JOHN FARRELL’S MIDI PAGE
(Click here to visit my new website)
For many years I have been making 88-note
jazz piano rolls and have transcribed a considerable number of recordings by
the great jazz pianists for use as source material. You can purchase them here
and listen to them in the MIDI file section of this page - details of current
offerings are below.
Most of the rolls I have released in past
years have been archived and are available at a small extra cost, click the
link below to view the extensive list of titles.
Printed piano sheet music of the roll
arrangements is also available for purchase here.
Click to go to
archived piano rolls
PIANO ROLL SECTION
The rolls are manufactured in the United
States from where orders are shipped to customers. The following titles are
currently available on the JAM label (you can preview all of them in the MIDI file section) :
Here are the latest releases :
The rolls are manufactured in the United States from where orders are shipped to customers. Here are the latest releases on the JAM label which have just been transferred to the archives, each one priced at $18. Click on the title to hear a part of the roll :
JAM 231 – Sunday as played by Teddy Wilson, transcribed from his 1939 Keystone recording
session.
JAM 232 – My Monday Date
as played
by Claude Bolling, transcribed from his 1972 Philips recording.
JAM 233 – Old
Fashioned Love as played by James P. Johnson, transcribed from his 1944 recording.
JAM 234 – On The Sunny Side
Of The Street as played by John Farrell.
JAM 235 – 133rd
Street Boogie as played by Sammy Price, transcribed from his 1945 recording.
JAM 236 – Pick
Yourself Up as played by John Farrell.
The
following are still available from the previous list priced at $18 each. Exact
copies of all these rolls may be heard in the list of MIDI
files below, hear before you buy !! :
JAM 225 – If It Ain’t
Love as
played by John Farrell. A neat little
swinger recorded by Fats Waller and written by his associate Andy Razaf and bandleader Don Redman.
JAM 226 – I’m Not
Worrying as
played by British stride pianist Neville Dickie. This one was composed by Fats
Waller and it shows!
JAM 227 – Easy Living as played by Sir Charles
Thompson, this is John’s transcription of
Sir Charles’ 1984 recording.
JAM 228 – Pass The Jug as played by David
Boeddinghaus, one of America’s secret pianistic treasures. This one is a great stomping tune, another of John’s
transcriptions. It is a totally different version from HPC 20 which we released
some years ago.
JAM 229 – He Ain’t Got Rhythm
as played
by Martin Litton. John transcribed this little-known Irving Berlin tune from a
fairly recent Litton recording.
JAM 230 – Isn’t This A
Lovely Day as played by American pianist Mark Shane, who is clearly influenced by
the Teddy Wilson style. This is another Irving Berlin composition, John
transcribed Shane’s recording for the roll.
BARGAIN HALF PRICE SALE
Only one copy of this is left now, all the
others have been snapped up. Once it has gone it will not be reissued so grab
it while you can.at $8 – half our regular price ::
JazzMan 13 Loch Lomond Swing
------------------------END OF
SALE--------------------------------------------------------------------
Price information. Roll
prices are stated at the beginning of each section on this page. In summary rolls
on current offer (none at present – they go very quickly!) are priced at US $15
each, archived
rolls are $18 each. Mailing charges - US residents add $3.50 for the first 1 - 2
rolls, $0.50 for each additional. European residents (surface mail) add $10.00
for the first 1 - 2 rolls, $1.00 for each additional.
Credit cards - if you have a PayPal account we will
accept payment by credit card.
We also accept payment by Western Union.
European customers may pay for their rolls in Euros
or English pounds if they wish.
Ordering information. Order from Bob Billings (US)
or John Farrell (England).
We are now offering A-rolls for nickelodeons (multi-tune rolls which do not play on a regular player piano). The first five, containing hot jazz numbers arranged by John, are available with lots more to follow. They are priced at $65 each plus $10 postage to US addresses (others please contact for postal rates), order from Bob Billings, myself or John Mottoros.
