CHET BAKER'S GRESTEST SCAT SOLOS Transcriptions by JIM BASriAN Edited by John Alegander Educational Resources for Jazz Programs in Higher EducationTable of Contents Discography Introduction But Not For Me Dancing on the Ceiling Do It The Hard Way Everything Happens To Me It Could Happen To You Just Friends ‘You Make Me Feel So Young This Is Always 10 2 4 16 7Tt TT. ee ee Discography "Just Friends’ - Stan Getz and Chet Baker, Line For Lyons, Gazell LP, GJ 1006, 1983, "It Could Happen To You" - It Could Happen To You/Chet Baker Sings, Riverside CD,RLP- 1120, 1958. "Dancing On The Ceiling" - Same as above. "You Make Me Feel So Young" - Same as above. "Do It The Hard Way" - Same as above. “This Is Always" - Chet Baker, Two A Day, Drefus Jazz CD, FDM 36508-2, 1980, "But Not For Me" - Chet Baker, The Touch Of Your Lips, Steeplechase CD SCCD-31122, 1979. "Everything Happens To Me (1)" - Chet Baker, Verve Jazz Masters 32, Verve CD 314 516 939-2, 1955. "Everything Happens To Me (2) - Chet Baker Sings And Plays From the Film Let's Get Lost, Novus CD 3054-2-N, 1989.Introduction ‘Asa student of jazz, I long ago began studying Chet Baker's trumpet solos, having been. deeply moved by his airy, economical, expressive tone. His solos didn't require massive technical chops to play them, which also appealed to me. In a process of gleaning through my Chet CD's and LP's I ran out of trumpet solos to learn and , quite by accident, turned to his vocal scat solos, which I had previously disregarded. ‘What struck me was how similar in rhythm, harmony, tone, and phrasing the scat solos were to the trumpet solos. It occurred to me that here was a player who has something deep inside to express, and the vehicle of transmission was of secondary importance. Speaking to this point, Chet said of himself, "I don't know whether I'm a trumpet player who sings or a singer who plays the trumpet.” In the same way that Chet's emotive and breathy trumpet sound is uniquely his own, so also is his distinctive language for scat singing. His scat vocabulary made predominant use of syllables beginning with the letter "D." My inventory of the solos in this book resulted in twenty four variants of syllables beginning with "D." Syllables beginning with "B," "E" and "Y" occur much less often. This raises the question of tone - what was it about "D" syllables that appealed to this trumpet player who also wanted to vocally improvise? Whatever it was, Chet relied on the same vocabulary throughout his entire career, as seen in the two versions of the bridge of "Everything Happens To Me" that were recorded some thirty years apart. Maybe without realizing it, Chet, who didn't read music and disdained practicing, produced a personalized scat vocabulary that captured the reserved and disarming style one also feels in trumpet playing. Yet, this style raised controversy among both critics and listeners. Some believed of Chet's vocal stylings that there was a whole lot of nothing going on. Others suggested that