JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 42) - Nardis

**mr. beaumont** · 10-28-2021, 04:37 PM

John A's pick these week, keeping with our recent trend of questionably Miles-penned tunes:

JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 42) - Nardis-1635437320306-jpg

**mr. beaumont** · 10-28-2021, 06:49 PM

I'll get us going. Left hand index finger not feeling so good...this was a test. Might need to rest it for a few days.

Great tune.

**wzpgsr** · 10-28-2021, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I'll get us going. Left hand index finger not feeling so good...this was a test. Might need to rest it for a few days.

Great tune.

Busted up finger or no, I’d listen to a much longer take of that kind of playing. One of the best I’ve heard from you. Not suite sure what it was—maybe digging in a bit more or something? Sometimes a bit of restriction opens the creativity a bit—busted finger blessing not curse?

**John A.** · 10-28-2021, 10:28 PM

Here's mine. I think a lot of people have a tendency to kind of pound and thunder on this (e.g., the piano in this backing track), but Bill Evan's trio versions have this lightness and exploratory character that I find really appealing. I've been playing this on and and off for a while, trying to break the thunder habit and achieve some of that lightness. It's a journey, not a destination ...

**grahambop** · 10-29-2021, 05:00 AM

For once it seems this tune really was written by Miles, even Bill Evans said so in an interview (if you look up Nardis on wikipedia, it’s quoted there).

Here’s the original version - Miles wrote it specifically for this Cannonball Adderley date. The line-up is Cannonball Adderley, Blue Mitchell, Bill Evans, Sam Jones, Philly Joe Jones (Miles never recorded the tune himself for some reason).

Not sure that anyone really knows why it's called 'Nardis' - the wikipedia explanation (that it is Miles' friend Ben Sidran's name spelt backwards) seems highly unlikely, given that Ben Sidran was 14 years old when it was written!

**ragman1** · 10-29-2021, 06:11 AM

There's a fair explanation of why Miles didn't record it himself here.

Nardis (composition) - Wikipedia

**dogletnoir** · 10-29-2021, 06:35 AM

Delicacy, not bombast:

Even when they take the tempo UP.
And... Eddie Gomez, OMG!

**TOMMO** · 10-29-2021, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

For once it seems this tune really was written by Miles, even Bill Evans said so in an interview (if you look up Nardis on wikipedia, it’s quoted there).

Here’s the original version - Miles wrote it specifically for this Cannonball Adderley date. The line-up is Cannonball Adderley, Blue Mitchell, Bill Evans, Sam Jones, Philly Joe Jones (Miles never recorded the tune himself for some reason).

Not sure that anyone really knows why it's called 'Nardis' - the wikipedia explanation (that it is Miles' friend Ben Sidran's name spelt backwards) seems highly unlikely, given that Ben Sidran was 14 years old when it was written!

That's the version I have known for some time and I like it like that very much - nice laid back tempo!

**Peterson** · 10-29-2021, 07:22 AM

This is new to me. Fun tune! I look forward to working on it!

Here’s a quick jam

Feel free to comment

**ragman1** · 10-29-2021, 09:48 AM

Very nicely played! Is it my ears or are the acoustics a bit odd?

P.S. What's that thing on the wall?

**Peterson** · 10-29-2021, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Very nicely played! Is it my ears or are the acoustics a bit odd?

thanks! It’s a large room and the speakers are mounted high on the wall so the track sounds borderline cavernous.

It’s a whiteboard eraser.

**lawson-stone** · 10-29-2021, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I'll get us going. Left hand index finger not feeling so good...this was a test. Might need to rest it for a few days.

Great tune.

I like it! I echo what others have said about "digging in" but then that's something I always like about your playing. It has just a bit of an edge of aggressiveness (or something) that gives it character.

**wzpgsr** · 10-29-2021, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by John A.

Here's mine. I think a lot of people have a tendency to kind of pound and thunder on this (e.g., the piano in this backing track), but Bill Evan's trio versions have this lightness and exploratory character that I find really appealing. I've been playing this on and and off for a while, trying to break the thunder habit and achieve some of that lightness. It's a journey, not a destination ...

Good mix of thunder and lightness, I'd say. That bit around 1:30-1:35 was really cool.

**ragman1** · 10-29-2021, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Peterson

It’s a whiteboard eraser.

Ah, magnetic! Thanks, got it :-)

**ragman1** · 10-29-2021, 01:20 PM

Jazz swing rhythm with Spanish-type chords... I suppose it works.

**mr. beaumont** · 10-29-2021, 01:32 PM

Good start, y'all.

John, you build some very nice tension in there by doing some cool rhythmic stuff. I like.

Peterson, your lines feel relaxed and swing nicely. I'll be looking forward to seeing where you go with this one as you get to know it better.

Rag, I'll check yours out tonight, as Soundcloud is blocked here at work and I just got the dreaded "Your almost out of data" text.

Oh, here's one of my favorite versions:

**ragman1** · 10-29-2021, 01:41 PM

Just out of curiosity, is EM7b9 a chord?

(not that I think it makes a lot of difference)

Anyone seen rpjazzguitar? He's posting but not playing... hope he's okay. Not hurt his hand or anything.

**dogletnoir** · 10-29-2021, 01:55 PM

i've never actually played this tune before, so this is a recording of my very first attempt, literally:

Hopefully it will get better once i have a chance to actually look at the lead sheet and study some more recorded versions, LOL.

**Triple_Jazz** · 10-29-2021, 02:54 PM

Hello again! I haven’t been able to play more than 30 minutes of guitar for the entire month and I’m having greater withdrawal syndrome than a heroin addict! I hope to be back in regular rotation soon, for now here is my contribution. You may remove me from tune calling for now Jeff.

**John A.** · 10-29-2021, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Just out of curiosity, is EM7b9 a chord?

(not that I think it makes a lot of difference)

Anyone seen rpjazzguitar? He's posting but not playing... hope he's okay. Not hurt his hand or anything.

It's probably meant to convey a cluster from E to G. Using chord names to notate clusters is kind of a, um, clusterfuck.

**wzpgsr** · 10-29-2021, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by John A.

It's probably meant to convey a cluster from E to G. Using chord names to notate clusters is kind of a, um, clusterfuck.

What’s a cluster?

**John A.** · 10-29-2021, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by wzpgsr

What’s a cluster?

A chord made up of consecutive seconds. Not really doable on the guitar (unless you're Johnny Smith), but common on piano (especially Bill Evans).

**wzpgsr** · 10-29-2021, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by John A.

A chord made up of consecutive seconds. Not really doable on the guitar (unless you're Johnny Smith), but common on piano (especially Bill Evans).

Yeah. Ouch. Shouldn't have tried that.

**dogletnoir** · 10-30-2021, 11:10 PM

Giving it another go...

i'll keep working on it.

**John A.** · 10-31-2021, 02:33 AM

Things are coming along nicely. Looking forward to hearing more versions. Meanwhile:

Jeff: Nice job blues-ing it up, and slipping in some Jerry-ism (especially the triplets). It's funny -- once you copped to being a Deadhead, I started hearing Jerry in almost everything you do, so maybe I'm imagining things ... or maybe I shouldn't have drunk that orange juice that was sitting on the table ...

Doglet: you're getting there, for sure. I like the second one, and would like to hear you nail the head.

Rags: This tune seems more up your alley than some of the others. Your contemplative, nibbling-around-the-edges-of-the-harmony thing fits well here.

Trips: good energy throughout, and I really like the chord stabs you work into the melody.

Peterson: lots of good stuff there, and it swings hard.