Solitude – Meade Lux Lewis

Solitude is a composition that made jazz history: it was recorded at the very first Blue Note recording session on January 6, 1939. Solitude is a contemplative exploration of the blues. At times sparse (just melody and a rolling bass line) and at other times dense and virtuosic, it captures another era of the piano. Learning this composition makes a great exercise for any pianist, teaching both technique and history to students of all ages. Because of its slower pace and lack of stride in the left hand, this piece makes a good introduction to the blues concepts of the day. Our audio excerpt starts at the beginning of the track.

As mentioned in the description, this was recorded at the first Blue Note Records session. Alfred Lion, owner of Blue Note, had discovered Lux and his fellow pianist Albert Ammons at the legendary concert "From Spirituals To Swing" in Carnegie Hall several weeks earlier. The Blue Note label, guided by Alfred and Francis Wolff, who photographed the sessions, became an important force in jazz recording, releasing some of the most important albums in jazz history. It all started with this session, in which two young lions of the day, 33-year-old Meade Lux Lewis and 31-year-old Albert Ammons, explored the blues.

To learn more about Albert Ammons, check out Changes In Boogie Woogie. For Meade Lux Lewis' Melancholy, recorded on the same day, click here.

Solo Piano Transcription: This is an eight-page transcription of everything played, made by pianist Glenn Zaleski. We strive for accuracy and completeness 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, somewhere between a ghost note and a regular note. Small accents indicate a note that is slightly accented.