click and click on “save link as” in your browser to save this mp3 to your computer)

Four Chords Brecker Live 3-NYC 9-81 original transcription by Rick Margitza

Four Chords Brecker Live 3-NYC 9-81 Bootleg mp3 (right click and click on “save link as” in your browser to save this mp3 to your computer)

If you love these type of outside Brecker type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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For this week’s new transcription I have been working on a solo by Michael Brecker over “A Night in Tunisia”. This is from a video on Youtube of Chaka Kahn performing a great version of this tune in 1981.

I just discovered this Youtube video last week when someone posted it on Facebook. I must have watched Brecker’s solo 20 times in a row that night.  This is just classic “tearing it up” Brecker!!  These kinds of solos bring me right back to 1985 when I first discovered him………I love this stuff……….

 Michael Brecker in the Early 80’s

I’m starting off this week with chorus 1 of the solo and will post other choruses when and if I get to them. I make no promises as some of these measures could drive me insane.  I hope you enjoy this stuff as much as I do…………Let me know what you think in the comments below………Steve

Chaka Kahn-A Night in Tunisia Video

A Night in Tunisia Solo-Brecker with Chaka 1981 Page 1 Bb PDF

Audio of Brecker’s Solo on A Night in Tunisia with Chaka Kahn

If you love these type of outside Brecker type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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Here’s another great bop solo by one of my favorite alto players “Jesse Davis”.  Jesse has one of the best alto sounds I have heard and I love how he can incorporate killer bebop lines and phrases with a bluesy feel and sound. (Another master of this technique was without a doubt Cannonball)

Here’s a short snippet of a bio from the Jesse Davis Wikipedia page:

Jesse Davis (born November 9, 1965) is an American jazz saxophonist. Davis began as a student in Ellis Marsalis’s New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.  After graduating, Davis embarked on a productive jazz career, recording 8 albums on the Concord Jazz label, alongside collaborations with such artists as Jack McDuff and Illinois Jacquet. Davis has studied music at Northeastern Illinois University, and in 1989 he received a “Most Outstanding Musician award” from Down Beat magazine.

Jesse Davis-Saxophonist

Here he is soloing over Cherokee from this Youtube video of a performance with Warren Vache from 2001.

The solo starts around the 1:09 mark.  Enjoy! Lot’s of great lines for you to work on in this solo…………….( I have another great solo based on the changes to Cherokee I’m working on also that should be up in a few days,,,,,,,,)

Jesse Davis Solo on Cherokee-Warren Vache 2001 Youtube Video Eb PDF

*Charles McNeal’s website also has a transcription of this solo which is where I first discovered it.  (Thanks Charles!) I wrote out my transcription and there were enough differences that I thought it was worth posting it also…………..

If you are interested in more lines and ideas in this style of playing make sure to check out my two books below on Mastering the Bebop Scale and it’s links:

Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale

More than just a book on a scale, these books incorporates bebop links and bebop resolutions that when combined with the bebop scale will produce some great bebop lines!

Mastering the Major Bebop Scale

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Today I am sharing a transposed part to a solo transcription done by Joey Lieber (pianist).  Joey shared this tenor saxophone transcription on Facebook in C last week and I wanted to transpose it to Bb for tenor saxophone ASAP as this was a very cool solo……..

This transcription is of a solo that Chad Lefkowitz-Brown played over the changes to Dexterity.   Here is the original video of the solo Lefkowitz-Brown Dexterity Solo. There is a group on Facebook called “Jam of the Week” and Chad posts a lot of acapella solos on there over common jazz standards.  I have discovered some great young players around the world on many instruments by checking out some of the videos in this group. It is very cool!!

There is even a young women who walks back and forth during the video and Chad’s lines just keep flowing………very focused player!

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown is one of the new young lions out there leading the way with his unique style and versatility.  You can checkout his website for more information about him as well as some great recordings and videos.  Thanks again to Joey Lieber for doing the original transcription and sharing it with all of us.   Enjoy!

