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  1. #1

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    Listening to Dave Digs Disney and wondered about jazz guitar versions of Disney tunes.




    I've done "So This Is Love" (from Cinderella) in a duo with a female singer, and I currently cover "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" (from The Jungle Book) in my solo sets.

    Any Disney tunes in your sets? What jazz guitar versions have you heard -- link 'em if you've got 'em!

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  3. #2

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    "When You Wish upon a Star" makes a nice waltz.

    Not quite Disney, but "Rubber Ducky" and "The Spider Man Theme" are great. I've been meaning to get some more cartoon songs into my sets - they always seem get a smile from the people. Some classic TV shows might be good fodder too.

    I have charts of the ones I mentioned if people PM me their email, or just email me directly.

    Good idea for a thread.

    Peace,
    Kevin

  4. #3

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    I do "Someday My Prince Will Come" almost every gig.

    I've gotten plenty of requests for that Lion King crap, but I haven't bowed to 'em yet...

    Y'know, I'm thinking "Under the Sea" as a Jim Hall-esque calypso...I got an idea to play around with tonight!

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar
    "When You Wish upon a Star" makes a nice waltz.

    Not quite Disney, but "Rubber Ducky" and "The Spider Man Theme" are great. I've been meaning to get some more cartoon songs into my sets - they always seem get a smile from the people. Some classic TV shows might be good fodder too.
    I've messed around with Star, and it's really nice. Spider Man is a great idea!

    Other non-Disney but cool "kid" tunes I've done in my sets: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Old MacDonald (I play only the melody the first time through and then harmonize it afterwards with a strong swing feel); Pink Panther (not a "kid" tune, but all the kids seem to know it).

    Hmmm ... thinking about cool TV themes now, too.

    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    I do "Someday My Prince Will Come" almost every gig.

    I've gotten plenty of requests for that Lion King crap, but I haven't bowed to 'em yet...

    Y'know, I'm thinking "Under the Sea" as a Jim Hall-esque calypso...I got an idea to play around with tonight!
    I'm not even familiar with the Lion King stuff (which I hear is a good place to be ). Prince is wonderful, and it seems like jazzers have really made it their own. Under The Sea could really work a la St. Thomas!

  6. #5

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    I have an LP of Vic Cenicola doing a medley. I can't remember If he does When You Wish Upon a Star into Whistle While You Work.

    Isn't Alice In Wonderland Disney? Phil Woods covered "I'm Late" and Harry Leahey did a reharmonized " Alice in Wonderland" out of the real book. (I'm not sure if the RB one is from the movie)

    Jim Hall re-imagined "Someday My Prince Will Come" on his Artist House release with Red Mitchell.

    Anybody got some more?

  7. #6

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    Good ones, John!

    Yeah, Alice is Disney. Brubeck covers it on his Disney session.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stackabones



    I'm not even familiar with the Lion King stuff (which I hear is a good place to be ).
    The Lion King Sountrack (Elton John, most tunes, I believe) was the pinnacle of Disney's 90's schlock-ballad sountracks, IMHO...well, that and "Alladin"-- "A whole new World" YUCK! (Mind you, there's some great tunes in Alladin too...)

    At one time, the Disney stuff was really quite brilliant (I still put the Little Mermaid into that category), lyrically and harmonically--I mean, "I wanna be like you?"--that swings like a MOFO!

    As for TV themes, I often close the night with "Suicide is Painless," which most recognize as the theme from M*A*S*H.

  9. #8

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    Somehow, I got it into my head that "Nature Boy" was from "The Jungle Book", but that's not so.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    At one time, the Disney stuff was really quite brilliant (I still put the Little Mermaid into that category), lyrically and harmonically--I mean, "I wanna be like you?"--that swings like a MOFO!
    I open that tune with Django's Minor Swing and then swing it le pompe throughout the rest of the tune.

    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    As for TV themes, I often close the night with "Suicide is Painless," which most recognize as the theme from M*A*S*H.
    Dark, dark. Great tune!

    I sometimes close the night with Santo & Johnny's Sleep Walk.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar
    "When You Wish upon a Star" makes a nice waltz.
    One fun thing you can do with movie songs, is toss quotes in from other songs in the same movie and see if anyone gets it. Here, you could quote "I've got no strings".

