JGO Virtual 'Bluez' Jam (Round 2) - Misterioso

[Bobby Timmons]

Our blues for the week is Misterioso by Monk. It's a 6th sequence over a blues. Our key for the week is Bb, same key as the original tune.

Nice version with Milt Jackson being feisty on his solo and screwing up the 2-5 on the head.

Lead sheet from my Monk fake book.

[Bobby Timmons]

Sounds good. It's an A natural over the Bb chords and Ab over the Eb chords. The lead sheet is correct, that's why I took the time to scan it. They just use redundant natural signs after the flat in the preceding bar. Or you can think of it as Bb major for the Bb chords and Eb mixolydian for the Eb chords.

[Bobby Timmons]

No, the form is a standard 12 bar blues with the melody being 8th notes. I'm not understanding all this confusion about the tune when you asked me for a chart so I purposely scanned and posted one which I knew to be 100% correct. :P

[ragman1]

Here we go, the version with Sonny Rollins. Head is maj on the one all the way through and then just reverts to a perfectly normal slow swing 12-bar complete with chord subs like the diminished. And very nice it is too.

[Bobby Timmons]

ragman you're triggering me with your misinformation, please desist.

Monk recorded the tune different ways

Each recording is arranged slightly differently but he played the melody exactly the same every time.

so we can't say that any chart is 'correct'.

Yes we can. For like the 3rd time, the chart I posted is completely correct. That's why I purposely scanned it and posted it.

the G one has the maj 3rd all through but your one hasn't.

The charts are identical, the one in G is just transposed.

Actually, both are wrong in one respect. I can't find a single recording where Monk's maj 3rd clashes with the b7 of the backing.

Do you mean the major 7th of Bb, A? That's what he plays over the Bb chords if you can hear. I assume you don't mean the major 3rd of Bb, D; or the major 3rd of Eb, G. Neither have possible adjacent clashing chord tones.

he's just supporting the head with one note, or a maj triad, or a root/fifth sound. So neither chart are right to say the opening chord is a dominant. Not for the head, anyway.

That's true. It's a lead sheet. It gives you the melody and basic harmonic structure. My chart even gave you an arrangement in piano staves for how to play the head. You're supposed to figure out how to arrange it whether you want to do your own thing or be true to the recording. You're right, you probably wouldn't want to plunk down a Bb7 against the melody. Although you could and it wouldn't make the melody wrong.

As for the doubling up thing, I mean it feels like that when you play it, or it did for me. It's hard to describe but if you play a normal swing 12-bar at a medium pace it's easy to feel where the chords change.

Yeah I see what you mean. The tune is around 80 so it's a walking ballad and it's tougher to keep track of the form because it feels like the chords are spaced out longer when they aren't.

Anyway, I think we're waiting on your version now!

I'm working on it!

[Bobby Timmons]

Here ya go ragman!

[AllanAllen]

I used the head off this album. Stop bickering guys. The newbs will think that’s how everyone gets treated and they’ll be afraid to post.

Misterioso (Thelonious Monk album) - Wikipedia

[AllanAllen]

This would be a great one to refresh those 6543 and 5432 mel bay chord inversions on.

[Bobby Timmons]

I used the head off this album.

The head is played the same every time. :P Yeah no, nice clip.

[AllanAllen]

The head is played the same every time. :P Yeah no, nice clip.

I wasn't sure, I didn't read the whole thing between you and Ragman.

[Bobby Timmons]

I didn't read the whole thing between you and ragman.

[mr. beaumont]

Decided to mess around with this one...tried to to bring back the sixth into my solo a bit.

[Bobby Timmons]

^ Thx for dropping in. Sounds good!

You'll notice that Monk plays the Bb, and probably the Eb too, as major nearly all the time. Which is obvious really because a dominant Bb would clash with the head.

On all the recordings on the head, Monk leaves the chords open, not really playing or defining much other than a root or 5th, which you did say earlier. No, he does not plunk down 7 chords for the head.

That's why your chart is wrong, because it says use Bb7.

I think it's obvious that they mean the normal blues changes with 7 chords for the solos and that open tonality for the head, indicated with only roots for accompaniment in the piano score.

You and I know about that but a beginner or someone who wanted to play this tune could be misled pretty easily.

I guess people could be mislead. Like I said though, it's a lead sheet. It's up to you to figure out your own arrangement whether you want to be true to the recording or do your own thing. I chose to play 7 chords for the head. I played major 3rd and b7 for each the Bb chord and Eb chord.

By the way, for what it's worth, I listened to your clip. The way you play the head is utter genius. I'm not flattering you, it really is. It's utterly masterly, playing the melody with the left hand and comping in the treble. Really, really good. And it works, it's jazz. it's great.

Thx a lot!