Here are the tune lists :
Roll A1:
Roll A2: 1. Kaycee On My Mind 2. Just Gone 3. Cow Cow Boogie 4. Bleeding Heart Blues 5. 133rd Street Boogie 6. Chicago Breakdown 7. Shuffle Boogie
Roll A3 :
1.
Handful of Keys
2.
Baby Face
3.
Wildcat Blues
4.
Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
5.
Wedding of the Painted Doll
6.
Shout, Sister, Shout
7.
Brown Skin Mama
8.
Eccentric
9.
Atlanta Blues
Roll A4 :
1. Cushion Foot Stomp
2. Original E-flat Blues
3. Fast Stuff Blues
4. Creole Belles
5. Harlem Hotcha
6. Canadian Capers
7. Hungarian Rag
8. The Curse of an Aching Heart
Roll A5 :
1. Kansas City Kitty
2. Black Bottom Stomp
3. Goin' About
4. New Orleans Stomp
5. Copenhagen
6. Freshman Hop
7. Never Swat a Fly
8. Carolina Shout
9. Rattlesnake Rag
Now for the MIDI files, here they are, enjoy.
Several of these have not yet been converted to piano roll, I have put
a note against the affected titles.
1. Roll 'Em (a boogie woogie piece by Mary Lou Williams).
2. Sensation (a perennial traditional jazz
favourite)
3. Ragtime Nightingale (a Joseph Lamb rag, I have given it a little jazz
treatment) The score for this one is not available.
4.Canadian Capers
(a neat mixture of jazz, ragtime and novelty piano)
5.I Ain't Gonna Tell
Nobody (one of my Don Ewell transcriptions)
6.Just Gone (a
King Oliver tune - another of my Don Ewell transcriptions)
7.Beale Street Blues
(a lowdown, sassy, raunchy blues - the kind men like!)
8.Changes (a neat
Walter Donaldson composition with an unusual chord progression)
9.Atlanta Blues
(also known as "Make Me A Pallet On The Floor")
10.Cushion Foot Stomp
(a Clarence Williams tune often played by jazz bands)
11.Smoke Gets In Your
Eyes (one of Jerome Kern's most attractive ballads. I've added a little
spice to it - but not too much!)
12.What's The Reason
(I'm Not Pleasin' You) (a snappy stomper associated with (but not composed
by) one of my heroes, the great Fats Waller)
13. Walleritis
(composed by Don Ewell - I transcribed this from a recording he made with the
Jack Teagarden Band) Sorry, no score or piano roll for
this one.
14.I Never Knew (That
Roses Grew) (if stride piano is your thing, this is for you)
15.Worried And Lonesome
Blues (I transcribed this from the famous James P. Johnson recording)
16.Fascination
(another James P. Johnson tune, this one is my arrangement)
17.Willie The Weeper
(my arrangement again - this one is for fans of the Jelly Roll Morton style of
piano playing)
18.Jacksonville Gal
(a neat tune by Fred Rose which I recently heard for the first time - I liked
it so much that I decided to make this piano arrangement of it)
19.St. Louis Gal
(another "Gal" tune, this one composed by J. Russel Robinson of ODJB
fame. She's a cute little number!)
20.Dog Town Blues
(written by the celebrated bassist/composer Bob Haggart, who designated the
tempo as "Slow Drag" - I'm not sure what that means so I've used a
gentle loping speed and thrown in a little boogiewoogie here and there.) Piano roll not
available.
21.All The Things You
Are (One of Jerome Kern's most attractive tunes which I transcribed from an
Art Tatum recording. Because of Tatum's elaborate filigree stylings nobody, but
nobody can copy Tatum's playing absolutely accurately but I think I got as
close as anybody could.)
22.Pass The Jug (I
transcribed this little stomper from a 1920s recording made by the composer,
Kansas City Frank Melrose. It has been one of my best-selling rolls, the last
reissue sold out in days.)