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Solo on Dexterity Bb PDF

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Here’s a solo transcription I started working on this week.   This is another solo from one of my favorite tenor sax players, Bob Mintzer.   I love Bob’s playing because it is so melodic and thematic.   He always plays ideas that you can grasp on to and that are catchy, yet he mixes in some pretty hip and advanced harmonic concepts into his lines.   This solo is from a live clip on Youtube of Bob playing  “You and the Night and the Music” duo with Russell Ferrante at Saxquest in 2013.

This is chorus one of the solo that starts at :14 in the video.  I emailed it out to my mailing list this morning but thought I’d share it here also for those who are visiting.   If you are interested in more material like this feel free to sign up for my newsletter to the right of this page.   I plan on working on new solos and choruses each week and I will let everyone who is subscribed to my Newsletter know as I finish each chorus.    Thanks,   Steve

Bob Minter Solo Transcription – You and the Night and the Music-Chorus 1 Bb PDF

A few things to think about while looking at and practicing this transcription:

• The chord changes I entered are the standard chords for this tune although there are some alterations that Bob Mintzer and Russell Ferrante are making in each chorus.  Most notable is the bridge which sounds like they are changing the dominant chords to a suspended sound. (I noted that in the transcription as it seems to happen every time) This is a hip way to make dominant chords sounds  more modern. The cool thing is that many of the same devices that work over dominant chords work well over these suspended chord also………
• Bar 6-7 is a great example of delaying a resolution.  Mintzer plays a descending line and then lands on the #11, holds it for a beat and a half and then resolves it.   It sounds like Russell Ferrante is also playing a Major #11 chord there also.
• In bars 3,11 and 27 Mintzer uses the same altered line over the D7(b9) chord FEbBbC and then resolves to D of G minor 7.
• I love the bebop sounding line in measures 17-20.  That’s one to work on over dominant chords……..
• I also love the rhythmic syncopation in measures 25-26.  A great exercise would be to try to take that rhythm and improvise with it through the whole form of the tune.

That’s about it for now,  If you have any other thoughts about this solo please feel free to let me know in the comments below.   Thanks again to Bob Mintzer for his great playing and all he does on a daily basis to promote jazz music and education.   Now I have to chorus 2 for next week………….

If you are interested in learning about transcribing and the process and benefits involved I have two video lessons on the subject in my Neffmusic Lesson Store:

• Transcription Introduction Lesson
• Transcription Step By Step Lesson

If you like the lines in this solo or love other tenor players like Michael Brecker or Bob Berg, check out my book  “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing”.  It contains 100 killer modern 16th note lines in the styles of these players in all 12 keys………You can hear samples and read reviews by clicking on the link below.   Thanks,     Steve

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing

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For this week’s new transcription, I am posting the first 5 choruses of a transcription that Igor Tomanoski sent me this week.  This is Michael Brecker soloing over Recorda Me with Steps Ahead in the 80’s.

This is from a Youtube video that I first heard a few years ago.  This is just classic “tearing it up” Brecker!! I actually started transcribing this solo a few months ago but quickly realized it was going to be more difficult to complete than I thought.  Luckily Igor took on the challenge for the first 5 choruses!

 Michael Brecker in the Early 80’s

This one should give you enough material to shed for the next few months!!   Enjoy!   Thanks again to Igor Tomanoski for sharing it……….Steve

Michael Brecker-Recorda Me

Recordame Solo-Brecker with Steps Ahead Bb Chorus 1-5 PDF

If you love these type of outside Brecker type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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Here’s another great solo transcription from a Youtube video that I started working on a few days ago.   My tenor was getting overhauled so I thought I would take a stab at an alto solo while it was in the shop.  This is from the great sax player, Danny Walsh and is a solo he played with the Ball  State Jazz Ensemble.  The tune is “One for Rich” but the chord changes are based off of “How Deep is the Ocean”.

