August 2018 - After You've Gone

**M-ster** · 07-31-2018, 11:11 AM

Our standard for Aug 2018 will be After You've Gone (Henry Creamer, Turner Layton, 1918).

Background:
Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (After You've Gone)

**Lobomov** · 07-31-2018, 12:33 PM

Uh .. Good choice .. Happy 100 years to that one

**M-ster** · 07-31-2018, 12:56 PM

No. 34 on the Jazz Standards' top 300. (We've already tackled the 33 above it.) You're welcome to join us and post something!

From JazzStandards.com:

Creamer and Layton’s “After You’ve Gone,” joins “St. Louis Blues” (1914) and “Indiana” (1917) as the top three pre-1920s jazz standards. Few compositions of the early 20th century endured the transition to the smooth swing sound of the 1930s and beyond.

**DonEsteban** · 07-31-2018, 07:52 PM

So you opened the New Realbook II on page 6 with last month's tune (Ain't Misbehaving) looked to the left and there it was, August tune on page 5 "After You've Gone".

Smooth!

I like this one:

**clebergf** · 08-02-2018, 09:09 AM

Can I post a video from my band here?
It's not a guitar only, but I'm playing rhythm guitar on it. xD

**ragman1** · 08-03-2018, 08:01 AM

re. B part -

I see the Dm section as Dm/A7 then Dm/G7- C ... only they've subbed the backdoor Bb7 for the G7.

**mr. beaumont** · 08-03-2018, 06:23 PM

Alright, let's try this one...

I think I want to do a slow bluesy one this month too.

**mr. beaumont** · 08-03-2018, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by clebergf

Can I post a video from my band here?
It's not a guitar only, but I'm playing rhythm guitar on it. xD

This is a great slower bluesy take...I want to do one like this too...great stuff.

What are you playing rhythm on, c?

**ragman1** · 08-03-2018, 06:52 PM

Back in the day, I used to duet with my old buddy Chris, who was pretty good, and this tune was one of our staples. Always went down well.

That was in G and for those who remember that thread about the strange Mickey Baker chord D13b5b9, pictured as an Ab7#9, this is what I'm using here (I've been using it for a long time). At the end of the verse it goes 'After you've gone away'. The chord on 'gone' should be a D7 but I'm playing it Am7 - Ab7#9 (464577) - G.

Works a treat here but it's not so hot in C. Probably the nearest is Dm7 - Db7#9 - C6.

**clebergf** · 08-03-2018, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Alright, let's try this one...

I think I want to do a slow bluesy one this month too.

Great take there.

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

This is a great slower bluesy take...I want to do one like this too...great stuff.

What are you playing rhythm on, c?

Thanks Mr. B. I'm playing a Godin 5th Avenue recorded with two mics acoustic only.

**Hep To The Jive** · 08-03-2018, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

I thought the original take was a bit dull so I speeded it up x2... so it's still in C only an octave above :-)

Cheater!

**ragman1** · 08-03-2018, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive

Cheater!

Maybe :-)

**KirkP** · 08-04-2018, 12:59 PM

Most people think of “After you’ve gone” as an up-tempo tune, but the earliest recordings (until the late ‘20s) are mostly slow or moderate. This early recording is a prize, starting off with a lovely almost bluesy guitar/vocal duo on the bridge before the band enters for the chorus. I’m working on a guitar solo version in a similar spirit, but I need more time to clean it up.

I have a hard time believing this version was really recorded by Marion Harris in 1918. There’s another recording of her singing this tune and the voice quality and singing style is much different. The instruments also seem to be playing in a later style. In any case, it’s a great take.

**ragman1** · 08-04-2018, 01:08 PM

Lovely, Kirk. I always thought if it's going to be slow then it should be blues, medium then swing, and 'jazz' then double tempo - as they did, of course.

Thing is it's a strange tune, not quite ballad, not quite blues. The progression is redolent of a standard blues, but the melody isn't quite. Which, I suppose, is why it's interpretable in so many different styles.

But thanks for that, lovely stuff.

**Hep To The Jive** · 08-04-2018, 01:23 PM

Many singer do verse slow and bluesy, and then kick in with a fast chorus. To me that's the best way to play it. If there's no singer, no verse, I'd prefer a fast treatment of the chorus, it feels too long and draggy to do the whole thing slow.

Of course, I was never a big fan of ballads, maybe once every 4-5 songs on a gig...

I like the challenge too, playing fast tempos is FUN, I don't think we have enough of fast jazz tunes on the forum posted lately, or ever... And this one is perfect for it!

**KirkP** · 08-04-2018, 07:41 PM

Playing tunes at a slower tempo can be challenging too. You can play around with the rhythm, harmony, multiple voices, etc. in any case, I like to learn ‘em at an easy tempo and accelerate once I know the tune better. But it’s fun to hear the tune interpreted in a lot of ways.

**Hep To The Jive** · 08-04-2018, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by KirkP

Playing tunes at a slower tempo can be challenging too. You can play around with the rhythm, harmony, multiple voices, etc. in any case, I like to learn ‘em at an easy tempo and accelerate once I know the tune better. But it’s fun to hear the tune interpreted in a lot of ways.

Totally man! Variety is the spice of life, the more different versions the better, all is good.

It was more of an observation that mostly it's pretty things, ballads or near ballads in general that prevalent on the forum... I might be wrong of course... Personally, wanna hear more attitude/speed/devil may care type sometimes...

But never mind me, looking forward yours and everyone else take! Great tune, people.

**M-ster** · 08-05-2018, 04:53 PM

Here's mine for this month:

http://www.noiseinthebasement.com/mp...0gone%2005.mp3

**KirkP** · 08-05-2018, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by M-ster

Here's mine for this month:

http://www.noiseinthebasement.com/mp...0gone%2004.mp3

Yeah! Nice easy swing with hip bluesy voicings/phrashing.

**ragman1** · 08-05-2018, 07:23 PM

Perfect, Mark. 100% there definitely!

**KirkP** · 08-07-2018, 06:43 PM

I cut my teeth learning rags. Here’s a rough sketch of After You’ve Gone in G in that style. I left the recorder running over many repeats, so feel free to stop midway or skip altogether if that style wouldn’t appeal to you. The photos were added to allow me to upload to youtube instead of posting an audio file.

**Gramps** · 08-10-2018, 10:43 AM

Mr. B, Nice version. I hope you can find the time to record a slow bluesy version of the song too.

I'm having problems working out a solo for this song that I'm happy with. I've got the changes, melody and a CM version down but am having issues working out a solo that I feel is worth posting.

Looking for ideas and inspiration.

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Alright, let's try this one...

I think I want to do a slow bluesy one this month too.

**ragman1** · 08-10-2018, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Gramps

Looking for ideas and inspiration.

Those will come the more you play with it.

**Gramps** · 08-10-2018, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Those will come the more you play with it.

Working on it but it never hurts to listen to a more advanced player for ideas.

I'm sure Mr. B doesn't think it's expected of him. It was just a wishful request. No pressure.