23.Tack Head Blues
(written by Alex Hill - from whose Vocalion recording I transcribed this
exciting mid-tempo blues. Along with Jimmy Blythe, Alex Hill was one of the
finest Chicago South Side style jazz pianists of his day - I just love to hear
a piano played like this.)
24.I Wish I Could
Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (Armand Piron's famous piece which always
reminds me of a stripper doing her stuff - so I've shovelled plenty of
raunchiness into this arrangement!)
25.All The Wrongs You've
Done To Me (This great tune used to be quite popular with jazz bands but
now seems to have fallen out of favour. I have included a little double-tempo
passage to keep you awake!)
26.Careless Love
(Cliff Jackson was a wonderful stride pianist who had one of the best left
hands in the business. Most of his recorded output consisted of uptempo tours
de force, so to present a different aspect of his talent I have transcribed his
version of this medium tempo bluesy song - yet you still feel that Cliff is
just itching to break out and stomp it to death!)
27.Arkansas Blues
(Here's another of my Cliff Jackson transcriptions, a Spencer Williams tune
which is given a primitive, lowdown interpretation)
28.Bounce With Me
(Written by that two-fisted keyboard genius, Errol Garner, one of the most
exciting players ever to have graced the planet. I have done my best to emulate
him in this styling, just lie back and enjoy it) Piano roll not available.
29.Yellow Dog Blues
(One of W.C. Handy's finest blues compositions. I got a little carried away
with this one so in addition to some double tempo passages you get a few more
choruses than I usually play).
30.Sheltered By The Stars
(An obscure Fats Waller ballad which deserves to be aired more often than it
is. It reminds me a little of "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" - maybe
I'll get around to doing that one day . . .).
31.King
Chanticleer (And now for something completely different - you are in a
smoke-filled bar, lots of background noise, clinking glasses, everything smells
of beer. A little shirt-sleeved, derby-topped guy at the piano strikes up with
this old warhorse - heaven must be something like that).
32.T'ain't So, Honey,
T'ain't So (A neat title for this neat mid-tempo tune written by famed song
composer Willard Robison who was also responsible for "A Cottage For
Sale" and "Sharecropper's Blues").
33.Baby Brown
(Another Alex Hill composition which has become neglected over the years - a
pity, because in the right hands this tune really jumps. If you get the
opportunity, listen to the Fats Waller recording and you will get the idea).
34.Tatum Plays The Blues
(I transcribed this from a very rough recording made by Art Tatum in the
mid-1940s. He is my favourite pianist, no other player has ever managed to
emulate his staggering technique. No fireworks here, just a straight-ahead 12
bar blues played as only Tatum could).
35.About A Quarter To
Nine (A tune written by the great songwriter Harry Warren which many of us
associate with Al Jolson. Because it would be a pity to obscure the pretty
melody I have tried to arrange this number in a hot dance style instead of an
out-and-out jazz performance. Listen for the little-heard verse). Piano roll not
available.
36.Fats Waller Rhythm
Medley #1 (Remember the great little band which made those classic
recordings under the name "Fats Waller and his Rhythm"? I've
assembled four of the lesser known tunes here, in each case I transcribed Fats'
piano solo - Hold My Hand/Don't Let It Bother You/There's Honey On The Moon
Tonight/Sing An Old Fashioned Song. These tracks showed off The Harmful Little
Armful at the peak of his career.)
37.Fats Waller Rhythm
Medley #2 (Here's another for which I used the same source material, this
one features Spreading Rhythm Around/Why Do I Lie To Myself About You/How Can
You Face Me.)
38.Jelly Roll Stomp
(If you enjoyed Pass The Jug you will like this one too - it was also written
by Kansas City Frank Melrose. I transcribed this rough-and-ready piece from
from one of Frank's very early recordings)
39.Cryin' For The
Carolines (I transcribed this delightful Harry Warren tune from James P.
Johnson's well-known 1930 recording. Without doubt it is the definitive piano
version, every now and then the sly James P. tangles up the syncopation so much
that you are sure he has lost himself - but he pops out of the other end right
on the beat !)
