Summer of Rhythm … Changes?

[Christian Miller]

The one I attached seems to be almost exactly the same as the one rpjazzguitar posted in the other thread (apart from a few details like the indented first line).

The movie "An American In Paris" is from 1951, but the typeface used in the tune's title is not from the 50ies and shows that they used the original hand-engraving and only changed the title page -- a typical proceeding for selling vocal/piano scores, I have several examples in my collection with exactly the same engraving for the music but different title pages.

So this should be the same music as the one sold in 1930, at least regarding the piano score.

The bass line is not what I expected lol


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[PMB]

Do you have a link to a scan of the sheet music? It’s difficult to hunt down.

A lot of showy and early versions seem to have 1-6-2-5 in the bass in bars 5-6 interestingly, Ethel Merman, Ethel Waters, Ruthie Henshall etc


That’s a cool tune!


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Here's the version I was referring to - Gershwin's own piano arrangement in Db.

[Boss Man Zwiebelsohn]

Here's the version I was referring to - Gershwin's own piano arrangement in Db.

I had posted that already in #22. Exactly the same engraving as in "Meet George Gershwin at the Keyboard" only different typeface for tune title, another example of recycling of an engraving.

[PMB]

Ok, Bop Head didn't catch your edit.

Here's Gershwin playing IGR (in Db) a year after he composed the tune:

Red Nichols recorded it early on in F. The first version of the changes in Bb may be Sidney Bechet's 1932 "Shag" - more a jam than a contrafact. That seems to be the template for most later renditions.

[Boss Man Zwiebelsohn]

Ok, Bop Head didn't catch your edit.

Here's Gershwin playing IGR (in Db) a year after he composed the tune:

Red Nichols recorded it early on in F. The first version of the changes in Bb may be Sidney Bechet's 1932 "Shag" - more a jam than a contrafact. That seems to be the template for most later renditions.

Dig jazz archeology

[Christian Miller]

Here's the version I was referring to - Gershwin's own piano arrangement in Db.

I'm not sure this can be considered the urtext for the song? Seems like it's own separate instrumental feature. Cool though.

I love the film you posted. What a great pianist he was, amazing attack on the instrument.

[Peng1026]

The rhythm changes thread has me wanting to play more rhythm changes. I tend to rotate stuff through keys so I work things in 12 day cycles. So I’ve got probably 5.5 of those left before all my school year work kicks up again.

I think I’m going to work on different moves through the rhythm changes in that time rather than trying to tackle a bunch of new tunes.

I’ll try to pick one move that I like for the first four bars and one for the second four in each pass through the cycle of fifths.

I’ll pick sounds I like, so that I can refine them rather than getting weird.

I refuse to play two chords in a bar, so this is what I have (all in Bb).

Six ways of tackling the first four:

1 (half the circle) Bb7, blues for all four measures.
2. Bb major tonal center, a la Lester leaps, for all four measures.
3. Bb - F7 - Bb - F7
4. Bb - Cb7 - Bb - Cb7
5. Gm - D7 - Gm - D7
6. Dm - A7 - Dm - A7

Six ways of tackling the second four:

1 (half the circle) Bb7 - Eb7 - Bb - F7
2. Db7 - Eb7 - Bb - F7
3. Bb7 - Edim - Bb - F7
4. Bb7 - Ebm - Bb - F7
5. Bb7 - A7 - Bb - F7
6. Gb7 - Gb7 - F7 - F7

The A7 and the Edim are a little redundant, but I like that half step resolution enough to work on it I think.

If anyone else has any other moves they like, then let me know.

(I’m joking with Jeff’s thread title but this will not be as exhaustive or helpful. Just thought it would be fun for me.)

What does the " (half the circle) "? I didn't quite understand that.

[pamosmusic]

What does the " (half the circle) "? I didn't quite understand that.

Im walking everything through the circle of fifths, and it works out that I only have enough days in my summer for 5.5 passes passes through the circle

[AllanAllen]

Just curious, are you doing the circle fifths (CGD...) or fourths(CFBb...)?

I always did the fourths because I think of the flats as jazz keys, so far the big band hasn't done any # keys, lots of Db.

[pamosmusic]

Just curious, are you doing the circle fifths (CGD...) or fourths(CFBb...)?

I always did the fourths because I think of the flats as jazz keys, so far the big band hasn't done any # keys, lots of Db.

Both. I keep this piece of paper on my desk with the circle written on it and move a game piece around it each day. So I do most of my stuff that day in whatever key I'm on.

