October 2018 - Lush Life

**grahambop** · 10-20-2018, 05:51 PM

I love Sarah Vaughan’s Pablo recording. I saw her doing this song in 1981, the audience were spellbound, an unforgettable experience.

**grahambop** · 10-20-2018, 05:55 PM

Here’s a photo of Sarah Vaughan I took at that concert.

October 2018 - Lush Life-scan304-jpg

**ragman1** · 10-20-2018, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher

Right. Unlike, every OTHER song which sounds great when recorded in a crap way. Only THIS one requires being played well...

Well, it is definitely difficult to sing accurately. I think that's generally acknowledged.

Playing it instrumentally would be easier because... well, those are the notes. But finding a half-decent improvisation is hard, no question. Chet Baker, for instance, definitely ducked it and let the piano do it. I'd love to know what he thought of it all - Chet, that is.

Personally I keep posting various versions and then deleting them (you may have noticed). The whole thing just has a weird effect on me for some reason. I could speculate, but we should really keep the forum clean

**ragman1** · 10-20-2018, 07:45 PM

By the way, I don't know if you saw this:

Novelty Jazz tunes

I posted it as a novelty song! Maybe trying to turn it into something serious is a mistake although it's been very successfully done.

There's a site somewhere about it. There was another one where almost all the comments (I think by musicians) echoed what I'd been thinking myself, that really the song isn't much without the lyrics, that it is essentially a song rather than an instrumental.

**ragman1** · 10-20-2018, 08:01 PM

This is the site I was talking about:

Lush Life by Billy Strayhorn - Songfacts

**ragman1** · 10-20-2018, 08:04 PM

There's also this. What's a clyde?

Hear Frank Sinatra’s Unfinished ‘Lush Life,’ Released After 60 Years – Variety

**ragman1** · 10-21-2018, 09:54 AM

'... Kaplan writes. “In the end (it) was an art song rather than a ballad.” '

I think that's it. Art songs are as Strayhorn originally composed and played it, as voice and piano accompaniment only. Novelty might be too strong but there's no way (in my view) that it can be sung as a serious heartfelt ballad like Laura or something.

(I did think of dropping it down to C and singing it, I could do it - with lots of joking so an imperfect vocal delivery wouldn't matter at all... but I haven't. You should be grateful!)

BUT I suppose it can be played instrumentally as such because it's just a tune and up till the chorus it's quite a good tune. After that I think it gets dull and too meshed together. So it's better with the lyrics, basically.

Anyway, is anyone going to try it? M-ster? Come on, I bet someone can make something of it!

**mr. beaumont** · 10-21-2018, 10:34 AM

I'm getting nowhere with it. Needs words.

**ragman1** · 10-21-2018, 11:08 AM

Except if you play a pedal steel, maybe. That worked quite well.

Or the saw

**grahambop** · 10-21-2018, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

BUT I suppose it can be played instrumentally as such because it's just a tune and up till the chorus it's quite a good tune. After that I think it gets dull and too meshed together. So it's better with the lyrics, basically.

Anyway, is anyone going to try it? M-ster? Come on, I bet someone can make something of it!

What’s all the fuss, it’s just a tune, it can be played. If I get time I’ll do it as a solo version, I have played it like that before.

**M-ster** · 10-21-2018, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

... Anyway, is anyone going to try it? M-ster? Come on, I bet someone can make something of it!

It's coming. I was working on it last night. I don't think it's a great improvisational vehicle because of its form and the long "verse" - which is a necessary part of the composition, to me. But, I've enjoyed studying it and working on it.

**ragman1** · 10-21-2018, 07:28 PM

Always look forward to your versions, M-ster, as you know.

But, far more important is the question of whether M-ster stands for Mister or Monster. I guess we'll never know :-)

**mr. beaumont** · 10-21-2018, 08:04 PM

I might go against my way of doing things completely and treat this one like a classical piece.

I know Bucky did that kinda, with some tunes...he said some tunes you just gotta play straight, because they're perfect as is.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 10-21-2018, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Reg

I have favorite chord patterns... don't really just play single chords....
X X 5 6 6 8
X X 5 6 6 5
5 X 5 6 6 X
X 5 4 4 5 X

Ha! "From jazz and cocktails"!

:-)

Lush Life...

**mr. beaumont** · 10-21-2018, 08:54 PM

Cocktail sounds good...hey look, bourbon!

**ragman1** · 10-22-2018, 06:45 AM

Having already done multiple versions, I can tell you all one thing.

Don't do it too slow. Much easier to play, naturally, but it drags if it's too slow. Take heed from the Strayhorn version. It needs some push behind it.

Only my view, of course

**matt.guitarteacher** · 10-22-2018, 01:40 PM

Tough tune, but a good one. Comments and criticisms welcome.

Same video, but I re-uploaded to try to fix the low-volume audio. Should be better. Sorry.

**ragman1** · 10-22-2018, 02:32 PM

Boing! Good shot, Matt. Not easy, is it?

**matt.guitarteacher** · 10-22-2018, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Boing! Good shot, Matt. Not easy, is it?

Never easy, but I've always loved trying to play through on this one. My wife and I both really enjoyed your vocal version by the way. Love that accent. Probably enjoyed that one as much as anything you've posted.

I think my favorite aspect is your transparency with momentary frustrations in the tune. Those sighs and vocal utterances keep it fresh and somehow fit the character of the tune really well. Thanks for posting.

Vocal version might be fun. I can probably cover comping forsinger in a basic way on this one, and I could probably cover the singing part. I'd definitely needed to practice more for both at the same time in lush life though. Maybe have to bring one of the girls in if there's time.

**M-ster** · 10-22-2018, 08:38 PM

Got it in before month end!

http://www.noiseinthebasement.com/mp...0life%2001.mp3

**matt.guitarteacher** · 10-22-2018, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by M-ster

Got it in before month end!

http://www.noiseinthebasement.com/mp...0life%2001.mp3

Great as always M-ster. Is this all M-ster-original backing?

Really unique treatment on a tune that is widely-regarded as difficult to rearrange.

**M-ster** · 10-22-2018, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by jasaco

And now for something completely different...

Very cool, jasaco. Thanks for posting that!

**M-ster** · 10-22-2018, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by kris

There is my version with vocal/Dorota/.
It was recorded 11 years ago...:-)

Nice, Kris!

**M-ster** · 10-22-2018, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher

Great as always M-ster. Is this all M-ster-original backing?

Really unique treatment on a tune that is widely-regarded as difficult to rearrange.

Thanks, Matt. Yes, the backing is me and my trusty PC. Not much of a rearrangement - I took most of my cues from the original Strayhan recording.

**ragman1** · 10-23-2018, 03:37 AM

Thanks for your comments, Matt. The 'interruptions' were quite deliberate because otherwise I might have to shoot myself... it's really quite an introverted piece lyrically.

Ah yes, the accent. Do you know I've only ever sung American stuff? I can't sing 'Brit', it doesn't work. Strange.

Do try a vocal too, that would definitely be fun :-)