Q: What is your next transcription project?

A: Our next project is Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra, with a strong focus on their charts from the Swing era heyday. We’re focusing on charts from 1938-1950. See more about the project here!

Q: How do I get the charts once purchased?

A: Once you check out, you will be sent a link to download the PDF for any charts you’ve purchased.

Q: I have (or know about) versions of some of your past/future songs! Why don’t you just use those?

A: We are aware of many of the stock arrangements floating around, as well as the few commercial charts, and the various more scholarly efforts and chart repositories that exist. When possible, our transcribers will make use of those resources as a starting point but we also feel that these can often be improved upon, and our goal is to create a single collection of consistent and high quality charts, making it easier for swing orchestras worldwide to find, easily obtain and perform the most accurate charts possible. 

In the class of independent musician/scholars that have done their own transcriptions, we receive many requests to be involved, and you are welcome to contact us privately with samples of your work.

Q: Why aren’t the charts free? I thought they were “available to the public”.

A: The original copyrights for these arrangements remain intact and are legally enforceable. It has taken significant research to even locate these rights-holders, and, once found, they still have to be negotiated with. The prices you see are quite simply as cheap as they can possibly be! 

Q: Where are the rest of the charts? I thought there were more.

A: Not all of the current rights-holders of these arrangements have been readily findable, but as we do locate them and work out a publishing deal, those charts will appear here, even if it is just a few at a time.

Q: Are these the “final versions”?

A: Not necessarily. At the time of posting, these charts have been professionally performed exactly once. After that performance, notes were made and given to the original transcribers, which may produce updates. When a chart is updated, all prior purchasers of that chart will be contacted and given the updated material at no charge.


Q: The Chick Webb campaign exceeded it’s listed financial goal. What was that money used for? Also, where does the money go when the charts are sold on Heritage Sounds?

A: Any additional money from past campaigns as well as current sales goes into publishing costs — in other words, the fees that we pay for the right to make this music available. As of yet, those costs have not been met, but if and when they are, any future funds will simply be earmarked for future transcription projects and publishing of those same projects.