• Series: Music Minus One
• Publisher: Music Minus One
• Format: Softcover with CD
• Artist: Bob Zottola

This volume 3 of the Signature Series will lean towards a jazzier concept than the previous volumes and to set that tone, I chose “Lullaby of Birdland” as the first song! And who better to place in that #1 position than Mel Torme as the singer associated with George Shearing's jazz classic! I had the pleasure of playing with the “Velvet Fog” in a very memorable, jazzy setting. It was in the 1960s and Mel did a two week engagement at NYC's Basin Street East with the Marty Paich Dektette Band. Let's go forward to the 21st century to my play-along version and a few guidelines on how to approach it. There are actually three approaches. First, as the trumpet soloist, then playing the unison line with the horns and finally as a lead player on top of the “little big band.” Our next song “When I Fall in Love” was one of Nat Cole's many huge hits. It's a song I play often on my jazz gigs. Here's a very lush arrangement for you to explore the low and high register of the “hrons” meaning flugelhorn for the first chorus and trumpet for the “out chorus.” Notice that I “hug” the melody only adding ornaments here and there and a modest amount of embellishments. Please focus on the subtleties and nuances in phrasing which can't be complete captured with notation. Listening with the intention of acquiring these skills is the proper mind-set. –Bob Zottola.

This edition includes: a high-quality engraved printed edition of the transcribed note-for-note trumpet solo part, printed on easy-to-read paper; a compact disc containing the complete perofrmance of each piece in digital stereo, followed by a second digital stereo version minus the soloist.

Songs include: Days of Wine and Roses • Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye • God Bless the Child • Lullaby of Birdland • Steppin' Out with My Baby • When I Fall in Love • Why Don't You Do Right? • You Don't Know Me.

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