Danny went to Berklee College of Music and left shorty before I got there in the mid 80’s.  I’m not sure I have ever heard him live although the summer before I went to Berklee I remember hearing an ensemble behind a closed door and the tenor player was playing a killing solo which sounded like Michael Brecker to me.  I always wondered if that was Danny playing………

I haven’t heard too much from Danny since the 80’s but when I heard he had released a recording called “Entering In” I was one of the first to buy it.  This is a great CD! Danny’s sound on both tenor and alto saxophone is beautiful.   One of the aspects I love the most about Danny’s playing is his ability to take a solo “outside”.  It seems effortless to him and his lines just flow whether they are “inside” bebop lines or “outside” Brecker type lines.  It is obvious that Danny Walsh is very talented and has spent his time in the woodshed that is for sure.  You can hear the Coltrane and Brecker influence on his lines that is for sure!

If you have never heard of Danny Walsh before, check out his CD and any future projects he plays on!

Solo starts at :12

This was a harder solo to transcribe and once I got into it I thought “Oh Crap!” but the lines are so killin’ that I thought it was worth the time!  Enjoy!

One for Rich-Danny Walsh Alto Sax Solo

This is Danny Walsh’s last recording.  Check it out!!

Danny Walsh “Entering In” Itunes

Danny Walsh “Entering In” CD Baby

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing

If you like these types of modern lines like I do, be sure to check out my jazz video lessons and books for some great resources!  Here are just a few on a variety of modern improvisation topics.  I have 11 jazz improvisation books out now and over 500 30 minute+ video and audio lessons to choose from……..   Steve

Modern Improv

• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 2
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 3
• Chord Substitution Lesson 2-The Tritone Lesson
• Chord Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 2
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 3
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 4
• II-V-I Altered Scale Mastery-Lesson 1
• Minor Chord Substitution Lines Lesson
• Minor ii-7b5-V7b9 Substitution Lesson 1
• Modern Minor 6th Pentatonic Lines Lesson
• Playing Outside-3 Tonic Chromaticism Lesson
• Playing Outside-4 Note Pentatonic Cells Lesson
• Playing Outside-Altered Pentatonics Lesson 1
• Playing Outside-Chromaticism 1 Lesson
• Playing Outside-Random Note Lesson
• Playing Outside-Shifting Pentatonics Lesson
• Playing Outside-The Major Minor Blues Scale Lesson 1

Here’s some reviews:

• I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
• I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ‘em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!
• I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would have been fine! I’m not on commission here – just wanted to write a review to encourage people to do this. Without doubt the most time and cost effective investment I’ve made in taking my playing to where it should be…Cheers Steve.

 

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So check this out!  About 10 days ago,  I was on SOTW (Sax on the Web)  looking through various posts about saxophone stuff when I ran across a post by a recent member from Spain I didn’t know named”ffjay” that read:

Hi all!
Guess you’d listen one of the stunning Chris Potter’s solo playing Cherokee in 10 keys. I’d just transcribed his first solo chorus and I figured I cannot do the whole¡ what if we do it altogether, one solo chorus each one of us and share it for All fans of jazz music? Could be an international project. We have two saxophone collegues on board but we need more people! Are you in?

I have to be honest, about a year or two ago I asked the same thing on SOTW about another solo that I wanted to transcribe and it was like a ghost town after that post.  You could hear crickets!  I don’t think one person responded.  Now, a year later as I read ffjay’s post my first thought was “Good Luck buddy! I doubt you’ll get anyone on here to help…….”  I closed my browser, left my computer and got on with my day.  As I went about the stuff I had to do, I kept thinking about ffjay’s proposal.  Man, If he could get a bunch of guys with good ears and transcription skills we could get this huge solo done in record time!  As I got excited about that thought and the idea of working together with guys around the world that I didn’t even know to accomplish this task, I came back to my computer and posted that I would volunteer to help.  If you’re not part of the solution then your part of the problem. There’s no I in TEAM. You know the drill…………….