40.Tishomingo Blues
(All traditional jazzers will be familiar with this old favourite. In this
arrangement I have tried to give it a different feel - the key changes with
every chorus, first D flat, then D - a nightmare key for most jazz musicians! -
and finally E flat.)
41.Got A Date With An
Angel (Yet another neat but neglected tune which seems to have been
consigned to the trashcan. Attractive changes, plenty of tasty things going on,
this number should be in every jazz pianists repertoire.) The score for this one is not available.
42.Birmingham Breakdown
(One of those notoriously fast stride numbers written by Duke Ellington. After
playing this one a pianist usually needs to go into recovery for a little
while.) Piano
roll not available.
43.Too Much Mustard
(Back to the ragtime era - here's a snappy tune which has been used in
countless movies to evoke the spirit of the "Jazz Age" period of the
20th century. I cannot claim any credit for the arrangement - I transcribed it
from a Joe "Fingers" Carr recording. Although he is now remembered
for his honkytonk style Joe (real name Lou Busch) was an extremely accomplished
all-round jazz and classical pianist.) Piano roll not available.
44.You Can't Lose A
Broken Heart (This lovely ballad, written by monster pianist/composer James
P. Johnson, was the hit song from the show "Sugar Hill")
45.Waiting At The End
Of The Road (Not one of my own transcriptions, this was sent to me by a
friend (a few errors in the manuscript needed correction). I've tried to
emulate the Fats Waller style - the song was composed by the one of America's
most prolific tunesmiths, Irving Berlin. )
46.Candy Lips (I'm Stuck
On You) (Many bands I have heard play this number much too fast for my
taste. In this version you will hear the verse and three choruses, the first
two played at a more sensible speed - then I crank up the tempo for a hot
out-chorus sprinkled with a few syncopated breaks.)
47.Crazy Jo' (This
was written in 1922 as a tenor banjo solo by Harry Reser, America's foremost
banjo star at the time. It lends itself well to solo piano treatment too,
you will hear novelty licks, stride and even a dash of Jelly Roll Morton in my
adaptation of this hot and tricky little number.) Piano roll not available.
48.He Ain't Got Rhythm
(Another snappy Irving Berlin song which until recently was new to me. I'm told
that it was featured in a movie with Alice Faye, it certainly sounds typical of
the sort of number she used to sing.)
49.China Jumps (An
obscure Fats Waller composition illustrating his powerful take-no-prisoners
fast stride style. When it came to playing this kind of thing Waller had no
equal.)
50.Fats Waller Rhythm
Medley #3 (Here's yet another selection of pop tunes associated with Fats,
transcribed from his Rhythm recordings. The tune list is The Love Bug Will Bite
You/T'ain't Nobody's Business/All My Life/Who's Afraid Of Love.)
51.The Ladies Who Sing
With The Band (During 1943 - the year in which he died - Fats Waller wrote
some songs for the show "Early To Bed" but did not make any
commercial recordings of them. Here is one of the hit tunes from the show
played in the Fats style.)
52.Justin-Tyme
(The name of Roy Bargy is well-known to fans of 1920s piano music. He was a
piano roll artist, played with the Paul Whiteman and Isham Jones orchestras and
was Jimmy Durante's musical director for many years. Not least, he was the
composer of several terrific novelty piano solos such as this.)
53.If I Had You (A
performance by the little-known pianist Marvin Ash which I transcribed some
time ago. Ash was a truly great jazz pianist who worked in the music department
of the Disney conglomeration until his untimely death which, I am told, was
hastened by alcoholic over-indulgence. Such a pity - he was one of the best.)
54.It Had To Be You
(I transcribed this from an Art Tatum recording - if there is life after death
I want to come back as him !! Without doubt he was the greatest jazz pianist
ever to draw breath.)
55.Sweet Savannah Sue
(One of Fats Waller's most celebrated piano solo compositions which I
transcribed from his famous 1929 Victor recording.)
