JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 73) - Minority

[ragman1]

Next one from Triple.

[ragman1]

I think Gigi must be pronounced G.G. because his first names are George General. As opposed to Zshee-Zshee which is a girl's name :-)

[Triple_Jazz]

Gosh, Triple, you are ambitious! That's me done for. Well, I can't do fast and I can't do bebop so here's this. Not so much slow as... restrained :-)

You're right on top of it no need to fret! Gigi’s version is not too too fast, I’ve heard faster. This tune is regularly called at the jazz jam I attend, I’d assume it’s no stranger to others here. Although it is played somewhere around 200-220 bpm it doesn’t feel like a fast swing (at least to me).

[ragman1]

StuffwhichisfastjustseemstozoompastandIcan'treally getmuchsatisfactionmusicallyfromitit'sjustsortofhe reandgoneandthenit'stoolate

That's what fast stuff seems like to me. Maybe next life I'll be a speed demon and get lots of fans

[Triple_Jazz]

I’m going in with an organ trio cut!

[j4zz]

Didn't know this song at all.

[John A.]

Fun tune, great call Trips.

[j4zz]

Fun tune, great call Trips.

yeah good choice. As I said, I did not know it before this, but I like it now.

I had a little trouble finding a lead sheet, as it was not in any book I have (unless I missed it). Eventually I found a youtube clip that showed someone's Band in a Box screen with the chords on it. I then used my Jjazzlab software to generate a backing track based on that. I know there are youtube backing tracks, but I am enjoying making my own. I see I should have made it a little faster - mine ran at 180 bpm.

[John A.]

yeah good choice. As I said, I did not know it before this, but I like it now.

I had a little trouble finding a lead sheet, as it was not in any book I have (unless I missed it). Eventually I found a youtube clip that showed someone's Band in a Box screen with the chords on it. I then used my Jjazzlab software to generate a backing track based on that. I know there are youtube backing tracks, but I am enjoying making my own. I see I should have made it a little faster - mine ran at 180 bpm.

It's in the Real Book (original illegal 5th edition) and iReal. As far as tempo goes, I think 180 is fine. I actually slowed down the backing track I used (YouTube find) from around 225 to around 210. I would have gone even slower, but that's as far as I could go with messing up the sound. It's cool that you're making your own tracks.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

It's in the Real Book (original illegal 5th edition) and iReal.

It’s also in the Colorado fake book. You can download that one and about 30 others HERE . There’s also a master index file for several of them (called masternx.pdf) that’s available from many web archives.

[j4zz]

I should have just asked you guys... thanks.

[ragman1]

Or you can simply google 'Minority lead sheet' and look under Images. Save from there.

Same for most tunes. Make sure you get the key right.

[kris]

Didn't know this song at all.

Very nice take.
There is no pursuit of quick musical phrases - the time will come for that.
Cool relaxed playing with nice time.

[j4zz]

Very nice take.
There is no pursuit of quick musical phrases - the time will come for that.
Cool relaxed playing with nice time.

Thanks. I find that forcing myself to attempt these things is a good way for me to learn.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Here's my take. I'm trying to play at least part of each solo closer to the nut, but it's hard to kill old habits born of laziness. And for some reason, I kept hearing Bei Mir Bistu Shein in my head while recording this until became a bit of a leitmotif. Although my career as a guitar player began when I bought my first pickup and amp with my Bar Mitzvah money, I may have played one too many of them if that's the only musical allusion that popped into my head.....

[John A.]

Here's my take. I'm trying to play at least part of each solo closer to the nut, but it's hard to kill old habits born of laziness. And for some reason, I kept hearing Bei Mir Bistu Shein in my head while recording this until became a bit of a leitmotif. Although my career as a guitar player began when I bought my first pickup and amp with my Bar Mitzvah money, I may have played one too many of them if that's the only musical allusion that popped into my head.....

Funny. I keep hearing it as "Star Eyes."

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Funny. I keep hearing it as "Star Eyes."

