Show Time – "Papa" Jo Jones

Show Time for the drums! This uptempo swinger is Jo Jones' feature for himself. The A and C sections of this 32-measure ABCD song alternate one measure of melody and one measure of drum fill—a real workout at this tempo. The melody and changes are relatively simple, but the fast tempo makes this song an exciting challenge. On the recording, the tenor sax and trombone play the melody at A and C in unison, with the tenor playing the melody alone at B and D. The coda is a classic swing-style ending, which was probably improvised on the recording.

Rhythm section players should read the C lead sheet. A Drum Transcription is available; click on Drum Corner for more details.

Jo Jones' fourth album as a leader, "Vamp 'Til Ready" was his second for the Everest label. His first Everest album, "Jo Jones Trio" from 1959, features the piano and compositions of Ray Bryant, as does 1958's "Jo Jones Plus Two." Jo's debut album as a leader, "The Jo Jones Special", was recorded in 1955 and features Bennie Green and Lucky Thompson.

Our Drum Transcription shows what Jo Jones plays on the in and out heads; Jo does not solo on this song. He plays with sticks on the in head and brushes on the out head; in both, he demonstrates his mastery of one-measure fills. This transcription shows the melody on a smaller staff above the drum staff. It also includes the first eight measures of Jo's comping for the first solo (trombonist Bennie Green) CLIP.