But for some reason you ducked doing the swing blues after that and resorted to some kind of strange noodling. I expect you were having a creative moment or something :-)

I was trying to be like Mark. :-) I wasn't 'ducking' playing a straight jazz blues for the millionth time. I don't think straight blues for solos suits the tune. I wanted to do something different since it's Misterioso.

I said I'd do a version in Bb too. Nothing special, just gets the job done.

Sounds good. You played some intervals at the end of your solo! :P

[Bobby Timmons]

Those two statements are in contradiction! It's obvious to you and me but maybe not to a beginner. I think what they should have done was put a note on the chart: Play that bass line with the head but use the 12-bar chords for the solo. Or something like that.

To me, I think it's dense to see a piano score and not understand how that's everything that should be included for the head. So see the 2 staffs and then think dur I should plunk down more chordal information. But I guess it's possible for a beginner. I agree, a note would be the best way.

Mark? Who's Mark?

The forum member Mark Kleinhaut who posts tunes played aleatorically.

Yes, ducking was a bit harsh, I didn't mean avoiding. I realise you wanted to do something different. On the other hand it is really a blues tune. I mean, that's the point of this jam, right?

The point of music is to do whatever you want as long as it sounds good. Same goal in these threads. I especially want to expand approach wise because I'm already happy with how I play a straight jazz blues. I was happy with the outcome. If you didn't like it, that's ok.

So I did. I had to check, I nearly always forget what I play. I might have missed the conversation but what's this thing about intervals? Whass wrong with intervals?

Nothing's wrong with intervals, they are my favorite theory topic right now. I practice them and try to integrate them into my playing because they sound spiky and break up the monotony of only scales and arps.

Anyway, see the clip below. Only the chords are blue. I just this minute finished this. Molto misterioso

Sounds good. Do you mean you didn't play any chords at all under the head? Sounds good open like that.

[mr. beaumont]

Rag, there probably would have been less confusion and discussion if Bobby mentioned where the lead sheet he posted was from-- it's from the Thelonious Monk Fakebook, which is a misnomer (the "fake" part), as the sheets for the tunes are all referenced by actual recordings. It's the definitive way to get your Monk lead sheets.

[ragman1]

it's from the Thelonious Monk Fakebook

I knew that, he said so. Don't worry, it's not an argument, it's a discussion. As far as I know :-)

[Ukena]

Our blues for the week is Misterioso by Monk. It's a 6th sequence over a blues. Our key for the week is Bb, same key as the original tune.

Nice version with Milt Jackson being feisty on his solo and screwing up the 2-5 on the head.
[...]
Lead sheet from my Monk fake book.

The lead sheet is missing...

[ragman1]

To me, I think it's dense to see a piano score and not understand how that's everything that should be included for the head. So see the 2 staffs and then think dur I should plunk down more chordal information. But I guess it's possible for a beginner. I agree, a note would be the best way.

The forum member Mark Kleinhaut who posts tunes played aleatorically.

The point of music is to do whatever you want as long as it sounds good. Same goal in these threads. I especially want to expand approach wise because I'm already happy with how I play a straight jazz blues. I was happy with the outcome. If you didn't like it, that's ok.

Nothing's wrong with intervals, they are my favorite theory topic right now. I practice them and try to integrate them into my playing because they sound spiky and break up the monotony of only scales and arps.

Sounds good. Do you mean you didn't play any chords at all under the head? Sounds good open like that.

No chords under the head. Rubato.

I like intervals too.

Oh, that Mark. Got it.

Absolutely, the point of music is to do whatever you want as long as it sounds good. I've always done that. Look at that last one! I once did a reggae version of Honeysuckle Rose. Nice :-)

[Bobby Timmons]

The lead sheet is missing...

What do you mean? It isn't displaying for you?

[Ukena]

Nope. I've tried other browsers, too.

Should it be in the original post? I see the video, followed by the text "Lead sheet from my Monk fake book." That's it –except for Last edited by Bobby Timmons; 2024-06-01 at 02:52.

[Bobby Timmons]

Sux. You'll have to have at it with the google images. This one is pretty good. Or transcribe it, it's easy, all 6ths.

https://sixstringfollies.wordpress.c...riososcore.jpg

[Ukena]

Oh, I see. Very simple. Thanks!

[Bobby Timmons]

No prob!

[AllanAllen]

Sux. You'll have to have at it with the google images. This one is pretty good. Or transcribe it, it's easy, all 6ths.

https://sixstringfollies.wordpress.c...riososcore.jpg

This is a pretty good one to start ear training with. You already know it’s in Bb and “all 6ths”

oops meant to reply to the other person…

[ragman1]

This is just a perfectly simple, common or garden, 12-bar blues in Bb. Beginners stuff. We should have easily done it and moved on by now.