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by JohnW400
    Jim Hall re-imagined "Someday My Prince Will Come" on his Artist House release with Red Mitchell.

    Anybody got some more?
    I was surprised to find I only had 2 versions of "Someday my prince will come" in my collection: Martin Taylor ("Solo") and Chick Corea/John McLaughlin ("Five Peace Band Live").

    Of course, this is the song about the guy who can't quite get to grips with the digital era: "Someday my prints will come".

  13. #12

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    I wonder if Martin Taylor has more Disney?

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stackabones


    I wonder if Martin Taylor has more Disney?
    "He's a Tramp" - but as a duet with vocalist Alison Burns

  15. #14

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    Duets with vox are cool -- even better in my book.

  16. #15
    "When you wish upon a star" as an intro to "Over the Rainbow", "Someday my prince will come" are both Disney tunes in my solo repetoire. My all time favourite has to be "The Bear Necessities" though.

  17. #16

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    i've heard "the jeffersons theme (movin' on up)" lampooned by richard cheese. even though his version was just a joke, it made me realize how cool the tune is with a good walking bass.

    when i DJ, kids seem to recognize the "pink panther" theme. another good one is quincy jones' "soul bossa nova" (folks recognize it from the first "austin powers" movie.) by the way, has anyone heard Q's latest? he collaborated with today's rap stars while they annihilated his old standards.

  18. #17

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    I think things like this are great to do. I think that many non-jazz audiences are intimidated and feel that our music is inaccessible. Playing things like "Rubber Duckie," 'Movin' on Up," and "When You Wish Upon a Star" you let them know that, "Hey, we're just having fun up here." I think that it really draws people in.

    No one's mentioned "The Flintstone's Theme"?

    Some others of thought about like this: "Cruella de Vil" and the themes Family Ties, Taxi ("Angela"), WKRP, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Johnny Quest, Inspector Gadget, and Frasier.

    Didn't Maynard do a great version the Sesame Street theme? I heard a band once do a funk/bugaloo version of "Baby Elephant Walk" (OK, it's a John Wayne movie, but the mood is right.) "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" would work, if we can get over the racists overtones of Song of the South. I think we improvised the "Mickey Mouse Club March" once on a dare - it came out OK.

    I'm always looking for new children's songs to try and jazz up - it just is such a great way to reach out to a skeptical audience. Or just anything that they recognize from the past that can be put into a jazz context. Charlie Brown can be a great source too.

    Peace,
    Kevin

  19. #18

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    ... it is not (strictly speaking) jazz all throughout and it is certainly not a guitar oriented project, but ... Stay Awake (1988, prod. Hal Willner) stands for a great Disney music and contains a fine sampling of guitarists: Frisell, Scofield, Lindsay, Budimir, et al. In brief, I like this record.

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stackabones
    Listening to Dave Digs Disney and wondered about jazz guitar versions of Disney tunes.




    I've done "So This Is Love" (from Cinderella) in a duo with a female singer, and I currently cover "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" (from The Jungle Book) in my solo sets.

    Any Disney tunes in your sets? What jazz guitar versions have you heard -- link 'em if you've got 'em!
    I am working on Bella Note from Lady and the Tramp and When You Wish Upon a Star (Chet Atkin's Version)

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by ingeneri
    Not a kid tune, but Russell Malone did a great version of the Odd Couple theme.

    I use Flintstones more as a quote when the RC tunes are getting a bit self-indulgently macho. It invariably cracks the crowd up, whereas playing the whole head as the tune itself can come off a bit cheezy.

    I think the Muppets theme is basicaly the A section to RC too. I sat in with a pianist/singer in Singapore who did this as her closing theme number.

    Folks easily recognize the Bond theme, and it's easy to quote segments. I like to turn the Stones' Monkey Man riff into a little pentatonic riff you can sub all over the neck (you're playing out but at the same time it's Mick and Keef!)

    I'd really like to use the Star Trek fanfare as a quote, but haven't been able to really work it into anything yet. But I bet Sonny Rollins would do Roddenberry proud (better than JJ Abrams anyways).
    Gotta find the Malone. That sounds cool.

    I do a Bond arrangement in my solo sets.

