Since my original post in 2017 there has been a major update to the Philly Joe Jones solo book, so I decided that it’s time to make a new post and give some additional info.
The first thing you’ll notice is that the cover has been updated with a modern and full color design, but the real update is that there are 60 new pages! There are now over 380 pages of Philly Joe Jones drum solo transcriptions in the book.
The Philly Joe Jones Solo Book is well worth the $60 price tag. The solos were transcribed over the course of 10+ years by Joerg Eckel, a student of John Riley’s and a really nice guy!
Using the book
Each transcription includes suggested stickings and lists the album that each solo is on. It’s my understanding that Joerg worked with John Riley and Kenny Washington to figure out common stickings that Philly Joe used.
In 2020, the Memphis Drum Shop had John Riley in to show off his cymbal collection and while he was there he also talked about the Philly Joe Jones solo book by Joerg Eckel. John does a great job demonstrating some of the stickings used in the book and it will give you a good overview.
I typically learn the solos by ear and then use the transcriptions to check myself or get help with a sticking if I’m fumbling too much, but I usually try to get the sound of each phrase in my own hands instead of forcing something that might feel awkward for me.
Philly Joe’s strong rudimental foundation:
It’s well known that Philly Joe Jones worked out of the Charley Wilcoxon Modern Rudimental Swing Solos book religiously and Kenny Washington also speaks incredibly highly of that book. If you don’t have it, get it!
Sample page
The transcriptions are copies of handwritten music charts and might be harder to read for some people, but don’t let that be a dealbreaker. When I’m working on a solo, I’ll typically scan the page in so I can load it on my iPad and zoom in. I’ve sometimes made an enlarged & darker photocopy so I can make notes and mark up the pages.
Here’s a sample page from the book that Joerg gave me permission to share:
Where to buy the book
Memphis Drum Shop, Steve Maxwell Drum Shop, and Columbus Percussion have the new version of the book in stock. Whether you have the original version or not, the new one is worth getting!
If you live outside of the United States and can’t find it online, you can likely order it from the author directly. Leave a comment or send an email to me and I’ll do my best to connect you.
Table of contents
Here are a couple of photos of the table of contents, listing all of the Philly Joe Jones drum solo transcriptions in the book. I’ll also list them out as text below.
List of all solos in the Philly Joe Jones book
- ABDULLAH
- ACTION
- AH-LEU-CHA
- AHMAD’S BLUES
- ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE
- ARE YOU REAL?
- ASIATIC RAES
- AVALON
- AWAY WE GO
- AW C’MON HOSS
- AWFUL MEAN
- BATTERY BLUES
- BEAUTY AND THE BLUES
- BE BOP
- BIG SIX
- BILLY BOY
- BIRK’S WORKS
- BLUE GWYNN
- BLUEINET
- BLUE ’N’ BOOGIE
- BLUES BY FIVE
- BLUES FOR PHILLY JOE
- BLUES NO. 2
- BOBBIE PIN
- BROTHER ’BALL
- BROWNIE SPEAKS
- BUCK’S BUSINESS
- CALGARY
- CANON BALL
- CARAVAN
- CARVING THE ROCK
- CATHARSIS
- CHEROKEE
- COOKIN’
- COOL AID
- COOLIN’ THE BLUES
- CUTE
- DAAHOUD
- DANCE OF THE INFIDELS
- DARK EYES
- DARLING, JE VOUS AIME BEAUCOUP BEAUCOUP
- DE-DAH
- DEEP NIGHT
- DELILAH
- DEXTERITY
- DO IT THE HARD WAY
- DONNA LEE
- DR. JACKLE
- EACH TIME I THINK OF YOU
- EASTBOUND
- EASY TO LOVE
- END OF A LOVE AFFAIR
- EVOL DEKLAW NI
- FABLE OF GUTEMBERG
- FIESTA
- FIT FOR A HANKER
- FOUR
- FREFFIE
- FUNKALLERO
- GAZA STRIP
- GEORGIA ON MY MIND
- GETTIN’ AND JETTIN’
- GNID
- GONE
- GONE WITH THE WIND
- GOOD TIME JOE
- GOOF AND I, THE
- GOT TO TAKE ANOTHER CHANCE CHANCE
- HACKENSACK
- HALF NELSON
- HAPPY HOUR
- HAPPY HUNTING HORN
- HEAD, THE
- HEAVY DIPPER
- HELLO BRIGHT SUNFLOWER
- HERE’S THAT RAINY DAY
- HI GROOVE, LOW FEEDBACK
- HIGH STEP
- HOMECOMING
- HOT SAUCE
- HOT SAUSAGE
- HOTEL 49
- HOW ABOUT YOU?