Absolutely! I also hear Who Can I Turn To, What Kind of Fool Am I, and a few others over the first few bars. But the mind works in strange ways. I haven't played Bei Mir Bistu Shein in decades, and I kinda hated it after the 200th time I had to play it. The rest of the band always seemed to love it - I can still hear Leo's wailing on his clarinet like it was last night! It appears that I have congenital absence of the Klezmer gene.

[grahambop]

Great tune, I have played it occasionally (I know it from the Pat Martino version, which goes at 100 mph!).

[Triple_Jazz]

1201682[/URL]]Here's my take. I'm trying to play at least part of each solo closer to the nut, but it's hard to kill old habits born of laziness. And for some reason, I kept hearing Bei Mir Bistu Shein in my head while recording this until became a bit of a leitmotif. Although my career as a guitar player began when I bought my first pickup and amp with my Bar Mitzvah money, I may have played one too many of them if that's the only musical allusion that popped into my head.....

Nice smoking’ cut!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Great tune, I have played it occasionally (I know it from the Pat Martino version, which goes at 100 mph!).

Blowing out lines like that has its place, and I'd love to be able to do it at will. But when it becomes the main form of musical expression for a player, it can get boring (although still impressive). Pat was a fine, gentle, sensitive and introspective man (I'd known him since 1964), and his technique was just part of his intense study and love of playing. Unlike many speed demons, he saw it as another form of musical expression. I suspect it was also a mental exercise for him, as he had all sorts of methods for structuring lines. His circles of notes were legendary.

Speed ain't everything - and if it's the only thing, it's nothing. I love your approach, G. Weaving phrases into long lines is like throwing change-ups and curves among the fastballs - it keeps it interesting for all players, even those on the other team.

[grahambop]

I know what you mean, as much as I like Pat Martino I do find his solos can get a bit relentless over the course of a whole album.

I am unable to play like that, so I can’t help putting short bits in between the long bits, and leaving spaces while I try to figure out what to play next, or work out where I am in the tune. Fortunately it seems to work quite well!

[ragman1]

Hello. Well, you boys are definitely banging it out. Most impressive.

As for pauses and all that, absolutely. I can actually do lines without stopping much but I find it unnatural. It might have something to do with speech patterns too; we say something, then something else. It's only people on dope or the chronically anxious who burble on without stopping.

I'm afraid I agree about Martino. Some of his stuff is great but it can get relentless, as graham said.

Anyway, here's one. It's a little bit faster than slow :-)

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

As for pauses and all that, absolutely. I can actually do lines without stopping much but I find it unnatural. It might have something to do with speech patterns

I think the natural analogue is breathing. We normally breathe in, then out, then pause briefly before taking the next breath. The pause is apparently a major focus in some yoga practices, as it’s believed to be essential to spiritual health.

When I first got my Roland guitar synth, I loved being able to play sax lines and took some of my solos that way. One night shortly after I got it, I was deep into what I thought was a decent “sax” solo when one of my band mates yelled “Breathe!!! Sax players have to breathe!” at me. He made me realize that I’d been playing guitar solos using the sound of a saxophone but not the spirit.

Ever since then, I’ve let my own breathing guide a lot of my playing. I’m not into yoga or spirituality, but it does feel right.

[mastodonovan]

I had to learn this one and realized that the intro is played a couple different ways and I didn’t exactly have the rhythm of the melody down after listening to a couple more versions last night. Heres a take and maybe ill do another with the other intro and the correct melody. About to go to work but will listen to the other takes later!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I had to learn this one and realized that the intro is played a couple different ways and I didn’t exactly have the rhythm of the melody down after listening to a couple more versions last night. Heres a take and maybe ill do another with the other intro and the correct melody. About to go to work but will listen to the other takes later!

You seem to understand the tune pretty well. I look forward to hearing it as you develop your thoughts further. Playing against the clicks on 2 and 4 really makes your playing style pop - it's sheer genius and I'm disappointed in myself for never even thinking about doing it that way. I've always used a quarter note click track and deleted it once I had my take or master.