Nicolai Foss
I earlier blegged on whether transcriptions are available of the great Kress/McDonough duet “State Fright”. Talented Italian guitarist, Michele Ariodante, who plays in the Lang-Kress-McDonough tradition (e.g., here and here), writes the following to me:
The sheet music for ‘Stage fright’, although not a note-for-note transcription (is an arrangement for one guitar, without chords but has tablatures)is published on page 52 of ‘Masters of the plectrum guitar’ edited by Mel Bay. It should be a reprint of the 1935 edition (I presume the tabs have been added from the editors). Even with a lot of missing stuff the solo line is much similar to the original and fun to play.
P.S.For the Kress-mcDonough fans: if you’re looking for a real gem, check out the cd ‘Saturday night swing club’ by Memphis Archives: radio transcription from the 1937 and Kress/McDonough play a live version of ‘Chicken a la swing’ backed by a big band. Following, always with big band,other two minutes of pure swing with ‘I know that you know’. If they only had recorded more in that format!
