A laid-back exploration of the blues featuring a slowly rolling bass line. One of the first pieces recorded for Blue Note at their very first session. This is a detailed transcription of Meade Lux Lewis's composition for piano.
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Melancholy was among the first pieces to be recorded for the celebrated Blue Note label—it was recorded at Blue Note's very first session on January 6, 1939. It is a laid-back exploration of the blues that mixes a slowly rolling bass line with virtuosic embellishments in the right hand. Melancholy is a step back in jazz history that is well worth taking. It provides a rigorous technical exercise for pianists (especially in the right hand) while still being a simply charming composition. Our audio excerpt starts at the beginning of the track.
As mentioned above, this piece was recorded at the first Blue Note session on January 6, 1939. Alfred Lion, owner of Blue Note Records, discovered Lux and his fellow pianist Albert Ammons at the legendary concert "From Spirituals To Swing" in Carnegie Hall several weeks earlier. Blue Note went on to become a leader in jazz recording, releasing some of the most important albums in jazz history, and it all started with the release of two marvelous Meade Lux Lewis blues,Melancholy on side A and Solitude, which was on side B.
To learn more about Albert Ammons, Lewis's partner on that session, check out Changes In Boogie Woogie.
Solo Piano Transcription: Eight pages, the entire performance, transcribed by pianist Glenn Zaleski.
Transcription Notation: We strive for accuracy in our transcription notations. An arrow pointing to the left indicates a note that falls slightly before the beat, whereas a right-pointing arrow signals the pianist to lay back on the beat. Small note heads represent notes that are barely played, in between a ghost note and a regular note. Small accents indicate a note that is slightly accented.
Born Meade Anderson Lewis in Chicago, Meade "Lux" Lewis is one of the most important early jazz pianists. When he was a child, his father insisted that Meade learn violin. After his father died, he took up piano at the age of 16. He learned by listening to pianist Jimmy Yancey and received no training. Despite this, his considerable skill earned him the attention of the Chicago music scene, and in addition to securing local gigs, he made his recording debut in 1927 with "Honky Tonk Train Blues" for Paramount Records. Read more...