- HOW AM I TO KNOW?
- HUB CAP
- I DIDN’T
- I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU
- I’LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN
- I’LL REMEMBER APRIL
- I’M CONFESSIN’
- I NEVER KNEW
- IN ORBIT
- INTERPRETATION
- IT DON’T MEAN A THING
- IT’S ALL RIGHT WITH ME
- IT’S BAD FOR ME
- IT’S ONLY A PAPER MOON
- JAZZ ME BLUES
- JINGLES
- JOE’S DEBUT
- JOE’S DELIGHT
- JOHN’S ABBEY
- JULIA
- JUST FOR MARTY
- JUST FOR THE LOVE
- JUST FRIENDS
- JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS
- KARIOKA
- LADY BIRD
- LADY IS A TRAMP, THE
- LAST MINUTE BLUES
- LAZY BIRD
- LEE-ANTICS
- LE ROI
- LET’S COOL ONE
- LET’S STRETCH
- LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE
- LITTLE JOHN
- LOCOMOTION
- LOOP, THE
- LORI
- LOVER
- LUANA
- MAMA “G”
- MAN I LOVE, THE
- MARC V
- MARMALADE
- ME ’N’ DAVE
- MINORITY
- MINOR MODE
- MODAL MOOD
- MOE, JR.
- MO IS ON
- MONOPOLY
- MO’S BLUFF
- MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD, THE
- MUSE RAPTURE
- MY HEART STOOD STILL
- NEAT FOOT
- NEED I?
- NEW-MA
- NIGHT IN TUNISIA, A
- NITA
- NO ROOM FOR SQUARES
- NOW’S THE TIME
- OLD WORLD, NEW IMPORTS
- OLEO
- OMICRON
- ONE FOR MYRTLE
- ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET
- ON IT
- ON STAGE
- OO-WEE BUT I DO
- OUT OF JOE’S BAG
- OW!
- PAUL’S PAL
- PEA-EYE
- PECK A SEC, A
- PEOPLE WILL SAY WE’RE IN LOVE
- PHILLY MIGNON
- PHILLY TWIST
- PING PONG BEER
- PLEXUS
- POPPIN’
- POT LUCK
- PROPHET, THE
- QUADRANGLE
- RED PEPPER BLUES
- ROYAL FLUSH
- SAM SACK
- SATIN DOLL
- SCENE IS CLEAN, THE
- SECOND BALCONY JUMP
- SERPENT’S TOOTH, THE
- SID’S AHEAD
- SIPPIN’ AT BELLS
- SKATIN’
- SKYCOACH
- SMOKIN’
- SNEAKIN’ AROUND
- SOFT WINDS
- SOLAR
- SONNYMOON FOR TWO
- SOON
- STABLEMATES
- STANLEY STOMPER, THE
- STAR EYES
- STEEPLECHASE
- STELLA BY STARLIGHT
- STITTSIE
- STIX’ TRIX
- STRAIGHT LIFE
- STRUT TIME
- SUB CITY
- SUBLUES
- SUPER JET
- SURREY WITH THE FRINGE ON TOP, THE
- SUSIE’S BLUES
- TADD’S DELIGHT
- TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS
- TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE
- TALE OF THE FINGERS
- TEMPERANCE
- TENOR MADNESS
- THAT’S EARL BROTHER
- THE THIRD
- THIS NIGHT
- THIS TIME THE DREAM’S ON ME
- THREESOME
- THREE WAY SPLIT
- TIN TIN DEO
- TOP SHELF
- TRAILWAYS EXPRESS
- TRANE’S STRAIN
- TRIPPIN’
- TUNE UP
- TWO BASS HIT
- WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT, THE
- WEE DOT
- WEEJA
- WEE-JAY
- WEIRD-O
- WHAT IS A MAN?
- WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE
- WHAT KNOW
- WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW
- WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE
- WHERE’S YOUR OVERCOAT, BOY?
- WHIMS OF CHAMBERS
- WHISTLE STOP
- WINDMILL
- WONDERFUL! WONDERFUL!
- WOODY ’N YOU
- WORKOUT
- WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN DREAMS
- YOU AND THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC
- YOU’D BE SO NICE TO COME HOME TO
- YOU GO TO MY HEAD
- ZAMBIA