February 2015 - There Will Never Be Another You

**Hatim** · 02-05-2016, 08:54 AM

Ok, here my first post in this Practical Standards thread.

I decided to use the provided backing track, the 140 bpm one.
That is not easy at all on 140!
I also decided not to be in temptation to hide myself behind triplets or 16th notes, just good ol' 8th's.

All comments are welcome.

HAns

**lawson-stone** · 02-05-2016, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Hatim

Ok, here my first post in this Practical Standards thread.

I decided to use the provided backing track, the 140 bpm one.
That is not easy at all on 140!
I also decided not to be in temptation to hide myself behind triplets or 16th notes, just good ol' 8th's.

All comments are welcome.

HAns

That's nice. I like the tone, and you also not only avoid jumping to fast playing, you don't immediately jump to the high registers. The middle-range voice of the guitar sounds very warm. Listening to your solo, I realized I have the technical ability to play that, but I would not have thought of the lines you thought of. So much is in the mind's ear.

**Hatim** · 02-05-2016, 10:35 AM

Thanks for the kind comment Lawson!

**grahambop** · 02-05-2016, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

No it's actually like that and it's very rude to point it out.

This is what happens when you spend to much time playing.... errr.... gypsy jazz rhythm guitar!

Hmmm, I think you just inadvertently revealed one of those professional 'secrets'...

**lawson-stone** · 02-05-2016, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by Jehu

Paul, I have no idea why you insist on wasting away in academia when you could be raking in those sweet, sweet jazz dollars.

Good stuff, everyone! I have to say, it's so awesome to see this series revitalised. (That's Kiwi for 'revitalized'.) It was a bit of a dark time there for a while.

Academia? Did someone say Academia?

Paul, what part of Academia do you inhabit?

destinytot · 02-05-2016, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Good Lord! Singing? SINGING? You mean... these are not just chord progressions designed to be hands of cards played by the Universe to see what the musician will lay on the table in response? Not just occasions for us to improvise?

They have... words?

Nice job! Your voice was nice for this. Solo was nice too.

Is that guitar new? A Benson?

Lol!

Not a Benson - an Ibanez AG95. (I wanted something with a small body and a shorter scale at the time.)

**lawson-stone** · 02-05-2016, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by destinytot

Lol!

Not a Benson - an Ibanez AG95. (I wanted something with a small body and a shorter scale at the time.)

Well it sounds nice. I hate to make comparisons with your vocal, because invariably I pick the vocalist the person actually doesn't want to sound like, but your singing gave me a kind of Johnny Mathis or Nat Cole moment there.

Some of these jazz standards, from the very start, had melodies matched to words. The show tunes, for example. Others, though, like "Misty," were written solely as instrumentals and later someone wrote words for them. I have always wondered whether or not learning the words really mattered. Since I sing (a little) I have periodically learned them, but probably I should learn more.

On the other hand, some tunes I'd rather forget the words, if you know what I mean.

**mr. beaumont** · 02-05-2016, 07:05 PM

Here'sy contribution for this month. Went "sorta bossa." And my guitar matches my shirt.

Enough folks have done the melody, so I'm going "jam of the week" style, one chorus improv, short and sweet.

**mr. beaumont** · 02-05-2016, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by nick1994

your singing reminds me of george benson.

Man, you sound great on this one.

also, Lawson, glad you posted. I hear the Kessel for sure, you sound good. The notes are all there, just relax and the time will come more naturally.

**PaulD** · 02-05-2016, 08:22 PM

So many nice takes on this tune gents!

Here's a short solo version:

Paul

destinytot · 02-06-2016, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by nick1994

your singing reminds me of george benson.

Thanks - and I wish..!

(Not sure, but I think George Benson has a tenor voice. Mine's baritone, and this is a bit high for me.)

destinytot · 02-06-2016, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Well it sounds nice. I hate to make comparisons with your vocal, because invariably I pick the vocalist the person actually doesn't want to sound like, but your singing gave me a kind of Johnny Mathis or Nat Cole moment there..

Thanks - I love Johnny Mathis's singing voice (like Al Jarreau, pure vibrato), and Nat 'King' Cole's the guv'nor for me. I also like Matt Monro.

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

On the other hand, some tunes I'd rather forget the words, if you know what I mean.

Yes, I think I do.

