Bebop heads — Dewey Square

[AllanAllen]

Yes, on those early recordings they made, it's not clear why Bird hired him

Maybe Miles funded the sessions, or brought sandwiches with him. There’s lots of non musical reasons to have someone around.

I don’t think Bird had any foresight or concern that we’d be studying these takes 70 years later. He probably wanted his double scale as band leader and $10 for publishing rights.

[Mick-7]

I think I'll record a take of this in the only position that Peter missed, i.e., first position using open strings, which is actually the hardest position to play this in. I'm shooting for Rockabilly - or in this case Rockacharlie. Probably have to turn up the reverb.

And my sweep picking ability appears to have declined - use it or lose it I guess.

[pamosmusic]

I think I'll record a take of this in the only position that Peter missed, i.e., first position using open strings, which is actually the hardest position to play this in. I'm shooting for Rockabilly - or in this case Rockacharlie. Probably have to turn up the reverb.

And my sweep picking ability appears to have declined - use it or lose it I guess.

Technically I did play it but up the octave …

… on an ancient acoustic guitar ….

…. which should tell you how eager I was to learn it in open position

[Mick-7]

So, I'm not sure why I wrote this study (i.e., the attached pdf), except that in one thread or another we discussed improvising with chord tones.

The study focuses on using chord tones, with chromatic passing tones from time to time to spice it up a bit. It's in straight eighth notes, which is a practice that Joe Pass recommended to create more flowing lines. Hopefully some here will find it useful.

The chord changes are a combo of the Real Book and Charlie Parker Omnibook changes, which are slightly different.

[Bobby Timmons]

Did the rough transcribing of the tune today. I didn't know it before and I'm a fan of it.

[GuyBoden]

Unfortunately, it seems that I can't play tunes very well unless I can sing them first, so I have to listen to each phrase repeatedly and then sing each phrase.

It's a very slow process, but enjoyable and ultimately rewarding.

I'm singing phrase 2 as I type.

[Mick-7]

Alright. Let’s hit it.

a personal favorite of mine.

Peter, Since you're familiar with this tune (I'm not), what chord changes do you use? The Real Book II changes are a little different than the Charlie Parker Omnibook changes. Real Book tends to turn nuanced changes into formulaic changes such as IIm7/V7/IM7. I have not checked the original recordings to see what is played.

[pamosmusic]

Peter, Since you're familiar with this tune (I'm not), what chord changes do you use? The Real Book II changes are a little different than the Charlie Parker Omnibook changes. Real Book tends to turn nuanced changes into formulaic changes such as IIm7/V7/IM7. I have not checked the original recordings to see what is played.

Something like:

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Gm C7 - Fm Bb7

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Eb - Bbm Eb7

Ab - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - F7 - Fm - Bb7

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Gm C7 - Fm Bb7

Original recording it seems like he sometimes plays Abm in bar two of the A section, and sometimes he plays the Abm Db7. It amounts to the same thing. So I play pretty much what I put up there. DJG or Christian would probably have better context for this.

[Mick-7]

Something like:

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Gm C7 - Fm Bb7

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Eb - Bbm Eb7

Ab - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - F7 - Fm - Bb7

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Gm C7 - Fm Bb7

Original recording it seems like he sometimes plays Abm in bar two of the A section, and sometimes he plays the Abm Db7. It amounts to the same thing. So I play pretty much what I put up there. DJG or Christian would probably have better context for this.

That's about the same as the Omnibook except it has a Eb7-Db7 instead of Gm7b5 in the third measure of the A section but just a Eb7 will suit the melody.

The piano player actually plays triads on the original recordings or is that just chord shorthand?

[pamosmusic]

That's about the same as the Omnibook except it has a Eb7-Db7 instead of Gm7b5 in the third measure of the A section but just a Eb7 will suit the melody.

The piano player actually plays triads on the original recordings or is that just chord shorthand?

Oh just shorthand

[AllanAllen]

Finally got around to this. That triplet is like a tongue twister.

[GuyBoden]

I'm listening again to the exact details of the first phrase in the Original Parker recording.

Attachment 114442

[GuyBoden]

I'm definitely hearing this for the first phrase.