Ffjay (whose name is Artem Zhulyev) ended up finding 6 guys to help including me.  We all took different choruses and started to get to work.  It was cool to hear updates from Artem as he reported different choruses being completed.  I quickly finished the second chorus I had volunteered to do and by that time I was hooked.  I had to see this project completed.  I volunteered to finish a couple more choruses as well as combine, proofread and help edit the solos.  Artem did an insane amount of work transcribing as well as entering many of the handwritten transcriptions in Finale before sending them my way.

The transcribers were Artem Zhulyev, Dimitri Safronov, Scott Dart, Andei Pobozhi and Denis Zolotih. I have no idea who these guys are or where they are from but they worked hard to accomplish this task in less than 10 days.  Six people from around the world cranking out a huge transcription in 10 days!   Very cool!  Take a look at this 28 page transcription and I think you will be impressed also.

This solo is from a Masterclass that Chris Potter did in Akron Ohio on 12/4/15.  I posted it on the site here in December.  As usual, Chris Potter plays an a cappella solo of a jazz standard that is incredible! There is so much material in this transcription that as Artem was emailing me the final choruses today I was thinking I should take a 6 month sabbatical and just practice this solo for the next 6 months…….(It would be nice)

Enjoy the solo!  Thanks to Chris Potter again for all the inspiration and great playing.   Thanks to Artem (ffjay) for pulling this together and cranking it out!   I get the impression from him that he would have finished this by himself if no one had ended up volunteering anyways.  It’s great to work with other sax players around the globe that have a similar passion and love for jazz. Enjoy!

Cherokee in 10 Keys-Chris Potter-Final Version Bb

And for those of you who were spoiled in the past when I transposed the Bob Mintzer Blues solo in 12 Keys all to the key of C.  Here is the Potter solo all in the key of C.  I had to mess with the octaves at times to still keep it in the range of the tenor saxophone.

Cherokee Solo all in one key-C-Chris Potter

Cherokee Solo-Chris Potter-Concert Key

PS.  I saw on Facebook that Charles McNeal was undertaking this entire solo transcription by himself. I believe I saw his post around the same time that I read Artem’s post on SOTW 10 days ago.  Believe it or not, Charles posted today that he would be done with his version of the transcription today or tomorrow which totally blows my mind.  I’m amazed that us 6 guys cranked it out but Charles is doing it by himself!  In the same 10 days none the less!  Charles has a great website with hundreds of transcriptions  for you to check out also!

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Here’s another transcription I am excited about sharing with everyone.  I found the video on Facebook this morning and proceeded to play it over and over until my wife got annoyed at me and said “Steve, it is 6:30 in the morning!  What are you doing?”  “Sorry, honey.” I replied.  That was how my day started……….

I grabbed some coffee and went straight up to my office and started transcribing.   I had a long list of stuff I was suppose to do today but I had to transcribe this first!

The video below is Jeff Ellwood playing a tenor sax solo over “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers.  Jeff is the Jazz Saxophone Professor at Cal State Fullerton. He posts quite regularly in the group “Jam of the Week” on Facebook. Seeing a post by him usually makes me stop whatever I’m doing and check it out!

Jeff Ellwood

Jeff has quite a unique approach and I guarantee that you have never heard a solo like this over “Just the Two of Us”.   Some of you who like “by the book” solos that dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s might not like this as much because it is “too outside” for you perhaps but I love it!  Jeff takes some extreme liberties with his lines that make you wonder “Where the heck is this going?”  and “Will this ever resolve?” but rest assured Jeff does almost always resolve. (It just might not be where you think it should be…….)

I personally love Jeff Ellwood’s playing!  At my age it is refreshing to hear someone solo and not know where it’s going or even what the heck he is doing at times!   That’s why I had to transcribe it?