When standards are sung, I think the tempo needs to match the message of the lyrics - or at least not undermine it; whereas when they're played, I think the tempo can be powerfully effective - even while being (boldly) incongruous to the words. I'm thinking of '50s Miles - such as Workin', Relaxin', Cookin', Steamin`, and the intro to Autumn Leaves on Cannonball's Something Else - but there are probably better examples.

For me, Nat Cole recorded/sang this at just the right tempo.

**hats** · 02-06-2016, 12:59 PM

Since I have read that this thread is open to all levels, I also post a version. As you can hear, I am not very advanced on my journey to play jazz-guitar.

**lawson-stone** · 02-06-2016, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by hats

Since I have read that this thread is open to all levels, I also post a version. As you can hear, I am not very advanced on my journey to play jazz-guitar.

I enjoyed this. You played totally within my own technical range, but played things I hadn't thought of. You nailed the changes, stayed with the tempo, and maintained a nice tone. Seriously, what's not to like about that?

I think you can just keep progressing. One thing I thought of, that would not go out of your present envelope, would be on the long holds of notes, add some chord-accents, especially where there is a chord change.

**hats** · 02-06-2016, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

[...] on the long holds of notes, add some chord-accents, especially where there is a chord change.

This is a good idea, I will work on it. Thank you!

**targuit** · 02-06-2016, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by destinytot

Thanks - and I wish..!

(Not sure, but I think George Benson has a tenor voice. Mine's baritone, and this is a bit high for me.)

You did a nice job, Mike!

I agree that Benson is a tenor with a high first tenor range like Johnny Mathis, one of my favorites as well - the best I've heard at his age.

destinytot · 02-06-2016, 05:02 PM

I've just spent an hour setting up, and I'm in the office of the restaurant where I play on Saturdays. I wanted to say so because I feel supported through participation - and I think that's a Very Good Thing. (I'll expand on why and how in a separate/new thread at another time, because I intend to make the most of what I see as an opportunity to make good things happen - in ways that are sustainable and fun.)

Regarding this month's standard, while actually liking the song is crucial for me when it comes to having a go at playing (or singing), it occurs to me that this somehow limits creativity.

What really inspires me is people finding possibilities in songs that are overlooked, sneered at or discarded (as 'corny' etc.); where the way to go is perhaps less obvious. For example, the case of someone whose 'chops' might be said to entitle them to look down at a tecnically 'simple' tune - but they don't.

Just a thought - and an acknowledgement of the value of everyone's efforts. There are too many to go through, but I really appreciate it all - the sharing of not only the music itself but also enthusiasm for the music: a Very Good Thing (and très Kool & the Gang).

**christianm77** · 02-06-2016, 09:36 PM

I'll try and submit a radically different second version. Now we've done some obvious versions how about reharms, different tempos, arrangments, bop heads over the changes?

**dogletnoir** · 02-07-2016, 04:24 PM

i've started playing around with this one; here's my first rough attempt:

then i found a backing track on youtube that i liked the tempo and feel of, so i did this:
https://soundcloud.com/frostyjr2/the...her-you-take-2
but the track had an abrupt ending, as i discovered to my alarm and dismay.
So then i tried again:
https://soundcloud.com/frostyjr2/the...her-you-take-3
i like the 'guitar' solo better on the 2nd recording, and the 'bass' solo better on the 3rd one;
both are me playing my new .strandberg* Boden OS 8.
It's going to be awhile before i'm able to fully integrate the eight string; i have a hard enough time
playing six well, but there's something irresistible about ERGs to me.
Wish me luck... i'm not done with this one yet.
Next time i'm going to try using the backing track provided here!

**pkirk** · 02-07-2016, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Vladan

I don't know if I'd recognize devices you used, without you revealing them, but second and 3rd chorus are definitely much more tensed than the first one.
It sounds like you improvised all the way through? For such an experiment I'd need to work it out in full, then, maybe, improvise some variations on top.

Yeah, my bebop chops are not so crisp at the moment, but the place to listen is the Abmaj to Abmi: do I anticipate the b3 or do I lay on the natural 3rd even as the chords change to Abmin? Not that I did this well, but this is one way to make things interesting, without having to learn anything new.

**Vladan** · 02-07-2016, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by pkirk

... Abmaj to Abmi ...

Abmi, that's what's written as Db7(#11) in OP notation? Yeah, I also just lift one finger for the sound, instead of counting for a proper grip. I do play Db in bass, though, because my fingers are such to play it, by "construction".