The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    During truefire's recent 'back-to-school' sale I picked up a copy (-instant download) of Matthieu Brandt's "50 Jump Blues Licks You Must Know." I enjoy learning them. I've always enjoyed this style of music, but I'm not as well versed in it as I am in some other blues styles. Hence this thread.

    First, a paragraph from wikipedia: >>> Jump blues is an up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns. It was very popular in the 1940s, and the movement was a precursor to the arrival of rhythm and blues and rock and roll.[2] More recently, there was renewed interest in jump blues in the 1990s as part of the swing revival. <<<<< Jump blues - Wikipedia

    You like jump blues?

    Who are some of your favorite players?

    What are some of your favorite songs / recordings?

    If you were to attend a jump blues jam session, what would you expect to hear called?

    Post clips! ;o) (I will too.)

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    A few samples from the early days. (None of these are guitar-centered recordings. I'm sure we'll get to that....)

    Here's one I first heard covered by Aerosmith. (Was that on "Toys In The Attic"?) Bull Moose Jackson and his big ten inch....record.


    And Big Joe Turner doing "Shake, Rattle, and Roll".


  4. #3

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    My introduction to Jazz music came via Jump. I was a real Blues head in my early-to-mid teens, but everyone was telling me I should get into Jazz. Jump and post-war Swing aided that transition. Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner and mid 40s Jay McShann are all essential listening, even though you're not going to hear much in the way of guitar (except this track):



    More Swing orientated guitarists of that era who I loved (and still do I suppose) were Oscar Moore, Irving Ashby, Slim Gaillard & John Collins.

  5. #4

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    saunders king…



    cheers

    junior watson…w stratotone!



    cheers

  6. #5

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    Here's a lesson in jump blues comping by Tommy Harkenrider. I really enjoyed this one. (I don't know Tommy and haven't bought any of his lessons, but this is a nifty quick lesson in comping.)



  7. #6

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    love slim gaillard!! esp slim & slam with the equally great slam stewart…(who played with art tatum!)







    cheers

  8. #7

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    tommy harkenrider with kid ramos…recent



    cheers

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    tommy harkenrider with kid ramos…recent
    Nice! Thanks.

  10. #9

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    Here's Slim doing "Cement Mixer" on a TV show.


  11. #10

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    Wynonie Harris:



    Roy Brown:



    Jimmy Liggins:


  12. #11

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    I posted this in the Hollywood Fats thread but it belongs here too.



    Here's a video lesson (by someone else) on how to play the intro / opening chorus. It is tasty.


  13. #12

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    T-Bone Walker, Early BB King, Tiny Grimes, Count Basie, Dinah Washington.

    John

  14. #13

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    As I mentioned in the Hollywood Fats thread, I recently picked up Matthieu Brandt's 50 Blues Licks You Must Know. I'm enjoying it: Matt's a good player and a good teacher. I sent him an email for a short list of must-know jump blues tunes.

    He wrote back and mentioned the following (-as well as some that have already been mentioned here and some others I haven't found videos of.)






  15. #14

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    Jump-Blues is basically the progenitor of what came to be known as Rhythm & Blues in the 1950s.

    For jump-blues guitar, anything you learn from Charlie Christian can carry over. Most of the guys who were playing in the small Jump groups were swing players who didn't go down the bebop path.

    Some players who are "required" listening are Bill Jennings, Billy Butler, Carl Hogan, Tiny Grimes and Johnny Moore.

  16. #15

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  17. #16

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    Actually "jump blues" was one of the sub styles of blues that got me into listening to jazz guitarists and jazz in general a couple of years ago.

    The entire Louis Jordan catalogue is jump blues par excellance (spelling?)

    As is a lot of B.B.King's recorded output.

    Funny that you posted Dave Spector - he's an old buddy of mine since we met in the 80's. Fine player.


    One of the ultimate jump blues tunes is Louis Jordan's "Ain' that Just Like A Woman" - couldn't find a version with the guitar part of Carl Hogan. That's where Chuck Berry picked up a lot his own guitar style.


