Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannnball Adderley - How Roy McCurdy played it – Transcription & Performance

Real Book Drumming is a YouTube series of mine in which I transcribe and play songs from the Real Book, the bible for all jazz players. In this video, it's the complete transcription of the track "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," composed by Austrian pianist Joe Zawinul, from the 1967 album "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club'" by Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's quintet, recorded on October 20, 1966, at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. On drums, New York drummer Roy McCurdy. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is a not too heavy jazz tune, since on the one hand the tempo is not really brisk at 85bpm and it is not a swing, but rather a funky gospel tune with eighth notes played straight.

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" has always been one of my favorite songs and it was one of the first pieces ever that I listened to out note for note more than 20 years ago in preparation for my music studies. It's interesting how listening patterns change over the years, because now I've heard things that I didn't notice or perceive differently back then.

As with all my drum transcriptions, this represents my interpretation of what is audible on the recording, based on careful listening and stylistic context. Different drummers may hear or interpret certain details differently, and that exchange of perspectives is an essential part of jazz education.

The complete drum transcription for this video is available as a PDF on Patreon, alongside additional Drum Transcriptions from my YouTube series focusing on classic Jazz Standards, swing, bebop, and big band repertoire.

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For those who prefer a book format, my publication “Jazz Standards on the Drumset” (Hudson Music) brings together selected transcriptions and analyses as a long-term educational resource for jazz drummers.

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Thank you for watching. I hope this transcription encourages you to listen closely, study carefully, and approach jazz drumming with curiosity.

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Song Info:
Band/Artist: Julian „Cannonball“ Adderley
Album: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club'
Songwriter: Josef Erich Zawinul
Release date: February 1967
Label: Capitol

Photo Credits Thumbnail:

Description: Nat & Julian (Cannonball) Adderley during a night concert, Concertgebouw Amsterdam (the Netherlands), 8 April 1961
Date: April, 8 1961
Source: https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onder...
Author: Dave Brinkman (ANEFO)