Michael McClimon

Transcriptions

This page contains links to PDF files of various transcription work I’ve done throughout my career. Rather than sitting on my hard drive unused and unnoticed, I’ve posted them here so that other people might benefit from the hours I’ve spent on them. For more information on these transcriptions or to request others, feel free to contact me.

Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt

Autumn Leaves (concert pitch)
Autumn Leaves (for Bb instruments)

From Boss Tenors (1961); contains both Ammons's and Stitt's solos.

George Coleman

Lo Joe (head only, ensemble)

From Amsterdam After Dark (1979). This transcription is of just the head, and includes George Coleman on tenor, Hilton Ruiz on piano, and Sam Jones on bass.

Duke Ellington

Prelude to a Kiss (ensemble)

From the 1938 big band album Braggin’ in Brass. This is not a part-for-part transcription, but every note on the recording is there, and gives a good idea of Duke’s orchestration and voicing.

Prelude to a Kiss (piano trio)

From the 1953 piano trio album Piano Reflections with Wendell Marshall (bs) and Dave Black (ds). The transcription contains only the piano and bass parts.

Bill Evans

All the Things You Are

From the 1963 recording Solo Sessions, Vol. 2.

Johnny Griffin

Rhythm-a-ning (concert pitch)
Rhythm-a-ning (for Bb instruments)

From Thelonious in Action (1958). (See below for Monk's solo from the same take.)

Joe Henderson

Isotope (concert pitch)
Isotope (for Bb instruments)

From Inner Urge (1965).

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Blues for Alice (concert pitch)
Blues for Alice (for Bb instruments)

From We Free Kings (1961); contains Kirk's solos on both tenor and soprano saxes (and both at the same time!).

Jim McNeely

There Will Never Be Another You

From McNeely at Maybeck, a solo recital from 1992. McNeely goes through about 20 different keys in this 5-minute track.

Brad Mehldau

Bard
Goodbye Storyteller (for Fred Myrow)
The Bard Returns

Three tunes, all from Brad's first solo album, Elegiac Cycle (1999). They should be pretty accurate, but you really have to listen to the album to get Brad's phrasing/rhythm, especially on “Goodbye Storyteller.”

Thelonious Monk

Crepuscule with Nellie (first chorus only)

Monk's first recording of this tune, from the 1957 album Monk’s Music. This transcription is just the first chorus with the rhythm section. Wilbur Ware (bs), Art Blakey (ds); also on the recording are Ray Copeland (tpt), Gigi Gryce (as), Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane (ts).

Crepuscule with Nellie (full ensemble)

From the 1962 recording Criss-Cross (orig. released Columbia CL 2038), with Charlie Rouse (ts), John Ore (bs), and Frankie Dunlop (ds). All parts included (tenor sax notated in concert pitch, but in treble clef).

Evidence (intro/head only)

From the 1958 recording Thelonious in Action, with Johnny Griffin (ts), Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bs), and Roy Haynes (ds). A full transcription of Monk's solo introduction and the ensemble head only.

I Should Care

One of my favorite solo Monk recordings, from Solo Monk (1965).

Rhythm-a-ning

Monk's solo, from Thelonious in Action (1958).

Sonny Stitt/Sonny Rollins

The Eternal Triangle (concert pitch)
The Eternal Triangle (for Bb instruments)

From Sonny Side Up (1958). This transcription includes all of the saxophone choruses, including the trading. (From my dissertation.)

McCoy Tyner

All the Things You Are

From the 1992 solo recording Solilioquy.