Body and Soul at a local session

[pamosmusic]

Body and Soul

a favorite but haven’t played it in a minute

The piano player asked to play Body and Soul and you can hear me say “alright walking ballad and short solos” at the beginning and then it went for 7.5 minutes.

It was rainy and only a few people came out to play so I feel like it’s fine.

[AllanAllen]

sounds good. I also played with a piano tonight. We did Blue Moon as a ballad.

Body and Soul is another staple I need to learn.

[pamosmusic]

Thank ya sir. An all time beautiful tune. Doesn’t get called much, I guess just because ballads don’t get called much.

I also feel like it has All the Things syndrome where no one calls it because it gets called all the time ………. but like ……….. now no one calls it, so can I play it again?

[AllanAllen]

One of those where musicians get bored of it but people like it. We get the biggest response from Autumn Leaves of all the tunes. Some
people like Topsy or Serenede to a Cuckoo until they realize it’s not The Pink Panther Theme.

[pamosmusic]

One of those where musicians get bored of it but people like it. We get the biggest response from Autumn Leaves of all the tunes. Some
people like Topsy or Serenede to a Cuckoo until they realize it’s not The Pink Panther Theme.

Yeah I don’t really notice the tune in particular mattering much but definitely a preference for American songbook, singable melody stuff over bebop tunes and jazz composers.

[AllanAllen]

We played Pent Up House once to good reception then I took it off the setlist
forever. I don’t remember why.

[AllanAllen]

So, you hit E natural at the end of bar 7, but Benny Goodman and Coleman Hawkins hit F. The real book has E nat like you.

So, why you playing it wrong bro? I’m not supposed to correct you. I stink.

[AllanAllen]

That red part. I noticed it was off from Benny Goodman, then I thought I’d see what you did, then I thought maybe Real Book was based off Coleman Hawkins.

[pamosmusic]

So, you hit E natural at the end of bar 7, but Benny Goodman and Coleman Hawkins hit F. The real book has E nat like you.

So, why you playing it wrong bro? I’m not supposed to correct you. I stink.

Honestly I learned it out of the Real Book many moons ago. Ella does a bluesy thing in that part, so maybe I should lie and say I got it from her.

Surprised you didn't catch the A natural in bar 3. That one I stole from Trane.

[AllanAllen]

I thought bar 3 was embellishment.

[pamosmusic]

A banger.

That part of the melody is kind of the only part of the A section he plays the same way every time and it's always with an A natural.

Definitely my favorite Body and Soul. McCoy's part helps too.

And to settle the question ... I went back and listened to the melodies of a few of my favorites and none of them play that E at the end of the A section. So I am comfortable confirming that I didn't get that E from anywhere respectable.

[ragman1]

So you weren't just giving the finger to the elderly stride pianist who ignored what you said and sped up till they were nearly dancing on the tables?

Coltrane altered the backing so the A nat fit. In fact he altered the whole thing.

[pamosmusic]

So you weren't just giving the finger to the elderly stride pianist who ignored what you said and sped up till they were nearly dancing on the tables?

That would be a double-time, dearest ragman.

Coltrane altered the backing so the A nat fit. In fact he altered the whole thing.

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[Boss Man Zwiebelsohn]

Honestly I learned it out of the Real Book many moons ago. Ella does a bluesy thing in that part, so maybe I should lie and say I got it from her.

Surprised you didn't catch the A natural in bar 3. That one I stole from Trane.

Miles told his musicians to listen to Frank Sinatra when learning tunes. (According to Charlie Davidson who tailored Miles’ and the band’s clothes in the '50ies and '60ies: "One day I asked him: 'Miles, do you really like Frank Sinatra?' 'Do I like him?' he said. "If he had one tit I'd marry him!'")

[ragman1]

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You don't think there was a bit of style-mixing going on there, then?

[Christian Miller]

So, you hit E natural at the end of bar 7, but Benny Goodman and Coleman Hawkins hit F. The real book has E nat like you.

So, why you playing it wrong bro? I’m not supposed to correct you. I stink.

Don't worry, before long you'll start noticing mistakes on the records of jazz giants haha. Lots of variations in the playing of tunes.

I mean it's almost like it's jazz ...

I hear E bent up to an F on the Benny btw. Hawk plays F, but then he's improvising a lot on the melody.

I suppose it's song sheet time. I suspect the E was a blue note that got incorporated into the melody over time.

[Christian Miller]

Thank ya sir. An all time beautiful tune. Doesn’t get called much, I guess just because ballads don’t get called much.

I also feel like it has All the Things syndrome where no one calls it because it gets called all the time ………. but like ……….. now no one calls it, so can I play it again?

Haha I call ATTYA all the time, usually as a waltz

But I'm pretty basic tbh. I lose a lot of repertoire from under my fingers if I don't play a trio gig for a while, for example. Can be frustrating,

[Christian Miller]

Well AKSHUALLY time (original key C, down a half step)



So Benny and we were wrong (and the Real Book was right for once haha.)

This sheet from 1930

[Tal_175]

Body and Soul

a favorite but haven’t played it in a minute


The piano player asked to play Body and Soul and you can hear me say “alright walking ballad and short solos” at the beginning and then it went for 7.5 minutes.

It was rainy and only a few people came out to play so I feel like it’s fine.

I like how you remain composed after mistakes. You're good at making the errors look calculated in order to encourage the less experienced players to come on the stage.

[pamosmusic]

Well AKSHUALLY time (original key C, down a half step)



So Benny and we were wrong (and the Real Book was right for once haha.)

This sheet from 1930

Of course I knew this all along

[pamosmusic]

You don't think there was a bit of style-mixing going on there, then?

What, that I played a different melody note?

[pamosmusic]

I like how you remain composed after mistakes. You're good at making the errors look calculated in order to encourage the less experienced players to come on the stage.

Lol. Thanks so much Tal, you’re too kind.

[ragman1]

What, that I played a different melody note?

I'm not trying to give you a hard time! But that A was pretty clashy. My point was that, yes, Coltrane uses it but the backing chords are different in his version so it fits. Nice 'n bluesy.

Actually, if the chord in Ebm is Gb7 (as on the RB sheet above) then the nat A is just a #9, which ought to be fine. But it didn't sound so good at that point. That's all, it's not a catastrophe

Re. differing styles, the piano was playing it as a standard ballad but perhaps you were playing it with a much more cool modern sound. I think that was the point on that.

[joe2758]

nice playing pamo.

[AllanAllen]

Well AKSHUALLY time (original key C, down a half step)



So Benny and we were wrong (and the Real Book was right for once haha.)

This sheet from 1930

Okay, but where's the recording? Who's to say the E isn't a mistake on the sheet?