How to free myself from reading Lead Sheets

[nypiano]

Maybe there really is a different tradition between the US and UK? I see lead sheets quite frequently used by UK musicians - even those regarded most highly, but whenever there are any US musicians. they don't seem to

Could be. US jazzers might be ahead of the curve in Europe in terms of which “no chart” call tunes are totally played out and which ones are the new no chart bandstand call tunes. My brother learns tunes from records, especially hard bop tunes from Joe Henderson and other Blue Note records. If he’s heard the tune he can fake changes by ear pretty easily.

[Ed Fuqua]

Originally Posted by nypiano

If he’s heard the tune he can fake changes by ear pretty easily.

Sounds like somebody else I know....

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by RANEYDROPSKEEPFALLINONMYTHREAD

Could be. US jazzers might be ahead of the curve in Europe in terms of which “no chart” call tunes are totally played out and which ones are the new no chart bandstand call tunes.

I can't speak for the Europeans, but we just had a gaggle (slightly more than a bushel) of Russian jazz players in an exchange program here at the U., and they definitely did NOT enjoy playing without the lead sheet on tunes they didn't know exactly. It was interesting, because they kept asking (through the interpreters) "what chord goes there? That's not what you played last time!" if you played any subs at all. Skewed sample to be sure, but kind of interesting nonetheless.