Check out the video below and the transcription.  I wrote it all out and I still don’t know what he was doing or thinking at times!   Enjoy!

If you want to check out more of Jeff Ellwood and some of his transcriptions and books you can read more about him at www.jeffellwood.net. Thanks Jeff!

Jeff Ellwood soloing on Just the Two of Us
Just the Two of Us-Jeff Ellwood Solo Bb

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This is a very cool transcription from a 1996 bootleg recording of Vincent Herring soloing over “All the Things You Are” on the alto sax.  I have no further information about the recording except that it is from 1-27-96.

This transcription was done by a very talented 10th grade student of mine up here in northern Vermont named Jack Egan.   Jack was my one and only in-person student when I lived up in Newport Vermont for a year and a half.  I knew I was in trouble up there when I met a neighbor after we moved in and he asked me what I did for work.  I said I was a musician and he replied “What’s that?”  I was caught off guard and replied “You know….., I play music on an instrument”  He  just looked at me like I was insane, that’s northern Vermont for you……….Let’s get back to Jack, unfortunately I ended up moving about 2 hours south of Newport the next year and I was bummed that I would lose Jack as a student.  He was only in 9th grade but was doing incredibly well.

The good news is  Jack and his parents decided to continue lessons with me. They travel about two hours each way to take lessons every 2 weeks and I have to say that Jack is one of the hardest working students I have ever had.  If I say to practice something, Jack usually has it down by the next lesson two weeks later. Doesn’t matter what it is, if I say learn all the diminished scales, he comes back knowing them.  If I say learn all your altered scales, he comes back with them all mastered.   I am very proud of him and he has grown tremendously as a player over the last year.

As an example of Jack’s incredible work ethic, we were working on “All the Things You Are” together and I found this Vincent Herring bootleg of it on my computer that I shared with Jack.  We were listening to it during the lesson and I offhandedly said “You should transcribe this!”  He replied “Really?  You think so?”.  I said “Sure, give it a shot…….”

Now I have to admit,  I have said this to many students over the years but very few follow through on the challenge.  Jack was not one of those students.  The next lesson he came in with a page and a half of a transcription and said he was about half done.  Here’s a picture of his page 1:

I asked Jack if he could play it with the recording and he gave it a shot.  He did really well and said he would continue to work on it.  Sure enough, two lesson later he had it completed. There were a few measures that he had a bit of trouble with that I took a crack at for the final version but you have to give props to Jack for tackling this monster for his very first transcription in 10th grade.  Wow!!

As far as the benefits of doing this, I think there are a multitude.  Jack improved his ear, he learned some cool new ideas that he immediately starting using in his solos, his phrasing sounded more mature, his sound became more confident and mature,  he started working on imitating some of Vincent Herring’s stylistic nuances (vibrato, bends, falls,etc……..), his intonation improved in the upper register and lastly, he gained confidence from tackling a very hard challenge and finishing it.  I would say that he has made huge strides forward in the 6 weeks leading up to the finished transcription as well as the weeks afterwards.

Now, before you write Jack off as just a supremely talented youth who could do this stuff blindfolded as he was leaving the womb,  I asked Jack how much he practiced everyday expecting him to say “I try to get an hour in a day” like most of my students.  Nope, Jack’s goal is 3-4 hours a day!!  I broke into a big grin when he told me that…….

I’m looking forward to seeing Jack continuing to advance in the years ahead.  He is already light years ahead of where I was in 10th grade that is for sure.  Well done Jack!  Keep up the great work!!  I promise I won’t move any farther away in the next four years.       Mr. Neff

All the Things You Are-Vincent Herring Alto Sax Solo-Original Tempo(solo starts at :49)

……..and for us mere mortals……..half speed………….

