Autumn Leaves - Robert Conti's Ticket to Improv Vol. I

**Doublea A** · 05-19-2017, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Here's a clip done with the Conti supplied backing track, default tempo. On the "phrasing and dynamics" matter, since I'm happy with the solo as Conti composed it, at the end I've tagged a little chord-melody improvisation on the changes to play with those aspects a little.

Hope that helps ally Mrs B's concerns?

I think your chord solo was the best part !!

**Doublea A** · 05-19-2017, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Okay, so here is another attempt at "making it my own" that I'll admit is a bit more serious. Actually, this is really hard. Playing the solo as notated, I really don't have to listen to the changes. I just play the time values as given in the notation and make sure I count the beats correctly. This personalizing the notated solo is forcing me to think about where the lines are in the changes, how they might fit together, all that. Which I knew already on one level, but really need work in putting into practice.

I still use my favorite device, which is "Screw up and Speed Up to Catch Up" but I think here I've either made a good step or just made it unpardonably corny.

I really look forward to your comments, especially also Matt and Mr. B, whose point of view has been helpful to me for as long as I've been on this forum.

You are on the right track. Your phrasing is much more realistic.

**Doublea A** · 05-19-2017, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

So this whole "make it my own" thing is getting out of hand. I've always been haunted by Jim Hall and Ron Carter playing "Autumn Leaves" live in a club setting on their album Alone Together. So I decided to try to play "our" solo the way I might imagine Jim Hall doing it. Poor man, he is not around to defend himself, but I hope this is seen as a kind of tribute!

It also is fun to work with the idea of what our favorite players might do with the same notated solo. I've tried here to incorporate some things that I hear Jim Hall doing a lot.

There are two takes... at any rate, I had fun trying this, and by doing it I feel I know the solo better. I definitely hear it in connection with the changes much more clearly.

So the upcoming recording will be called "Lawson playing Hall playing Conti". LOL

Love it !!

You really captured the feel of a Jim Hall approach.

Bravo !!

**Doublea A** · 05-19-2017, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I absolutely promise this is my last attempt to post my bad Jim Hall imitations. I did a Band-in-a-Box track with nothing but the bass, and played the solo over just the naked bass track... kind of channeling the Jim Hall/Ron Carter thing, which was my first time even hearing the tune "Autumn Leaves." It's still, to me, the canonical guitar version.

It's scary to me that I tend to play my best when i'm actually doing a little self-mocking "bad imitation" mode...

Now I'm done! I have "A Train" to catch...

Even better than the first one !!

**losaltosjoe** · 05-19-2017, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

So this whole "make it my own" thing is getting out of hand. I've always been haunted by Jim Hall and Ron Carter playing "Autumn Leaves" live in a club setting on their album Alone Together. So I decided to try to play "our" solo the way I might imagine Jim Hall doing it. Poor man, he is not around to defend himself, but I hope this is seen as a kind of tribute!

Loved it! I can't believe how fun and inspirational this study group is. Thanks Lawson, et. al.

**lawson-stone** · 05-19-2017, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by JazzinNY

Quote Mr. Beaumont:

"So the chord solo stuff was your own? Nice!

Man, I really suggest you go back and listen to how much more "in pocket" and swinging your own stuff is compared to the Conti solo. Really."

-- Yes, the body language is completely different.

And Lawson -- what are you basing your chord solo stuff on? Joe Pass materials?

Chord melody style was what first drew me to jazz guitar over 20 years ago. I started out cranking through the Mel Bay Guitar Melody Chord Playing System, which was pretty complicated. Then I worked through a bunch of standards arranged by Steven Crowell that were designed to teach a vocabulary of chordal phrases in the context of standards. From that point, I just experimented and imitated phrases I heard. Joe Pass certainly is a huge influence, but Kessel was phenomenal at this, and of course Wes Montgomery. I actually feel more comfortable improvising chord phrases than I do melodic lines!

A big thing for me which comes out in the bit that I played earlier is the way a big-band horn section will "hit" and accent things. I've always liked the sound of a big band doing that, and that's part of what I'm hearing when I play block-chord style.

**lawson-stone** · 05-19-2017, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by Doublea A

So the upcoming recording will be called "Lawson playing Hall playing Conti". LOL

Love it !!

You really captured the feel of a Jim Hall approach.

Bravo !!

The key is a bald head.

Anybody notice how certain pictures of Jim Hall look like certain pictures of Sean Connery?

**losaltosjoe** · 05-20-2017, 12:53 AM

Time to put this puppy to bed. Two takes, the first one at 104 bmp (guitar tone: 6) and the second one at 125 bpm (guitar tone: 8). I tried to stick to the Conti transcription except for taking a few liberties in bars 19-22.

I hope to take a stab at the head plus solo this weekend.

**losaltosjoe** · 05-21-2017, 12:34 PM

Before leaving this project I thought I'd try to pull it all together. As usual, I patched (stole?) this together from other recordings and sources.

- Bars 1-16: Kenny Burrell (Sunup to Sundown)
- Bars 17-32: Clark Terry (The Globetrotter)
- Bars 33-64: Solo: Robert Conti (Ticket To Improv Volume 1)
- Bars 65-96: Comping: Excepts from Robert Conti The Comping Expo and Rich Severson
Notes:
- Conti's "The Comping Expo" has been very helpful in showing me new chord voicings and phrasing.
- Rich Serverson's lessons are terrific, inexpensive, and downloadable (so no waiting!).

Autumn Leaves out!

