Set List for Senior Living gigs

[rpjazzguitar]

Today's seniors are too young to have grown up with the older GASB tunes.

Recent requests were New York, New York and Sway. (The band is guitar, bass and drums with vocals on every tune).

Management suggested that we not sing about romance.

Audience seems to like lively tunes. For example, Route 66 goes over well.

Can anyone post names of tunes that have worked well and what people have requested?

[Danny W.]

Here are some of my big band's recent setlists, for concerts in churches or rec centers in the Sun Cities, AZ. In our area, boomer cover bands, bluegrass, country and tribute bands of all types are all very popular with the same age crowds that come to see us:

Joshua
Groove Merchant
You Made Me Love You
You Make Me Feel So Young
Route 66
The End of a Love Affair
America the Beautiful

Virgin de la Macarena
Basically Blues
Hello Young Lovers
The Nearness of You
Take the A Train
I’ve Got a Crush on You
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
In the Mood

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Joshua
When I Fall in Love
You Make Me Feel So Young
Ice Castles
Fly Me to the Moon
America the Beautiful

Alright, OK, You Win
But Beautiful
The Nearness of You
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
In the Mood

Optional - I’ve Got a Crush, My Funny Valentine, If

————————————————� �————————————————� ��—————
Sister Sadie
Ellington Tribute
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Route 66
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Big Dipper
The Nearness of You
Rotten Kid


You Make Me Feel So Young
Intermission Riff
Stompin’ at the Savoy
Days of Wine and Roses
Lady is a Tramp
New York / New York
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
In the Mood

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In a Mellow Tone
A Little Minor Booze
Maria
Night & Day
Nancy With the Laughing Face
Tall Cotton
Critic’s Choice


Don’t Git Sassy
Teach Me Tonight
Come Fly With Me
That’s Life
Groove Blues
In the Mood

Optional:
Blues in Frankie’s Flat
Blues in the Night
A Foggy Day
————————————————� �———

One O’ Clock Jump
I’m Getting Sentimental Over You
Blues in the Night
Hello Young Lovers
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Sing, Sing, Sing

Ellington Tribute
Nice & Easy
Intermission Riff
Lady is a Tramp
When I Fall in Love
Caravan
In the Mood

[tpandela]

I do a lot of these gigs, Bristals and Atria in the NY area.
Consistent favs:

Sweet Caroline (huge)
Because Of You
A Kiss To Build A Dream On
Military themes medley for the Vets
That's Amore
Delilah
Pennies From Heaven
Sing
Singin' In The Rain
April Showers
Write Myself a Letter
Folsom Prison
Classic Elvis
Shuffles - Way Marie, Gigolo, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, All My Loving, Return To Sender, Leroy Brown, Rock Around The Clock
Latin- Besame Mucho, Mambo Italiano, Oye Como Va, You Gotta Have Heart, It's Now Or Never
End with God Bless America, They will stand and sing, if they can, for this one.

We are a trio too, Pno,Drums Gtr all sing. We start with a feel and go round robin calling keys (not names of tunes) visually with fingers up for flats, for example one finger for F, two for Bb, and fingers down for sharps. We go through a lot of tunes this way, always thinking of what to call next.

[Danny W.]

tpandela's post reminded me we do patriotic-themed shows around July 4, Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Here's the setlist for the sold-out concert we did at the 800-seat Palm Ridge Center in Sun City West a week ago:

Stars & Stripes
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Route 66
I Left My Heart in SF
Saints
NY/NY
Big Dipper
Armed Forces Medley
Fly Me to the Moon (Space Force!)
When I Fall in Love
God Bless the USA
God Bless America
America the Beautiful
It’s a Grand Old Flag

Options:
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Bandstand Boogie

We did a very similar show there a year ago. When our leader asked, well more than half the audience said they'd attended that concert too. We're apparently booked to do it again next year.

[rpjazzguitar]

Great suggestions all around!

Just to add a few that either worked or, I haven't tried them yet but I'm hopeful. All with vocals in a guitar trio.

Hound Dog
Lulu's Back in Town
On The Sunny Side of the Street
Ain't Misbehaving
If I Were a Bell
maybe Mack The Knife (haven't tried it yet)

I'm particularly hopeful about That's Amore but haven't tried that one yet either.

[AllanAllen]

I'm particularly hopeful about That's Amore but haven't tried that one yet either.

Could pair it with this too.

[fep]

Nobody has mentioned the Beatles tunes, so I will. Here, There, Everywhere, I Want You ... but there are so many to choose from.

[AllanAllen]

Why not mix the Beatles and GASB?

[rpjazzguitar]

If we play Lulu's Back In Town, nobody in the audience will know or care if we play the original version. Not that I have any idea which version that is.

