new composers

As I’m sure you’ve been able to see, we publish for a lot of great composers. This week we’re adding five new ones to jazzleadsheets.com. Except for Eddie Costa, who died five years before I got to New York, I’ve had the honor of knowing them personally. Of these additions, guitarist Chuck Wayne was the first on the jazz scene...

Mood Malody by Mal Waldron This is the first Mal Waldron composition on jazzleadsheets.com. It was recorded by Mal on piano, on what was Jackie McLean’s first album as a leader, with a young Donald Byrd on trumpet in the front line. As far as we can determine, it’s Mal’s first recorded jazz composition. Melody and second parts available. Rat...

For our first composition by tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, we’re bringing you Sweet Sucker, which he wrote for himself and trombonist Bennie Green to play on Bennie’s “Glidin’ Along” recording for Jazzland in 1961. Vocalist and lyricist Judy Niemack loved the instrumental, and wrote and recorded a lyric version which we’re also making available (Dancin’ Like We Did Before), as...

B’s A Plenty - Elmo Hope This is another great Elmo composition, the opening track on his classic 1959 Elmo Hope Trio album. We’re not really sure what the title means. However, a few nights ago I saw Bertha Hope while I was performing at the Jazz Standard. Bertha’s not sure, but during the period when B’s A-Plenty was written...

—- Jackleg - Jack Wilson If you aren’t familiar with Jack Wilson, listen to our audio excerpt. There’s only a small handful of jazz pianists with technique like Jack! This isn’t his only side, and we’ll be exploring more of his great compositions in the near future. For now, check out his dexterity at the keyboard and try his composition...

Hello, music fans. For this week’s jazzleadsheets.com releases, I decided it would be fun to compare compositions by two gifted pianist/composers from Second Floor Music. The compositions start out with some definite similarities, but develop very differently. A Touching Affair by James Williams (first recorded in 1984) vs. Flamands by Don Friedman (first recorded in 1995) —- melodic similarities Both...

The Breakdown - Hank Mobley Last Saturday (November 13), I was trying to decide what to put on jazzleadsheets.com next. We have so many great Hank Mobley titles to choose from. Then I realized it was the 50th anniversary of Hank’s “Roll Call” album (recorded November 13, 1960), so it was easy for me to pick “The Breakdown” (lead sheets...

Enjoy the music of two new composers, both pianists and well-known jazz artists. Composer and pianist Don Friedman and a trio composition, Almost Everything, based on the changes of the standard “All The Things You Are.” C treble clef, B-flat, E-flat and C bass clef editions are available, as well as Friedman’s own solo piano arrangement. Richard Wyands, also a...

Nica’s Tempo is a significant Gigi Gryce composition that he revisited several times during his career. We’ve posted lead sheets for two different quintet arrangements by Gigi that were recorded almost 5 years apart, and I’ve explained some important differences between the two. Melody and second parts are available for both. Also, Gryce’s and Farmer’s solos are available, both great...

West Coast bassist Curtis Counce’s album “Landslide” is represented by two compositions, one by pianist Carl Perkins, Mia, and one by pianist Gerald Wiggins, A Fifth For Frank. The album, if you don’t have it, is available from the Concord Music Group (also individual tracks). Plus, we’ve posted a second version of the Wiggins title, as recorded by Cal Tjader...