**MikeS** · 05-21-2017, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by losaltosjoe

Before leaving this project I thought I'd try to pull it all together. As usual, I patched (stole?) this together from other recordings and sources.

- Bars 1-16: Kenny Burrell (Sunup to Sundown)
- Bars 17-32: Clark Terry (The Globetrotter)
- Bars 33-64: Solo: Robert Conti (Ticket To Improv Volume 1)
- Bars 65-96: Comping: Excepts from Robert Conti The Comping Expo and Rich Severson
Notes:
- Conti's "The Comping Expo" has been very helpful in showing me new chord voicings and phrasing.
- Rich Serverson's lessons are terrific, inexpensive, and downloadable (so no waiting!).

Autumn Leaves out!

Good job putting this all together. I have Robert Conti's The Comping Expo, but haven't gotten into it yet. I've watched Rich Serverson's videos, but haven't purchased any. So many things to learn.

Mike

**andyb** · 05-21-2017, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by losaltosjoe

Before leaving this project I thought I'd try to pull it all together. As usual, I patched (stole?) this together from other recordings and sources.

- Bars 1-16: Kenny Burrell (Sunup to Sundown)
- Bars 17-32: Clark Terry (The Globetrotter)
- Bars 33-64: Solo: Robert Conti (Ticket To Improv Volume 1)
- Bars 65-96: Comping: Excepts from Robert Conti The Comping Expo and Rich Severson
Notes:
- Conti's "The Comping Expo" has been very helpful in showing me new chord voicings and phrasing.
- Rich Serverson's lessons are terrific, inexpensive, and downloadable (so no waiting!).

Autumn Leaves out!

WOW that was great, thanks for that I really enjoyed it.

**losaltosjoe** · 05-21-2017, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by MikeS

So many things to learn.
Mike

No kidding Mike! To the point of distraction. This study group has helped me maintain focus.

**MikeS** · 05-22-2017, 06:27 PM

Autumn Leaves Improvisation
Bars 1-32
Conti Equity Guitar

On to A-Train

**andyb** · 05-23-2017, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by MikeS

Autumn Leaves Improvisation
Bars 1-32
Conti Equity Guitar

On to A-Train

Nicely done Mike, are you using fingers no nail?

**Doublea A** · 05-23-2017, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by MikeS

Autumn Leaves Improvisation
Bars 1-32
Conti Equity Guitar

On to A-Train

You are getting a great sound out of that guitar. Well done !

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**MikeS** · 05-23-2017, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by andyb

Nicely done Mike, are you using fingers no nail?

Thanks Andy! I'm using the fleshy tip of my finger and the nail, but mostly the fleshy part.

Mike

**MikeS** · 05-23-2017, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Doublea A

You are getting a great sound out of that guitar. Well done !

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks, much appreciated!

Mike

**andyb** · 05-23-2017, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by MikeS

Thanks Andy! I'm using the fleshy tip of my finger and the nail, but mostly the fleshy part.

Mike

Well it sounds good, I might give it a go on the A Train.

**lawson-stone** · 05-23-2017, 11:12 AM

So here's my shot at the head and the solo. My backing track uses a kind of stop-time feel for the first 2 lines of the head, and I missed it on one of them... oh well. On the solo I pretty much flubbed the last 4 measures and made something up to recover, but Conti's solo has given me a nice vehicle to play with in developing a fresh approach to this tune.

I think I have some video-audio sync issues going on here as well, sorry if the image and sound don't match up exactly.

**losaltosjoe** · 05-23-2017, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by MikeS

Autumn Leaves Improvisation
Bars 1-32
Conti Equity Guitar

On to A-Train

Well played Mike! Way to finish strong.

**losaltosjoe** · 05-23-2017, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

So here's my shot at the head and the solo. My backing track uses a kind of stop-time feel for the first 2 lines of the head, and I missed it on one of them... oh well. On the solo I pretty much flubbed the last 4 measures and made something up to recover, but Conti's solo has given me a nice vehicle to play with in developing a fresh approach to this tune.

I think I have some video-audio sync issues going on here as well, sorry if the image and sound don't match up exactly.

Terrific Lawson! I always enjoy your take on the Conti assignments. Cheers.

**andyb** · 05-23-2017, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

So here's my shot at the head and the solo. My backing track uses a kind of stop-time feel for the first 2 lines of the head, and I missed it on one of them... oh well. On the solo I pretty much flubbed the last 4 measures and made something up to recover, but Conti's solo has given me a nice vehicle to play with in developing a fresh approach to this tune.

I think I have some video-audio sync issues going on here as well, sorry if the image and sound don't match up exactly.

Impressive stuff Lawson, its really nice for me to hear you better players go through this stuff.

**MikeS** · 05-23-2017, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by losaltosjoe

Well played Mike! Way to finish strong.

Thanks see you on to the A-Train.

**lawson-stone** · 05-26-2017, 09:46 AM

The Epiphone "Elitist" Broadway has gotten some attention on the forum recently, so I thought I'd play the head to Autumn Leaves and "our" solo on that instrument for your edification and amusement.

**Doublea A** · 05-28-2017, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

So here's my shot at the head and the solo. My backing track uses a kind of stop-time feel for the first 2 lines of the head, and I missed it on one of them... oh well. On the solo I pretty much flubbed the last 4 measures and made something up to recover, but Conti's solo has given me a nice vehicle to play with in developing a fresh approach to this tune.

I think I have some video-audio sync issues going on here as well, sorry if the image and sound don't match up exactly.

I love the big (Wes Montgomery type) sound you are getting.