The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    He's not featured, but you can hear some of his comping and chord work. FWIW for you younger folks, Johnny often featured the band doing an entire tune, especially with a musical guest. Some amazing jazz playing for the whole nation on live tv. I miss those days.

    (And check out Doc S's, outfit,)



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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    great cut and classic big band of high caliber! I played in 2 large jazz bands and while the guitar is not so much any feature for me it represented some of my best times playing. Not the pressure of a soloist/leader small group just hold things together and of course I am reader so love to read charts.

  4. #3

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    I was watching this a couple weeks ago.
    Lew Tabackin, tenor, Conte Candoli, trumpet, Ross Thompkins, piano, that band was stacked!
    Probably the one and only time a Horace Silver tune was played on the Tonight Show.

  5. #4

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    Do we know what year this was?

  6. #5

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    '74

  7. #6

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    The only way to describe Buddy's playing and ALL of his bands was FIERCE! Top performers/studio musicians around the country all wanted to play for him despite his sometimes wicked reputation. He was born to play and his music was always top notch. And, I loved his last comment that the band played a new chart they had never played before. That's musicianship! 10 Stars! Play live! . . . Marinero

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    '74
    I believe Jack Wilkins was touring with Buddy Rich right around that time or soon after.

  9. #8

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    Jimmy Bruno has talked a few times about his time touring with Buddy Rich. He said Buddy wouldn't allow musicians to take "the book" home---he didn't want them to memorize the pieces; he wanted them to have to read them.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    Lew Tabackin, tenor, Conte Candoli, trumpet, Ross Thompkins, piano, that band was stacked!
    Mr. Joel DeBartolo -- one of a handful of people who could really swing a walking line on bass guitar

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
    Jimmy Bruno has talked a few times about his time touring with Buddy Rich. He said Buddy wouldn't allow musicians to take "the book" home---he didn't want them to memorize the pieces; he wanted them to have to read them.
    I play in a 19 pc that does some of Buddy Rich's charts.

    The parts aren't usually physically difficult to play, but there are other things that I find challenging. In no special order:

    1. Some of the guitar parts are written partially in bass clef. Partially. You have to be careful to make sure you know which clef you're reading at all times. Same issue for key changes.

    2. The arranger liked fast 6/8 and then often divided the bar into two parts or three, back and forth. So you feel the pulse in two, as if each bar is two triplets, but then you have to nail partial triplets (when, for example, the chart goes from two dotted quarters per bar to a quarter, two eighths and a quarter, or something similar).

    3. There is a fair amount of not-so-common harmonic rhythm. So, the first time through the chart, you may be expecting something common and then have to read something that conflicts with the expectation. If you're at the skill level where you can read pretty much all of it, but you have to count to yourself to nail the rhythms, you probably aren't there. The horn players, apparently, can digest the rhythms in chunks that they feel and do not have to count.

    4. Usually, the roadmap through the chart is clear, but there can be a lot of pages. Page tuns have to be avoided or carefully managed.

    5. On the positive side, the arranger usually gives you, as the guitarist, an indication of what else is going on in the band at that moment. Even if you don't get lost, it's comforting to hear, say, the alto start to solo, when the chart says "alto solo".

  12. #11

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    buddy was a popular guest on the tonight show...carson played some drums himself, so was a big fan...plus ed shaughnessy was no slouch either!!! hah

    i remember once carson asked buddy who his favorite drummer was...and he replied mel taylor...who was the drummer with the ventures!!

    ed 'n buddy




    cheers

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
    I play in a 19 pc that does some of Buddy Rich's charts.

    The parts aren't usually physically difficult to play, but there are other things that I find challenging. In no special order:

    1. Some of the guitar parts are written partially in bass clef. Partially. You have to be careful to make sure you know which clef you're reading at all times. Same issue for key changes.

    2. The arranger liked fast 6/8 and then often divided the bar into two parts or three, back and forth. So you feel the pulse in two, as if each bar is two triplets, but then you have to nail partial triplets (when, for example, the chart goes from two dotted quarters per bar to a quarter, two eighths and a quarter, or something similar).

    3. There is a fair amount of not-so-common harmonic rhythm. So, the first time through the chart, you may be expecting something common and then have to read something that conflicts with the expectation. If you're at the skill level where you can read pretty much all of it, but you have to count to yourself to nail the rhythms, you probably aren't there. The horn players, apparently, can digest the rhythms in chunks that they feel and do not have to count.

    4. Usually, the roadmap through the chart is clear, but there can be a lot of pages. Page tuns have to be avoided or carefully managed.

    5. On the positive side, the arranger usually gives you, as the guitarist, an indication of what else is going on in the band at that moment. Even if you don't get lost, it's comforting to hear, say, the alto start to solo, when the chart says "alto solo".

    Most charts don't say "alto solo" much anymore, unless it's an alto feature. They usually say "open sections", and the bandleader assigns the solos. It might be on the conductor's score, but not on the guitar parts.

