Last week, I posted on Freddie Green's sole leadership album, Mr. Rhythm, recorded in 1955 for RCA. Since then, Michael Pettersen, who hosts the Freddie Green nonprofit tribute site (here), sent along an email [photo above of Freddie Green]:
Marc, related to the "Mr. Rhythm" LP, several years ago I was visiting Freddie’s son, Alfred. We decided to explore three boxes of books and papers from Freddie’s estate. One of the boxes held the handwritten charts from the "Mr. Rhythm" session. Below is Freddy’s [sic] part for "Down For Double”...
The part pictured above is typical of what a big band guitarist like Freddie would have been provided by the copyist. The choice of chord voicings is left up to the guitarist. It is rare that notes on a staff are used. In nearly every case, the arranger provides only the chord names. [Freddie Green's part above for "Down for Double" courtesy of Alfred Green and the Freddie Green estate; the spelling error in Freddie's first name was likely made by the copyist]
The choices of voicings by the rhythm guitarist is one of the things that make each guitarist sound different. Give the same chart to Allan Reuss, for example, of Benny Goodman fame, and he will opt for different voicings. By the way, "Mr. Rhythm" was re-branded as "Natural Rhythm" when it appeared on CD. [Photo above of Freddie Green with Count Basie]
The arrangement of Freddie Green's composition was by Al Cohn and, as per the stamp on the score, the copyist was Emile Charlap.
Here's Freddie Green's Down for Double...
Here's Little Red from the same album...
To see what Green's guitar voicings were for the intro to Little Red, check out this short transcription (go here).
And here's a Freddie Green tribute clip...
A special thanks to Alfred Green and Michael Pettersen.
