Jazz Drum Transcriptions - an educational resource - newest transcription: Birdland - drums: Alex Acuña

Thank you for all this input, Timo

I had no clue that Paul Desmond composed both, 'Take Five' and 'Take Ten', which is basically the same song to me.
Also that 'Fire Down There' was even before 'St. Thomas', and maybe both based on a nursery rhyme.

You're really into such stuff, and I like it.

Now, I slowly start to learn reading music. Or at least try to improve on it. For this, your videos and transcriptions are a great help. Thanks again.
 
@Tarkus: Thank you! I’m honored my content supports you on your path. Please feel free to shout it from the rooftops if the videos help!

Digging into the background of these tunes always fascinates me too. There are often surprises!

Thanks again for the kind words!
 
Dear drummers,

in my new video, I take a closer look at the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves” as performed by Steve Gadd on Chet Baker's 1974 album "She Was Too Good To Me".


This transcription and performance focuses on the first 68 bars of Gadd's play. “Autumn Leaves”, originally composed by Jacques Prévert and Joseph Kosma, is one of the most played standards in the jazz repertoire. There are countless versions, but this interpretation by Chet Baker stands out, especially because of the presence of Steve Gadd behind the drums.

I hope you enjoy it!
 
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Dear drummers,

in my video, I take a look at the drumming of Dave Bailey in Morning of the Carnival (or “Manhã de Carnaval”) on Gerry Mulligan's 1963 album Night Lights.


This piece, composed by Luiz Bonfá and featured in the 1959 film Black Orpheus, is one of the first bossa nova pieces to gain international recognition. Often referred to as Black Orpheus, the piece became a jazz standard and a well-known song of the bossa nova movement.In this performance I present a drum transcription of the first 68 bars of Morning of the Carnival. Bailey's playing is a fine example of musical restraint. His playing matches the relaxed and cool character of the song.

Gerry Mulligan's Night Lights session features an all-star lineup, including Art Farmer (flugelhorn), Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone), Jim Hall (guitar), Bill Crow (bass) and Dave Bailey (drums). The album, which was recorded 1962 at the Nola Penthouse Studios in New York, combines West Coast cool jazz with Brazilian influences. This is particularly evident in this interpretation of Manhã de Carnaval.

I hope you enjoy it!
 
Hello community,

in my newest video, I explore Jimmy Cobb’s drumming on the live version of “So What,” recorded in March 1960 at Konserthuset in Stockholm during Miles Davis and John Coltrane’s legendary final European tour.


This live performance is part of The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 and captures the Miles Davis Quintet in top form: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Jimmy Cobb (drums).

In my transcription and performance, I focus on the first 68 bars of the tune, presenting a transcription of Cobb’s playing. His playing demonstrates a deep swing and a masterclass in musical support.Jimmy Cobb’s approach here is distinct from the better-known 1959 studio version on Kind of Blue. The live setting adds a sense of energy, while Cobb's drumming maintains its iconic blend of looseness and control.

I hope you enjoy it!
 
Hi Timo
It's difficult to hear, but there seem to be hardly any bass drum hits after the theme, when trumpet solo starts. Is this possible?

Edit: ok, I listened to the original again: it is true. But bass drum gets more busy after a while.

Great version, though. Thanks
 
This one popped up at youtube:


Maybe the same recording you've been using. I've listened to it with enhanced bass (JBL box).
They all play so well, but Coltrane steals the show.
 
Yes, it's the same recording. But the question remains: Did I miss any bass drum hits? :?:
 
No, this I didn't put in question. I think your notation is correct, as far as I can judge. I'm the student in this case. You even add a kind of 'dynamics' with smaller and larger bass drum notes.

I was just surprised that Cobb did play his bass drum so sparse. Something, I have to get used to in bop drumming.
 
@Tarkus: Thanks a lot for the clarification! Sometimes it's not that easy to catch all the nuances as a non-native speaker. I really appreciate your input. I'm really glad you're diving into it! Keep it going! :thumbright:
 
Hi everyone,

I’d like to share my latest transcription and performance video dedicated to the great Al Foster, who sadly passed away in May 2025 at the age of 82.


In this video, I transcribed and performed the first 104 bars of “Fungii Mama,” recorded in 1964. It’s the opening track of The Thing to Do, Blue Mitchell’s hard bop classic and also marks Al Foster’s official recording debut at just 21 years old.

