JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 35) - Solar

**kris** · 09-10-2021, 11:01 AM

**mr. beaumont** · 09-10-2021, 01:20 PM

Tommo, I really liked that...relaxed, swinging...this is a short form tune and can easily be turned into more of a burner, but I like it at this tempo better really...and your take proves why.

Kris, that string by string exercise is outstanding. One I should do more often. If I get time this weekend I'm going to try it with solar too.

**TOMMO** · 09-10-2021, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Tommo, I really liked that...relaxed, swinging...this is a short form tune and can easily be turned into more of a burner, but I like it at this tempo better really...and your take proves why.

Thank you Jeff!

**starjasmine** · 09-10-2021, 02:11 PM

I've really enjoyed hearing the different versions of this tune. The learningjazzstandards dot com site has a few more classic takes:

Solar (from The Jazz Pianist’s Ultimate Guide to The Real Book) – Keyboard Improv

**kris** · 09-10-2021, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Tommo, I really liked that...relaxed, swinging...this is a short form tune and can easily be turned into more of a burner, but I like it at this tempo better really...and your take proves why.

Kris, that string by string exercise is outstanding. One I should do more often. If I get time this weekend I'm going to try it with solar too.

Thanks Jeff,
Your take is great.
Exelent sounding of your jazz box.
Best
Kris

**mr. beaumont** · 09-10-2021, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by kris

Thanks Jeff,
Your take is great.
Exelent sounding of your jazz box.
Best
Kris

Thanks!

**John A.** · 09-10-2021, 08:05 PM

Finally came up for air and had a chance to fool around with this ...

Listening to you guys now.

**ragman1** · 09-10-2021, 09:21 PM

I think this'll do. For the moment, anyway.

You've had a haircut, John :-)

**wzpgsr** · 09-11-2021, 12:01 AM

Graham: I felt like you were channeling Billy Bean's take on End of the Affair in there at times. Wow.

Jeff: Bluesy, nice. Seems like this song can be played in any number of styles and tempos.

Tommo: Laid back and sounding fine.

Kris - I'm liking that modern sound! What a flexible tune.

John A. - Again, I'm digging the modern-sounding stuff you put in there. Is that sort-of-outside chordal stuff improvised?

Rags - I dunno why, but I expected you to come in burnin' at 210 bpm on this one!

**wzpgsr** · 09-11-2021, 12:04 AM

Getting bored with backing tracks lately. This is kinda how I start warming up to a tune--slow, with minimal backing. I took the drum loop and left a click on 2 and 4. I dunno if I'll have the time, but I am thinking to post a few more takes of increasing tempo over the next 5 days.

**PMB** · 09-11-2021, 04:53 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

There’s an interesting article here about how Chuck Wayne wrote it and Miles ‘appropriated’ it. Includes an audio clip of Chuck playing it in 1946, years before Miles did.

Some of the comments below the article explain how Miles might have got it from Chuck (Miles heard him play it on a gig and kept asking to hear it again, or something like that).

It’s ironic that the first 2 bars of Solar are engraved on Miles’ tombstone - he literally took it to the grave with him!

Chuck Wayne, Sonny & Solar | In The Muse: Performing Arts Blog

I was one of the few to have heard that acetate before it went public. I visited Chuck's widow, Diane Wayne about 10 years ago while researching my as yet unpublished book of CW transcriptions and she played it for me.

Miles was a friend of trumpeter, Sonny Berman who was Chuck's colleague in Woody Herman's band. Miles visited Sonny one day when Chuck happened to be hanging around. He asked Sonny if he'd written anything new. "No", Sonny replied, "but Chuck has". A rendition of Sunny/Solar was rattled off. Some years later, Chuck was at a bar and was shocked to hear Eddie Costa playing the same tune. When questioned how he'd possibly picked up on his song, Costa replied, "It's on the new Miles Davis album!"

Nice rendition, Graham.

**ragman1** · 09-11-2021, 05:03 AM

Originally Posted by wzpgsr

Getting bored with backing tracks lately.

