"Rhythm Changes" tunes w/ lyrics--help!

**MarkRhodes** · 07-14-2012, 05:52 PM

For all the tunes written over the rhythm changes, I can only think of a few with lyrics: I Got Rhythm, Straighten Up and Fly Right, Meet the Flintstones, I'm An Errand Boy (-or Girl, if you're Diana Krall) For Rhythm, and a few bop things that have vocals but aren't really songs to sing: Diz's "Ooo Bop Sha Bam" and "Salt Peanuts."

Aren't there more rhythm tunes with lyrics????

**Steve Montgomery** · 07-14-2012, 11:05 PM

Hi,

Oleo (Sonny Rollins), Shoeshine Boy (Lester Young), Rhythm-a-Ning", (Thelonious Monk), Cotton Tail (Duke Ellington) Dexterity (Charlie Parker), Lester Leaps In (Lester Young), Moose the Mouche (Charlie Parker), Straighten Up and Fly Right (Nat King Cole) are some.

Steve Montgomery

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 09:35 AM

I never heard anyone sing "Oleo"! I did hear Ella sing "Cotton tail" (and "C-Jam Blues" as "Duke's Place"). What are the lyrics to "Lester Leaps In"? I love that head! Simple as pie, but it swings!

**paynow** · 07-15-2012, 11:43 AM

There's a version of "Cottontail" with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross as well.

**Dad3353** · 07-15-2012, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by markerhodes

...What are the lyrics to "Lester Leaps In"? I love that head! Simple as pie, but it swings!

Some info here...

Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Lester Leaps In)

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Dad3353

Some info here...

Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Lester Leaps In)

Thanks, Dad. I've never heard that.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by paynow

There's a version of "Cottontail" with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross as well.

I hope to hear that someday. They did some amazing work together. Though I don't want to sing lyrics over "Cottontail"--it's cool the way it is. One of my favorite rhythm heads. I guess I'll have to stick with "I Got Rhythm." (For some reason, I have a hard time singing that and playing it at the same time.)

**Steve Montgomery** · 07-15-2012, 03:54 PM

Don't know if you're done with this question, but do you have an interest in modified versions and/or portions of Rhythm Changes, or are you just looking for straight ahead versions of the chords?

For example, as you probably know, loads of tunes follow the bridge of Rhythm Changes (either verbatim or slightly tinkered with). One tune that comes to mind is "Who Cares?" by Gershwin, and played amazingly (of course) by Bill Evans (can't remember the session). If you don't know it, the head starts off: l Cmaj7 l F13 l E7alt l E7alt l A7alt l
l A7alt l Dm9 l G13 l . . . . . . or the bridge of "Basin Street": l Cmaj7 l
l E9 l A7 l Bb7 A7 l D9 l G13 l . . . . . . Neither are Rhythm Changes, but both share the dominant 3 chord, dominant 6, dominant 2, and 5 cycling on down back to the one as is done on the bridge of most straight ahead Bop tunes based on Rhythm Changes.

**mike g** · 07-15-2012, 06:59 PM

Check out "Flat Foot Floogie". There's a few different versions..some have a rhythm bridge, some have a "montgomery ward" bridge.

**paynow** · 07-15-2012, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by markerhodes

I hope to hear that someday. They did some amazing work together. Though I don't want to sing lyrics over "Cottontail"--it's cool the way it is. One of my favorite rhythm heads. I guess I'll have to stick with "I Got Rhythm." (For some reason, I have a hard time singing that and playing it at the same time.)

I forget what CD it's on but it's attainable, probably on ITunes too. It's pretty uptempo, the typical scat stuff they do. I think my favorite, the classic, is Annie Ross singing "Twisted," lyrics she wrote set to a Wardell Grey sax solo that had been transcribed. Not rhythm changes but great.

Hendricks wrote a lot of lyrics to famous bop heads. I'm trying to remember if any were RC.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by mike g

Check out "Flat Foot Floogie". There's a few different versions..some have a rhythm bridge, some have a "montgomery ward" bridge.

I had forgotten all about Slim---shame on me! I once had a good collection of his stuff. Hadn't thought of him in years. Fascinating guy.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by paynow

I forget what CD it's on but it's attainable, probably on ITunes too. It's pretty uptempo, the typical scat stuff they do. I think my favorite, the classic, is Annie Ross singing "Twisted," lyrics she wrote set to a Wardell Grey sax solo that had been transcribed. Not rhythm changes but great.

Hendricks wrote a lot of lyrics to famous bop heads. I'm trying to remember if any were RC.

I love Wardell Grey and Annie Ross's "Twisted"! Even Joni Mitchell's version, which was the first one I heard. Fun lyric. I love lyrics like that.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Montgomery

Don't know if you're done with this question, but do you have an interest in modified versions and/or portions of Rhythm Changes, or are you just looking for straight ahead versions of the chords? .

I was looking for straight ahead versions. I know a bunch of blues heads and a growing list of rhythm heads but it struck me the other day that I don't *sing* any rhythm tunes! I thought it might be fun to add one or two to my rep.

You're right about a lot of songs having parts of the rhythm changes. Two tunes I'm working on now are heavy on the I vi / ii V sequence: "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "These Foolish Things." By the way, I read in a book once that they're called "the ice cream changes" but I never actually heard anyone call them that. Have you???

**mike g** · 07-15-2012, 08:33 PM

Amazon.com: Twisted - The Best of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: Lambert Hendricks & Ross, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross: Music

Ice Cream Changes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50s_progression

**paynow** · 07-15-2012, 08:37 PM

Many Nat Cole Trio tunes are RC, though they're not famous like "Straighten Up And Fly Right." There are a lot of tunes with fun lyrics that you could sing today and people would like them, at least I do. The type of tune John Pizzarelli (JR, not Bucky) might sing.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 08:38 PM

Thanks, Mike g!

**Steve Montgomery** · 07-15-2012, 09:04 PM

You mentioned working on "These Foolish Things." Have you ever heard Johnny Hartman sing it? Too smooth to be true.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-15-2012, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Montgomery

You mentioned working on "These Foolish Things." Have you ever heard Johnny Hartman sing it? Too smooth to be true.

No, Steve, I haven't. I do love Hartman's voice though; his recordings with Coltrane, esp "My One And Only Love" and "Lush Life" are among my very favorites.