Are You Bye? lead sheet for large jazz ensemble
WHAT
Are You Bye? is a contrafact based on altered Bye Bye Blackbird changes that I’ve been playing with my small group. I started presenting it as an encore at large ensemble concerts as a fresh antidote or desert course to my long suites of continuous music. The musicians make up their own parts from a detailed transposed lead sheet (counter lines, voiced-out chords, and an indication for improvised backgrounds provided).
WHY
Here’s a chance for your band to read something a little different (making up their own parts)...sort of an exercise between having them learn a head arrangement and reading something fully notated.
THE RECORDING
The Jentsch Group Large reference recording (streaming below) was our encore informally recorded live June 21, 2010 at Tea Lounge in Brooklyn. The band had about ten minutes of rehearsal on this derangement earlier that week. John Carlson takes the solo.
SCORE AND PARTS
The “score” is a copy of the concert lead sheet (should be self-explanatory), with PDFs for that and the transpositions for Bb and Eb all available for download below. It is pretty clear what the concert and Bb people have to work with, but the Eb transposition is a bit messier due to range and clef issues (particularly awkward for bari).
Here are some workarounds: an alto sax could read any part of the Eb lead sheet where treble clef is indicated. Just as good or better would be to have altos play flute, clarinet, or soprano instead (like on our recording).
A bari sax should read off the same Eb sheet but mostly ignore any written notes in favor of using the chord symbols to improvise a low reed part around the roots and bass notes, at times taking into account the concerted rhythms/syncopations of the written lines, or working out what to do with the bass clef notes of the Eb part (mm. 23-28 or 37-39).
Are You Bye? "score" and parts:
Are You Bye? CONCERT
Are You Bye? Bb
Are You Bye? Eb
Are You Bye? READ ME