December 9th, 10th, and 11th are the anniversaries of important recording sessions by three of our composers; five songs (and one arrangement) from these sessions are new to jazzleadsheets.com. Bobby Watson recorded "Present Tense" on these dates in 1991; this album was the debut of trumpeter Terell Stafford. From this album we have At The Crossroads, a bright-toned medium swinger in a classic Watson style, and Monk He See, Monk He Do which joins our expanding roster of tributes to Thelonious Monk. Both of these songs have condensed scores and first and second horn parts for quintet arrangements; the arrangement we have of At The Crossroads is an updated version recorded on Bobby's 2013 album "Check Cashing Day." "Present Tense" also includes versions of two Watson compositions previously recorded on his 1986 album "Love Remains": The Mystery Of Ebop and Love Remains. For the first of these, we now have the quintet arrangement available as recorded on "Present Tense." Our notes on Love Remains explain how the two recordings of this song are slightly different.

Exactly 28 years after Watson's "Present Tense" recording, trumpeter Terell Stafford was in the studio with another master alto saxophonist and composer. Charles McPherson's most recent album "Jazz Dance Suites" was recorded on December 9th and 10th, 2019, at the Van Gelder Recording Studio. Our two newly added songs from these sessions, Delight and Thinking Of You, may seem simple with their lyrical melodies but are full of subtle detail in their full-quintet arrangements. Both have first and second "horn" parts (Thinking Of You was recorded with alto sax and guitar on these parts); piano and bass parts are available for Delight, and a rhythm section part on Thinking Of You.

On December 11, 1988, Renee Rosnes came to Van Gelder to record a remarkable two-piano track with Herbie Hancock. This song, Fleur-de-lis, was released on her first album as a leader. We now have lead sheets for Fleur-de-lis, a delicate rubato ballad full of impressionistic harmonies. Our C lead sheet shows the piano voicings from Renee's original manuscript.