And now for something a little obscure…

Before being asked to record this piece I could probably have only named two songs by The Mamas & The Papas, though this one wasn’t amongst them. And judging by how deeply this song was buried in the band’s catalog, there are probably many other people who had also never heard of Dancing Bear.

The original recording doesn’t feature any brass instruments, making the song even more obscure for a trumpet transcription site. I did my best to transcribe oboe and bassoon lines, then I adapted them for my instrumentation to accompany my friend Janet on flute. With this adaptation, I’d like to think that we’ve subtly reinterpreted and freshened-up the instrumental intro and outro.

Kudos to Shawn Hare for his great work mixing the audio, producing the video, and singing lead vocals.

Resources:

• The Mamas & The Papas – Dancing Bear collab video.
• The Mamas & The Papas – Dancing Bear trumpet chart.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.