Favorite guitar recording of Miles Davis' Four?

**larute** · 08-20-2021, 02:19 PM

New here. Looks like a cool hang. What are some of your favorite guitar recordings of Four?

**jameslovestal** · 08-23-2021, 01:51 PM

Doug Raney

**David B** · 08-23-2021, 04:26 PM

Peter Bernstein Quartet - ‘Live at Smalls’

**citizenk74** · 08-23-2021, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by larute

New here. Looks like a cool hang. What are some of your favorite guitar recordings of Four?

**larute** · 08-24-2021, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by jameslovestal

Doug Raney

Awesome.

**larute** · 08-24-2021, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by David B

Peter Bernstein Quartet - ‘Live at Smalls’

Having a hard time finding that one. I'll have to order the CD. Thanks for the recommendation.

**sgcim** · 08-31-2021, 08:13 PM

My last teacher.

**jameslovestal** · 08-31-2021, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

My last teacher.

Wow, I have never heard of Joe Monk so thanks for sharing. What a nice version of Four. I really like how he mixes chords and single line keeping it very melodic. I found the website About Joe Monk and I'll have to listen to how he approach's some of my favor standards.

(oh, and that was live take!).

**PMB** · 08-31-2021, 10:49 PM

Four was often played by great Irish guitarist, Louis Stewart. Here are a few renditions:

**larute** · 09-01-2021, 11:46 AM

Fantastic!

**wintermoon** · 09-01-2021, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

My last teacher.

who's the other guitarist sgcim?

**sgcim** · 09-01-2021, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

who's the other guitarist sgcim?

Ray Gogarty. He was another guy from LI, who had played with Benny Goodman. He was also well-known for being the guitar teacher for Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats.
Both of those guys used to have charts for four or five guitarists, and give concerts performing them.
Monk studied with Johnny Smith, but he wasn't into technical playing when I studied with him.
He was heavy into Geo Van Eps, and used to write arr. in the style of Van Eps, and changed my solo playing style to Van Eps' style.

One odd thing I remember about him was that he asked me who my fave player was, and when I mentioned Jimmy Raney, he just said, "Well, he did some interesting contrapuntal things with Stan Getz, but other than that..."

Then when he was interviewed just before his death, they asked him who he thought the greatest jazz guitarist of all time was.
He answered, "Jimmy Raney. He was the most honest player of them all."

I guess he changed his views on Raney in the many years that passed.

**jameslovestal** · 09-02-2021, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by sgcim

Ray Gogarty. He was another guy from LI, who had played with Benny Goodman. He was also well-known for being the guitar teacher for Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats.
Both of those guys used to have charts for four or five guitarists, and give concerts performing them.
Monk studied with Johnny Smith, but he wasn't into technical playing when I studied with him.
He was heavy into Geo Van Eps, and used to write arr. in the style of Van Eps, and changed my solo playing style to Van Eps' style.

One odd thing I remember about him was that he asked me who my fave player was, and when I mentioned Jimmy Raney, he just said, "Well, he did some interesting contrapuntal things with Stan Getz, but other than that..."

Then when he was interviewed just before his death, they asked him who he thought was the greatest jazz guitarist of all time was.
He answered, "Jimmy Raney. He was the most honest player of them all."

I guess he changed his views on Raney in the many years that passed.

Interesting comments about Raney. Of course I just give the "you of course" reply if I'm asked that question. (joking here since I've never been asked that question by a pro-musician, and I don't ask it since I use to when I was in my 20s and it didn't lead to a good place).

**wintermoon** · 09-02-2021, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

Ray Gogarty. He was another guy from LI, who had played with Benny Goodman. He was also well-known for being the guitar teacher for Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats.
Both of those guys used to have charts for four or five guitarists, and give concerts performing them.
Monk studied with Johnny Smith, but he wasn't into technical playing when I studied with him.
He was heavy into Geo Van Eps, and used to write arr. in the style of Van Eps, and changed my solo playing style to Van Eps' style.

One odd thing I remember about him was that he asked me who my fave player was, and when I mentioned Jimmy Raney, he just said, "Well, he did some interesting contrapuntal things with Stan Getz, but other than that..."

Then when he was interviewed just before his death, they asked him who he thought the greatest jazz guitarist of all time was.
He answered, "Jimmy Raney. He was the most honest player of them all."

I guess he changed his views on Raney in the many years that passed.

I only know Gogarty's name from the DA ledgers, his name appears several times and he had an early 50s blonde non cut NYer, like my '51
the bottom shot is Ray w/DA's apprentice Jimmy Diserio and the man himself

**lawson-stone** · 09-03-2021, 09:30 AM

Ron Affif on the album Vierd Blues has a nice rendition, and you don't hear much about him.

**diode** · 10-31-2021, 11:45 PM

Kenny Burrell with Red Garland.

**JCat** · 11-01-2021, 04:23 AM

Welcome,

Four is a fantastic tune that never gets old. I've always loved it. There are endless opportunities for variation.
I think people are playing it too fast most of the time. The music is beautiful and should be played accordingly and with finesse. Here's a nice interpretation in a good tempo (featuring Kenny Burrell):

**lawson-stone** · 11-01-2021, 02:45 PM

There is a Wes Montgomery performance of "Four" from a live date in 1956 on that special Resonance issue called In the Beginning. I don't know if it streams from any of the usual sources, but the whole thing is worth buying.

**pingu** · 04-25-2025, 07:57 PM

Ok to resurrect ….

do you prefer
Old Real Book changes

|Eb. |%. |Bbm. |Eb7. |
|Ab. | %. | Abm. |Db7. |
etc etc

or
New Real Book changes
|Eb. |%. |Ebm. |Ab7 |
|Fm | %. |Abm. |Db7. |

not sure myself ….

**jameslovestal** · 04-25-2025, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by pingu

Ok to resurrect ….

do you prefer
Old Real Book changes

|Eb. |%. |Bbm. |Eb7. |
|Ab. | %. | Abm. |Db7. |
etc etc

or
New Real Book changes
|Eb. |%. |Ebm. |Ab7 |
|Fm | %. |Abm. |Db7. |

not sure myself ….

I use:

|EbM7 |%. |Ebm9 |Ab13 |
|Fm9 | %. |Abm7 |Db7#9|

|EbM7, |F#m9, B13 | Fm9 | Bb13 |
|EbM7, |F#m9, B13 | Fm9 | Bb13 |

|EbM7 |%. |Ebm9 |Ab13 |
|Fm9 | %. |Abm7 |Db7#9|

|EbM7, |F#m9, B13 | Fm9 | Bb13 |
|Gm7, F#m7 |Fm7, Bb7 |EbM7 | Fm7, Bb7 |

**pamosmusic** · 04-25-2025, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by pingu

Ok to resurrect ….

do you prefer
Old Real Book changes

|Eb. |%. |Bbm. |Eb7. |
|Ab. | %. | Abm. |Db7. |
etc etc

or
New Real Book changes
|Eb. |%. |Ebm. |Ab7 |
|Fm | %. |Abm. |Db7. |

not sure myself ….

Old ones are wrong, so I’d probably go with the new.

They might go to the Ab instead of F minor now and again. Bass lands there a few times. But Ebm to Ab seems to be the way.