Just the melody.

[lawson-stone]

OK, major felony rule-breaking here, but I coudn't stop myself because the backing track is too much fun. If I may make a slight attempt at justifying this admittedly completely aberrant conduct ... in jazz to understand a melody is to understand how to make it flow into a solo and to solo is to understand how to get back to the melody. So even though it's not only the melody, it's all about the melody. Don't ask permission, just seek forgiveness ... Yeah, that's the ticket ...

Indeed forgiveness comes easier than permission. But man, play like that and I'll forgive anything. I thought this was delicious. I will warn you though that you were having entirely too much fun. Gotta reel that in, man. We're serious here. ;-)

[lawson-stone]

Here's one that I struggle with and pretty much get pinned by every time, but I really enjoy playing with this tune.

[John A.]

My default is to "like" any clip of a member playing. Just taking the trouble to play it, video it, and post it for us deserves a certain amount of appreciation. I always start a clip and for this thread, the clips usually run under 90 seconds so it's not hard. I tend not to want to listen to 5 choruses of noodling.. though of course I'll post MY noodling because it's creatively explosive and brilliant and some people just don't know pure genius when they hear it.... and I have some swamp in Florida I can sell you too.

I try to "like" the posts that I've listened to, and try to listen to all that are in a thread I participate in (don't always get to 100%, though). I agree with your sentiment -- if people put themselves out there, that in itself is worth acknowledging.

[John A.]

Here's one that I struggle with and pretty much get pinned by every time, but I really enjoy playing with this tune.

+

Definitely nailed the head on that one. The solo was cool, too.

[John A.]

Last one from the vault today, I promise! But this one is an example of a "jazz original" where you can actually play around with the melody a bit.

I apologize in advance for the longish-chord-melody sections after the head. The chord punches in the head itself are part of the melody.

Unit Seven

Some tunes can't really be done as single line melodies, so no need even to beg forbearance. A few more that come to mind are Mercy Mercy Mercy, Moanin, Work Song, Red Clay, Interplay

[John A.]

Indeed forgiveness comes easier than permission. But man, play like that and I'll forgive anything. I thought this was delicious. I will warn you though that you were having entirely too much fun. Gotta reel that in, man. We're serious here. ;-)

I'll try to do better next time ... OK, probably not.

[lawson-stone]

+

Definitely nailed the head on that one. The solo was cool, too.

Very gracious. Thank you.

[Mick-7]

Again here you go lecturing somebody that you ought to be taking a lesson from.

I repeat, I am just stating my opinions, not sure why you interpret practically every statement I make as "dictating and lecturing." I think this is simply projection on your part because it's exactly the attitude you've taken with me.

[AllanAllen]

I repeat, I am just stating my opinions, not sure why you interpret practically every statement I make as "dictating and lecturing." I think this is simply projection on your part because it's exactly the attitude you've taken with me.

It's the glasses in your avatar.

[grahambop]

That Freedom Jazz Dance tune always intrigued me, seeing as it was composed by Eddie Harris, who is usually described as a ‘soul-jazz’ sax player, so you wouldn’t think he’d come up with something like that.

Anyway kris’ version prompted me to look into it. It seems it came from some kind of exercise he used to practise for playing difficult intervals on the sax. Must have made his day when Miles recorded it! (Eddie said that came about because Ron Carter was playing bass with Eddie, then he took the tune to Miles, who obviously liked it.)

[Mick-7]

It's the glasses in your avatar.

I believe those are custom-made 3D mouse hunting glasses, not sure where he got them, I was afraid to ask.

That Freedom Jazz Dance tune always intrigued me .... It seems it came from some kind of exercise he used to practice for playing difficult intervals on the sax.

That makes sense, it's mostly 4ths and 5ths, hard to play on the saxophone too I guess - at that tempo anyway.

[kris]

I repeat, I am just stating my opinions, not sure why you interpret practically every statement I make as "dictating and lecturing." I think this is simply projection on your part because it's exactly the attitude you've taken with me.