56.Fats Waller's
Original E Flat Blues (And another, this one taken from Fats' 1935
recording - I could listen to this kind of stuff for hours.)
57.I've Got A Feeling
I'm Falling (And yet another !! This comes from the same 1929 recording
session as Sweet Savannah Sue.)
58.Honey Babe
(Written by Jelly Roll Morton, who claimed to have invented jazz. I have
avoided Morton's idiosyncratic piano style here, instead I have chosen to
arrange the tune in a more modern fashion.)
59.Harlem Hotcha (My
arrangement of one of James P. Johnson's lesser-known fast stride pieces, fasten
your seatbelts! )
60.Squeeze Me (I
transcribed this from Fats Waller's QRS piano roll.)
61.Handful Of Keys
(Fats Waller's most famous hot piano solo which I transcribed from his
celebrated 1929 Victor recording.)
62.Zonky (In March
1935 Fats Waller, under the pseudonym "Flip Wallace", recorded a number
of transcription discs for Associated Music Publishers Inc. of New York. I
transcribed Zonky - another fast stride tune written by Fats - from that
session.)
63.The Curse Of An Aching
Heart (An odd title for a great stomping number, once frequently played by
jazz bands but not heard so often these days. This is my arrangement.)
64.Martinique
(All I know about this one is that it was written by Fats Waller, probably for
the 1943 show "Early To Bed". It is a tango, my information is that
it is the only one Fats wrote. I have a very poor quality recording of it,
never released during Fats' lifetime, which I have used as a pattern for this
arrangement.)
65.Fats Waller Rhythm
Medley #4 (I make no apologies for the preponderance of Waller material on
my webpage - Fats remains the leading contender for the greatest rhythm jazz
pianist the world has ever known and I am nuts about his playing style. In this
arrangement I have transcribed several Waller piano solos - Ain't Misbehavin',
Your Feet's Too Big and S'posin'.)
66.Carolina Shout
(Here it is - James P. Johnson's most famous anthem to stride piano playing.
After performing this killer pianists had to count their fingers to make sure
they were all still there!) Piano roll not available.
67.Weeping Blues
(Another James P. Johnson tune which I transcribed from his 1923 Columbia
recording. The sound quality was so poor that I had to guess parts of it, but I
think that my effort is pretty faithful to the original.) Piano roll not
available.
68.Sugar Rose (An
obscure Fats Waller ballad which he wrote in 1936 - Fats could provide an
inexhaustible supply of material such as this. My arrangement.)
69.St. Louis Blues
(version 1) (A well-worn jazz favourite - I have dumped the usual dirge
tempo, this is an out-and-out stride version which is sure to upset the blues
purists.)
70.Royal Garden Blues
(I have based this arrangement on an almost inaudible recording of Don Lambert
playing in a New Jersey bar back in the 1950s. Taken at a much gentler tempo
than usual with with a few harmonic surprises.)
71.After You've Gone
(Here's another old warhorse beloved of jazz bands. As you may expect the tune
begins in a bluesy fashion, then the tempo doubles, near the end it triples and
finally goes out on the original blues tempo.)
72.Nobody But My Baby
(I stole this arrangement from Fats Waller's QRS piano roll - I cannot remember
hearing any other recorded version of this medium tempo swinger written by
Spencer Williams.) Piano roll not
available.
73.I’m Coming Virginia
(And here’s another little Fats gem for which I used the same source material.)
Piano
roll not available.
74.The Darktown
Strutters' Ball (My arrangement of one of Shelton Brooks’ snappiest tunes.
Lots of key changes here.)
75. Save It Pretty Mama
(A lovely bluesy jazz number written by Don Redman, a brilliant musician. To
keep you on your toes this arrangement jumps into double tempo here and there.)
76. What Can I Say
After I Say I’m Sorry (Another neglected gem of a tune which always reminds
me of Doris Day! I have not been too adventurous with this arrangement but have
stuck closely to the melody.)