There's hope for you yet :-)

**ragman1** · 09-11-2021, 05:06 AM

Originally Posted by PMB

Miles was a friend of trumpeter, Sonny Berman who was Chuck's colleague in Woody Herman's band. Miles visited Sonny one day when Chuck happened to be hanging around. He asked Sonny if he'd written anything new. "No", Sonny replied, "but Chuck has". A rendition of Sunny/Solar was rattled off. Some years later, Chuck was at a bar and was shocked to hear Eddie Costa playing the same tune. When questioned how he'd possibly picked up on his song, Costa replied, "It's on the new Miles Davis album!"

So what happened? He just shrugs and mutters platitudes about imitation and flattery? Good god.

**kris** · 09-11-2021, 05:20 AM

My last take of "Solar" after great vacation in Greece/I/ve got a lot of "Solar" energy/...:-)
Hope you like it:

Box

Attachment 84540

**kris** · 09-11-2021, 06:14 AM

Originally Posted by wzpgsr

Getting bored with backing tracks lately. This is kinda how I start warming up to a tune--slow, with minimal backing. I took the drum loop and left a click on 2 and 4. I dunno if I'll have the time, but I am thinking to post a few more takes of increasing tempo over the next 5 days.

Nice sound and nice jazz lines.You are very inteligent player.
Do not worry it is slow tempo.
Best
Kris

**kris** · 09-11-2021, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by John A.

Finally came up for air and had a chance to fool around with this ...

Listening to you guys now.

Great playing John...
I know you like to play thin strings...good technique.

**grahambop** · 09-11-2021, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

So what happened? He just shrugs and mutters platitudes about imitation and flattery? Good god.

Unfortunately Chuck Wayne never bothered to register the tune for copyright, which is what he should have done as soon as he heard other people playing it!

**John A.** · 09-11-2021, 09:10 AM

Listened to everybody's takes a couple of times ...

Graham: Great stuff as always. Cool ideas, great time and tone, and kudos for being able to sustain such a high level over that long a solo.

Jeff: Great groove and flow. I really dig the way you introduced ideas and built on them. Great example of how to apply the tools in one's kit (enclosure, varying note density, varying straight 1/8's and triplets, blues-isms, etc) to structure a solo, for you kids watching at home.

Kris: Great stuff, all three versions. The string by string exercises is very cool. I've been doing that a bit with scale practice, but not full-on solos; I should try that. I don't think I've every tried this as a bossa -- works great! Regarding strings, I use 12's on the guitar I play on this. The sound is thin because of the way my phone exaggerates the guitar's acoustic sound. The sound through the amp is much warmer, and the sound in the room is quite different from the recording. I may do another recording to the computer rather than on the phone, which will make this much more obvious.

Ragman: Cool versions and great call for a tune (I'll think of something to set you off grumbling again, don't worry). Yes, all hairs were cut.

Tommo: Nice laid back feel, good ideas, good variation in phrasing, great job bringing out the harmony of the tune in your lines.

Wzpgsr: Great job hanging in there with just the 2/4 click at that tempo, and lots of cool ideas there. Looking forward to hearing your versions at different tempos. Regarding my chordal playing, yes it's improvised.

**TOMMO** · 09-11-2021, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by John A.

Tommo: Nice laid back feel, good ideas, good variation in phrasing, great job bringing out the harmony of the tune in your lines.

Thank you John!
Having listened to the last couple of clips from John A. to wzpgsr it's amazing how this tune works in different tempos and styles /approaches.
And who would've thought that you can go even slower than rags?

**dot75** · 09-11-2021, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

So what happened? He just shrugs and mutters platitudes about imitation and flattery? Good god.

What amazes me is that it's on Miles' gravestone...

https://jazzineurope.mfmmedia.nl/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Miles-Davis-headstone.jpg

EDIT

**ragman1** · 09-11-2021, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by TOMMO

And who would've thought that you can go even slower than rags?

Or, indeed, who would want to?

Playing slow is an art, I'll have you know!

**TOMMO** · 09-11-2021, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Playing slow is an art, I'll have you know!

...and as general wisdom goes harder than playing fast....

**ragman1** · 09-11-2021, 11:18 AM

It's not, of course, that's an old wives' tale.

**ragman1** · 09-11-2021, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Unfortunately Chuck Wayne never bothered to register the tune for copyright, which is what he should have done as soon as he heard other people playing it!

More fool him, then.