listening to Chet sing is like "being sweet talked by the void." Ornette Coleman asked regarding Chet, "Have you ever heard someone who couldn't sing but did something to you emotionally?" From a technical standpoint, it may be arguable as to whether or not Chet could sing. Yet from a West Coast Cool standpoint, which ranked feel higher than technique, there was great emotional energy in his subdued, almost weightless understatement. Chet was more than a pop music romantic crooner who expresses the hurt of the loser in love, though he achieved icon status in the fifties for just that reason. More importantly, he had a natural spirit for expressing the warm, intimate and discreet side of jazz. His scat solos reflect, this intimate charm as well as a mature concept for improvising be-bop lines. ‘Such qualities make these nine vocal solos wonderful pieces to use for the study of phrasing, scat vocabulary, and be-bop lines of one the greatest of the West Coast school of players. 1 had originally transcribed the scat solos as exercises for studying phrasing for my guitar students and myself. They are so rich in their instructive value that it is truly a joy for me to offer them in published form to all singers and players.From the Editor Some notes about the transcriptions: Each is written an octave higher than it sounds. None are written with key signatures and each accidental is marked. Syllables are written and spelled to express as closely as possible the vowel sound being used. Some rhythms may appear to be indistinct, out of time, or even totally wrong when compared to the recording. ‘When there was a discrepancy between the rhythm of the vocal line and the rest of the band, Thave attempted to notate the inner rhythm of the vocal line with written instructions when. necessary. Western musical notation is, at best, an approximation of jazz rhythm. If you run into problems let the recording take precedence over the notation. "This Is Always" is a ballad, but the solo goes into double time. I have written it in double time and have doubled the number of measures so that the notes and rhythms are easier to read. The ballad tempo is approximately quarter note equals forty-six, and the double time is quarter note equals ninety-two. Jim Bastian currently lives near Providence, Rhode Island where he is an active performer on both guitar and electric bass. Mr. Bastian received the Master of Arts in guitar performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1986, and the Master of Divinity degree from the Methodist Theological Schoo! in Ohio in 1990. In his diverse career, Mr. Bastian has been a drug and alcohol rehabilitation counselor, a youth minister, a designer, and most recently, a college-level jazz program director and professor. He continues to author resource materials for college-level jazz programs.Same chord changes assed inthe song. But Not For Me Chet Baker Solo ‘swing Al Fo Fm7 Bb7 Eba7 Gm7 c7 Duh di. duh deh, dite F9 a7 Ebasus Eb7H9 deh