March 2020 - It Could Happen to You

[M-ster]

Happy leap year day (whether or not that is a "thing"), people!

Our standard for Mar 2020 will be It Could Happen to You (Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Burke, 1944).

Background:
Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (It Could Happen to You)

[ragman1]

[Bahnzo]

Here's mine. As usual, I didn't know this one before. I wasn't going to post, but I listened to it today and I didn't hate it as much as I did last nite. And hopefully I'll continue with it during the month and improve.

[ragman1]

For those who didn't like the weird version. Shame on you!

[Bahnzo]

It took me awhile, because I'm dense, but I was wondering why you were playing a tune called "Itchy".

[ragman1]

That's why I liked the acronym (I think that's what it's called). I could only see itchy too :-)

Anyway I can't spell hapen

[mr. beaumont]

Or Twitchy

[ragman1]

It's a rip-off!

[Bahnzo]

After working through a few chapters of Garrison Fewell's book, I gave it a go using some of his methods.

[ragman1]

Hi Banjo -

Oh, that was better, sounds more thought-out. Familiarity with the tune helps, of course. No one's that good the first time. The blues sounds were good, suits the tune, I think.

Out of curiosity, what were the Garrison Fewell tips you were using, roughly? Not that I want to copy them or anything but for interest's sake.

[Bahnzo]

It's one of the study threads in the Improvisation forum. It's to do with triads w/extensions to create lines. It's something I've been interested in for awhile now, but never found anything I seemed to "get". His book "A Melodic Approach" looked good and has really made sense to me so far.

[ragman1]

Great. If it works, it works. It's appearing to :-)

Very glad you're still at it, by the way

[hohoho]

Walking bass comp

[GuyBoden]

I've been playing "It Could Happen to You", using these simpler chords.


There is purposely no key signature.

[ragman1]

It's simpler but you removed a nice minor bit. The two diminished chords are good (they're the same as the 7b9 doms) but the Gm7 - C7 goes to F minor. The plain C7 won't matter but the Gm7 really ought to be Gm7b5.

The plain G7 before the Cm will pass too (bars 12 -13). So it's just that one chord, the Gm7b5. But when soloing remember that the C7 and the G7 both resolve to minor chords.

And it needs a turnaround at the end. EbM7 - Bb7 is probably easiest.

You don't mind my saying all that, I hope. It would be a shame not to have it sounding right and having to do it again later.

[GuyBoden]

It's simpler but you removed a nice minor bit. The two diminished chords are good (they're the same as the 7b9 doms) but the Gm7 - C7 goes to F minor. The plain C7 won't matter but the Gm7 really ought to be Gm7b5.

The plain G7 before the Cm will pass too (bars 12 -13). So it's just that one chord, the Gm7b5. But when soloing remember that the C7 and the G7 both resolve to minor chords.

And it needs a turnaround at the end. EbM7 - Bb7 is probably easiest.

You don't mind my saying all that, I hope. It would be a shame not to have it sounding right and having to do it again later.

Thanks, yes, we could have that too.

I didn't like this below:

[ragman1]

Thanks, yes, we could have that too.

Not as well as, it's how it's written.

[GuyBoden]

Not as well as, it's how it's written.

Ragman, many thanks for your analysis, much appreciated.

Yes, you can make the changes more and more complex, but I'm keeping it simple for my level of playing ability.

Below is from Lionel Grigson's classic UK book "A Jazz Chord Book", it shows both simple and complex versions simultaneously, I've used this book for over 30 years:


There are many versions of chords for Jazz Standards, and equally many disagreements on which chords to use.

Edit: Ralph Patt's version (in Ab):


Fake book version below:

[ragman1]

This is probably the most complex. Probably too complex. Like you, I prefer them simpler. I wonder why Ralph Patt had his in Ab? Possibly for female vocalists.

[GuyBoden]

I wonder why Ralph Patt had his in Ab? Possibly for female vocalists.

There are many differing versions of chords, the "Bob Book" has the song in 'G'.

[ragman1]

Well, whichever the key it's not the chords that would bother me. It's definitely a bebop tune so it's not only the speed but the vocabulary. I'd have to think quite carefully about how to noodle it :-)

[GuyBoden]

Well, whichever the key it's not the chords that would bother me. It's definitely a bebop tune so it's not only the speed but the vocabulary. I'd have to think quite carefully about how to noodle it :-)

Obviously I'm currently working on this song, I've memorised the simple chord version and melody. If I use the simple chord version I have no problem noodling all over it (150+BPM), if I use the complex version I easily get lost.

[ragman1]

Sounds good. Bon voyage :-)

[ragman1]

I was impressed by Chet's singing instead of playing the break in this. It was something.