The Real Book - 99% Invisible

[zdub]

A brief history of the fake book.

The Real Book - 99% Invisible (99percentinvisible.org)

[ragman1]

As you listen to different recordings of the same song by different jazz artists, it becomes obvious that there’s no one right way to play it... The key... is to treat the Real Book as a starting place. From there you need to go out and explore all the other ways people have played a particular song. “And then ultimately you must find your own way".

Precisely.

[MarkRhodes]

Nice article.
I read Kernfeld's book years ago and would recommend it.

The Story of Fake Books: Bootlegging Songs to Musicians - 9780810857278

[John A.]

Precisely [quoting "As you listen to different recordings of the same song by different jazz artists, it becomes obvious that there’s no one right way to play it... The key... is to treat the Real Book as a starting place. From there you need to go out and explore all the other ways people have played a particular song. “And then ultimately you must find your own way"."] .

Yes and no. There's an oral tradition surrounding a large portion of the standards repertoire, and for people who were raised in that tradition, there is a right set of changes, a right key, and sometimes a right arrangement (e.g., intro, counter-melodies, harmonic rhythm, shout chorus, ending, specific bass part). That's a smaller and smaller percent of the jazz playing population, but in some places the oral tradition is still strong. On a rehearsed/planned/fully-charted gig or session where there's a conscious effort to transpose, reharmonize, or rearrange it's a different story. And it you want to understand a tune more deeply and interpret it yourself, exploration of the range of interpretations is key. But if you show up to a jam session or club date with people who came up the old-school way where tunes are just being called, there's a strong sense of there being a right way to play most tunes.

John

[jazzkritter]

“I read Kernfeld's book years ago and would recommend it.
The Story of Fake Books: Bootlegging Songs to Musicians - 9780810857278”

68$ FOR AN EBOOK!
What, this author dude have a mask and a gun?


Wait, we all have masks lol.

[MarkRhodes]

“I read Kernfeld's book years ago and would recommend it.
The Story of Fake Books: Bootlegging Songs to Musicians - 9780810857278”

68$ FOR AN EBOOK!
What, this author dude have a mask and a gun?


Wait, we all have masks lol.

Probably a University Press. They charge a fortune for books. Get it through your library (inter-library loan.) That's what I did.

[jameslovestal]

Yes and no. There's an oral tradition surrounding a large portion of the standards repertoire, and for people who were raised in that tradition, there is a right set of changes, a right key, and sometimes a right arrangement (e.g., intro, counter-melodies, harmonic rhythm, shout chorus, ending, specific bass part). That's a smaller and smaller percent of the jazz playing population, but in some places the oral tradition is still strong. On a rehearsed/planned/fully-charted gig or session where there's a conscious effort to transpose, reharmonize, or rearrange it's a different story. And it you want to understand a tune more deeply and interpret it yourself, exploration of the range of interpretations is key. But if you show up to a jam session or club date with people who came up the old-school way where tunes are just being called, there's a strong sense of there being a right way to play most tunes.

John

So true; but I would used the term "common way" instead of "right way".

[John A.]

So true; but I would use the term "common way" instead of "right way".

There are definitely people for whom it's the right way, and they let you know that.

John

[jameslovestal]

There are definitely people for whom it's the right way, and they let you know that.

John

I have encountered these folks but mostly when playing rock and roll covers. E.g. to me the "right key" is the key that works best for the singer(s). But to some the "right key" (and only key), is the one used on the original recording.

I agree it is best to learn as many of these "common ways" as possible so one is prepared.

[rpjazzguitar]

Another thing that's different from pre-RB days is access to different recorded versions. Before RB and youtube, you had to have the record, or be lucky enough to record it off the radio. Albums weren't cheap. Now, you can hear multiple versions one after the other, for free. And, with the passage of time, there are more of them.

Back then, you'd be lucky to have a recording of the version the leader wanted to play. Now, you've got it, but it's one of a number of possibilities.

To make it in that setting you had to find a way to hear the tunes and you needed to have quick enough ears to figure them out and remember them. Warren Nunes said to me, "if I hear a tune once, I know it for the rest of my life".
"

Then, everybody got the Real Book. Says so in that video and my experience is the same. It reached the point where the leader was likely carry an extra copy for the guy who forgot his RB. Now it's tablets, and some leaders carry extras.

Why? It certainly didn't spread like wildfire because nobody needed or wanted it.

The RB gave everybody a common repertoire. There were errors and differences of opinion, but, by and large, you could play the chart in the book. Same key, same roadmap and, mostly, adequate charting of melody and chords. You didn't have to be a NYC level master player who devoted his waking life to jazz in order to play a standards gig.

Now it seems common to criticize it for errors in the chords and suggest that each player learn the tune from a record, as if everybody would use the same one. If we all did that for 5 years, during year 6, the RB would be back stronger than ever and to solve the same problems.

I've been playing TWNBAY for years. I can't remember learning it (probably at a jam from the RB). If I had to go to the definitive version to chck the changes, I'd have no idea which one to pick. It gets called a lot in book-less situations and everybody basically plays the RB chart.

Call a tune that's not in the book and not everybody will know it, those that do may not remember it the same way and the differences could be roadmap rather than just changes. Works fine if everybody has big ears and follows a path clearly stated, usually by the piano.

So, people use the RB, whether or not it's open in front of them.

I see very few casuals done without books.

[Tom Karol]

Back in the 60's, I got 'Fake Books' from my teacher. He used to buy them from a guy who sold them out of the trunk of his car - really!

[sgcim]

Back in the 60's, I got 'Fake Books' from my teacher. He used to buy them from a guy who sold them out of the trunk of his car - really!

If you lived in Longuyland, it had to be Vic Maffie.

[jazzkritter]

Hey I got mine out of a guys trunk in New Joisey in 1968! Name was Mike, I don’t think we ever knew his name

[Cunamara]

Mine was $20 cash to an address in Illinois given to me by my teacher. Arrived in an anonymous brown paper wrapper. 1982, IIRC. Prior to that I was assigned to copy charts by have from his Real Book.

[rpjazzguitar]

I borrowed one. Spent a nite with a friend making multiple copies for myself and friends. That was late 70s. One sided copy machine with a sall feeder tray making two sided copies. Still have it.

[supersoul]

There was a music shop in Wheaton, MD, no longer there, where you had to ask at the counter and if you didn't look like a Fed he would put it on the counter in a brown paper bag. I think it was $20. I admit it felt cool, like I was joining some underground society.

[Strbender]

Back in the 60's, I got 'Fake Books' from my teacher. He used to buy them from a guy who sold them out of the trunk of his car - really!

I bought my first one from a Berklee Teacher who I studied with privately. After that copy was destroyed in a flood I replaced it with one from the backroom of a small music store. The things that we did back then.

[jazzkritter]

Hey supersoul... knowing Wheaton hard to believe there’s any non-feds there)))
(from an ex fed)

[zdub]

There was a music shop in Wheaton, MD, no longer there, where you had to ask at the counter and if you didn't look like a Fed he would put it on the counter in a brown paper bag. I think it was $20. I admit it felt cool, like I was joining some underground society.

Haha, got mine while visiting a Berklee friend in the 70s. Went to someone's apt to get a copy and it honestly seemed like a paranoia fueled drug deal.

[Walker]

I was studying with Sal Salvador at WCSU and he told me there was a place around the corner from the school that had it, go there and ask for it. You would've thought you were buying drugs.