Duh duh ut dut doh yeh ut ‘nuh AbaT be Gm7 cm7 2 vib det Dut dt doh deo deh Deh deh det doh___ doh det doh. F7 Fm7 Bb7 c7 duh ut det dut, Duh dot ‘n doh deh dut Dee duh deh yeh ‘n duh dut AI7IF9 Fm7 Bb7 ba? Gm7 C7 dah dah tat Ah didn dat dut ‘n doo dut- = dah dot dah. Fo Bb7 Ebesus Eb749 a doh deh Deh dt Ro ‘n dt ‘nt ‘nd ct AbaT oe Gm7 cm7 cng Dut dh i. Le aut dt dh dh dh inDeh dut dun Det duh doh det Fo Eb749 Fa Vib wow det deh Dun. dah. det deh duh dahd___ ‘dah AbaT De Gm7 cm7 “1 Deh. ‘nd ee = don ‘Yuh doo duh ey m Fi ay Bb7 C7 s Deh det dt dot «= ded doh. Bb7 Eba7 Yuh duh din det duh din dud ‘n duh dud ‘n doo dut dut duh doh duh dut Gm7 c7 Fo Bb7 2 b deh deh deh ded ‘n deh deh ded ‘n ded ‘n ded ‘n ded deh dee yuh deh duh Ebosus E749 AbaT s Page2 | a | a a nl Fo 2 a a a a a adoh deh doh ded 'n doo deh dit Deh doh it doh dt Deh deh deh dt’ © Deh doh dt © Deh deh dt’ ©—Deh_ deh dt. = Deh— C\F9 Bb7+5, Eba7 Gm7 C7 S, vib a t ! I Fm7 Bb7+5 Eba7 Gm7 c7 I I ! ! h ch dt Och doh don dt Det doh ot A F9 Bb7 Bhm7 Ebro | - | doo dah ded 'n det Doh Si ue Du ath du Ou doo dah AbaT oe Gm7 cm7 | okt Det 'n doh det Dah dat “nda at pa dat dah don F7 Fm7 Bb7 c7 z F : ; | det 'n deh det Dut det dut det ‘Yuh dood ‘n det deh deh det det C17} F9 Bb745 Eba7 Gm7 o7 Dut det dot det deh det Deh ded ot det dot h doot ‘n deh des yah deh Fo Fm7 Bb7 Ebgsus Eb s Pane S dood ‘nh doo dah dee duh dee dee doed 'n dee. Pages |Aba7 obs Gm7 2 ‘Ah dood 'n dood 'n dood ‘n doo de yah deh dood ‘n doo deh deh doo deh deh det ‘n det 'n c7 Fm7 Bb7 2 1 deh deh deh ‘n doo day did ded ‘1 dit Ded ‘nit ded 'n Eba7 Gm7 c7 Fo To Guitar Solo ~ doo die ood ‘1 at ded. dt 'n deh doh Page 4 Z7~“ZEEBE BBE BEBE RBEE BERBER EE. " Same chor change ab sed inthe song. a Medium Swing J=132 Dancing On The Ceiling Chet Baker "'? [4] Faz Fe ano = Dm FT/C F7/B Bha7 Be7 a | vib aw Yeh deh deh det ‘nh deh duh deh deh Det deh det det a Am7 079 Gm7 C7 Fé o7 4 vib aw co rea det deh deo deh doh Ded 1 doh doh deh deh. G7 c7 Amz 07 Gm7 c7 ASIF a7 F&e Ano Ce cd th deh eden ene a annie ai en Om7 F7 BbaT Bor Am7 013 . : i Gm7 c7 FB p79 m7 c7 a ioe vibow deh doh deh deh 'n 1 deh deh deed ‘n dood Och______ don et ‘a det) deh doh Fé cm7 7 [B]ehaz Bbm7 eb a a a cole eee alee Far om7 F709 Bhar a deta duh" Bbm7, Eo Am7 D7 Gm7 c7 ‘eh deh deh Doo dah deh deh dood 'n deh deh yoo 1 duh yoo ‘1 duh F&e a9 m7 FTC FT Bha7 Bo det duh dut Day dut_ doh ut 1 duh deh doo duh_— ‘N Am7 O79 Gm7 C7 vib aw dut nn doh i. Yeh eh ch. deh. Fg Dm7 Gm7 c79 FAT Te Piano Solo Deh dt 'n dut ‘n dut dt ut dt det deh. Page2 PEREERER BEEBE BBB EBBRBEBEEREER12 Same chord changes as used in the song. swing d=t68 fa] 4 Fm7 EWG Det doh deh deh deh Eba7 Bb13 ‘a doh co ee deh doh. Do It The Hard Way Bh13. vib doo deh am7 dh deh_____ doo deh deh deh det ‘1 doo Fm7 13, vibaw Gm7 ets 19 dot doh cn9 den Bh13 doh deh, deh Fm7 Det EWG vibaw e ba7 ut ‘aut deh deh. deh Fm7 Eba7 det ‘n doo deh c79 Fm7 G ‘Te 00 duh deh Bb745, deh cH oh duh ded Bb13 va Chet Baker Solo Det dod Doh dut deh