JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 22) - Rhythm Changes

**mr. beaumont** · 06-10-2021, 03:52 PM

And now we get to the (BLANK) in (BLANK) 'N BLUES...This week is for Rhythm Changes.

Again, lots of different ways of doing it...try out your favorites...again, heads are optional, but never frowned upon. What's your favorite variation?

**TOMMO** · 06-10-2021, 04:42 PM

I made a huge mistake once by devoting my entire practice time to rhythm changes for a couple of months thinking that if I would get the hang of them everything else would be a piece of cake. Wrong....
Playing blues over rhythm changes is where I'm left at at last - would have been able to do that right from the start - it's just a blues turnaround when you think of it that I had been playing for decades...LOL!

**lawson-stone** · 06-10-2021, 04:55 PM

One of the most satisfying solos in the Aebersold "Jimmy Raney" book is the one over Rhythm Changes. Lots of bop vocabulary, lots of ideas, very challenging as well, especially at higher tempos. Lines start and end in unusual places, and yes, I miss a few!

Also.... I really miss the ES175 (A CME blow-out purchase) I'm playing in this clip.

**lawson-stone** · 06-10-2021, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by TOMMO

I made a huge mistake once by devoting my entire practice time to rhythm changes for a couple of months thinking that if I would get the hang of them everything else would be a piece of cake. Wrong....
Playing blues over rhythm changes is where I'm left at at last - would have been able to do that right from the start - it's just a blues turnaround when you think of it that I had been playing for decades...LOL!

I just kind of think of it as "Wave" in Bb....

**Alter** · 06-10-2021, 05:28 PM

Here's a medium tempo version with my Elferink..

**vintagelove** · 06-10-2021, 06:42 PM

Here's some couch noodlin from a few years ago.

9:40 (I can't for the life of me get the link to start at that time. Sorry)

**ragman1** · 06-10-2021, 08:47 PM

Alter, vintagelove - Well done, both yours actually sounded like music :-)

**mr. beaumont** · 06-10-2021, 10:11 PM

Tried doing a fast one to start..
Get it out of my system. Now to slow down and say something

Lawson, that's such a great solo, ain't it? Like a microcosm of all things Raney in a few choruses.

Alter, loved that take, totally grooved the whole time.

Vintagelove, that kind of relaxed but burning playing I envy so much! Bonus points for the singing, proving you weren't on auto pilot.

Rag, definitely what I've come to expect from you, a gentle, melodic, easy swinging take.

**Triple_Jazz** · 06-11-2021, 08:22 AM

I’ve always kind of avoided rhythm changes at jam sessions. There used to be something about it I didn’t like. I’m fine playing it now but I haven’t been to a post Covid jam yet!

Anyway, one of my gripes is comping. I feel like zipping through every chord sounds ridiculous. I haven’t really worked on a good way to comp on this tune. What are some of your hacks for getting a nice comp through this tune?

**TOMMO** · 06-11-2021, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Triple_Jazz

What are some of your hacks for getting a nice comp through this tune?

I would either play four to the bar or half notes.

**mr. beaumont** · 06-11-2021, 09:22 AM

If there was a piano, I would lay out, unless we worked something out ahead of time.

I like a Freddie Green style 4 to the bar on RC, but it has to fit the overall vibe of everyone else. You can't force it to fit if everybody else is approaching it differently.

If I had some rapport with the players, I'd insert a Charlie Christian style riff during someone else's solo to pump them up a bit.

If I was comping comping, no piano, I'd approach it very similarly to playing a solo, actually...bars 1-4 are all I and V. Get some sort of movement going in 5-6 and nail the ending in 7-8.

The bridge is obviously much more straightforward.

**lawson-stone** · 06-11-2021, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Alter, vintagelove - Well done, both yours actually sounded like music :-)

Do you have examples that don't sound like music? Curious to see what you actually mean by this.

**lawson-stone** · 06-11-2021, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Tried doing a fast one to start..
Get it out of my system. Now to slow down and say something

Lawson, that's such a great solo, ain't it? Like a microcosm of all things Raney in a few choruses.

I have often thought that I need to really analyze that solo and break out the vocabulary, rhythmic phrasing, etc. and really build those into my own playing. It's hard though because Raney's ideas are so interconnected and logical. Just pulling licks out is pretty tough. Still, I might spend this week trying to "install" some of his ideas into my own vocabulary, as it were, and see what disasters I can perpetrate!

**mr. beaumont** · 06-11-2021, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I have often thought that I need to really analyze that solo and break out the vocabulary, rhythmic phrasing, etc. and really build those into my own playing. It's hard though because Raney's ideas are so interconnected and logical. Just pulling licks out is pretty tough. Still, I might spend this week trying to "install" some of his ideas into my own vocabulary, as it were, and see what disasters I can perpetrate!

Do you have it written out? I'd love to take a look myself.

Jimmy was THE bebop guitarist, IMHO. I love his playing so much, but he comes at it from a very different angle than I do and I'd love to get more Jimmy in my playing, especially on faster stuff.

**grahambop** · 06-11-2021, 10:17 AM

I’ve got that Raney book, I played through his ‘Rhythm’ solo today, it’s full of great lines. I think I might try and steal some!

The book is Aebersold Vol. 20 - Jimmy Raney, it’s well worth getting. He plays solos on ten standard progressions and they are all notated (also with his changes, which have interesting subs sometimes).

The CD with the book features tracks with Jimmy’s comping, as well as the solos, that is interesting to listen to.

**lawson-stone** · 06-11-2021, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Do you have it written out? I'd love to take a look myself.

Jimmy was THE bebop guitarist, IMHO. I love his playing so much, but he comes at it from a very different angle than I do and I'd love to get more Jimmy in my playing, especially on faster stuff.

Absolutely. It's from the Jamey Aebersold book of Jimmy Raney solos, vol. 20.

**lawson-stone** · 06-11-2021, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Lobomov

You don't have the '59 reissue anymore .. or did you also buy a regular 175 back then?

Still have the VOS model, which I actually bought in-store when the CME blow-out was just about to begin. Then I bought a standard ES175 during the blow-out, as well as buying JoeD's, both of which I re-sold later. But the VOS model is still here and much loved.

**kris** · 06-11-2021, 12:08 PM

I can listen to it everyday:

**mr. beaumont** · 06-11-2021, 12:42 PM

That Martino cut gets me as excited as I did when I first heard it when I was like, 17.

**lawson-stone** · 06-11-2021, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

That Martino cut gets me as excited as I did when I first heard it when I was like, 17.

Except the guitar sounds like it was strung with rubber bands.

**mr. beaumont** · 06-11-2021, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Except the guitar sounds like it was strung with rubber bands.

It's a 12 string!

I actually like that tone. It's in your face, there's some grit.

**lawson-stone** · 06-11-2021, 04:11 PM

So I banged this one out over lunch. People still in the building so I couldn't use an amp, just went direct and monitored with headphones. I hate doing it that way, but wanted to get a first attempt up before the week got away from me.

Thoughtful observations and insights always welcome.