Numb Fumblin’
Here's my transcription of Fats' lyrical and soulful piano solo, Numb Fumblin' from 1929. Essentially 6 choruses of a 12-bar blues, Fats, with each consecutive chorus, manages to draw out and develop a simple, lyrical melody, almost like telling a story, subtly reflecting or contrasting the preceding one, and evolving until the final chorus of virtuosic brilliance before the final coda, a hint at the opening bluesy riff, before coming to the melodic resolution.
The opening bluesy riff at A may, at first hearing, seem like Fats' well-known “classic” riff, but on closer inspection, it is actually quite unique and very subtly executed. My indication of "caressingly" is quite apt, as this is what Fats seems to be doing to the keys. Make sure to listen to the original recording for an accurate interpretation.
Throughout the performance, there is a wonderful tension between swung and straight phrasing, creating a sort of "fun vs strict" interplay.
The dazzling waterfall of cascading pentatonic notes featured in the final chorus is I think the very first appearance of what would be a much-used device by Fats. For notation purposes, I've been precise but play them freely. Of course, Fats wasn't making these sextuplet/septuplet division decisions mentally, he just let the notes flow and squeezed them in as he felt. There is a pattern to the choice of notes and how they fit into the harmonies here. All the great pianists had their own unique "runs". There's a whole book by Riccardo Scivalles devoted to Art Tatum's "runs"! It's all part of the jazz pianist's arsenal!
For simplicity's sake, I've not included any pedal markings but Fats' use of the pedal is extensive throughout so please listen to the recording and use it with discretion.
Here is the original performance for reference:
Youtube.com noteman