All the Things You Are-Vincent Herring Alto Sax Solo-Half Speed(solo starts at :05)

All the Things You Are-Vincent Herring Alto Sax Solo Eb

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Here’s another great saxophone solo transcription from a Youtube video that I started working on yesterday.   This is another great solo from the terrific tenor sax player, Danny Walsh (I’ve already transcribed a couple other solos by him). Danny Walsh is an amazing NYC saxophone player that  many people may not know about but is definitely worth checking out!

This whole gig, in the Youtube video below, sticks out to me because the setlist is primarily tunes we would all play on a typical gig.  Cold Duck Time, Wave, Our Love is Here to Stay, The Way You Look Tonight, Masquerade, etc…….  I find it fascinating to hear a player of Danny’s calibre playing these common tunes that we probably have all played on gigs and just tearing them to shreds.  The other thing that I love is how effortless Danny looks while soloing on the sax.  He’s playing these intense lines but looking like he’s playing Mary Had a Little Lamb or something.  Not a drip of sweat or sign of effort, it just seems like it is flowing out of him effortlessly.   I love that!

Danny Walsh-Tenor Saxophone

If you have never heard of Danny Walsh before, check out his CD and any future projects he plays on!

Full Gig Video-Our Love Is Here To Stay Solo starts at 26:40

I originally just put in the typical chords on this tune but I noticed in bar 11 they were playing something different than a typical G Major chord there.  It sounds like a B minor 7 b5 chord going to an E7b9  altered chord in the next measure to my ear.   I also love measure 21 and how Danny outlines the B triad over the A7 chord highlighting the #11.  The triplets at the end with the accented blues scale notes and altissimo is killin’ also.   Great solo!!  Enjoy!

Our Love is Here To Stay-Danny Walsh Solo Clip

Our Love Is Here To Stay Solo-Danny Walsh

This is Danny Walsh’s last recording.  Check it out!!

Danny Walsh “Entering In” Itunes

Danny Walsh “Entering In” CD Baby

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing

If you like these types of modern lines like I do, be sure to check out my jazz video lessons and books for some great resources!  Here are just a few on a variety of modern improvisation topics.  I have 11 jazz improvisation books out now and over 500 30 minute+ video and audio lessons to choose from……..   Steve

Modern Improv

• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 2
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 3
• Chord Substitution Lesson 2-The Tritone Lesson
• Chord Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 2
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 3
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 4
• II-V-I Altered Scale Mastery-Lesson 1
• Minor Chord Substitution Lines Lesson
• Minor ii-7b5-V7b9 Substitution Lesson 1
• Modern Minor 6th Pentatonic Lines Lesson
• Playing Outside-3 Tonic Chromaticism Lesson
• Playing Outside-4 Note Pentatonic Cells Lesson
• Playing Outside-Altered Pentatonics Lesson 1
• Playing Outside-Chromaticism 1 Lesson
• Playing Outside-Random Note Lesson
• Playing Outside-Shifting Pentatonics Lesson
• Playing Outside-The Major Minor Blues Scale Lesson 1

Here’s some reviews:

• I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
• I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ‘em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!
• I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would have been fine! I’m not on commission here – just wanted to write a review to encourage people to do this. Without doubt the most time and cost effective investment I’ve made in taking my playing to where it should be…Cheers Steve.

 

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Here’s another great saxophone solo transcription from a Youtube video that I started working on this morning.   This is another great solo from the terrific tenor sax player, Danny Walsh (I’ve already transcribed a couple other solos by him). Danny Walsh is an amazing NYC saxophone player that  many people may not know about but is definitely worth checking out!

This whole gig, in the Youtube video below, sticks out to me because the setlist is primarily tunes we would all play on a typical gig.  Cold Duck Time, Wave, Our Love is Here to Stay, The Way You Look Tonight, Masquerade, etc…….  I find it fascinating to hear a player of Danny’s calibre playing these common tunes that we probably have all played on gigs and just tearing them to shreds.  The other thing that I love is how effortless Danny looks while soloing on the sax.  He’s playing these intense lines but looking like he’s playing Mary Had a Little Lamb or something.  Not a drip of sweat or sign of effort, it just seems like it is flowing out of him effortlessly.   I love that!