But, if we play a Beatles song I get the feeling that it needs to be like the original recording, which may be hard to do with guitar trio and one vocalist. I'm aware, of course, that there have been a ton of rearrangements of Beatles songs but, if I were in the audience, I'd want to hear the original parts for most of the tunes.

[AllanAllen]

I'm aware, of course, that there have been a ton of rearrangements of Beatles songs but, if I were in the audience, I'd want to hear the original parts for most of the tunes.

I disagree, but based on past experience with musicians, I’m not going to try to change your opinion.

I just think people like hearing songs they love played well.

[JazzNote]

Today's seniors are too young to have grown up with the older GASB tunes.

Recent requests were New York, New York and Sway. (The band is guitar, bass and drums with vocals on every tune).

Management suggested that we not sing about romance.

Audience seems to like lively tunes. For example, Route 66 goes over well.

Can anyone post names of tunes that have worked well and what people have requested?

The tune which usually gets the people listening - on private or corporate gigs - is Take 5. But for some jazz clubs i'd be careful with this, it's not welcome everywhere. Also Isn't She Lovely works usually quite well, also many of the Bossas like The Girl From Ipanema, Desafinado, Corcovado, Manha De Carneval, O Barquinho, Summer Samba etc. Most audiences also know Summertime and Sunny.

Hope this helps a little ;-)

[rpjazzguitar]

The tune which usually gets the people listening - on private or corporate gigs - is Take 5. But for some jazz clubs i'd be careful with this, it's not welcome everywhere. Also Isn't She Lovely works usually quite well, also many of the Bossas like The Girl From Ipanema, Desafinado, Corcovado, Manha De Carneval, O Barquinho, Summer Samba etc. Most audiences also know Summertime and Sunny.

Hope this helps a little ;-)

That's a good list, thanks. Last Senior gig, we had a request for Ipanema and played the RB version. People know a lot of those Jobim tunes (and similar) which were so popular during the Bossa explosion of the early 60s and have continued to be played.

Recently had a request for it at a Brazilian jazz gig -- we were planning to play it anyway.

And, while I'm on the subject, I recall from one of my first Brazilian gigs that people basically ignored the band until with played Ipanema, at which point people started dancing.

[AllanAllen]

The tune which usually gets the people listening - on private or corporate gigs - is Take 5.

I don't always get requests, but when I do it's for Take 5.

[rpjazzguitar]

I heard a guitar trio play it a few weeks back. The guitarist had learned the Paul Desmond solo, which was pretty cool.

But, I didn't think it worked. I could have accepted the guitar instead of the alto (and not just any alto - Paul Desmond) but it sounded too thin without the chords.

I've always thought of guitar trio as requiring a high skill level to sketch out the harmony during the solos. Not just by playing the chord tones, but by throwing in some dyads, triads and chords while creating a melody.

[JazzNote]

I heard a guitar trio play it a few weeks back. The guitarist had learned the Paul Desmond solo, which was pretty cool.

But, I didn't think it worked. I could have accepted the guitar instead of the alto (and not just any alto - Paul Desmond) but it sounded too thin without the chords.

I've always thought of guitar trio as requiring a high skill level to sketch out the harmony during the solos. Not just by playing the chord tones, but by throwing in some dyads, triads and chords while creating a melody.

I think for a guitarist it's better to model his playing of Take 5 close to George Bensons approach. Bluesy, with multi octave runs, and of course strongly emphasizing the Ebm tonality in the A-sections. I play lots of duo gigs (guitar with TCDitto and sax/flute) or trio with g,b,ts/fl and most of the time we get the guests attention with this tune. I believe that copying a horn solo with guitar is not as effective, especially a Desmond solo which is to a large extent characterized by his beautiful alto sound.

[rpjazzguitar]

I found two versions by GB. One had keys. The other had rhythm guitar (which sounded like him - double tracked?) and keys.

So, with TCDitto, you're recording the vamp and playing over it? Do you have any trouble nailing the 1 to stop the recording at precisely the right instant?

[JazzNote]

I found two versions by GB. One had keys. The other had rhythm guitar (which sounded like him - double tracked?) and keys.

So, with TCDitto, you're recording the vamp and playing over it? Do you have any trouble nailing the 1 to stop the recording at precisely the right instant?

Yes, GB's recordings are all with piano, i think on the original recording it is Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar, but Bensons approach to soloing works also without. But of course you need a bassplayer who knows what he is doing. And it helps to losen up the vamp by playing the bridge .....

In my bands we solo over the whole form, including bridge. No problem nailing the 1. When i play solo gigs i start by laying the accompaniment two bars ahead of the form so that I have enough time to play the pickup of the melody (and of course switch again two bars before the form ends). When i play duo with a horn player i switch it on at the 1 when he starts his solo.

PS: when i play with a bass player i never use the looper.