    Quote Originally Posted by bojan
    ... it is not (strictly speaking) jazz all throughout and it is certainly not a guitar oriented project, but ... Stay Awake (1988, prod. Hal Willner) stands for a great Disney music and contains a fine sampling of guitarists: Frisell, Scofield, Lindsay, Budimir, et al. In brief, I like this record.
    I've got that one, too. Fascinating disc.


    Quote Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar
    I think things like this are great to do. I think that many non-jazz audiences are intimidated and feel that our music is inaccessible.
    I never get the sense that they are intimidated ... maybe oblivious or apathetic towards some standards. Caveat -- I sing at many of my gigs and that seems to bring folks into these tunes better than some of the strictly instrumental sets I've done or ensembles I've been in (especially the ones who are solely bent on bop or non-vocal-based RB tunes and nothin' else, but that's another story). But I catch your general drift. Something recognizable is always good for getting some attention and possibly interaction with an audience.

    *

    Keep 'em coming, folks! Wow. I'm getting all kinds of ideas.

  22. #21

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    Stackabones

    I think the Odd Couple is on the Album Black Butterfly. Great Album. Don't forget Mission Impossible. That may take some doing.

    What about all those great TV themes from the 50's AND THE SIXTIES

    Perry Mason theme (Scotty Anderson does a great version)

    Mike Hammer - Harlem Nocturne. Danny Gatton plays the s#!& out of that one. (I worked up a CM in Ami if you want it, pm me)

    I'll bet you could work something up for the theme from Alfred Hitchcock. I forget the name of it.


    Now I'm going to have to check out the TV land channel to see what else maybe even cartoon network

  23. #22

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    Thanks, John! Great suggestions.

  24. #23

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    I forgot.....


    "I Love Lucy"


    It's in one of the RB's too!

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stackabones
    ...I never get the sense that they [non-jazz audiences] are intimidated ... maybe oblivious or apathetic towards some standards. Caveat -- I sing at many of my gigs and that seems to bring folks into these tunes better than some of the strictly instrumental sets I've done or ensembles I've been in ...
    Well, maybe "intimidated" is a bit strong. But I've spoken with a lot of non-jazz friends that feel uncomfortable with jazz because they don't know what to listen for. The tunes of unfamiliar, as are the timbres, the aesthetic, all the solos. Most don't really understand what is going on up there. I had a friend, and we were driving in the car. Some Diana Krall came on. She asked, "What kind of music is this?" I shrugged my shoulders and said that it was jazz. She looked astonished. "No, this can't be jazz - I like this!" She was only half joking.

    I think that the "attitudes" that players often strike on stage make it even worse, make us seem unaffable. I think that some people feel that one needs to study jazz for years to truly appreciate it and that they fell foolish if they don't hear what we hear. Anything that we can do to reach out to the audience and seem approachable is a good thing in my book. Songs that they recognize are a great thing. Songs from our childhood that make them realize that we're all having fun are good. And as you mentioned - singing is good to. Somehow that at least gives them something to relate to and makes the music seem more understandable.

    Peace,
    Kevin

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar
    Well, maybe "intimidated" is a bit strong. But I've spoken with a lot of non-jazz friends that feel uncomfortable with jazz because they don't know what to listen for. The tunes of unfamiliar, as are the timbres, the aesthetic, all the solos. Most don't really understand what is going on up there. I had a friend, and we were driving in the car. Some Diana Krall came on. She asked, "What kind of music is this?" I shrugged my shoulders and said that it was jazz. She looked astonished. "No, this can't be jazz - I like this!" She was only half joking.

    I think that the "attitudes" that players often strike on stage make it even worse, make us seem unaffable. I think that some people feel that one needs to study jazz for years to truly appreciate it and that they fell foolish if they don't hear what we hear. Anything that we can do to reach out to the audience and seem approachable is a good thing in my book. Songs that they recognize are a great thing. Songs from our childhood that make them realize that we're all having fun are good. And as you mentioned - singing is good to. Somehow that at least gives them something to relate to and makes the music seem more understandable.

    Peace,
    Kevin
    Great post.

    Do you get the sense that some have forgotten (or are embarrassed) that many of the standards are rooted in popular song? I've wondered why many rock (or insert "non-jazz" genre) tunes weren't used by jazz players -- it seems that some could work well in modal context. Or just jazz-up the changes to a Robert Johnson tune like Crossroads.