This is just an internet disadvantage.
Sometimes it is very difficult to understand what the writing is about and for what purpose someone writes.
That's why it's better to be careful ...

[AllanAllen]

Some tunes can't really be done as single line melodies, so no need even to beg forbearance. A few more that come to mind are Mercy Mercy Mercy, Moanin, Work Song, Red Clay, Interplay

Hard disagree on that.

[kris]

That Freedom Jazz Dance tune always intrigued me, seeing as it was composed by Eddie Harris, who is usually described as a ‘soul-jazz’ sax player, so you wouldn’t think he’d come up with something like that.

Anyway kris’ version prompted me to look into it. It seems it came from some kind of exercise he used to practise for playing difficult intervals on the sax. Must have made his day when Miles recorded it! (Eddie said that came about because Ron Carter was playing bass with Eddie, then he took the tune to Miles, who obviously liked it.)

There are also versions with pauses between the phrases of the head...

[Mick-7]

Some tunes can't really be done as single line melodies, so no need even to beg forbearance .... Red Clay

It can be done.... This was Jack's first album, groundbreaking at the time.

[John A.]

It can be done....

There’s a section of the head that can be played single line. But the head as a whole is not a single line melody, unless you exclude the chord parts, which I’ve never heard anyone do, which Jack Wilkins does not do in this recording.

[Mick-7]

There’s a section of the head that can be played single line. But the head as a whole is not a single line melody, unless you exclude the chord parts, which I’ve never heard anyone do, which Jack Wilkins does not do in this recording.

The B section? It is the same as the 4 bar introduction (chords) that Jack plays, could be called a melodic vamp.

[lawson-stone]

I repeat, I am just stating my opinions, not sure why you interpret practically every statement I make as "dictating and lecturing." I think this is simply projection on your part because it's exactly the attitude you've taken with me.

Maybe I'm the only one your comments sound this way for; if so, fine. But I detect a somewhat similar feeling in some others on this thread. Maybe you need to spend some time in self-examination and reflection. As will I.

[ragman1]

That Freedom Jazz Dance tune always intrigued me, seeing as it was composed by Eddie Harris, who is usually described as a ‘soul-jazz’ sax player, so you wouldn’t think he’d come up with something like that.

For what it's worth, I like it, it's very groovy. I also find it strangely unpretentious, as some of the modern tunes can be. Lots of soul, which makes sense.

As far as I can make out, it's really just the head which focusses on the quartal intervals and all that. After that it's more or less pentatonic based. The out bits are instructive too.

This one's a whole tune, not just the head. Nicely played too. If I could do it, and do it justice, I would!

[Mick-7]

Maybe I'm the only one your comments sound this way for; if so, fine. But I detect a somewhat similar feeling in some others on this thread. Maybe you need to spend some time in self-examination and reflection. As will I.

No harm done. A couple of people did say earlier that I was being a stickler about the rules of this exercise, and I suppose I was, because I thought they were more clearly defined than they are. I realized later that they are open-ended.

As far as I can make out, it's really just the head which focuses on the quartal intervals and all that. After that it's more or less pentatonic based.

Only one chord throughout so it's really hard to solo over.

[CliffR]

All The Things You Are - one of my favourite jazz standards.

[Mick-7]

All The Things You Are - one of my favorite jazz standards.

All the Laundry's on the Floor is another good tune, in fact I was expecting you to play a medley of the two tunes but.... no.

[CliffR]

All the Laundry's on the Floor is another good tune, in fact I was expecting you to play a medley of the two tunes but.... no.

Looks like I'm going to have to figure out how to get iMovie to add a virtual background....

[John A.]

Hard disagree on that.

Nope. Doesn’t work for me.

[Ukena]

When this song was first proposed to me to add to my repertoire, I didn't get it. This was long ago, and I didn't know about telling a song's story. Since then I have gained an appreciation and fondness for this song and its beautiful melody.

Here's My Ship with only a double bass backing.