The Nearness of You - Jeff Arnold Jazz Ballads - Tune #4

**Liarspoker** · 07-11-2024, 04:16 PM

As per the previous tunes the aim is to learn the arrangement of The Nearness of You from Jeff Arnold's Jazz Ballads book and to post a video or soundbyte of you playing the tune.

Let's aim to get this done by Sunday 28th of July.

This gives me a bit of extra time too as I'm preparing a grant application as well as preparing for an interview with a GOAT

Peace

**Bobby Timmons** · 07-14-2024, 12:09 AM

Here ya go, every note as written. (Ok, almost every note.) This is a good group. I like these arrangements. Subtle but pretty and effective. I was thinking about adapting it to piano but it wasn't needed.

**Mick-7** · 07-14-2024, 10:03 PM

I'll probably make a few changes. As some of you know, I'm fond of using open strings and there are opportunities for that here,
but over-all this is another good arrangement.

Below is the composer's lead sheet with the introduction that Sarah Vaughn sings in her rendition.

**Bobby Timmons** · 07-15-2024, 01:22 AM

Mick, I read that post that you deleted. I was also struck by how nice that chord is. Sounds just as good on piano. It has interesting notes, and also interesting intervals. Only 1 3rd. It goes minor 6th, major 2nd, perfect 4th, major 3rd.

**Mick-7** · 07-15-2024, 01:48 AM

Yes, that's the BbM9 in the 3rd measure: x-5-8-5-7-5 (D-Bb-C-F-A), a lovely chord voicing.

The sheet music introduction suggests some chord substitutes that would be good for the turn-arounds, which are Arnold's weakness (i.e., turn-around chords).

**alpop** · 07-15-2024, 01:08 PM

I've gone through this this morning and it seems nice and not that difficult.

Some of my observations:

Grabbing the chord on the last beat of bar 6 of the B section in time will take some isolated practice for me because I'm not used to using that shape.

I think it is essential to learn the melody of the B section from a vocal version. This will clear up some things in the B section of the arrangement which may seem murky. Those first three high g notes should really be one long note if sung or performed on a horn for example.

Also, the last beat and a half of bar 3 and first two and a half beats of bar 4 in the B section is filler material and not melody.

What I've done is write the lyrics in pencil above the B section to help me get the tune across.

As was mentioned above, that Bbma9 voicing in bar 3 is BEAUTIFUL! (I didn't know that one, so that is a nice bonus to learning this arrangement.)

**Mick-7** · 07-15-2024, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by alpop

Grabbing the chord on the last beat of bar 6 of the B section in time will take some isolated practice for me because I'm not used to using that shape.

Just sub the b9th or 9th for the tonic note: x-x-4-5-4-6 (D7#5b9) - or - x-x-4-5-5-6 (D9#5). Or Ab13 for that matter: x-x-4-5-6-6

The D9#5 there is too dissonant for my tastes.

Joe Pass probably would have played the #5/b9, it's a common dim. chord play for those melody notes. It's also better voice-leading because the D7#5 resolves to a Gm7 chord so it's tonic note (D) would be duplicated in the Gm7.

I agree, you'll really need to hear this tune sung by a good vocalist to understand the B section, it's better than this arrangement implies.

**alpop** · 07-15-2024, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

Just sub the b9th or 9th for the tonic note: x-x-4-5-4-6 (D7#5b9) - or - x-x-4-5-5-6 (D9#5). Or Ab13 for that matter: x-x-4-5-6-6

The D9#5 there is too dissonant for my tastes.

Joe Pass probably would have played the #5/b9, it's a common dim. chord play for those melody notes. It's also better voice-leading because the D7#5 resolves to a Gm7 chord so it's tonic note (D) would be duplicated in the Gm7.

I agree, you'll really need to hear this tune sung by a good vocalist to understand the B section, it's better than this arrangement implies.

Yeah, thanks, I will use that D#5b9. Less stress on the back of the hand. I also like the sound of the three lower notes moving down together symmetrically.

**Bobby Timmons** · 07-15-2024, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by alpop

I think it is essential to learn the melody of the B section from a vocal version.

Originally Posted by Mick-7

I agree, you'll really need to hear this tune sung by a good vocalist to understand the B section, it's better than this arrangement implies.

I sang this song in jazz choir in college back in the 00s.

**Mick-7** · 07-16-2024, 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by alpop

What I've done is write the lyrics in pencil above the B section to help me get the tune across.