Al’s calypso-infused feel on this track is both relaxed and driving, simple on the surface, but with so much depth and awareness underneath. It’s a masterclass in musical support.

Thanks for checking it out!
 
Dear drummers,

in this episode of Real Book Drumming, I focus on the song If I Were a Bell, recorded by Miles Davis on October 26, 1956, at Van Gelder Studio with Philly Joe Jones on drums. Philly Joe Jones is considered one of the most influential jazz drummers of the 1950s. Jones is never ostensibly virtuosic, but he is present and interactive.


In my transcription and performance, I analyze the first 72 bars of this piece.The recording of If I Were a Bell appeared in 1958 on the Prestige album Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet and remains one of the most influential versions of this piece composed by Frank Loesser.

If I Were a Bell originally comes from the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls and became a jazz standard thanks to Miles Davis. The Miles Davis Quintet's version is characterized by a relaxed feel. The recording is from the famous Prestige series, which was created in 1956 when Miles Davis was about to switch to the Columbia record label. To fulfill his contractual obligations to Prestige, he recorded a total of four albums in two sessions: Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin'. These sessions are now considered milestones in jazz.

I hope you enjoy it!
 
Hello,

In my latest video, I analyze the first 68 bars of Max Roach's drumming in “Billie's Bounce,” a piece written by Charlie Parker and performed by his quintet in 1945.


“Billie's Bounce” was recorded on November 26, 1945, at WOR Studios in New York City during one of Parker's first sessions as bandleader for Savoy Records. The contributors to this recording included Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, Miles Davis on trumpet, Hen Gates on piano, Curly Russell on bass, and Max Roach on drums. This was one of the earliest recording sessions for Miles Davis, who was only 19 years old at the time. Max Roach was just 21 years old when this recording was made.

Enjoy watching!
 
Welcome to another episode of “Real Book Drumming,” where we dig into jazz recordings and study how their drummers shaped the music we still love today.


In this video, I’m focusing on the first 68 bars of Jimmy Cobb’s drumming on All Blues, one of the most famous tracks from Miles Davis’ legendary 1959 album Kind of Blue. The song, a 12-bar blues, is notated in 6/8 time, but Cobb's drumming gives it a 3/4 feel and gives the performance its distinctive forward momentum. All Blues was recorded on April 22, 1959, at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio in New York. It is the opening track on Side B of Kind of Blue, widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz albums ever released. The ensemble included Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone), Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Jimmy Cobb on drums.

One of the moments in Cobb's performance that I find most beautiful comes before the trumpet solo: Cobb plays an extremely tasteful fill, switching from brushes to sticks. This moment perfectly reflects his musicality.

There are countless anecdotes about the Kind of Blue sessions. According to Jimmy Cobb himself, Miles Davis once said to him after listening to the playbacks: “Man, I wish I could swing like you.” Cobb simply replied: “Yeah, I wish you could too.”

Thanks for watching!
 
Hello community,

Welcome to an analysis of the first 68 bars of Art Taylor's drumming on John Coltrane's legendary composition Giant Steps.


Giant Steps is a piece composed by John Coltrane, released in 1960 and featured as the title track of Coltrane's album of the same name. Played at an up-tempo pace (approx. 290 bpm), the song quickly became a standard and is considered one of the most difficult pieces to play in the entire jazz repertoire due to its rapid chord changes and modulative complexity.

The album Giant Steps was Coltrane's first release for Atlantic Records. It is considered a classic and one of his highlights. The compositions on the album, especially the title track and “Countdown,” demonstrate Coltrane's new harmonic concept, in which he plays the underlying chord material precisely in fast eighth notes.

Coltrane worked on Giant Steps during several studio sessions. The first sessions in March and April 1959 with pianist Cedar Walton and drummer Lex Humphries did not satisfy Coltrane. Lewis Porter, Coltrane's biographer, reports that Walton had to concentrate hard to accompany Coltrane correctly, as the rhythm section had not rehearsed the piece beforehand.