Danny Walsh-Tenor Saxophone

If you have never heard of Danny Walsh before, check out his CD and any future projects he plays on!

Full Gig Video-This Masquerade Solo starts at 38:07

The entire solo is only 17 measures long but they are action packed!  I love how Danny mixes up the blues scale sound with altered lines to take it “outside”.     Great solo!!  Enjoy!

This Masquerade-Danny Walsh Solo Clip

This Maquerade Solo-Danny Walsh

This is Danny Walsh’s last recording.  Check it out!!

Danny Walsh “Entering In” Itunes

Danny Walsh “Entering In” CD Baby

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing

If you like these types of modern lines like I do, be sure to check out my jazz video lessons and books for some great resources!  Here are just a few on a variety of modern improvisation topics.  I have 11 jazz improvisation books out now and over 500 30 minute+ video and audio lessons to choose from……..   Steve

Modern Improv

• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 2
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 3
• Chord Substitution Lesson 2-The Tritone Lesson
• Chord Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 2
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 3
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 4
• II-V-I Altered Scale Mastery-Lesson 1
• Minor Chord Substitution Lines Lesson
• Minor ii-7b5-V7b9 Substitution Lesson 1
• Modern Minor 6th Pentatonic Lines Lesson
• Playing Outside-3 Tonic Chromaticism Lesson
• Playing Outside-4 Note Pentatonic Cells Lesson
• Playing Outside-Altered Pentatonics Lesson 1
• Playing Outside-Chromaticism 1 Lesson
• Playing Outside-Random Note Lesson
• Playing Outside-Shifting Pentatonics Lesson
• Playing Outside-The Major Minor Blues Scale Lesson 1

Here’s some reviews:

• I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
• I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ‘em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!
• I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would have been fine! I’m not on commission here – just wanted to write a review to encourage people to do this. Without doubt the most time and cost effective investment I’ve made in taking my playing to where it should be…Cheers Steve.

 

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Here is another Facebook  solo transcription for you.   I woke up at around 7:45 this morning, rolled over in bed and grabbed my phone off the side table to check what I might have missed during my  7 hours of sleep.  Still sleepy, I checked my email, some comments on my site, the news to see if the world blew up yet and the weather for today.  Lastly, I decided to check Facebook to see if there was anything interesting.  I scrolled down through a couple posts about Trump and some cute pet videos and then saw this gem.   My wife was still sleeping so I put my headphones in and pushed play………..

I did have plans this morning but those all dropped by the wayside after hearing this swinging solo by alto saxophonist Jason Fabus.  I went down stairs grabbed a coffee and escaped to my office where I spent the next 3 hours transcribing this gem of a solo.

Jason looks to me like he is about 16 years old.  I’m sure he must be older than that but I would be surprised if he could get into bar without being asked for his ID.  Like I have written in other posts here on my blog,  I love hearing new young burnin’ players I have never heard of for the first time.  This was one of those times.  Nothing in this solo is super complex or mind boggling but the beauty of this solo is it’s melodic content, simplicity and swing.  Jason’s lines and ideas are great and a classic mix of bebop and blues.  I especially love hearing this kind of playing coming from a young player.  It’s almost like he is an old soul in a young body.

Coincidently, yesterday I spent a half hour playing along with Charlie Parker soloing on Cherokee from 1943.  This is a killer alto sax solo by “Bird” if you haven’t checked it out yet.   The background for his solo was quite similar to the play along that Jason solos with here.

Jason Fabus

Thanks again to Jason Fabus for all his energy and the great solo on Cherokee! If you want to find out more about Jason Fabus,  check out his site at www.jasonfabus.com   If you live in California near Los Angeles or Orange County be sure to check out one of Jason Fabus’s groups around town. Thee is a calendar of gigs on his website.

