JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 50) - Second Chance

[mr. beaumont]

We will be finishing off this year with a little different twist on our jam session...these are busy weeks for all, I'm sure, so we'll mix it up a bit.

This week's theme is "second chance." Play any tune from the whole last 49 weeks, one you kept in your repertoire and feel like you've grown on, or take on a tune you missed and never got a chance to post.

Everyone deserves a second chance.

[Peter C]

I already kind of did that and posted it on the original thread, where I had posted a quickie without knowing the tune (Recorda Me), or having ever really done the II V I thing. I did a bit of studying on the matter, so this is a work in progress. Feedback most certainly welcome (needed?).

[ragman1]

Great idea. I thought I'd go back to the beginning again with Whisper Not.

I don't know if this practice track ever saw the light of day but I think it sounds okay.

[Triple_Jazz]

Very cool, I was thinking of doing a song that I did not participate in but decided to re-cut one from early on I was not happy with. How to make a recording this weekend

[wzpgsr]

I already kind of did that and posted it on the original thread, where I had posted a quickie without knowing the tune (Recorda Me), or having ever really done the II V I thing. I did a bit of studying on the matter, so this is a work in progress. Feedback most certainly welcome (needed?).

I like your aggressive playing style. Kinda like Benson on steroids. You've got a bluesy sound without necessarily doing the "hold a note for an entire bar with lots of vibrato" thing. Wouldn't mind hearing your guitar through and amp with less room sound. I am definitely hearing your outline the changes at certain parts, and also hearing when you float over with pentatonic / blues licks. I think it's a good mix. Nice job.

I wasn't able to record Donna Lee when it was originally called, but I've been playing the head a whole bunch ever since. Planning to record it Sunday.

[Lionelsax]

Hi !

Well, I will pick So What.

So what ?!

[Lionelsax]

I will pick Solar too.

I am sorry, I recorded so many tunes.
It's just an opportunity to share what I am working on.
It's not an album so the sound is what it's like.
Comment whatever you want.

[Peter C]

I like your aggressive playing style. Kinda like Benson on steroids. You've got a bluesy sound without necessarily doing the "hold a note for an entire bar with lots of vibrato" thing. Wouldn't mind hearing your guitar through and amp with less room sound. I am definitely hearing your outline the changes at certain parts, and also hearing when you float over with pentatonic / blues licks. I think it's a good mix. Nice job.

I wasn't able to record Donna Lee when it was originally called, but I've been playing the head a whole bunch ever since. Planning to record it Sunday.

First off, thanks for taking the time to listen.

Ha, a blues-rocker trying to sound like Benson, surely? Yeah, the sound is pretty bad and that damn .020 gauge plain 3rd which is getting picked up acoustically by the phone mic has since been replaced with a wound (long story). My old Strat sounds pretty decent on a louder amp setting.

With regard to "outlining the changes", this is what I was really interested to get feedback on, ie, the descending II V Is. I did research and tried some outside stuff but it wasn't doing it for me, so I kind of stuck to outling the changes and the chromaticism (along with other stuff) just happened without thinking. I think my fingers declared independence years ago. What I play over the head is a matter of personal choice and I'm not seeking any "advice" on that, but I wonder if my noob II V Is are a bit repetitive.

Good luck with Donna Lee!

[wzpgsr]

Warts and all:

[Lionelsax]

Warts and all:

Yes, you did It. Very musical !
Very nice articulation.

[Peter C]

Lionelsax, absolutely nothing wrong with the sax solo and I listened to practically the whole thing. On guitar you are very much still trying to find your way.

wzpgsr, you got great time - all you need is time Nice tone, too.

My philosophy is to throw myself at something and see what happens - usually jazz guys telling me to lay off the rock already. I am not deterred and will do some late night studying if I deem it necessary

[Lionelsax]

Lionelsax, absolutely nothing wrong with the sax solo and I listened to practically the whole thing. On guitar you are very still trying to find your way.

Which sax solo ?

[Peter C]

^Solar

[Lionelsax]

^Solar

Both are called Solar...

[wzpgsr]

wzpgsr, you got great time - all you need is time Nice tone, too.

My philosophy is to throw myself at something and see what happens - usually jazz guys telling me to lay off the rock already. I am not deterred and will do some late night studying if I deem it necessary

Thanks, Peter. You were talking about ii-V a bit earlier in this thread. Not to be overly prescriptive, because we all approach this stuff differently, but I have personally found learning the Donna Lee head, and playing the hell out of it over and over again, to be a nice learning tool for navigating ii-Vi-I in a way that is not quite so vanilla sounding as what I used to do. Donna Lee happened to get called in the jam thread right around the time that my teacher and I were looking at melodic minor as a gateway into the altered sound over ii-Vs. A few of the lines in the Donna Lee head illustrate this really well.

[Peter C]

Mon ami, la deuxième.

OK wzpgsr, so that could be a good excuse to have a bash at Donna Lee.

[ragman1]

Another go at the 2nd one we did, Beatrice. Nice little tune.

[Lionelsax]

Mon ami, la deuxième.

About Solar on SOTW they prefer the guitar.

[Lionelsax]

So I tried Solar on the guitar but for a long solo.

[PMB]

[wzpgsr]

I've watched this a few times—thanks for posting it.

[Reg]

Nice posts... thanks

Peter... love the way you actually get after it. Your improve is entertaining... you crash and burn... but it's fun to listen to. Some very simple approaches to help vary sections or choruses... Try working with motion organization... like when the changes are descending... make your solo go up. At least sometimes. It will help add another feeling to the solo.
The other thing I liked... you seem to like rhythmic melodic licks and then adjust them to the different changes, basically one of the next steps after being able to spell changes. Your creating different relationships.... with playing changes. Again use same motion or direction concepts with the lick developments.... Anyway, thanks.

PMB... nice and cool to see someone come up for visual etc...

[Peter C]

PMB, nicely played. Very clean and vocal.

Thanks for the feedback, Reg. Yeah, when the chord progression is going down, try going up with the improv! Funny how I would think of that automatically in other circumstances, so just shows how much of a jazz noob I am. The other stuff over static(-ish) chords I just do instinctively. Again, thanks for the very useful tips and glad you enjoyed it.

[PMB]

Thanks guys! Great spirit and feel in your post, Peter C.

Reposted my video as I took lots of single choruses yesterday while playing over the tune and decided to include a couple of others.

[PMB]

Some really nice ideas and use of space in your post as well, wzpgsr. I agree - there's so much material worth mining from the head alone of Donna Lee.