Bebop heads: Donna Lee

[Christian Miller]

Aaron asked me to transcribe that tune for him before he went on the Phil Schaap Show to talk about the origin of DL. I told him there were some similarities, but it was obviously a different tune based on "Indiana" Tiny was amazing, the guy was a drummer, yet he was able to write something like that! There's proof that Fats Navarro improvised a line very similar to DL that was recorded a few months before the first version. Listen to his entrance at 1:32
.

We had this discussion here about this nine yeas ago!
It sure sounds more like the way Fats played than The Prince of Darkness played. According to a pianist I used to play with, Miles used to get booed off the stand when he played with Bird back then.
My guess is that jazz back then was an aural language that was passed down during jam sessions where guys developed "lines" over popular chord progressions like "Indiana". Aaron didn't refer to DL by name, he referred to it as the "line" that they played on Indiana.
Aaron was so big back then, he was being referred to as the "white Bird". He told me that he saw Bird while he was walking down Broadway at that time, and Bird said, "Don't you try to hide from me. I know who you are!"

But someone had to write out the line that Miles and Bird played in unison, and the P of D might have been cunning enough to do it. Who knows?
"Only the Shadow knows..."

Again the porous border between improvisation and composition….


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[GuyBoden]

Here's a few practice licks from Bars 1-5, transposed into C Major changes.

I'm trying to create practice licks, whilst learning the tune.

Maybe, they might or might not be useful licks for other players too.

[bluenote61]

Here's a couple of very usable licks from Bars 1-4, transposed into C Major changes.

I'm trying to create usable licks whilst learning the tune.

They might be useful licks for other players too.

Thanks.
But as a note, in lick 1 I think the resolution would be at the c# (3rd of A), not at the following e.
In lick 2 the resolution would be in the next bar, adding b and resolvi g to a, the 5th of D7.

[lawson-stone]

Aaron asked me to transcribe that tune for him before he went on the Phil Schaap Show to talk about the origin of DL. I told him there were some similarities, but it was obviously a different tune based on "Indiana" Tiny was amazing, the guy was a drummer, yet he was able to write something like that! There's proof that Fats Navarro improvised a line very similar to DL that was recorded a few months before the first version. Listen to his entrance at 1:32
.

We had this discussion here about this nine yeas ago!
It sure sounds more like the way Fats played than The Prince of Darkness played. According to a pianist I used to play with, Miles used to get booed off the stand when he played with Bird back then.
My guess is that jazz back then was an aural language that was passed down during jam sessions where guys developed "lines" over popular chord progressions like "Indiana". Aaron didn't refer to DL by name, he referred to it as the "line" that they played on Indiana.
Aaron was so big back then, he was being referred to as the "white Bird". He told me that he saw Bird while he was walking down Broadway at that time, and Bird said, "Don't you try to hide from me. I know who you are!"

But someone had to write out the line that Miles and Bird played in unison, and the P of D might have been cunning enough to do it. Who knows?
"Only the Shadow knows..."

I really appreciated this post and its insight. Thank you!

[lawson-stone]

Again the porous border between improvisation and composition….


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Especially among players who knew each other, played the same gigs, and were part of the same musical moment and movement. How could they not have ideas bleed across and among themselves?

[AllanAllen]

Aaron asked me to transcribe that tune for him before he went on the Phil Schaap Show to talk about the origin of DL. I told him there were some similarities, but it was obviously a different tune based on "Indiana" Tiny was amazing, the guy was a drummer, yet he was able to write something like that! There's proof that Fats Navarro improvised a line very similar to DL that was recorded a few months before the first version. Listen to his entrance at 1:32
.
We had this discussion here about this nine yeas ago!
It sure sounds more like the way Fats played than The Prince of Darkness played. According to a pianist I used to play with, Miles used to get booed off the stand when he played with Bird back then.
My guess is that jazz back then was an aural language that was passed down during jam sessions where guys developed "lines" over popular chord progressions like "Indiana". Aaron didn't refer to DL by name, he referred to it as the "line" that they played on Indiana.
Aaron was so big back then, he was being referred to as the "white Bird". He told me that he saw Bird while he was walking down Broadway at that time, and Bird said, "Don't you try to hide from me. I know who you are!"

But someone had to write out the line that Miles and Bird played in unison, and the P of D might have been cunning enough to do it. Who knows?
"Only the Shadow knows..."

Who is the Prince of Darkness? What are you talking about? Why did the guy who played Tiny's Con need you to transcribe it? I'm so confused....

[mr. beaumont]

Who is the Prince of Darkness? What are you talking about? Why did the guy who played Tiny's Con need you to transcribe it? I'm so confused....

The Prince of Darkness! You know, the Chameleon. The Man in the Green Shirt, man.

[Mick-7]

Who is the Prince of Darkness?

That was a nickname for Miles, so named for his sometimes Jekyll and Hyde temperament (exacerbated later on in his life by his addiction to pain killers). Wayne Shorter wrote a tune by that name.

[GuyBoden]

Here's a few more practice licks from Bars 5-8, transposed into C Major changes.

I'm trying to create licks, whilst learning the tune.

Maybe, they might or might not be useful licks for other players too.

[AllanAllen]

That was a nickname for Miles, so named for his sometimes Jekyll and Hyde temperament (exacerbated later on in his life by his addiction to pain killers). Wayne Shorter wrote a tune by that name.

I had a thought it was Miles, but he also said Davis in the post. I'm easily confused.

[Christian Miller]

I had a thought it was Miles, but he also said Davis in the post. I'm easily confused.

Well if you colonials will insist on using surnames as given names, this exact confusion will arise.


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