[Christian Miller]

I think it's an F# last note in bar 2?

[Christian Miller]

Something like:

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Gm C7 - Fm Bb7

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Eb - Bbm Eb7

Ab - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - F7 - Fm - Bb7

Eb - Abm - Gm7b5 - C7
F7 - Bb7 - Gm C7 - Fm Bb7

Original recording it seems like he sometimes plays Abm in bar two of the A section, and sometimes he plays the Abm Db7. It amounts to the same thing. So I play pretty much what I put up there. DJG or Christian would probably have better context for this.

I'm hearing Eb - Abm6 - Eb - C7 - F7 - Bb7 for the A section

Sometimes its Gm7b5 C7 sometimes Db7 C7 (like Yardbird Suite)

[supersoul]

I'm listening again to the exact details of the first phrase in the Original Parker recording.

Attachment 114442

It's amazing how many bent slurry notes they do. Starts off on one note and bends up a quarter step, etc. I noticed how much Dexter Godron does it on his Scrapple from the Apple.
I agree, it does sound like there isn't a triplet at the end of bar 1, but I hear an F and not an F# at the end of bar 2.
Did you just slow this down by 2/3? It sounds down a fifth. It also sounds better than time stretching.

[GuyBoden]

It's amazing how many bent slurry notes they do. Starts off on one note and bends up a quarter step, etc. I noticed how much Dexter Godron does it on his Scrapple from the Apple.
I agree, it does sound like there isn't a triplet at the end of bar 1, but I hear an F and not an F# at the end of bar 2.
Did you just slow this down by 2/3? It sounds down a fifth. It also sounds better than time stretching.

I'm attempting to slow down the original version, but get it as clear as possible.

Yes, down a fifth.

[AllanAllen]

I hear that triplet in the Parker one and the Roy Hargrove one that doesn’t have an intro.

[GuyBoden]

I hear that triplet in the Parker one and the Roy Hargrove one that doesn’t have an intro.

It's very obviously a triplet in the Roy Hargrove version, but not in the original Parker version to my ears.

The original Parker version is written as a triplet in most notated examples.

(Edit: I'm happy to be incorrect. I'm just copying the phrases from these Bebop tunes.)

[AllanAllen]

It's very obviously a triplet in the Roy Hargrove version, but not in the original Parker version to my ears.

The original Parker version is written as a triplet in most notated examples.

(Edit: I'm happy to be incorrect. I'm just copying the phrases from these Bebop tunes.)

I hear at as almost a pull off on the Parker recording, a blip. It sounds like a bit of recording noise on the slowed down bit you most recently posted. Noise, except it's perfectly placed rhythmically.

That's what I hear anyway. I've been wrong before, lots of times

[pamosmusic]

I hear at as almost a pull off on the Parker recording, a blip. It sounds like a bit of recording noise on the slowed down bit you most recently posted. Noise, except it's perfectly placed rhythmically.

That's what I hear anyway. I've been wrong before, lots of times

Maybe "ghost note" is what you mean?

Yeah it's definitely in there though. Whether it's a triplet or eighth and paired sixteenths is another story.

[AllanAllen]

Ghost note will work. I think of that as more of a percussive term. Does it apply to tones as well?

[GuyBoden]

Triplet or not, I'm learning some good licks from these classic Bebop head threads.

[AllanAllen]

Triplet or not, I'm learning some good licks from these classic Bebop head threads.

I like the second lick better, played both of them through Four this morning before work.

So analzying it. The triplet lick, I see an F13 arppegio shape. The second lick I see an Eb7

What I don't see is how this relates to the changes.

[Mick-7]

I think it's an F# last note in bar 2?

Don't think so, and both the Real Book and Parker Omnibook have a F nat.

As far as triplet or no triplet, it's there, it's just that Bird and Miles sometimes play out of sync so the phrasing gets muddled - Bird's fault of course.

So analyzing it. The triplet lick, I see an F13 arpeggio shape. The second lick I see an Eb7. What I don't see is how this relates to the changes.

?? - all the notes played are diatonic to the chords - 2nd measure is Abm so the #7th (G) fits = Ab harmonic minor.