Jazz Tunes with somewhat easy-to-transcribe drum solos

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PickleRick

Junior Member
I'm looking to start transcribing jazz solos, but I want solos that aren't too difficult to begin transcribing, or at least are good for beginning to develop a vocabulary. I especially enjoy Philly Joe Jones and melodic solos, but I won't whine if you share something that isn't that.

Does anyone know some good ones?
 
WhoIsTony? said:
it was the only solo Elivin Jones ever asked me to transcribe
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Thanks for sharing that piece of info!

Picklerick, you might try doing your own transcription of Roy Haynes playing In Walked Bud, from Thelonious Monk's album Misterioso. You can check your work against the version of it on my site, or probably half a dozen others on the internet. Also Frankie Dunlop playing with Monk-- most versions of Jackie-ing start with a drum feature. He's very transcribable.
 
WhoIsTony? said:
...Max Roach solo on the Clifford Brown record Stomin' At The Savoy... ]
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Excellent playing Tony, that solo is very much like "Moritat"

Best regards!
 
Hey PickleRick, you might try something from Art Blakey. I posted a transcription on here about ten years ago (it was a shock to me to see how long ago that was - wow), and it is still on here if you search for it. I saw that someone else on here also transcribed the same tune, maybe about three years ago. It was "This I Dig of You," and you can find other transcriptions as well. There are a couple tricky parts, but it is mostly very clear triplets that are easy to follow and make sense of. Good luck!

The solo is at 4:49:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVS9pHHsGjg
 
WhoIsTony? said:
Max definitely has a distinct dialect and a certain vocabulary that he repeats in just about every solo ... to me it is part of his charm and what makes him immediately recognizable
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It was kind of startling to me to realize that, because he's such an innovative player-- seems contradictory to be an innovator while also being kind of a stylist.
 
Well, in the 40´s he was playing differently than later on (he was still in his early 20´s), and in the 50´s his own style settled and was very different from other drummers, then he changed slightly through the years (matched grip, etc.), but his peak, in my oppinion, was in the 50´s and part of the 60´s I would say.

Most famous musicians (on any instrument) have licks that they replay frecuently, some more than others. That´s no problem as long as those licks are well placed and NICE. That is their vocabulary. Some people have more extensive vocabulary than others...then is about to use it strategically to suit your needs...
 
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WhoIsTony? said:
one of the first I ever did many years ago was the Max Roach solo on the Clifford Brown record Stompin' At The Savoy

it was the only solo Elivin Jones ever asked me to transcribe while studying with him in the mid 90s

right at about 4 minutes here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9LL3UtCkaU

and me messing around playing it some years ago :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD5DDiY2dfM
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toddbishop said:
Thanks for sharing that piece of info!

Picklerick, you might try doing your own transcription of Roy Haynes playing In Walked Bud, from Thelonious Monk's album Misterioso. You can check your work against the version of it on my site, or probably half a dozen others on the internet. Also Frankie Dunlop playing with Monk-- most versions of Jackie-ing start with a drum feature. He's very transcribable.
Click to expand...

Matt said:
Hey PickleRick, you might try something from Art Blakey. I posted a transcription on here about ten years ago (it was a shock to me to see how long ago that was - wow), and it is still on here if you search for it. I saw that someone else on here also transcribed the same tune, maybe about three years ago. It was "This I Dig of You," and you can find other transcriptions as well. There are a couple tricky parts, but it is mostly very clear triplets that are easy to follow and make sense of. Good luck!

The solo is at 4:49:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVS9pHHsGjg
Click to expand...
I'll check those out, I'm happy to see drummers I enjoy being suggested too.
 
Max Roach - "For Big Sid" has a lot of great and simple stuff in it.

Also the 4's on "Billy Boy" (Milestones, Miles Davis), Philly Joe does some great stuff there too.
 
My first was Max Roach on "Sandu" with Clifford Brown. Generally Max plays clearly and on the form. I would definitely do something in context and on form and not a drum feature like Big Sid.
 
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