The definitive recording of Giant Steps, which appeared on the album and is transcribed here, was made on May 5, 1959, with pianist Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Art Taylor was an outstanding jazz drummer whose playing on Giant Steps is often overshadowed by the harmonic complexity of the piece. But his precision, even at this fast tempo, his musical decisions, and his rhythmic foundation are crucial to the sound of this recording. Taylor's ability to maintain the up tempo while delivering a pushing, driving energy is remarkable.

Thanks for watching!
 
A quick note on a personal matter: My YouTube series Real Book Drumming has now been turned into a digital book, which is available from Hudson Music. It is called:

Jazz Standards on the Drumset

It contains transcriptions and analyses of ten well-known jazz standards,each in two different versions, played by different drummers (e.g. Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Joe Morello, Jimmy Cobb). The aim is to show the diversity of musical approaches to the same piece, with a focus on the interpretation of the theme.

If this is of interest to you, your students, or colleagues, I would be delighted if you would take a look:

https://hudsonmusic.com/product/jazz-standards-on-the-drumset/?wcacra=1961717

And, as always, I welcome feedback or questions, either here in the thread or on my YouTube channel.

Best regards,
Timo
 
Dear drummers,

In my newest episode of my “Real Book Drumming” series, I focus on the first 68 bars of Billy Higgins' drumming in “Mr. Kenyatta".


The composition by Lee Morgan appeared on the album Search for the New Land, recorded in 1964 but not released until 1966. Alongside Morgan on trumpet, the jazz greats Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Grant Green (guitar), Reggie Workman (bass), and Billy Higgins (drums) also played on the track.

The song Mr. Kenyatta is dedicated to Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta, who led Kenya to independence. The piece is characterized by its energetic, driving character, not least due to the interplay between Hancock's piano theme and Higgins' expressive drumming. Mr. Kenyatta is rhythmically direct, with a drive that clearly defines the piece. The feel of Mr. Kenyatta moves between binary and ternary in the A section, which is also referred to as in-between and cannot really be represented in standard musical notation. The B section is clearly recognizable as a classic swing.

At that time, Higgins was one of the busiest jazz drummers of his generation. Over the course of his career, he played on over 500 albums and worked with Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and many others. His style combines the melodic approach of Max Roach with the energy of Art Blakey, but remains more restrained in relation to the overall picture of the music.

Thanks for watching!
 
Dear drummers,

In my newest episode of my YouTube series “Real Book Drumming,” I focus on one of the most famous big band pieces of the swing era: “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra. In this video, I present a complete drum transcription and a performance of Maurice "Moe" Purtill's drumming.


In the video, you will see two lines of notation: at the top, the drum chart in a big band context; at the bottom, my transcription of the August 1, 1939 recording by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra. This dual layout helps you understand how the chart is translated into musical drumming. The drummer of the Glenn Miller Band at the time, Maurice "Moe" Purtill, was known for his precision and disciplined swing. With his hi-hat playing, he was largely responsible for the typical Miller groove. In this 1939 recording, he demonstrates how a swing pattern can be put at the service of the ensemble, without frills, but with maximum effect.

If you enjoyed this video, I would appreciate it if you subscribed to my channel, as new videos are posted regularly.

Thanks for watching!

By the way, if you would like to download the complete transcription, you can find it on my Patreon page. There I offer over 50 additional drum transcriptions from my “Real Book Drumming” series, all as printable PDF files: Patreon – Transcriber Membership: https://www.patreon.com/c/jazzdrummerscorner/membership and please take notice of my book "Jazz Standards on the Drumset", released by Hudson Music: https://hudsonmusic.com/product/jazz-standards-on-the-drumset/?wcacra=1961717

Thanks for your support!
 
Dear drummers,

Welcome to another episode of Real Book Drumming. In this video, I present a transcription of the first 72 bars of the original 1945 recording of “Thriving on a Riff” (later known as “Anthropology”) by Charlie Parker, featuring none other than Max Roach on drums.


The recording took place on November 26, 1945, and is an early document of bebop drumming. Thriving on a Riff is a classic bebop tune: the harmonic structure is borrowed from George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm”, but the melody is new. Though co-credited to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Parker later clarified that the composition was solely his. According to interviews from 1949, Gillespie was added as co-composer for commercial reasons, a practice not uncommon in the jazz industry of the 1940s.

If you enjoyed this video, I would appreciate it if you subscribed to my channel, as new videos are posted regularly.

Thanks for watching!
 
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