JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 65) - Come Sunday

[ragman1]

This one's from John A.

[ragman1]

Here's the original version + old RB lead sheet.

[ragman1]

Let no one say S-L-O-W is easy

[John A.]

I had to skip the last couple because I had no time to sit down and figure them out due to other musical stuff happening. No need to figure this one out, so no excuses. I should have time over the weekend. Meanwhile, this is one of my all time jazz recordings bar none.

[ragman1]

Welcome back, John. 'Bout time too if you ask me

I've done this. Just a bit of head at the beginning and end so we can improv more. Enjoy.

[kris]

"Come Sunday" is a tune that just needs to be played nicely.
I played it the first time - very nice composition by D. Ellington.Thanks JohnA.
Here it is:




Box

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I agree with Kris - nicely nicely does the job. My first instinct was to play with harmonization rather than melody. I was setting up my Tele for tomorrow's gig, so I laid down a take while it was out.

[John A.]

Here we go. First take here (after a couple of false starts), trying to keep it as jammy as possible. Special thanks to our friend Mr. Sunny Bass.

[John A.]

Never: Really beautiful arrangement, very Ellington/Strayhorn-like.
Rags: Good one. The tune meshes very well with your comping and approach.
Kris: Looking forward to hearing yours.

[kris]

Here we go. First take here (after a couple of false starts), trying to keep it as jammy as possible. Special thanks to our friend Mr. Sunny Bass.

One of your best virtual jam recordings.
All notes are very precisely and confidently articulated.
Lots of interesting blues-jazz phrases.
The blues character gives the song a personal touch.
The whole thing feels like you've been playing this song for many years.

[kris]

I agree with Kris - nicely nicely does the job. My first instinct was to play with harmonization rather than melody. I was setting up my Tele for tomorrow's gig, so I laid down a take while it was out.

A beautiful arrangement played in a beautiful cultural way.
Solo guitar - nothing else is needed.

[kris]

Kris: Looking forward to hearing yours.

You press 'Box' and the music is heard. I hope so.

[John A.]

One of your best virtual jam recordings.
All notes are very precisely and confidently articulated.
Lots of interesting blues-jazz phrases.
The blues character gives the song a personal touch.
The whole thing feels like you've been playing this song for many years.

Thanks!

You press 'Box' and the music is heard. I hope so.

Ah, got it. Very nice, Kris. Full of cool ideas and a great tone.

[kris]

Modern take:

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I had the 810 out for a practice session and decided to see how this sounds with a pick on an archtop.

[wzpgsr]

Trying to get back into the swing of things.

[ragman1]

Last blast from me before we change. This one is more melody focussed. And, believe it or not, there's some 16ths in it. Shock horror!

[wzpgsr]

Good stuff all. My main take-away from this tune was discovering for myself how Bbdim --> Bbmaj opens a nice door to major or minor pentatonic scale with blue notes to taste.

[ragman1]

Good stuff all. My main take-away from this tune was discovering for myself how Bbdim --> Bbmaj opens a nice door to major or minor pentatonic scale with blue notes to taste.

My lead sheet from the 557 book gives it as Bbo/A. But what's that? I suppose it's an A7b9, which is kind of nonsense, but still. On that last recording up there I just played Ab13 - A13 - Bb6. A lot easier... and well conducive to blues licks, of course.

[John A.]

Good stuff all. My main take-away from this tune was discovering for myself how Bbdim --> Bbmaj opens a nice door to major or minor pentatonic scale with blue notes to taste.

My lead sheet from the 557 book gives it as Bbo/A. But what's that? I suppose it's an A7b9, which is kind of nonsense, but still. On that last recording up there I just played Ab13 - A13 - Bb6. A lot easier... and well conducive to blues licks, of course.

If you guys are talking about the last 2 bars of the A section, i just think of that as a turnaround. Pretty much anything from a blues or gospel bag works over it. Ultimately that's what the song is - a gospel ballad.

The way I see it, play melodies with a gospel and blues flavor, and the harmony takes care of itself.

[wzpgsr]

Right. Problem for me is that after a lifetime of playing blues-influenced funk and rock, jazz and blues are still pretty segregated in my mind when I pick up my guitar. It’s a weird phenomenon—decades of ear and muscle memory competing with all the new stuff I’ve been working on for the past 10 years or so. Probably indicative that, despite lots of listening, I still rely an awful on what I see on a chart instead of what my inner ear is hearing.

The Eb#11 in this tune is another great example. I start thinking “chord tones” and my fingers naturally gravitate towards 8th note “jazz ideas”, but on this tune it kind of clicked for me that this is basically a one bar modulation from Bb major to Bb minor, and that minor blues licks work really well here. Just sort of a minor personal epiphany—lots of players in this group naturally find that blues element—especially Mr. B.

[John A.]

Right. Problem for me is that after a lifetime of playing blues-influenced funk and rock, jazz and blues are still pretty segregated in my mind when I pick up my guitar. It’s a weird phenomenon—decades of ear and muscle memory competing with all the new stuff I’ve been working on for the past 10 years or so. Probably indicative that, despite lots of listening, I still rely an awful on what I see on a chart instead of what my inner ear is hearing.

The Eb#11 in this tune is another great example. I start thinking “chord tones” and my fingers naturally gravitate towards 8th note “jazz ideas”, but on this tune it kind of clicked for me that this is basically a one bar modulation from Bb major to Bb minor, and that minor blues licks work really well here. Just sort of a minor personal epiphany—lots of players in this group naturally find that blues element—especially Mr. B.

I think this is one of those tunes that is a lot easier to unravel via vocal versions. When I play it, I try to hear this ...

... feel the mood and the message of the words, and get some of that out. I don't feel it as a "changes" tune, though I realize it has changes and you have to TCB with that to least some degree. I guess I don't feel blues, R&B, and funk as that distinct from jazz. Articulations, feelings, palettes of notes, harmonies, and even rhythm coexist and crossover in my mind and playing. One of the things that helped me to blend the two was to bring more in the way of jazz palette and approach to the other stuff, and start thinking of, say, a Chicago blues style tune not just as a collection of blues licks but as a tune with changes. Bring the side-slipping and tritone subs and arps and 8th-note-based line construction to that. Robben Ford and to a degree Mike Bloomfield (especially in terms of line shape) are great guys to steal from for that. And of, course, play your BB and Clapton licks over Misty (Benson, Burrell, and Larry Carlton are the masters of that).

[wzpgsr]

I don't feel it as a "changes" tune

That's it. Great succinct statement of how I unconsciously approach all jazz tunes vs all non-jazz tunes. My mind locks into this idea of "all jazz songs are changes that must be navigated vertically" vs. "some sort of harmony that CAN be navigated vertically, but doesn't have to be." Work in progress!

[Triple_Jazz]

Nice one John!!