Charlie Parker Transcriptions for Mandolin

[Mark Levesque]

I just played a gig with my amigo Eric Elias (who also plays great jazz guitar in addition to mandolin) and he showed me his new book " Charlie Parker Transcriptions for Mandolin".
This book with Cd has the heads (melodies) to 7 of the most well-known Parker tunes :
"Billie's Bounce","Now's the Time", "Blues for Alice",(which are all jazz blues)
"My Little Suede Shoes" (a II-V workout),
"Ornithology" (same chords as "How High the Moon").
"Anthropology" (rhythm changes chord progression)
and "Donna Lee" (similar chords to "Back Home in Indiana")
Also included are Parker's solos to 5 of the pieces.

I would think that this book would help us all get some bebop moves in our minds and fingers.
Here's Eric's website

http://www.funkyfolkmusic.com/

[Ted Eschliman]

Outstanding!

[phynie]

I want it, I want it, I want it!!!!!!!

[Sellars]

I couldn't help myself, I ordered it immediately

Ah well, I guess I still suffer from a severe case of mandolin-instruction-materials aquisition syndrome (MIMAS)

any reviews yet?

[Jim Garber]

I was curious about why I should get that book since I have both the CP Omnibook and the Real Books which have all those tunes. Then I see that there are tab transcriptions in it. Other than the fact that I don't bother with tab, is there any other reason to get these books -- to jam along with the CD?

Jim

[Spruce]

That's a recent Steve Anderson mandolin on the cover...

Nice call....

[psann]

MIMAS. I had not heard the term, but I certainly have the affliction. I keep telling my spouse, it is cheaper than MAS. I suspect if I really added up the price of my collection, It would pay for another mando of some sort.

Amazon does not have this one yet.

[WJF]

I mean no disrespect to the product or the author but I'd have to concur with jgarber on this one. The Charlie parker Omnibook has exacting transcriptions of about **60** of Charlie Parker's heads and solos all easily transferable to the mandolin. Granted it's all in standard notation but if that isn't a limiting factor for you, why would you pay nearly as much as the Omnibook price for about 1/6 the content? Am I missing something besides the value of the TAB?

Again ... no disrespect intended ... the concept just isn't amking much sense to me on first glance.

[Sellars]

Granted it's all in standard notation but if that isn't a limiting factor for you, why would you pay nearly as much as the Omnibook price for about 1/6 the content? Am I missing something besides the value of the TAB?

I can see your point. Still, there are three reasons for me to be enthousiastic about this release:


1st, the tabs, I still have trouble with standard notation, and a book that is only in standard notation probably would end up unused.

2nd, I love the prospect of having the CD with the book. Especially since the CD has a mando on it. For a Jazz rookie like me, it is good and informative to hear other mandolin players play jazz.

3rd, it is good to see jazz mandolin materials are published. It is pretty rare. I think it is important that a lot of mandolin-specific jazz materials are published, to lower the treshhold for (beginning) mandolin players to begin with jazz. If people aren't buying mandolin materials, then people aren't publishing any.

These three things combined forced me to purchase this product immediately

(and ofcourse the splendid mandolin on the cover! )

[Ted Eschliman]

I just received a copy of the book to review and comment on; I might be able to address some of these questions before I finish a more thorough analysis. It's helpful to understand what this is not, as much as what it is…
It's not an encyclopedic dissertation on all the "Bird's" work, nor is it a tabbed "Charlie Parker Omnibook." That said, this is a 61-page (six song) overture to the music of Parker, complete with explanations of some basic (Bebop) Blues chord alterations, and a comfortable background accompaniment track so as to cultivate them in the privacy of your own home.
Elias does a credible job of transporting the novice jazzer from the fretboard into the horn world; not only some nice tab, but some suggested chord fingerings to walk the path towards eventually transposing them to other songs yourself.
Understand, this is not for the very beginner. However, if you're comfortable with the mandolin fretboard, and have been relatively successful in the folk (BG & Celtic) domains, you should have an easy time absorbing his concepts.
Too often, the "elitist" jazz musician relishes a sort of fraternal "exclusive club" approach to sharing jazz. Others unwilling to disclose the unnecessarily private and cryptic harmonic language, Eric not only reveals the "secret handshake" but gives us the mandolinist a rhythm section to work out the concepts at one's own learning speed.
This book and CD combination is a wonderful bridge into the "it-doesn't-have-to-be intimidating" world of Bebop. I laud his efforts, and recommend you give this concise introduction to a barely-tapped mandolin genre a try!

[phynie]

Ted, are you guys offering the book at Dietze's?

[WJF]

Hi Sellars,

OK I think I get it now ... I hadn't taken the CD into consideration and certainly that would be helpful, especially when combined with TABs (for those that need them) etc.

I guess I just came up the old fashioned way learning from a combination of the omnibook and recordings but I do see the value in having everything put togther in one nice, concise package.

Thanks for pointing this out and good luck with the book!

[mandoanon]

I recieved this book and I am new to some of the chord forms. #In a blues chord substition, it shows a progression as:

Bb # Ab -7 b5 # #D7 # #G -7 # #C 7 # #F -7 # #Bb 7

I have not seen a chord notated as " -7 ". #Is this a minor 7th, for example, Abm7b5 ? #I cant get anything to sound quite right. #I appreciate any help.

[JimD]

Hi Mandoanon,

You are right. This is a way of writing minor 7th. Not a very good way unfortunately.

I prefer Ab min7 (b5).

The other thing you will periodically come across is the use of a triangle for major 7th chords. When you are reading hand written lead sheets or pit orchestra parts it is often difficult to distinguish between the triangle and the little zero that is used for diminished chords.

In bad light (read: almost always--pit orchestra, bad stage light etc.), I sometimes miss those little minus signs altogether. As an arranger/composer, I try to always write chord symbols in a way that couldn't possibly be misunderstood. I expect it of my students as well.

I wish these things were somehow standardized (and I know which form I would prefer). Several attempts have been made but there is still a widely varied practice. As a veteran of many years of orchestra, small ensemble and theater orchestra gigs (on mando, banjo, guitar, lute etc.), I could tell you stories...

[mandoanon]

Thank you very much, Jim. I will be on the lookout for those little triangles, as well.

[EricEJazz]

Glad to finally be a part of this group. I've been a fan of Mandolin Cafe for a long time. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has asked questions and made comments about my Charlie Parker book (and thanks to those who purchased the book as well). The questions are very appropriate and I think Ted E.'s post is a great summary of the book. As for the symbols Jim's response is accurate. Chord symbol short hand isn't quite systematic yet, and various geographic areas probably have more common sysmbol usage in certain circles (sorry for any confusion). Sometimes saving space on the chart dictates which symbol I choose as well. Feel free to e-mail any questions to me as well. I hope that the book will help people delve more into Charlie Parke's great music and jazz/be bop for the Mandolin.

Cheers,

--Eric Elias

[Peter Hackman]

Hi Mandoanon,

You are right. This is a way of writing minor 7th. Not a very good way unfortunately.

I prefer Ab min7 (b5).

And I prefer ab min 7 (b5), i.e., lower case root
for chords containing a minor third. So much easier
to read.