Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Donna Lee (Charlie Parker): Jazz Guitar Chord Melody
TAB/pdf Arrangement available here: musicnotes.com/l/DcjXb
Chris's other arrangements- chriswhitemanmusic.com/chord-melody
Chris's website - chriswhitemanmusic.com
Low cost lessons on Patreon - patreon.com/ChrisWhitemanMusic
Chris's Latest Album - chriswhiteman.hearnow.com
Zoom/Skype Lessons: chriswhitemanmusic.com/guitar-lessons
From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Lee
"Donna Lee" is a bebop jazz standard attributed to Charlie Parker, although Miles Davis has also claimed authorship.[1][2] Written in A-flat, it is based on the chord changes of the jazz standard "(Back Home Again in) Indiana".[1] Beginning with an unusual half-bar rest, "Donna Lee" is a very complex, fast-moving chart with a compositional style based on four-note groups over each change.
"Donna Lee" was recorded by the Charlie Parker Quintet on May 8, 1947 for Savoy in New York City.[2] Musicians with Parker for the session were Miles Davis (trumpet), Bud Powell (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), and Max Roach (drums). "Donna Lee" was the first of four tunes recorded during the session and was recorded over four takes, the fourth being the master take.[2]
Later in 1947 it was recorded for Decca by Claude Thornhill and his orchestra, which included Gil Evans, Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, Sandy Siegelstein, Bill Barber, and Joe Shulman. Some of these musicians were hired by Miles Davis for his album Birth of the Cool. Evans approached Davis for permission to write the arrangement of "Donna Lee" for Thornhill. Davis agreed and then got the idea to "imitate the sound of Claude Thornhill but with less people" for his nonet recordings, as he says in his autobiography.[5]
Jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius recorded a version of "Donna Lee" on bass guitar, with Don Alias on congas, for his debut album Jaco Pastorius (1976).[1] His friend Pat Metheny called this version "astounding" because of its "hornlike phrasing that was previously unknown to the bass guitar" and "one of the freshest looks at how to play on a well traveled set of chord changes in recent jazz history".[1] "Donna Lee" has also been recorded by Karrin Allyson, Anthony Braxton, Nick Brignola, Clifford Brown, Ryan Kisor, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Tito Puente, and Wallace Roney.[1] - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Lee
Books & Gear I use and Recommend:
The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine
amzn.to/4s1NdOO
Thomastik-Infeld Flatwounds 11-47
amzn.to/44yMTNs
Quilter Amp:
amzn.to/4oZdpqC
Joe Pass Chord Solos: For Guitar, Vibes, and All Keyboard Instruments
amzn.to/44Rb7ml
Wes Montgomery Guitar Folio
amzn.to/45mzWGM
The New Real Book by Chuck Sher
amzn.to/49j31nV
"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases"
Donna Lee (Charlie Parker): Jazz Guitar Chord Melody
TAB/pdf Arrangement available here: musicnotes.com/l/DcjXb
Chris's other arrangements- chriswhitemanmusic.com/chord-melody
Chris's website - chriswhitemanmusic.com
Low cost lessons on Patreon - patreon.com/ChrisWhitemanMusic
Chris's Latest Album - chriswhiteman.hearnow.com
Zoom/Skype Lessons: chriswhitemanmusic.com/guitar-lessons
From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Lee
"Donna Lee" is a bebop jazz standard attributed to Charlie Parker, although Miles Davis has also claimed authorship.[1][2] Written in A-flat, it is based on the chord changes of the jazz standard "(Back Home Again in) Indiana".[1] Beginning with an unusual half-bar rest, "Donna Lee" is a very complex, fast-moving chart with a compositional style based on four-note groups over each change.
"Donna Lee" was recorded by the Charlie Parker Quintet on May 8, 1947 for Savoy in New York City.[2] Musicians with Parker for the session were Miles Davis (trumpet), Bud Powell (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), and Max Roach (drums). "Donna Lee" was the first of four tunes recorded during the session and was recorded over four takes, the fourth being the master take.[2]
Later in 1947 it was recorded for Decca by Claude Thornhill and his orchestra, which included Gil Evans, Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, Sandy Siegelstein, Bill Barber, and Joe Shulman. Some of these musicians were hired by Miles Davis for his album Birth of the Cool. Evans approached Davis for permission to write the arrangement of "Donna Lee" for Thornhill. Davis agreed and then got the idea to "imitate the sound of Claude Thornhill but with less people" for his nonet recordings, as he says in his autobiography.[5]
Jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius recorded a version of "Donna Lee" on bass guitar, with Don Alias on congas, for his debut album Jaco Pastorius (1976).[1] His friend Pat Metheny called this version "astounding" because of its "hornlike phrasing that was previously unknown to the bass guitar" and "one of the freshest looks at how to play on a well traveled set of chord changes in recent jazz history".[1] "Donna Lee" has also been recorded by Karrin Allyson, Anthony Braxton, Nick Brignola, Clifford Brown, Ryan Kisor, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Tito Puente, and Wallace Roney.[1] - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Lee
Books & Gear I use and Recommend:
The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine
amzn.to/4s1NdOO
Thomastik-Infeld Flatwounds 11-47
amzn.to/44yMTNs
Quilter Amp:
amzn.to/4oZdpqC
Joe Pass Chord Solos: For Guitar, Vibes, and All Keyboard Instruments
amzn.to/44Rb7ml
Wes Montgomery Guitar Folio
amzn.to/45mzWGM
The New Real Book by Chuck Sher
amzn.to/49j31nV
"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases"