  14. #13

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    "The horn players, apparently, can digest the rhythms in chunks that they feel and do not have to count." rpjazzguitar

    Hi, Rp,
    Some of these charts can be very intimidating on a first read. However, after awhile, difficult passages eventually become rhythmic cliches that you'll find in many arrangements and while you might think those saxes read like eagles, they've probably played those rhythmic lines/combinations for years in other compositions. . . just like many improvisers do with solos. However, every now and then you do get some tongue twisters. Play live! . . . Marinero

    P.S. Nothing like a big band to boil the blood!

  15. #14
    Another one with Bob Bain, again just in the background.


  16. #15

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    the late barry zweig (he passed this june) also played guitar for buddy rich..he's on the lp with buddy & sammy davis! the sounds of '66


    barry told a great story about when he was in buddys band, buddy asked him to come to his house to teach his daughter some guitar...he also said he'd have dinner and listen to some tunes in buddys hi-fi room...so zweig gives the daughter lesson, eats dinner, and then he and buddy go into the music room...but instead of listening to big band stuff...barry asked buddy to play his old bop stuff..with charlie parker etc...they had great night

    next day there's band rehearsal, and barry comes in a little off in one spot..and buddy stops and totally trashes him in front of the whole band (and if you ever heard those tapes of buddy trashin his band members then you know how he was!!)

    barry said it was like he was lettin him know...ok we had some fun, but don't let it go to your head...i'm still the boss! haha



    rip bz

    cheers

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    the late barry zweig (he passed this june) also played guitar for buddy rich..he's on the lp with buddy & sammy davis! the sounds of '66


    barry told a great story about when he was in buddys band, buddy asked him to come to his house to teach his daughter some guitar...he also said he'd have dinner and listen to some tunes in buddys hi-fi room...so zweig gives the daughter lesson, eats dinner, and then he and buddy go into the music room...but instead of listening to big band stuff...barry asked buddy to play his old bop stuff..with charlie parker etc...they had great night

    next day there's band rehearsal, and barry comes in a little off in one spot..and buddy stops and totally trashes him in front of the whole band (and if you ever heard those tapes of buddy trashin his band members then you know how he was!!)

    barry said it was like he was lettin him know...ok we had some fun, but don't let it go to your head...i'm still the boss! haha



    rip bz

    cheers
    That's exactly like the story Stan Levey told about his two meetings with Frank Sinatra.
    Sinatra was very friendly during the first meeting, and when he saw him the next night, he told him to get the hell away from him!

    Maybe something happened to those guys in the Dorsey Band. Joe Dixon, a great clarinetist and friend of mine, roomed with Buddy on a Dorsey tour, and they got into an argument about some trivial thing, and Buddy cold cocked him flat, at the hotel room they shared.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
    I play in a 19 pc that does some of Buddy Rich's charts.

    The parts aren't usually physically difficult to play, but there are other things that I find challenging. In no special order:

    1. Some of the guitar parts are written partially in bass clef. Partially. You have to be careful to make sure you know which clef you're reading at all times.
    Guitar parts written in bass clef? Why is that? I'm thinking written by a pianist--who else would write for guitar in bass clef?

    That would scare me. I do read bass clef but "think" exclusively in treble.

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgcim
    That's exactly like the story Stan Levey told about his two meetings with Frank Sinatra.
    Sinatra was very friendly during the first meeting, and when he saw him the next night, he told him to get the hell away from him!
    yeah levey tells that story in the vid with charlie watts and jim keltner visiting his house..levey said he was walkin down hall in studio and sinatra stopped him and said i saw you fight at sunnyside gardens!! (levey boxed)...and they talked a bit


    next nite, levey sees him in the hall again, and says hey frank..and sinatra says nobody talks to me first!!...beat it

    haha

    cheers

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
    Guitar parts written in bass clef? Why is that? I'm thinking written by a pianist--who else would write for guitar in bass clef?

    That would scare me. I do read bass clef but "think" exclusively in treble.
    In one of the charts Buddy's band played, the guitar chart has triads written out on stems, note by note -- in bass clef. And the part is featured prominently - nowhere to hide.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marinero
    "The horn players, apparently, can digest the rhythms in chunks that they feel and do not have to count." rpjazzguitar

    Hi, Rp,
    Some of these charts can be very intimidating on a first read. However, after awhile, difficult passages eventually become rhythmic cliches that you'll find in many arrangements and while you might think those saxes read like eagles, they've probably played those rhythmic lines/combinations for years in other compositions. . . just like many improvisers do with solos. However, every now and then you do get some tongue twisters. Play live! . . . Marinero

    P.S. Nothing like a big band to boil the blood!
    These are Don Piestrup charts. His arrangements are brilliant, partly because they avoid things you've heard many times before. The story goes that even Buddy had some difficulty initially with Don's use of 6/8 time.