77. Woo Woo (Here’s
another Ammons tune which Tibor brought to my attention. It’s an attractive
stomping mix of stride and boogiewoogie)
78. Can’t We Be Friends
(This mid-tempo ballad is usually associated with modern styles of jazz so my
arrangement reclaims it for fans of a more traditional persuasion).
79. Muskrat Ramble
(Kid Ory helped to write this hot number which must be one of the most
frequently played tunes in the traditional jazz repertoire. My arrangement is
unadulterated stride from beginning to end.)
80. What
Is This Thing Called Love (One of Cole Porter’s finest torch songs recorded
by numerous bands, musicians and vocalists. This is my arrangement, so
naturally it is infected with plenty of stride piano.)
81. Mecca
Flat Blues (The famous Southside Chicago pianist Jimmy Blythe was one of
the three composers of this well known blues which has been recorded several
times. I thought that for this version I would like to do my own arrangement, I
hope that you like it. ) Piano roll not available.
82. Bob Zurke
Medley (Zurke was a terrific but comparatively little known two-fisted
pianist who played with a number of bands including the Bob Crosby Bobcats.
Here I have strung together a number of arrangements published by Leo Feist in
the 1940s, you will hear Swingin’ Down The Lane, My Blue Heaven, At Sundown and
Doodle Doo Doo.) Piano roll not available.
83. Bozo
Pants (Written by Robin Frost, an American who in my opinion is the world’s
greatest composer of hot piano music today, Robin has composed dozens of top
quality piano solos such as this. As the copyright of this material is not
owned by me I am not selling piano rolls and sheet music of Bozo Pants (I used
the tune with permission). If this is your kind of thing you can order the
sheet music and a CD from http://www.johnroachemusic.com/
but be warned - it is
not easy to play!)
84. Scouting
Around (Another James P. Johnson stride piano solo which he recorded for
Okeh in 1923. The audio quality of the recording I used to transcribe this was
almost non-existent but I think that I managed to get it all. )
85. Dive
Bomber (A blazing boogie-woogie performance of a tune by Pete Johnson -
originally entitled Answer To The Boogie - which I transcribed from his 1944
Brunswick recording. Tragically in 1952 Pete lost a finger in an accident
effectively ending his career as one of the world’s most outstanding
boogie-woogie and blues pianists.)
86. St.
Louis Blues (version 2) (This is my transcription of an Albert Ammons
performance which he recorded for Solo Art in 1939. By golly, what a piano
player !!)
87. Lock
And Key (In 1927 the great blues singer Bessie Smith recorded this tune for
Columbia with James P. Johnson playing wonderful piano accompaniment. With
great difficulty I have cut out Bessie’s vocal and transcribed James P.’s
superb backing.) Piano roll not available.
88. West
Dallas Drag (I transcribed this from a 1934 Bluebird recording by Rob
Cooper, a shadowy figure about whom almost nothing is known. Cooper played
piano in what is known as the Texas Santa Fe style which sounds awfully like
stride to my ear! Apparently Texas Santa Fe was spawned in the entertainment
houses of the Houston railroad area – if this was typical of the music on offer
it must have been great fun working there!)
89. Suitcase
Blues (Albert Ammons again – this is a 12 bar blues written by Hersal
Thomas. Ammons made a recording of it for Blue Note in 1939 which I have
transcribed here. All the Ammons trademarks are present – boogie-woogie and
stride, Chicago Southside licks, who could ask for anything more?)
90. Kiss
Me Sweet (I like this tune enormously, it was composed by Armand Piron and
Steve Lewis who wrote a goodly number of songs beloved of traditional jazz
bands. For this performance I transcribed a 1953 recording by a little-known
New Orleans pianist – Armand Hug – who ambles along for a few choruses and then
cranks up the tempo for the final two.)
91. The
Sheik Of Araby (Here’s a full-blooded stride version of a tune which has
been battered to death by a multitude of jazz bands. Before you click on this
one pour yourself a large malt whisky, lie back in your most comfortable chair,
think of England and wallow in the music – but don’t forget to pat your feet.)
