JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 17) - In Walked Bud

[mr. beaumont]

Alter has picked this week's tune, and I cannot wait to hear everybody's take!

[TOMMO]

Great tune! Have already listened to your take on yt, Jeff and it's superb!

[ragman1]

It was never going to be fast.

[TOMMO]

It was never going to be fast.

Nice and very melodic.

[ragman1]

Just the usual nonsense, Tommo :-)

[TOMMO]

Just the usual nonsense, Tommo :-)

Just look at it as being reliable... ;-)

[mr. beaumont]

Great tune! Have already listened to your take on yt, Jeff and it's superb!

Ha, thanks...I meant to put it up here last night but got distracted.

Rag, you manage to make it sad. Which I guess, isn't that crazy, its a minor key tune, but I've never heard anybody do it like that, and I kinda dig it...maybe write a new melody, make a contrafact.

Here's mine. I'll definitely try and do another. I have a tough time just being myself on Monk tunes. I feel like I should play more angularly or something.

[ragman1]

Jeff - Although each section resolves to the major, chordally it sounds more like a minor tune so that's how it came out. But Monk makes it sound more nostalgic rather than sad.

I think the majority of soloists are using F aeolian (Ab) over their F minors whereas I was doing dorian (Eb) because it gave me the m6. Also they were arpeggiating more and using the pentatonic. As far as I can make out anyway.

And more angular, as you say.

(I thought you were a bit Charlie Christian :-))

[ragman1]

reliable...

That might be why it's so sad :-)

[John A.]

Here's a quick one. First clean take after some false starts and gremlins. Thanks again to Mr. Sunnybass. I'll try to do another with a backing track as well.

[John A.]

Ha, thanks...I meant to put it up here last night but got distracted.

Rag, you manage to make it sad. Which I guess, isn't that crazy, its a minor key tune, but I've never heard anybody do it like that, and I kinda dig it...maybe write a new melody, make a contrafact.

Here's mine. I'll definitely try and do another. I have a tough time just being myself on Monk tunes. I feel like I should play more angularly or something.

I have the same difficulty with Monk tunes. I find his aesthetic incredibly attractive and interesting, and at the same time totally incomprehensible. I try to catch just a little piece of it, and never succeed (as demonstrated below). But it seems wrong not to try.

Anyway, I thought that sounded more like "Jeff" than "Jeff trying to be Monk."

[John A.]

It was never going to be fast.

It felt like you were going to break out into "Michelle" a couple of times in there.

[rpjazzguitar]

[rpjazzguitar]

Has anybody mentioned yet that the A section is Irving Berlin's Blue Skies?

[Donplaysguitar]

Ha, thanks...I meant to put it up here last night but got distracted.

Rag, you manage to make it sad. Which I guess, isn't that crazy, its a minor key tune, but I've never heard anybody do it like that, and I kinda dig it...maybe write a new melody, make a contrafact.

Here's mine. I'll definitely try and do another. I have a tough time just being myself on Monk tunes. I feel like I should play more angularly or something.

I very much agree with Rag on his Charlie Christian observation. Was that happenstance or have you studied Charlie’s stuff a bit? (I transcribed and played Breakfast Feud in high school but stopped there).

[John A.]

Yeah, that was great. I like the way you messed with the head, the crunchy dissonances, and outside feel on the longer lines.

[TOMMO]

Here's a quick one. First clean take after some false starts and gremlins. Thanks again to Mr. Sunnybass. I'll try to do another with a backing track as well.

Nice first take, John - looking forward to another.

Like John said: I like the way you treated the head - quite Monk-like.

[wzpgsr]

Has anybody mentioned yet that the A section is Irving Berlin's Blue Skies?

Been singing that in my head all day as I’ve been listening to Monk.

[steve burchfield]

Alter has picked this week's tune, and I cannot wait to hear everybody's take!

Good choice!!! MONK SPELLED BACKWARDS AND A LITTLE UPSIDE DOWN SPELLS KNOW!!!

[ragman1]

As he chose this tune, I'm rather looking forward to Alter's take on it.

[ragman1]

Also, for musicality, can't beat this.

[TOMMO]

I like it and predictable can mean that expectations are being satisfied. I don't think that the tune needs to sound sad anyway...

[Triple_Jazz]

I don’t know if it’s because I listened on my phone or what but it was very hard to hear you over he backing track and there was no meat to the overdrive which contributed to burying you in the background. Having said that, awesome job!! Loved the head and really dug how you handled the A section, great movement.

[ragman1]

I don't think that the tune needs to sound sad anyway...

So how do you stop it sounding sad? Not that I mind sad, but just asking. Do it fast? Play it weird like Fred Hersch? Thing is, the main tonality is minor, especially the descending Fm line and the bridge.

What do you suggest? Even better, show us with your version!

[TOMMO]

So how do you stop it sounding sad?

It's not slow enough to sound sad in the first place. No idea what my take will sound like - probably sad?