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Tale Of The Fingers – Paul Chambers

A bebop line in Paul Chambers' unique style, over the changes of Strike Up The Band. Originally recorded as an arco bass workout, this song certainly works for other melody instruments. A complete bass transcription is available including Paul's melody, solo, walking and trading.

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Recording: Paul Chambers - Whims Of Chambers
Recorded on: September 21, 1956
Label: Blue Note (BLP 1534)
Concert Key: B-flat
Style: Swing (medium up)

Piano - Horace Silver
Bass - Paul Chambers
Drums - Philly Joe Jones

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Paul Chambers - Tale Of The Fingers (Whims Of Chambers)

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Description

Paul Chambers' unique phrasing and melodic shapes are on display throughout Tale Of The Fingers, which is based on the changes of George Gershwin's Strike Up The Band. Like that song, the form is ABCD with all sections different, though A and D have the same changes and similar beginning of the melody.

Tale Of The Fingers was originally recorded as an arco bass feature, but it certainly works for other instruments. Our lead sheet includes the coda as recorded, though with one difference: for the second to last chord hit, G in the melody doesn't fit with F7(♭9) so we have changed the melody note to a C.

A bass transcription is available; click on Bass Corner for more details.

Historical Notes

"Whims Of Chambers" is one of only three recordings on which Horace Silver and Philly Joe Jones played together, all from 1956. A month later, they both played on J.R. Monterose's self-titled Blue Note album, which includes a version of Paul Chambers' Beauteous; the bassist on this session, however, was Wilbur Ware. Silver, Ware, and Jones were also the rhythm section for Lee Morgan's debut album, "Lee Morgan Indeed!" recorded the following month.

Tale Of The Fingers has appeared on several more recent recordings, mostly featuring bassists. One notable version with no bass is from "Jazz At The Bistro," a 2002 live album by pianist Benny Green and the late guitarist Russell Malone.

Solos

CLIP Paul's arco bass solo gives everyone something to aspire to. This is an iconic arco bass solo, and in our transcription both the solo and walking have many important fingerings marked to give detail to this tale of the fingers.

Bass Corner

Our bass transcription covers everything Paul Chambers plays on the recording. He plays the head arco and solos for three choruses, next switching to pizzicato to walk for Horace Silver's two-chorus piano solo CLIP. There is then a trading chorus beginning with drummer Philly Joe Jones, giving Paul time to get his bow again to trade and then take the melody out. This is an iconic arco bass solo, and in our transcription both the solo and walking have many important fingerings marked to give detail to this tale of the fingers.

Paul Chambers

Apr 22, 1935 – Jan 4, 1969

Bassist Paul Chambers was a leading rhythmic force in the 1950s and 1960s. He became one of the signature bassists in jazz history. Born in Pittsburgh but raised in Detroit, Chambers initially took up the baritone horn as a child. He followed suit with the tuba and didn't become interested in the string bass until 1949. Listening to Charlie Parker and Bud Powell and studying under a bassist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Chambers began making headway in small bars of Hastings Street area and doing club jobs with Kenny Burrell, Thad Jones and Barry Harris. He did classical work in a group called the Detroit String Band, a rehearsal symphony orchestra. Read more...

12 songs available.