92. You
Took Advantage Of Me (Cliff Jackson, a master of complicated syncopation
recorded this in 1962. Recently it was re-released on a Black Lion CD from
which I did my transcription – Cliff’s left hand was like a striking cobra !)
93. Lullaby
In Rhythm (This is a swing-era tune with a very unusual chord sequence.
Many recordings of it exist but my favourite solo piano version is the one Don
Ewell did for Chiaroscuro in 1970 which I have transcribed here.)
94. Last
Go Round Blues (Back to Fats – I transcribed his QRS piano roll for this
one. J. Lawrence Cook, the gifted QRS staff arranger, did some editing on it to
impart a fuller “pianola” sound, nevertheless this medium tempo blues is a
typical example of Waller’s wonderful piano style.) Piano roll not available
95. Confessin’
The Blues (Here’s my arrangement of a leisurely 12 bar blues composed by
the great Kansas City style jazz pianist Jay McShann. This is relaxing “after
hours” piano, just lie back with a drink in one hand and a big fat Cuban cigar
in the other and enjoy it !)
96. I’m
Putting All My Eggs In One Basket (Don Lambert was one of the greatest
stride pianists ever who left behind very few commercial recordings. He did not
seek fame and fortune preferring instead to play a beat-up piano in a New
Jersey bar. Fortunately for us some of his fans sneaked in hand-held wire and
tape recorders now and then, the recording quality is dismal but I have managed
to transcribe a few of them. Lambert is remembered mostly for his superfast
interpretations of the classics, however this one is an example of his lovely
ballad style.)
97. Yacht
Club Swing (Fats Waller wrote this tune when he was the resident pianist at
the Yacht Club, New York, and recorded it several times. This is my arrangement
of his neat little swinger.)
98. All Of
Me (I transcribed this from a recording by a little-known Swiss pianist,
Dave Ruosch, who can play stride piano with the best of them – for some strange
reason there are quite a number of excellent jazz pianists living in
Switzerland. With luck I shall discover them all eventually!) Piano roll not
available
99. Tea
For Two (Another of my Don Lambert transcriptions. This is one of his most
astonishing pieces – he keeps the melody of Tea For Two going with his left
hand while he plays other tunes – April Showers and Because Of You – with his
right! A truly remarkable, endlessly inventive pianist.)
100. Hold
My Hand (Here is another one for you fast stride fans – Fats Waller
composed it together with J.C. Johnson, this is my arrangement. Hold on to your
hats !)
101. If
It Ain't Love (This neat medium tempo song was composed by the dream team
of Andy Razaf and Don Redman and popularised by the great Fats Waller. It is
yet another of those wonderful tunes which have been neglected for too long –
every jazz pianist should have this little gem in his repertoire.)
102. My
Monday Date (One of Earl Hines’ well-known uptempo compositions. For this
version I transcribed a 1972 recording made by the phenomenal French pianist,
Claude Bolling, who could imitate the styles of most of the greats. Here he has
certainly captured Hines’ fiery, attacking approach to this kind of thing.)
103.
Jim Jams
(After the ragtime craze declined along came another catchy kind of music – the
novelty piano solo. This one was written by Roy Bargy, who used to be the
pianist with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. Bargy wrote several tricky,
finger-twisting piano pieces, in my opinion Jim Jams is one of his best. This
version is my arrangement.)
104.
On The Sunny
Side Of The Street (Although written in 1930 this song has never lost its
appeal. Numerous arrangements have been written, it has been recorded many
times – this version is my straight-ahead jazz arrangement which should get
your feet tapping.)
105.
I'm Not
Worrying (Here is another little-known Fats Waller tune as played by the
great British stride pianist Neville Dickie. I transcribed this one from
Neville’s 2004 Stomp Off CD)
106.
If I
Could Be With You (version 1) (One of James P. Johnson’s most popular
tunes, here played by the amazing pianist Donald Lambert. I transcribed this
from a privately recorded tape of uncertain date, at the same time I changed
the key from G flat to F to make the sheet music more playable by us mere
mortals.)