Doo deh deh deh C79 deh dih den dud ‘nde Eba7 Bb13 Fm7 del h vib-w+ deh duh, vibaw doo deh. deh dee. Ces g as13 Bb13 Bhm7 PEE \ Ebo Se 8 Duh din deh dos 1 ed 1 dah duh yeh deh deh___ Duh ‘AbaT * [3] vib aw deh deh dut ‘1 doo deh deh deh det ‘n deh deh deh__ Eh blesus on Gm7 cms Fm7 s ott 28 dah doh dut ‘a doh dot dun deh det deh doh dot doh doh dee yeh deh Eba7 Gs C745, ww &™7 — toPiano 31 vib ww vib 7 To Piano Solo deh deh dah doh yah deh doh_ doh. Page 214 ‘Same chord changes as usd inthe song Everything Happens To Me - 1 Chat Baker Solo Bridge] Ebm7 Ab7HS. Dba Bb7b9 1 vib s+ vibe vib Det 'n deh dah 'n duh______ dt dah dah dah___ Ebm7 AbT+M Dba a baw vip we Layback vig ah dot 'n deh deh deh, det dee yah dah____ yah dah doh Omit G7 Ca Gm7 C75 3 vibaw ES vib ww aN vib a oh dah o¢ dah dot 'n dah dee. dah dah yah dah deh den bah Bhm7 + : aes 3 a78 vibes vibaw doh. doh doh deh dah dah dah det ‘n deh dah dah dah______ det ‘n doh To Vocal Verse, Last 815 Baad Joss Everything Happens To Me - 2 Chet Baker Solo Bridge] m7 Bb13 Eba c79 a Hoo day dut ‘np dah dah deh deh deh doh deh Fm7 Bb7b9 Eba 3 ax yah deh deh dah den. Emit AT Da dah deh dah deh deh deh deh deh deh deh deh d dee deo deh det deh Gm7 co cm7 7 i Zt a vib aw yeh deh det 'n deh dit ‘n doh dee day doo ee doo To Vocal Melody, Last 816 Same chord changes as used in the song. It Could Happen To You Chet Baker Solo Gaz Be En9 Am7 Buh doo mee dah deh deh deh deh deh aye day doh dio Dot Bho? Ga7 Dm7 G7 Caz oo =a vib Die paemaiaiaio apy deh deh deh deh deh deh. BAS B7bS/F E79 Am7 Th Sho des aye deh dood 1 dee deh Duh deh deh duh deh deh doh mar cmé Ga7 Am7 Bm7 aa a vibse 10 ut duh deh deh deh duh yuh doo duh duh Duh Em7 C7 AI3 Am7 deh dt 1 dt)— doh oh doh___ Doe dod 1 dut 1 deo dah dah 07 Gar To vocal melody, 2nd 16 eh ah. ut day doh Bence17 Same chord changes as used in the song ‘Swing Just Friends ‘Chet Baker Solo [a] ca7 vib Deh dt = deh dt doh m7 F7 Ga7 Yeh deh deh deh deh dit Din duh ih Bhm7 eb7 det Dut ut dut deh dud ‘nut Am7 o7 Fis B7 Deh deh deh doh deh det deh deh deh doh din deh dah dud ‘nn dud 'n Em7 AT deh dah dih deh dih dah dih dee det ‘n deh dee deh deh deh dah deh deh deh deh deh deh deh deh Amz 07 Dm7 a7 (A17| Caz deh doh deh deh deh deh deh deh dot ‘n deh deh dit doo duh. cm FT Dit dah dt doo duh deh doh deh deh ut "BEB BEB S ERE RE BERERBE REE EE18 Gaz Bbm7 2 aig sit 3 b Deh dud 1 deh dut den dut_ deh dut bi det eb Am7 D7 dut_ ‘nh deh deh deh deh dut Deh deh deh deh deh dee deh deh doo dee doo dah Fo 87 Em7 AT eae doo deh dee dah deh deh doh deh doo dah deh deh dud 1 deh deh deh eh. | D9sus o7 Gaz Dm7 a7 at aay Dud 1 duh deh eh eh. deh deh. B|ca7 m7 Deh deh deh dest 'n doo dah —dut_ ‘n_ deh doh dt Di ‘deh F7 Ga7 a, vib aw dh doh deh doh doh____ Dut doo dah it Bhm7 bo Am7 © by vb aw vib Doh deh det Deh deh doh. Deh deh det Deh deh deh 07 Fig 87 Em7 Page 2 eo19 AT Am7 o7 8 Deh doo deh deh deh deh deh deh deh deh deh det 'n doo deh det ‘n doo dah deh deh det 'n Om7 a7 B17}Ca7 3 7 7 a — ae = Ss = oi xs armas Gant ies ron rare m9 F7 Ga7 doh det 'n doh doh dud 1 tul doh deh deh dut Ot dt dt doh__ Bhm7 eo dot dt DR doh doh deh deh doh doh doh am7 bs Flo 87 Deh doh deh det ‘n deh ‘n dee dah deh deh deh deh deh deh doo deh deh deh deh deh deh deh Em7 AT D9sus p79 Ga7 Dm7 G7 Ca7 —_ToPPiano Sole at at ut doh oh ch_______ det deh dee doo dah Pages arYou Make Me Feel So Young Chet Baker Solo [A] phar a7 cm7 F7 Dm7 G7 1 vib det deh deh deh dah_— doe deh. En, o7t8 F7 Bba7 Bb Eba7 Ebm7 =: Eh deh deh Deh doo deh deh deh deh det 'n —dut_'n_ do dah. Dm7 G79 m7 F7 A9| Bha7 G7 deh deh det Deh deh deh. duh 08 ah, = 2 3 cm7 F7 Bha7 G7 cm7 An dud 'n duh‘n duh duh dut_ ‘1 duh__ duh dah. Bba7 Bb7 Eba7 Ebm7 Dm7, 79 13 ics Eh— dud 'n doh deh deh dah doo dah day dan_— m7 FT 8} Bhasus Bb7 —_ L mn > = Eh doh dot 'N doo dut 'N doo deed ‘n deo dt Bhosus Bb7 AS O75 Ed —‘n doh deh doh deh ded ‘1 deh deh doh__ ‘a deh deh deh doh -_2t Gm7 m7 as F7 CoN (eae 8 deh 'n deh dch Deed ‘n dee dut 'n doh deh deh deh deh cut ‘n doo ded 'n doo deh ©} Bba7 a7 cm7 F7 Bha7 a7 2 dot dah ut Eh dud 1 ded n ded 'n Bba7 Bb7 Eba7 Ebm7 ‘deh deh deh Edn doh duh__ Did 'n deh deh deh didn din din Dm7 a7 m7 F7 m7 a7 vib aw i i a i c7oF7 t t i I h Buh dud ‘1 dud ‘1 ded ‘n ded ‘n_ deh dh. omit Fo oe G7 aaa vib ae ae 5 Bl. Monin trac atran ac esa Rated ata ad naar cm7 F9 Bba7 G7 cm7 E ree sitions wa ee F7 Bba7 To Piano Solo k. Page 2 | | | >same cen anges owe nth sng Bated J=02 This Is Always Chet Baker Solo Double time fest Al aba? Dba7 i vib ~ Deh deh deh det ‘n doo dan deh dt deh, m7 FAO amas) De det dot doh choo. Bbm7 m7 oe a oh ‘An doh doh deh doh doh deh oh 60 on De G79 g Deh deh deh deh doot Deh ce F79 al dh doh at Doo ih deh den doe deh dn day 00 ay Bbm7 CaaS Eb7sus eb7 Bbm7 F749 | ‘Dehdeh deh dehdehdehdehday det in dehdehdehdeh deh dehdeh dee dut ‘n dooday doedeedehduh dut'n dut ‘n 423 Bbm7 Behind the beat Ebm9 5 — eet fe = SS —— See dut 'n deh deh deh deh deh deh det ‘n deh deh deh aye. Day deh doo [Bla Dba7 y ma (AED day Ce doh ded nde. Ce Frag me om eee aca doh ded) doh__ doh deh = deh ded. ‘1 doh Bhm7 cm7 a Ga as esa amt Deh doh dut ‘duh duh duh duh dut ‘n duh dee dah dah dut ‘n duh doot 'n teh doo deh deh Dg chop ane po ve CAS dot ‘n deh den Day doh deh deh doh deh deh deh doot day ot ‘1 deh oh Ce F79 ap se Deh dah cut Dut ‘a doh Det .'n deh. dah et doh doh_doh Bhm7 ie Dah dee ded in doo De ees ‘beh Page224 chs FS — det dy nyo. | pe — | | | C}Bbm7 Bhm7 om ag SN ale Yuh dood ‘1 did ‘n doo dah det ‘n. deh dah doh Bah deh dut Deh dah deh deh dee dah Dhm7 aha | = regi a ‘a deh doh deh deh doo doe dah doo Deh oh ot cm7 Dbm7 cla cm7 Bm7 E9 | aa Deh deh oh_—_ ub Day 00 Day oh | Bhn7 Bhm7 F7i8 F7i&e “ ——— = ie | Gun aih acahdet ndanhdooden doth Gandy dodo dn Gah det dt nth dah oe dence | B13 Bhm7 | ze Es ww ee AI3 AbaT eaean vib_aw Bhm7 s sale ‘dad 'n day doo doo doot Day aya eh— doo ‘doo doo dut duh deo det deh den doo. 68 doo Be Eb79 Aba7 ve To Bass Solo ‘doo deh deh deh deh deh ‘deh deh Pages