Check out the video below and the transcription.     Enjoy!

Jason Fabus soloing on Cherokee

Jason Fabus’s Solo on Cherokee-Alto Sax Mp3(Right click and choose “save link as” to download mp3 to your computer)

Cherokee-Jason Fabus Solo Eb

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Here’s a new transcription from another great tenor saxophone player I hadn’t heard of before.  His name is Kelly Jefferson and he is a musician based out of Toronto Canada.  I was browsing the internet late one night this week and somehow came across this Youtube video of Kelly Jefferson playing Confirmation with the Jason Stillman Quartet.  As soon as Kelly’s tenor sax solo started at the :50 second mark I decided I wanted to transcribe it.

Someone emailed me a few weeks ago thanking me for all my transcriptions of new players they had never heard of before but they asked “Steve, why do you spend time finding and transcribing these young players when there are still so many solos of the greats out there that need to be transcribed?  Dexter, Bird, Coltrane, Cannonball, etc…….”

In response, I guess my thinking is that when I find a young or new player that has obviously done their homework and transcribe their solo, I feel like I am getting a glimpse into all the knowledge that that player has sifted through and assimilated. In the solo below are some amazing lines and melodic ideas that I love.  When I transcribed Kelly’s solo I feel like I am taking and learning from the best lines and ideas Kelly has practiced over the last 20-30 years.  He has obviously listened to a ton of jazz and practiced the tar out of the saxophone so when I transcribe his solo I am getting a look into the best lines and ideas that he has sifted through over the last couple decades.  I don’t look at this as learning from just Kelly Jefferson but learning from the tradition as Kelly has digested it and then is adding to it.   Hope that makes sense.

What do I love about Kelly’s solo?  First off, I love his strong powerful tone!  From the beginning of the solo I was taken by how in your face his sound is.  It’s like he’s bringing it all to the table if you know what I mean.  I love it when I hear a tenor player play like this.

The second thing I love is his melodic ideas.  I guess I am at an age where I would rather hear a great melody that swings than a tetratonic scale played in every variation and inversion possible.  Kelly delivers for me on that count.  There are a ton of great ideas and motives to pull from and use within this solo!  I would love to know the genesis of many of these lines. Even at the beginning of the solo from the :50-:60 mark there is a simple melodic idea that sounds so familiar.  I love it!

Kelly Jefferson

Although Kelly Jefferson is a new name for me, I am looking forward to hearing more from him in the future that is for sure.  Here is a quote from Kelly Jefferson’s bio page from his website:

Toronto-based saxophonist, composer and educator Kelly Jefferson has a Bachelor of Music degree from McGill University in Montreal and a Masters degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

Kelly has performed with the The National Arts Centre Orchestra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Maria Schneider, Bill Holman, Ray Anderson, Kenny Werner, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Al Jarreau, Michel LeGrand, Nicholas Payton, Brian Blade, as well as Ray Brown, Sonny Fortune, Randy Brecker, Renee Rosnes, Johnny Mathis, Russell Malone, Joey DeFrancesco, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, among others.

Kelly has toured extensively in Canada, the United States, Japan, Thailand, Europe, South Korea and China, including a nine-month tour in 2000 as the tenor saxophonist with legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson.-read more of Kelly’s bio

If you want to find out more about saxophonist Kelly Jefferson you can read more about him at www.kellyjefferson.net or you can do a search for him on Youtube to hear more of his live playing.  Thanks Kelly!

Kelly Jefferson

Kelly Jefferson soloing on Confirmation (the solo starts at the :50 mark)

Confirmation-Only Kelly Jefferson Tenor Sax Solo Mp3(Right click and choose “save link as” to download mp3 to your computer)
Confirmation-Kelly Jefferson Solo Bb

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