JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 32) - In a Mellow Tone

[kris]

What I miss the most is the audience's reaction.The audience's reaction / e.g. applause / at a real jam session is what motivates the musicians to play interestingly.
Best
kris

[rpjazzguitar]

I have come to believe that, if the musicians themselves know what is about to happen, then it's not jazz.

Jazz is created by the group, on the fly.

But, a lot of groups are head solos head and don't really do that. The best groups do. I'm more likely to hear it happen in NYC clubs, and not even all of them.

[gionnio]

Hope this works...just moved and slowly getting back up to speed.

[wzpgsr]

Trying something a bit different.

[Peterson]

Do you guys play Gb7-Ab-F7 in bars 10-12? I’d appreciate a bit of theoretical nerdery about this movement

[kris]

I have come to believe that, if the musicians themselves know what is about to happen, then it's not jazz.

Jazz is created by the group, on the fly.

But, a lot of groups are head solos head and don't really do that. The best groups do. I'm more likely to hear it happen in NYC clubs, and not even all of them.

I wonder how many guitarists from JGBE have attended real jam sessions ...?
There are real emotions and mutual inspiration, and a good audience turns up the atmosphere and motivates the musicians.
Here I miss it and sometimes I have the impression that nothing is happening and I play the same over and over again.

[kris]

Trying something a bit different.

Good thinking - interesting phrase building.

[TOMMO]

Hope this works...just moved and slowly getting back up to speed.

It works. Nice and welcome to the fold!

Trying something a bit different.

I like this type of different - have been dabbling with a slow tempo myself on this one - very nice!

[kris]

Hope this works...just moved and slowly getting back up to speed.

Nice solo take.

[TOMMO]

I wonder how many guitarists from JGBE have attended real jam sessions ...?

I never did except for a series of "prepared" sessions. That means tunes have been chosen and prepared in advance but you get on stage with musicians you haven't been playing with before and you don't have a rehearsal or anything like that.
There is nothing like a "jazz scene" around here and no jazz musicians either...

[kris]

I never did except for a series of "prepared" sessions. That means tunes have been chosen and prepared in advance but you get on stage with musicians you haven't been playing with before and you don't have a rehearsal or anything like that.
There is nothing like a "jazz scene" around here and no jazz musicians either...

I think JGBE can be a good introduction to real jams.
Best
kris

[Peterson]

I’ve never been to a proper jam session and I appreciate these threads even if they only mimic a small part of the experience.

[ragman1]

Do you guys play Gb7-Ab-F7 in bars 10-12? I’d appreciate a bit of theoretical nerdery about this movement

To understand this you have to see those bars in the context of the whole section. It's a sort of cliche in swing tunes that, from the IV chord you go to the #IV diminished then back to the I.

In C that would be

F - F#o - C - A7 etc

Another way to play the diminished, or substitute for it, is to play the 'backdoor' chord ('backdoor' because it kind of sneaks up on the I from underneath). That's a dominant 7 a tone below the I. So in C:

F - Bb7 - C - A7

So in Ab, that's what we have here. Some versions have Do, others have Gb7, the backdoor chord.

Db - Gb7 - Ab - F7

[Peterson]

To understand this you have to see those bars in the context of the whole section. It's a sort of cliche in swing tunes that, from the IV chord you go to the #IV diminished then back to the I.

In C that would be

F - F#o - C - A7 etc

Another way to play the diminished, or substitute for it, is to play the 'backdoor' chord ('backdoor' because it kind of sneaks up on the I from underneath). That's a dominant 7 a tone below the I. So in C:

F - Bb7 - C - A7

So in Ab, that's what we have here. Some versions have Do, others have Gb7, the backdoor chord.

Db - Gb7 - Ab - F7

Thank you!

[kris]

Dbmaj7 / Dbm7 Gb7/Abmaj7/F7
or
Dbmaj7 /Ddim/Abmaj7/F7

[kris]

Take with -Dbmaj7 /Ddim/Abmaj7/F7 /same section 1&2/ :

[lawson-stone]

I wonder how many guitarists from JGBE have attended real jam sessions ...?
There are real emotions and mutual inspiration, and a good audience turns up the atmosphere and motivates the musicians.
Here I miss it and sometimes I have the impression that nothing is happening and I play the same over and over again.

Probably more here have been involved in jam sessions than you think. But maybe their experiences and perceptions are different from yours. A small session in a community without much "jazz action" will be somewhat different than a sign-up driven jam session in a New York venue. I played every thursday night for over a year in a jam session that met at a "Golden Corral" buffet restaurant. We had a house rhythm section that I was in, the other 3 were pros, hired by the management, and then whoever showed up played as much or as little as they wanted. Some nights, it was 2 others, several nights we had 5 or 6 horn players who did section arrangements on the fly.