107.
Isn't This A
Lovely Day (An Irving Berlin tune which I transcribed from a recent CD by
American pianist Mark Shane, who obviously graduated from the Teddy Wilson
school of piano playing.)
108.
Scram! (All I
know about this obscure tune is that it was written by the famed (and
controversial!) jazz critic Leonard Feather. I have based this stride
arrangement on a recording made by Bernd Lhotzsky and have added a few touches
of my own.) Piano roll not available
109.
Eccentric
(Also known as “That Eccentric Rag” this tune was written by J. Russel
Robinson. I transcribed this version from a Ralph Sutton recording of unknown
date)
110. Four O'Clock Blues (Here is another great blues performance by the wonderful Pete Johnson which I transcribed from his 1939 recording. When it came to playing this kind of thing Johnson and Albert Ammons were the best around
111.
Pick
Yourself Up (For my money this is one of Jerome Kern’s best songs, it has
one of the cleverest chord sequences I have ever heard. My arrangement, enjoy.)
112.
Doctor Jazz
(One of Jelly Roll Morton’s most popular compositions which is probably in the
repertoire of every jazz band in the world! Here’s my stomp rendition, I hope
you like it.)
113.
Unsaturated
Fats (A neat tune in the stride idiom recently written by K.O. Eckland. For
this arrangement I “borrowed” heavily from a recording by a great but
little-known French pianist, Jean-Carl Simonetti, whose work I admire a lot) Piano roll not
available
114.
Have You Met
Miss Jones (Written by the dream team of Rodgers and Hart, I transcribed
this from a CD made by American jazz pianist Johnny Varro. It might be a little
modern for the purist ear but I like this kind of playing a lot.) Piano roll not
available
115.
Pass The Jug
(version 2) (Recently a friend lent me this version played by David
Boeddinghaus, a great American jazz pianist living in New Orleans. It is slower
and more sophisticated than the famous recording by Kansas City Frank Melrose
(see midi 22 above) who wrote the tune. Of the two I think that I prefer this
one.)
116.
Easy Living
(Ever heard of Sir Charles Thompson? He’s a wonderful, swinging pianist who
appears on a CD I bought the other day, this beautiful but neglected song
appears on it. Here I have transcribed Sir Charles’ masterful treatment for your enjoyment.)
117.
T'ain't
Nobody's Bizz-ness If I Do (I transcribed this from a Ralph Sutton
recording made when he was at the peak of his striding best. Nobody could beat
Ralph at this kind of macho piano playing, he was the undisputed master of the
stride piano world for many years.)
118.
You're A Lucky
Guy (For this one I transcribed Johnny Varro’s 1998 Arbors recording. The
tune is somewhat obscure , however because it was written by the brilliant pair
of songsmiths Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin it is a high quality composition
quite unlike other pop tunes of the 1939 era. The arrangement is a little more
modern than those I usually do but it swings all the way.) Piano roll not
available.
119.
Satin Doll
(I transcribed this from a Teddy Wilson recording, far more swinging than the
usual moody modernistic versions. Ellington, of course.) Piano roll not
available.
120.
Cow Cow Blues
(An earthy piece with boogie-woogie undertones, written by Charles “Cow Cow”
Davenport. This is my transcription of Sammy Price’s 1945 recording, it is not
quite my cup of tea but a friend asked me to do it for him.) Piano roll not
available.
121.
In A Mezz
(And here is another of my transcriptions from the same Sammy Price recording
session, an attractive slow 12 bar blues.) Piano roll not available.
122.
Love Is
The Sweetest Thing (Around 1939/40 – the exact date is unknown – Teddy Wilson
made a series of recordings for Keystone Broadcasting System Transcriptions
with the instruction to keep the length of each performance to no more than
two-and-a half minutes. This is my transcription of one of them.) Piano roll not
available.
123. A Ghost Of A Chance (And here is anot