September 2020 - Out of Nowhere

**M-ster** · 08-31-2020, 12:43 PM

Our standard for Sep 2020 will be Out of Nowhere (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, 1931).

Background:
Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Out of Nowhere)

**grahambop** · 09-01-2020, 04:50 AM

I did this tune for the forum about 5 years ago, I wonder if it has been a practical standard before? (not that it matters.)

**grahambop** · 09-01-2020, 04:51 AM

Lawson should re-post his Star Trek contrafact, that was cool.

**ragman1** · 09-01-2020, 07:40 AM

Graham -

It's not on our list. That's M-ster's criterion. Even if it was done 20 years ago (!) we get the next one on the Jazz Standards website list.

Nice playing :-)

**grahambop** · 09-01-2020, 08:11 AM

Thanks! Must admit I was under the impression that m-ster originally excluded any that we knew had been done before (a list of those was obtained from somewhere).

But I don’t mind, maybe I will be able to re-use a few more of my old clips! I’ll have a look at that website...

**grahambop** · 09-01-2020, 08:24 AM

Ok now i see jehu’s lists of previous tunes are pinned as a ‘sticky’ at the top of this section, so that’s why we didn’t do Angel Eyes this time? (Because it’s on that list in 2013).

Out of nowhere isn’t on the lists so that makes sense, I must have done it for some other reason.

**Vladan** · 09-01-2020, 08:34 AM

EDIT: It was not Practical Standard, it was for this thread, in November 2014: Practicing Lines - Do you need a backing track of some sort?
Targuit was quite a personality. He should not have been banned from forum.

**lawson-stone** · 09-01-2020, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Lawson should re-post his Star Trek contrafact, that was cool.

Because you asked for it! This one hasn't got the tremolo... need to find that one.

**Paulie2** · 09-01-2020, 11:05 AM

Here's an organ trio version from a brunch gig a few years back.

**grahambop** · 09-01-2020, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Because you asked for it! This one hasn't got the tremolo... need to find that one.

Highly logical, captain.

**ragman1** · 09-01-2020, 09:32 PM

Oh, go on, have some fun

**hohoho** · 09-02-2020, 05:33 AM

**ragman1** · 09-02-2020, 06:09 AM

That was good. The whole album's pretty good:

Steve Brown - Topic - YouTube

**lawson-stone** · 09-03-2020, 11:59 AM

I don't want to derail the thread from actual playing--I'm working on this tune myself. But I am curious about how you all are thinking about soloing over these changes. I know "follow your ear" and all that... but at the same time I could use some ideas for navigating some of the wrinkles in this tune. I'm feeling like a lot of Major/Minor conversion plays a role. GMaj7 to Bm7 could really be much the same soloing environment. GMaj7 to Bbm7 could be simply mean playing ideas a half-step lower... but I feel like as I work on this I'm missing something... or several somethings.

I'd love to hear any thoughts about how you're hearing or thinking this tune working for improvisation.

**Alter** · 09-03-2020, 01:24 PM

I pretty much also think of Gmaj7 as B-7, then sometimes move down to Bb-7 and also embellish A-7 D7 to return to Gmaj7..

I really like to play that tune, here's two versions, one played on a nylon string at home, and one live, played on an Elferink (also using a looper on that one..)

**christianm77** · 09-03-2020, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I don't want to derail the thread from actual playing--I'm working on this tune myself. But I am curious about how you all are thinking about soloing over these changes. I know "follow your ear" and all that... but at the same time I could use some ideas for navigating some of the wrinkles in this tune. I'm feeling like a lot of Major/Minor conversion plays a role. GMaj7 to Bm7 could really be much the same soloing environment. GMaj7 to Bbm7 could be simply mean playing ideas a half-step lower... but I feel like as I work on this I'm missing something... or several somethings.

I'd love to hear any thoughts about how you're hearing or thinking this tune working for improvisation.

I think of it going G to Eb7... that can be a regular Eb7 or Eb7#11 (i.e. Bb minor) depending on choice. That’s the characteristic move of the tune. Actually a pretty common progression as far as it goes.

**jaco** · 09-04-2020, 06:40 AM

I did a Skype lesson with Jonathan Kreisberg awhile back. This was one of the tunes he recommended learning...

**lawson-stone** · 09-04-2020, 10:28 AM

So here's what I guess I'll call my "Opening Bargaining Position"--first effort with this tune. I find it somewhat confusing even though I know it's a clear structure, but when it loops back to the second A section I mentally tend to go back as if to the top... so I have a tendency to hesitate around m. 24 or so, moving to the "C" section. I'm also still trying to play all my cliches and lame arpeggios out of my system.

**ragman1** · 09-04-2020, 01:28 PM

I liked that thing you were doing at around 1.38.

**christianm77** · 09-16-2020, 12:37 PM

Here's a solo exploration of it

**ragman1** · 09-16-2020, 12:54 PM

That was quite nice.

**lawson-stone** · 09-16-2020, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Here's a solo exploration of it

Wow there are more melodic ideas in this than I think I've played my entire life. Very fine indeed.

**christianm77** · 09-16-2020, 05:37 PM

Thanks guys. I just wanted to blat something down in one take, rather than doing loads of takes as I have been over the spring and summer. Well, without wanting to discount your lovely words, and to be honest, listening back the time is in really rough shape (!) but there's something in there. So the question is do I polish it and turn it into a set piece?

Solo guitar is always like that for me. It's just hard to really improvise it in time ATM; as a result it's tempting to do everything as a rubato ballad. I can do it sometimes with tunes I know incredibly well, but the guitar playing side of it is pretty challenging and that has to be under my fingers before I can really pay attention to the pulse and phrasing, especially if I'm stretching a little musically... Perhaps this will improve if I do it enough... but lots of chord melody players seem to prefer a some what 'out of time' treatment for that reason probably... Improvisation and time - maybe you have to choose a bit?

If anybody likes an idea I played here, happy to talk through it.

**Hep To The Jive** · 09-18-2020, 11:53 AM

I'm too, like Christian, go for one take, whatever happens. And many mistakes happened! Oh well, it's just for the laugh then, I can post it. Honestly, haven't played much jazz lately, and it shows. But I dig the tune, and always fun to play.

**lawson-stone** · 09-18-2020, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive

I'm too, like Christian, go for one take, whatever happens. And many mistakes happened! Oh well, it's just for the laugh then, I can post it. Honestly, haven't played much jazz lately, and it shows. But I dig the tune, and always fun to play.

Nicely done! And you seemed to be having fun!