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Double Bass Fever lead sheet?

J

`Jas

Sep 23, 2010
8
0
#1
I have a gig next Monday, and I've found out I need the lead sheet for Fever. Does anyone have it, or know anyone who has a lead sheet? I don't live anywhere near a music store where I can purchase it, so if you do have it, could you please contact me?

Thank you so much, it's much appreciated.
 
#2
If you'll PM me your email address I'll forward you a PDF.

It's in the electronic version of the fake book called JazzFake. That's a pretty terrible fake book in my opinion because many of the tunes are copied from vocal+piano sheet music. Vocal+piano fakebooks are great for piano players who sing but usually come up short for any other application. Regardless, in this case, you're in luck because it looks pretty accurate.

Having said that, I have to ask you what kind of a gig leader doesn't provide you charts to the tunes? How do you know you'll have it in the correct key? or the correct arrangement? If you can transpose on the fly and fake the arrangement, then you don't need a chart to this tune because it only has a handful of chords. The tune is very simple. Which urges me to ask: have you listened to it? If you didn't know, you should know that almost all tunes are available on YouTube for listening. Here's the definitive version of Fever for instance.
 
#3
That version is "definitive" only because that's the one most folks are familiar with. Fever is an R&B tune written by Otis Blackwell and performed originally by Little Willie John, a contemporary of Sam Cooke and one of the true soul singers. On King Records, I believe. To my ears, Willie sings circles around Peggy Lee, who always sounds like she's on downers.

A matter of taste, I suppose, but this R&B freak can't let the Fever injustice slide by again.
 
#4
"To my ears, Willie sings circles around Peggy Lee, who always sounds like she's on downers."

I think Shelly Manne and Joe Mondragon would beg to differ with you on that statement:D

"A matter of taste, I suppose. . ."

Yeah. I suppose, too:hmm: [/QUOTE]
 
#6
Damon, thanks for the education. I'll check out those recordings. Peggy Lee wasn't my favorite jazz singer either. I'd much rather listen to Sheila Jordan or Anita O'Day, or Ella, Billie, or Elise for that matter. Still, Lee's recording is the one most people think of when they think of this tune.
 
#7
You might enjoy this duet with Diana Krall and Christian McBride. This song was also performed by Little Willie John in the style of "Fever"

Diana Krall/Christian McBride:

- Steve
 
#8
Okay, so I listened to Little Willie John and Diana Krall with Christian McBride. Between the two, I enjoyed Krall and McBride more, and man, there's a lotta licks to steal from that performance! but I dug where Little Willie was coming from and see that that's a more appropriate, er, maybe faithful, recording of the original intent of the tune. It really is a blues tune and Lee came along and sexed it up for a majority audience. Willie killed it. All that said, now I'll have even more trouble doing it as a jazz tune going forward because it really is a blues.
 
#9
After I posted I felt bad for issuing all those negative vibes at Peggy Lee. She had her style and it has its likeable aspects and Fever worked great for her.

Willie John was a wild child kinda guy who never lived up to his promise, both in terms of tunes and years of life. But he sings in that classic soul style I really love -- moving a *lot* of air and using that air movement in a really expressive way. More like a horn player. Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles are in the same category. Not a shouter, like a James Brown. Willie's Fever has got heat; Peggy's is cooled waaaaay down.
 
#10
tcl said:
Okay, so I listened to Little Willie John and Diana Krall with Christian McBride. Between the two, I enjoyed Krall and McBride more, and man, there's a lotta licks to steal from that performance!
Click to expand...

Funny you should mention that. I was in a band where the female vocalist and I performed this duet (with audience supplied finger snaps) and I enjoyed learning Christian's bass part. We also did Diana Krall's verison of Tom Wait's "Temptation" which opens up with a Christian McBride bass solo, so I got to play a lot of his licks with that band.

- Steve
 
#11
Nice! Nothing like stealing from talent! Best way to learn for me.

Steve Boisen said:
Funny you should mention that. I was in a band where the female vocalist and I performed this duet (with audience supplied finger snaps) and I enjoyed learning Christian's bass part. We also did Diana Krall's verison of Tom Wait's "Temptation" which opens up with a Christian McBride bass solo, so I got to play a lot of his licks with that band.

- Steve
Click to expand...
 

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