Good idea, it is hard to follow Arnold's arrangement without the lyrics. This is from the Movie Fake Book, in the key of Eb though.

**Mick-7** · 07-16-2024, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by alpop

Yeah, thanks, I will use that D#5b9. Less stress on the back of the hand. I also like the sound of the three lower notes moving down together symmetrically.

In the chart I posted from the Movie Fake Book, this D7(#5) chord goes to G7, then to Gm7/C7 and back to FM7. That sounds correct to me, going to the Gm7 from the D7#5 does not.

So it would be something like : x-x-7-8-7-8 (D7b9) >> x-x-4-5-4-6 (D7#5b9) >> x-x-3-4-3-3 (G7) >> x-x-3-3-3-3 (Gm7)

>> x-x-2-3-2-3 (C7b9/Eb7b9) >> x-x-2-3-1-x >> F > G (notes on high E string) >> x-x-3-5-5-5 (FM7) >> x-x-7-9-8-8 (FM9)

Or just skipping the Gm7 and going from D7 to G7 sounds fine.

P.S. - The lead sheet from which I got the song intro I posted earlier also has G7 rather than Gm7 in the 8th measure of the B section, I think the Gm7 is a Real Book addition.

Arnold's second ending is off too, he has: F6 > BbM7 > F/A > Ab7. The score implies a chromatic chord movement such as:
F6 > Bb7 > A7(#5) > Ab7(b5). Or: F6 > E7b9 (or Bbm7) > Eb9 > D7(#9).

**Mick-7** · 07-16-2024, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Bobby Timmons

I sang this song in jazz choir in college back in the 00s.

We didn't have one of those, only a gospel choir, if we'd covered this song, the "you" alluded to would have been Jesus Christ.

**Bobby Timmons** · 07-16-2024, 03:01 PM

It's all about JC.

**lawson-stone** · 07-17-2024, 02:55 PM

Gentlemen
I have to be on the road traveling for work until the end of July and so I will not be participating for the next couple weeks. I wish you all the best with the current tune and look forward to listening to you clips and nit-picking at little inconsequential details when I never actually bothered to learn the tune.... JUST KIDDING! Seriously, I'll miss you guys and the music and look forward to being back.

**Bobby Timmons** · 07-17-2024, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I look forward to listening to your clips and nit-picking at little inconsequential details when I never actually bothered to learn the tune.

**DeArmondX155** · 07-19-2024, 10:23 AM

I gave it a shot. Here it is

**Mick-7** · 07-19-2024, 04:38 PM

I wrote down a two measure introduction to this tune, which you'll hear me play later - the notes but not the rhythms are accurate.

Actually, I think an G7 before the first chord would be nice, maybe: x-x-3-4-4-5.

The Nearness of You - Jeff Arnold Jazz Ballads - Tune #4-nearness-you-intro-01-jpg

The Nearness of You - Jeff Arnold Jazz Ballads - Tune #4-nearness-you-intro-01-jpg

**alpop** · 07-19-2024, 06:44 PM

Here's my progress to date.

I actually posted a take this morning but deleted it when I realized my low E string was not in tune.

This one is far from a work of art, but it's not a train wreck either.

Hope to hear more playing from others. Is anyone working on this?

**Mick-7** · 07-19-2024, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by alpop

Here's my progress to date.

I actually posted a take this morning but deleted it when I realized my low E string was not in tune.

This one is far from a work of art, but it's not a train wreck either.

Hope to hear more playing from others. Is anyone working on this?

Sounds like you have it down, played almost exactly as written, yes?

I did take some liberties with it, mostly because Arnold's arrangement is very sparse and could benefit from more harmonic movement.

I kept the octaves near the end but added an inner voice: A-Eb-A > Bb-F-Bb > C-F#-C > Bb-F-Bb > A-Eb-A.

Changed the ending too, his is too vanilla for me.

**alpop** · 07-19-2024, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

Sounds like you have it down, played almost exactly as written, yes?

I did take some liberties with it, mostly because Arnold's arrangement is very sparse and could benefit from more harmonic movement.

I kept the octaves near the end but added an inner voice: A-Eb-A > Bb-F-Bb > C-F#-C > Bb-F-Bb > A-Eb-A.

Changed the ending too, his is too vanilla for me.

Yes I TRIED

to play it exactly as written. For sure some flubbed notes in there.

My process is to learn, memorize, practice, and perform (record). My hope is to benefit from the discipline involved by going through those steps.

Once I have it down, then I feel that I can start looking for variations.