But my experience probably had very little in common with a jam session where almost every player is close to pro-level.

[lawson-stone]

To understand this you have to see those bars in the context of the whole section. It's a sort of cliche in swing tunes that, from the IV chord you go to the #IV diminished then back to the I.

In C that would be

F - F#o - C - A7 etc

Another way to play the diminished, or substitute for it, is to play the 'backdoor' chord ('backdoor' because it kind of sneaks up on the I from underneath). That's a dominant 7 a tone below the I. So in C:

F - Bb7 - C - A7

So in Ab, that's what we have here. Some versions have Do, others have Gb7, the backdoor chord.

Db - Gb7 - Ab - F7

I think these are variations on what is called a "plagal cadence" i.e. a cadence resolving from the subdominant to the tonic, or IV to I.

Lots of ways to get there, as long as the voice leading is strong. So with Db Gb7 Ab you have the F note, the E, then Eb. You've also got potentional around the Db and C to anchor a line.

The passing chord between the IV and the I is a place for some fun. IN this tune, we get Db Gb7 in the A section, but then Db7 Ddim7 in the B section.

[wzpgsr]

I’ve never been to a proper jam session and I appreciate these threads even if they only mimic a small part of the experience.

Did I catch a Barry Harris 5 phrase in there?

[Reg]

Last take in a style of Ed Bickert on my hybrid Tele...
Happy listening:
Box

That was really cool Kris. You don't need to change anything..... loved it. But would love to hear more lick like figures that get expanded or developed. Simple things that us, as the simple audiences and jump on board and also have fun with. You do great job of adjusting changes to latin styles, feels great.

[kris]

Probably more here have been involved in jam sessions than you think. But maybe their experiences and perceptions are different from yours. A small session in a community without much "jazz action" will be somewhat different than a sign-up driven jam session in a New York venue. I played every thursday night for over a year in a jam session that met at a "Golden Corral" buffet restaurant. We had a house rhythm section that I was in, the other 3 were pros, hired by the management, and then whoever showed up played as much or as little as they wanted. Some nights, it was 2 others, several nights we had 5 or 6 horn players who did section arrangements on the fly.

But my experience probably had very little in common with a jam session where almost every player is close to pro-level.

I understand.
But I mean guitarists who play jam solos.When I was younger, I also played in the rhythm section for jam sessions, but I was afraid to play solos.
I was technically weak and had little knowledge about jazz improvisation.
Over the years I have developed my "music workshop".
Real Jam-I mean you are at the front of the stage and enchanting the sounds / drawing the listeners into your world of sounds /.

[kris]

That was really cool Kris. You don't need to change anything..... loved it. But would love to hear more lick like figures that get expanded or developed. Simple things that us, as the simple audiences and jump on board and also have fun with. You do great job of adjusting changes to latin styles, feels great.

Thanks Reg,
I appreciate your comments very much.Next time I will try to surprise everyone.
Although it will not be easy to play with the computer.
Jazzingly Yours
Kris

[Reg]

Endings, tags, turnarounds etc... are ways to end and then start again. I've always thought the last four bars are just a series of secondary doms. to get to the II7 chord.

Bb7..../ Eb7..../ Ab7.. Db7../ Gb7.. Cb7..// Bb7 Then you can use or reference almost any subs etc...
..................... Ab6...G7.......Gb7...F7...

[Triple_Jazz]

1142096[/URL]]I wonder how many guitarists from JGBE have attended real jam sessions ...?

I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and there are some very good jams here. I wouldn’t dare go into the city and actually play one of those jam sessions, they are easily pro level. Fortunately we have pro level people out here who are very welcoming and patient with mediocre players like myself, (and sometimes we get literal pros!!) I often attended a specific jam before Covid but have only been out once since March of 2020, it’s only been happening a few weeks. The jam sesh is radically different than the virtual jam, and both are rewarding and educational. I don’t think one can progress too far on virtual alone, to really excel you must go to the jam. They are scary, fun, frightening, exhilarating, wonderful rollercoasters of emotion!

[lawson-stone]

I understand.
But I mean guitarists who play jam solos.When I was younger, I also played in the rhythm section for jam sessions, but I was afraid to play solos.
I was technically weak and had little knowledge about jazz improvisation.
Over the years I have developed my "music workshop".
Real Jam-I mean you are at the front of the stage and enchanting the sounds / drawing the listeners into your world of sounds /.

I did play solos in those sessions. Did my best, anyhow. Obviously not up to your standard, but I played heads, played solos, traded fours, and from time to time did a completely solo guitar number. The nice thing about a small town situation is nobody was comparing me to any other guitarist, we were all amateur players (except for the bass-piano-drums) and so we all took chances and had fun.

Fun. Remember that part?