I'm doing fifths right now but that's not really indicative of anything

[pamosmusic]

Not quite done with my first pass through the circle of fifths, but we're doing the beach next week, so I figured I'd drop this in a little early. I'll just do whatever key I feel like for these, with the only rule being that I won't do it in Bb. This one is Eb ... fastest backing track I could find is 180, so not made about that.

Changes are ...

I7 -- -- --
I7 IV7 I7 V7

bridge as usual.

[charlieparker]

Not quite done with my first pass through the circle of fifths, but we're doing the beach next week, so I figured I'd drop this in a little early. I'll just do whatever key I feel like for these, with the only rule being that I won't do it in Bb. This one is Eb ... fastest backing track I could find is 180, so not made about that.

Changes are ...

I7 -- -- --
I7 IV7 I7 V7

bridge as usual.

Interesting how different it sounds in another key.

[pamosmusic]

A new short video from Jordan Klemons on point:

[PMB]

I'm not sure this can be considered the urtext for the song? Seems like it's own separate instrumental feature. Cool though.

I love the film you posted. What a great pianist he was, amazing attack on the instrument.

Gershwin was an excellent pianist so I imagine that version could be the urtext that served as the source of his later Girl Crazy arrangement. Incidentally, the tune was written with a slower tempo in mind for an earlier musical, Treasure Girl but discarded from the production before it went to the stage.

Just to confuse matters, the Girl Crazy instrumental intro is in Bb but moves to F once Ethel Merman enters. Maybe it was originally in Db and transposed up to suit Merman's vocal range?

[Christian Miller]

Gershwin was an excellent pianist so I imagine that version could be the urtext that served as the source of his later Girl Crazy arrangement. Incidentally, the tune was written with a slower tempo in mind for an earlier musical, Treasure Girl but discarded from the production before it went to the stage.

Just to confuse matters, the Girl Crazy instrumental intro is in Bb but moves to F once Ethel Merman enters. Maybe it was originally in Db and transposed up to suit Merman's vocal range?

Undoubtedly? I’m sure they did that all time. You don’t hire someone like Ethel and get her to sing in a crap tessitura.

Actually they used to it in opera. Frowned on now, of course everyone has to sing the notes, and it’s all very strict with fachs etc.


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[ragman1]

Beautiful... if you like that kind of thing

[charlieparker]

A new short video from Jordan Klemons on point:

He says to treat the A section like 1-4-1-5. Can anyone tell me what measures he is treating as which?

[Bobby Timmons]

^ Peter suggested:

Changes are:

I7 -- -- --
I7 IV7 I7 V7

bridge as usual.

I'd suggest playing with the tonality and not necessarily only play 7s. Also try to outline different chords sporadically.

Peter, I'm happy you started this thread. Rhythm changes were killing me for a while, but suddenly they clicked and are fun. I'm soloing freely on them. Trying to work up No Mo to have a legitimate tune to post. I used to work only jazz blues as my exercise tune but now it'll be jazz blues and rhythm changes. Christian suggested I add rhythm changes in addition to jazz blues a while ago but that was when I was still dying on them.

[Christian Miller]

A new short video from Jordan Klemons on point:

That's some peak YouTube thumbnail game Jordan's rocking there. Excellent pointing and gurning. He needs to add in a red circle with an arrow though.

[pamosmusic]

That's some peak YouTube thumbnail game Jordan's rocking there. Excellent pointing and gurning. He needs to add in a red circle with an arrow though.

I will forward this to Mr Klemons for action.

[Christian Miller]

This is not good thumbnail game

I got a bit carried away.

[pamosmusic]

I'd suggest playing with the tonality and not necessarily only play 7s. Also try to outline different chords sporadically.

I guess that's sort of what I did. Part of the reason I like to think of these bigger tonal areas is because "Eb7" to me isn't really going to look like Eb G Bb and Db all the time. There will be those big four arpeggios off each of those chord tones, there will be minor thirds moving (not as much in this take, I don't think) there will be some blues stuff, there will be some side-slipping, etc etc.

So that's generally the logic behind simplified chord progressions like this.

[pamosmusic]

I am back from a short vacation and will be resuming my rhythm changes journey.

I6 - I6 - I6 - I6
I7 - iv - I6 - V7

[AllanAllen]

I am back from a short vacation and will be resuming my rhythm changes journey.

I6 - I6 - I6 - I6
I7 - iv - I6 - V7

Looking at this, it’s pretty much my navigation of RC.

[pamosmusic]

Looking at this, it’s pretty much my navigation of RC.

Kind of the Lester young vibe, I guess?