Nobody Else But Me

[Sammo]

Hi,
My favourite Joe Pass solo probably is Nobody Else But Me from Simplicity. It’s one of the few solos I have transcribed myself (I have to do that more often). The solo is transcribed in Joe Pass Guitar Solos –collection, here are the changes more or less:
A1
|| Ebmaj Ab7 | Gm7 C7 | Fm7 | Bb7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Em7 A7 |
|Dmaj7 | Am7 D7| Gmaj7 | Abm7b5 Db7 | Dmaj7 | Dbm7Gb7 |
|Cm7 | F7 | Fm7 | Bb7 |
A2:
|| Ebmaj Ab7|Gm7 C7| Fm7| Bb7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Bb7sus Bm7 E7 |
|Bbm7 Eb7 | Em7 A7 || Abmaj7 | Abm7 Db7 | Ebmaj7 |
| F7 E7 | Ebmaj Ab7 | Gm7 C7 | Fm7 | Am7b5 D7| Gm7 C7 |
| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj | (Fm7 Bb7 )||

I did not find this song in fake book I had in handy but I think these would not be changes played in jam session. I think ‘problem areas’ are :
- bars 9-12 of A1. (I think G#dim is common substitution for Abm7b5 & Db7)
- bars 6-8 of A2 (I think this is fancy way of playing v7 – I7 – IVmaj7).
- bar 13 of A2 to ending
Also “| Ebmaj Ab7 | Gm7 C7 |” phrases can be simplified to plain Ebmaj7 for 2 bars or something like that.
Are there *the* changes for this song or/and how would you play it?
Please discuss!

[JensL]

They are pretty close to what I know. Though you have a lot of tritone II V's that maybe are a bit forced to use all the time, but that's a taste thing I guess.

I play it in C by the way, the same as Mehldau and Bernstein, and I don't know the Joe Pass version.

I know it as being Ebmaj7 Ab7 | Eb/G Gbdim | in bars 1-2. Fits the melody a bit better.

9-12 of A1: Gmaj7 | G#dim | D/A | Bbdim| a simpler more basic funtional harmony for that part.

5-6 of A2: Fm7 G7 | Cm7 Bm7 | Bbm7
the E in the melody of the Bm7 sounds really good.

13 : Fm7 | Edim | Fm7 | F#dim again just fewer chords using dim chords instead of II V, and I think that part starts on the II not the I chord.

I am working from memory so I might remember it wrong...

Jens

[Sammo]

Thanks Jens !!

That was really helpfull -- I really like those first two, but I am too used to hearng Joe Pass ending to figure how to start it from ii-chord.

I did find fake book changes, though they are at home. They had different ending (A2 section was 20 bars I think) and 9-16 of A1 were something like this:
Gmaj7 | G#dim | D/A A#dim| Bm D7/A | Gm | C7 | Fm | Bb7 |

That's clever way to modulate back to Eb -- Gm (iv of D) becomes iii of Eb. I think Ted Greene would call it pivot chord in Mark Levy Lessons.

Youtube had this:

YouTube Video

[JensL]

Your A2 section is already 20 bars?

Sometimes people play 16 bars in the solos, but I don't remember how that goes.

There are indeed versions where they go to the gm7 in stead of cm7 in the last line of the first half. I don't hear the melody like that but it does fit. There's a Stan Getz version of this song too byt the way.

I think that you'll find that most modulations in standards have pivot chords, but usually they are dominants which are in both keys. It is not a Ted Greene expression it is from classical harmony.

Great video!
Jens

[Sammo]

[quote=JensL;135487]Your A2 section is already 20 bars?]

Heh, you're right ... I should not count before third cup of coffee in the mornings.

[I think that you'll find that most modulations in standards have pivot chords, but usually they are dominants which are in both keys. It is not a Ted Greene expression it is from classical harmony.]

I kind of know that ... I just remembered that TG talked that specific modulation which is really clever one and this is first time I have seen that in real life example.

I really like PB's playing and tone, any CD recomendations?

Thanks again!

[JensL]

Sorry, I did not mean to sound condescending Most people don't really know functional harmony.

I don't have any Peter Bernstein cds, I did have a cd with the Larry Goldings trio with PB, and Bill Stewart which was great. I then lend it to a student.....

I can recommend other cds but they don't have Peter Bernstein or "nobody else but me" on them

Jens

[Manuel123]

there's a version of nothin else but me on bernstein's "signs of life".

manuel