    When it comes to contemporary players we'd have to mention Duke Robillard :




  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by monk
    Jump-Blues is basically the progenitor of what came to be known as Rhythm & Blues in the 1950s.

    For jump-blues guitar, anything you learn from Charlie Christian can carry over. Most of the guys who were playing in the small Jump groups were swing players who didn't go down the bebop path.

    Some players who are "required" listening are Bill Jennings, Billy Butler, Carl Hogan, Tiny Grimes and Johnny Moore.
    Yea, very true. Learn some Charlie Christian solos, understand the concept of playing notes of the chord shapes, and improvisisng Jump Blues tunes becomes a joy! One thing, its a very "licks"based genre of guitar playing, which might bother some, but for me it's great. Because those licks are so cool and catchyand so fun to play, and no matter how many you know, there are always more! I just watched a few videos above, and even though I thought I knew all those little chords and tricks, I found a lot of stuff I can add and use, even for jazz standards. Those turnarounds, arent they awesome!

    Also as far as learning material, I found Paul Pigat video 'Jazzing up Your Blues" (or something like that) very helpful, and still coming back to once in a while.

  19. #18

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    [QUOTE=...Some players who are "required" listening are Bill Jennings, Billy Butler, Carl Hogan, Tiny Grimes and Johnny Moore.[/QUOTE]

    Johnny Moore - Oscar Moore's brother.



    The Three Blazers also included Charles Brown.


  20. #19

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    Another cool thing about Jump Blues is the TONE guitarists getting there! I call 'dirty but clean', slightly overdriven, but still clean enough for chord work. I think jazz guitarists should carry it over to the mainstream jazz too. When I hear today jazz guys playing with this extra clean sterile tone with tons of ambiance, I stop listening, there's nothing in it for me. Jump Blues is where's at, that's the sound to get excited about!


  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    tommy harkenrider with kid ramos…recent



    cheers
    Both Tommy Harkenrider and Kid Ramos played with James Harman. Ramos followed Hollywood Fats in that band.



    Was fortunate to see both many times when I lived in LA. HF was before my time there but folks still talked about him over a decade after he passed.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
    Another cool thing about Jump Blues is the TONE guitarists getting there! I call 'dirty but clean', slightly overdriven, but still clean enough for chord work.

    That's exactly what I liked and like about a lot of Grant Green's recordings - a lil' bit of sizzle on top which you wouldn't hear from any other jazz guitarist.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by monk
    Jump-Blues is basically the progenitor of what came to be known as Rhythm & Blues in the 1950s.

    For jump-blues guitar, anything you learn from Charlie Christian can carry over. Most of the guys who were playing in the small Jump groups were swing players who didn't go down the bebop path.

    Some players who are "required" listening are Bill Jennings, Billy Butler, Carl Hogan, Tiny Grimes and Johnny Moore.
    I agree, Monk, though I would add that jump is also the progenitor of rockabilly and rock and roll too.

    As for the usefulness of Charlie Christian lines, I have a motto about that: "Where Charlie don't fit, I quit." (By the way, have you read Weidlich's new book "Trading Licks" on Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker? It's climbing up my wish list....)

    I assume this is Billy Butler with Bill Doggett on "Floyd's Guitar Blues."


    Might as well throw in "Honky Tonk". I know this is Billy. One of those solos many aspiring pros learned note for note.

  24. #23

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    It's all about the notes you choose on the turnaround.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stevebol
    It's all about the notes you choose on the turnaround.
    Ha! There's a lot to that.
    One thing I like about jump blues is that you can flash up the comping and slide the chords around. Love that shimmer. And soloing informed by those chords and subs give the stuff a swinging edge that really gets me.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

    I assume this is Billy Butler with Bill Doggett on "Floyd's Guitar Blues."

    I would assume Floyd Smith. He worked with Doggett in the early 1960s. He also worked with Wild Bill Davis in that period and, according to allmusic, recorded FGB's with him. I haven't made an exhaustive search, though.