Looking for the Real book/Fake book in Bb - ASAP

drunkiq · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:52 am Post subject:

All right.. got a gig invite to perform at a private party where the theme is jazz and they want a live band, it is comming up next month Oct 13th, even with my 6 weeks off of playing (back operation), I think I will be able to hack it by then... I was told they will only use the real book - cool - lot's of adlibing!

there wil be one other trumpet player, piano, bass and I forget if it was tenor or an alto sax player??? some woodwind.... and a drummer...

PROBLEM:

Can't find my copy of the real book and do not remember who the heck I may have loaned it too - been a couple of years since I had to use it... I would like to run through it beofre the gig, in leiu of looking at someone or having to transpose from one in the key of "C"....

I remember it was out of print 10 years ago.. and mine was made at a copy shop, it was borrowed from a tenor sax player and was in Bb....

I see some stuff like the "new" real book and the "latin real books" for sale but I have a feeling they are not the same... are they?

so anyone know where I can get an "underground copy" of the old real book or is the "new real book" the same as the old one?

thanks,

-marc

[ This Message was edited by: drunkiq on 2003-09-24 23:38 ]

blasticore · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:17 pm Post subject:

Are you talking about the one published by Hal Leonard? I just recently got pissed off that I couldn't find the Bb version either, so I dropped 40 bucks on the C edition. It was a lot better than reading from Eb. They do in fact make it in Bb, right?
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Chris King
http://www.cktrumpet.com
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drunkiq · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 3:55 pm Post subject:

i edited my message above a lot...

yeah the version i had was in Bb but from what i remember it did not look like a computer printed it, but hand written.... not sure of the author.... we just use to use it for small jazz gigs back then...

like I said - it has been several years since i have used/seen the book.... actually know that i think of it i have been in the house 3 years and don't remember seeing it... maybe it is in a box somewhere I have not looked, or thrown out or lost somewhere in the move....

-marc

James Pierce · Regular Member Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 19

If you mean 'The Real Book' as in the origonal fake book (yes yes I know it wasn' the first - but it set the standard). It was always just a 'pirate' book as far as I know. I've only ever seen it in C though. All the 'New Real Book' version 1,2 + 3 etc are Hal Leonard jobs, I've seen them in Bb, C and Eb - Honestly though your better off getting used to reading C parts and transposing in your head.

Riggs · Regular Member Joined: 16 Aug 2003 Posts: 82

They are still around. They are very hard to find though. I just bought Vol1 and 2 in Bb earlier this year when I was in Kentucky. I do have copies of all the C versions in a digital format. The trick is to find a small shop that’s close to a university. Go in and tell the owner you’re looking for a good jazz fake book and see if you get a bite. The gentleman I bought mine from had them behind the counter. He said that he had a really hard time finding them and he thinks they might not be produced much longer. I plan to scan my copies sometime when I can get around to it. Hopefully before they get ratty.

drunkiq · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 8:33 pm Post subject:

James and Riggs,

you are correct, I remeber the copy being reffered to also as the "fake book" back then. Mine had a thick blank white sheet as a cover as that was how the tenor sax players book was that I copied, so I made it the same. I did not relize it was never in print and just circulated between musicians.

Riggs let us know when you get around to scanning yours in. In the mean time I hope to get a hit here beofre the weekend comes up. I have a hard enough time getting around right now and really don't want to check down by the UT campus in Austin but will be looking this weekend if I don't get a hit.

Thanks for the advice, now I at least know where to go ask in town for a possible copy....

-marc

[ This Message was edited by: drunkiq on 2003-09-24 23:34 ]

James Pierce · Regular Member Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 19

I've heard you can get some of the Real/Fake books using Kazzar or similar....

_londonhusker · Heavyweight Member Joined: 13 Oct 2002 Posts: 658

drunkiq,

I've got Bb, Eb, and C versions here in my office at school. They are readily available here in the UK. I got mine at a shop in Ealing, West London, for £20 each about a year ago.

If you are looking for several specific tunes, I'd be happy to scan and email them, but it may take a couple days.

Dave
londonhusker

PS... If you are talking about the books in hand manuscript where the table of contents is done on a typewriter, the one's I have are all 5th editions.

[ This Message was edited by: londonhusker on 2003-09-25 05:32 ]

drunkiq · Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2003 12:51 pm Post subject:

after speaking to a couple of keyboard, bass player and guitarist I know, yeah mine was the orginal in Bb....

The real question is what version are they using at this get together - never thought the last reply thorugh me for a spin...

I called the host today and asked her to call the other trumpet player up and ask what verion he had (he has played for them several times), also to ask If I can borrow it for a day if it is an out of print version...

will follow up on this thread and let you know what I find out...

Thanks so much for all the replies, offeres, help and advice!

-marc

Tom K. · Veteran Member Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 483

Try this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2561159252&category=1457

jazz_trpt · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2003 1:07 pm Post subject:

(1) You're talking about the old Berkeley Real Book. You can still find copies of it floating around, but it's still notoriously inaccurate, and it's not legal (meaning the composers don't get the royalties they're so richly due).

(2) The "New Real Book" series are not Hal Leonard books, they're published by Sher Music Co., and are excellent. They're legal and very accurate, but they cover ALOT of ground. Buying all three volumes plus the Standards Real Book will cost you, but you end up with about 1200 pages of music.

(3) The Hal Leonard books are really bad when it comes to chord changes.

(4) The new Warner Brothers books, "Just Jazz" and "Just Standards" fake books are not bad. Changes are a little questionable, but adequate for most tasks. Like the Sher fake books they include verses and words to tunes. You can often find them in chain bookstores in the US like Borders or Barnes & Noble.

Just to repeat something someone else mentioned -- Learn To Transpose. You'll be glad you did, trust me.
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Jeff Helgesen
Free jazz solo transcriptions!

secondtimearound · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2003 10:13 pm Post subject:

I've thumbed the pages of the underground version. Unlike the legal versions, it contains one of my favorites, Con Alma.

hazmat · Heavyweight Member Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 669