Angels We Have Heard on High

from Christmas Solo: Informal, Improvised by Jake Smolowe

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    This is a full, downloadable PDF transcription of Jake Smolowe's Brad Mehldau-esque jazz waltz piano arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High," from his 2021 album "Christmas Solo: Informal, Improvised." The chart includes detailed chord symbols throughout, as well as fingering for select passages.

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  • Sheet Music + Digital Album

    This is the lead sheet for Jake Smolowe's Brad Mehldau-esque jazz waltz piano arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High," from his 2021 album "Christmas Solo: Informal, Improvised." Also includes notated piano intro.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Angels We Have Heard on High via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about

“Angels We Have Heard on High” is I think my favorite arrangement on this album, and kind of an ode to Brad Mehldau’s many jazz waltz arrangements over the years (for example, “She’s Leaving Home,” from Day is Done). I wanted to capture the feel of Mehldau’s classic trio waltzes, not just the piano but the drums and bass too; ideally, you should be able to hear the essence of those instruments in the performance as well. The “A” sections feature a constantly rising chord progression, with slight differences in chord quality between the first two “A’s,” and then the "B" sections highlight some more dramatic reharmonizations as well as a dichotomy between straight-eighths/behind the beat melody and swung accompaniment. The intro, which also serves as the outro vamp as well as an interlude between choruses, includes a bell-like theme that I hope instantly conjures up the Christmas/holiday spirit.

“Angels” was also the hardest track to record, because unlike “Hark” and “O Christmas,” the feel of the arrangement doesn’t leave much room for messiness; I really wanted everything about it to be precise, beautiful, and crystal clear. Moreover, the intro/outro/interlude sections proved particularly challenging technically because to play them correctly I have to switch registers with both hands simultaneously while holding some notes down (and transferring fingers on those notes) to retain their sound, and also time my pedaling precisely to capture some notes while letting others die off. Holding notes down over long stretches can be fatiguing, and doing that multiple times per take over multiple takes compounds the issue.

I recorded the first three tunes back to back to back over the course of four days, and sometimes I had to sleep on a track before trying again the next day, but with “Angels” I had a ton of trouble even finishing a complete take. Frustration ensued. Then, Thanksgiving intervened, so I took some time off, revisited after the holiday, practiced a bit more and then sat down and finally captured a good take. It’s not perfect by any means, but it was one of those takes where everything feels just right, even the unintentional notes, and it all just sort of comes together to create something wondrous. I think the final vamp of “Angels,” improvising around the repeating intro theme, is the perfect way to end the album: restrained in volume but brimming with quiet energy and unbridled joy.

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from Christmas Solo: Informal, Improvised, released December 7, 2021

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Jake Smolowe San Francisco, California

Jake Smolowe is a San Francisco-based pianist, composer, music educator, arranger and film scorer. He specializes in jazz that pulls from many other genres.

He has performed and recorded with Sioux City Kid, Quinn DeVeaux, John Németh and Jeff Derby.

His latest Album, "Christmas Solo: Informal, Improvised," was released on December 7, 2021. ... more

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