big bertha full score

Transcription

1 Presents Jazz Lines Publications Arranged b duke earson transcribed and Preared b Dlan Canterbur full score jl-7332 Music b Duke Pearson Coright 1965 Gailanc Music International Coright Secured All Rights Reserved Logos, Grahics, and Laout Coright 2015 The Jazz Lines Foundation Inc. This Arrangement Has Been Published with the Authorization of the Estate of Duke Pearson. Published b the Jazz Lines Foundation Inc., a not-for-rofit jazz research organization dedicated to reserving and romoting America s musical heritage. The Jazz Lines Foundation Inc. PO Box 1236 Saratoga Srings NY USA

2 duke earson series (1966) Background: Duke Pearson was an imortant ianist, comoser, arranger and roducer during the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1932 and laed trumet as well as iano with man local grous. After attending Clark College, he toured with Tab Smith and Little Willie John before he moved to New York Cit in Januar of Donald Brd heard him, and Brd was the leader of Pearson s first recording session. Soon Pearson was laing with the Benn Golson-Art Farmer Jazztet. Pearson became the musical director for Nanc Wilson, as well as continuing to tour and record with Donald Brd. In 1963, Blue Note Records roducer and musical director Ike Quebec assed awa, and Pearson became Blue Note s A&R director, as well as make his own albums. Grant Green, Stanle Turrentine, Johnn Coles, Blue Mitchell, Hank Moble, Bobb Hutcherson, Lee Morgan and Lou Donaldson all benefited from his arranging and roducing skills. Albums that Pearson recorded under his own name ranged in instrumentation from trios to quintets, sextets and octets to choral ensembles. Pearson and Brd co-led a big band in 1967, and eventuall Pearson took over sole leadershi. Even though the Pearson band shared some of the same musicians with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band, Pearson s ensemble had its own identit and worked quite a few gigs in New York for over three ears and recorded two albums for Blue Note. The band not onl featured Pearson s music; other comosers such as Frank Foster contributed to the book as well. Pearson s association with Blue Note ended when co-founder Alfred Lion died in He moved to Atlanta to teach at Clark College, toured with Carmen McRae and Joe Williams, and reformed his big band. He was diagnosed with multile sclerosis and died in Atlanta, Georgia in For man ears, the huge bod of work he created was nearl forgotten until Jazzlines Publications and Pearson s son Anthon formed a artnershi to make Pearson s man titles available for urchase. This arrangement is art of a continuing roject to resent Pearson s comositions and arrangements for big band and smaller ensembles, uncut and corrected. Once again, Pearson s creative and challenging music can be laed, heard, studied and areciated.

3 The Music: Although this tune from his 1965 album Sweet Hone Bee has a simle, straightforward structure and melod, Duke Pearson s Big Bertha establishes itself as one of the most memorable tunes of his vast catalogue. Notes to the Conductor: The roceedings start off unassumingl enough, with a solo chorus of Pearson s Basie-esque iano. This simle setu leads to the blues melod, stated in unison on the A section b Freddie Hubbard, James Saulding, and Joe Henderson. Pearson fills in the gas between the melod with some simle fills that la around with, but never comletel relicate, the melod itself. In this transcrition, the melod is written out with chord changes rovided for the ianist to embellish as the see fit. Things get a bit more comlicated on the bridge, as the horns slit into harmon to accoman the melod statement b the iano. It is imortant for the horns to kee this in mind, as the should la soft enough to not overshadow the iano. The melod is noticeabl more comlicated on the bridge than it is on the A section, which rovides a nice sense of contrast. The A section is reeated once more after the bridge, comlete with iano fills. After the oen solo section, the melod is restated. A brief iano tag sets u the ending, which has some mild funeral march overtones. The rhthm section dros out for the horn fanfare, which slows down ever so slightl to set u a subdued rumble from the rhthm section to close things out. In addition to roviding a transcrition of the original recording, included are alternate trombone and guitar arts to allow for ensemble flexibilit. We sincerel hoe ou enjo laing this tune as much as we enjoed rearing it for ou! Acknowledgments: Thank ou to Anthon Pearson for roviding his father s librar to us and for granting ermission to ublish this arrangement. Thank ou for urchasing this ublication and suorting our efforts. Dlan Canterbur and Jeffre Sultanof - October 2015

4 jl-7332 Score Alto Sax swing = 180 Recorded b the duke earson sextet Jazz lines PubLications Music b Duke Pearson Arranged B Duke Pearson Transcribed and Preared b Dlan Canterbur Tenor Sax. Trumet Trombone (Ot.) Guitar (Ot.) {Sò`l`o`} Piano Bass Drums {Hi`-`Hà`t`} o o 1 2 Coright 1966 Gailanc Music International Coright Secured All Rights Reserved Logos, Grahics, and Laout Coright 2015 The Jazz Lines Foundation Inc. This Arrangement Has Been Published with the Authorization of the Estate of Duke Pearson. Published b the Jazz Lines Foundation Inc., a Not-for-Profit Jazz Research Organization Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting America's Musical Heritage. 3 4

5 Jazz lines PubLications Score - Page 2 jl (8) (16) ª ª [11] A b 7 G b 7 A b 7 G b 7 A b 7 G b 7 œ (8)

6 jl-7332 [19] Score - Page 3 Jazz lines PubLications {E`n`d` `S`o`lò`} œ (6) œ

7 Jazz lines PubLications Score - Page 4 jl-7332 A. Sx. [27] % T. Sx. Tt. Tbn. (Ot.) (Solo - as-is or ad lib.) C7 {Ri`d`e` `Cỳ`m.`} œ œ