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Ed Bickert Transcription- Bluebird

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The thing that makes Ed Bickert a remarkable player is not only the vast array of harmonic material under his fingers, but also the way in which chords are employed to serve clear, concise musical ideas perfectly. This is displayed no better than in the stunning two opening choruses of 'Bluebird' - from the live Frank Rosolino recording 'Thinking of you'.

I would heartily suggest committing these 24 bars to memory and transposing portions or the entirety into in other keys - this will provide us with a wonderful way of internalising the music. This bluesy Bickert chord solo is brimming with a wealth ideas and will make for an excellent study in jazz guitar comping.

Also, I recommend purchasing a copy of the song (or CD) and using this transcription in conjunction with the recording. Ultimately, this is the best way to internalise the music, acquiring a true sense of subtlety and nuance that can’t be translated onto the page.