Autumn Leaves Comping On CD

**peterk1** · 05-10-2010, 12:39 PM

My teacher gave me an interesting little assignment that's turning out to be a little challenging. We're going to start working on some repertoire comping-wise, so I would hopefully be able to pass auditions/gig sometime in the future and this is the first tune.

We listened to a couple of versions of the tune I had on my iPod and they all had piano comping, so he challenged me to find a version of the tune with guitar comping that I really liked....

So yesterday I trawled through iTunes and listened to snippets of 450 versions of the tune and picked out two that had cool guitar comping....but both of them are playing the tune as a bossa.

Does anyone know of any versions of the tune, where it's done straight-ahead swing? I'm looking more for piano style comping and not gypsy jazz style.

As a side note, it was truly depressing to see how under-represented our beloved instrument was on all those versions.

**mr. beaumont** · 05-10-2010, 12:54 PM

c'mon collective thinking caps--did paul desmond ever do this one with ed or jim? those guys are always the first i think of when i think of great comping...

I'm running through all the "autumn leaves'" I have in my collection in my head, and I'm not coming across much guitar. I know there's a tal farlow record with it on there, but I can't think of how it sounds right now...can't remember if tal does much comping or if it's a trio piece and he's basically leading the group the whole time...

**billkath** · 05-10-2010, 02:44 PM

Those BIAB practice MP3's out there on the web are done in stereo, but are cleverly panned so bass and drums are on left channel, piano comp on right channel. Simply delete the right channel and then you'll have a mono backing of bass and drums.
If you need help-just shout-I'll do it for you when you find one you like.

Originally Posted by peterk1

My teacher gave me an interesting little assignment that's turning out to be a little challenging. We're going to start working on some repertoire comping-wise, so I would hopefully be able to pass auditions/gig sometime in the future and this is the first tune.

We listened to a couple of versions of the tune I had on my iPod and they all had piano comping, so he challenged me to find a version of the tune with guitar comping that I really liked....

So yesterday I trawled through iTunes and listened to snippets of 450 versions of the tune and picked out two that had cool guitar comping....but both of them are playing the tune as a bossa.

Does anyone know of any versions of the tune, where it's done straight-ahead swing? I'm looking more for piano style comping and not gypsy jazz style.

As a side note, it was truly depressing to see how under-represented our beloved instrument was on all those versions.

**peterk1** · 05-10-2010, 03:22 PM

I heard a little snippet of Tal and it sounded great unfortunately he was doing the melody in the 30 seconds that iTunes let me hear and I wasn't able to tell whether he did straight comping later on...but Tal's version definitely perked my ears up.

Hey Bill, I'm pretty much a B in a Box guru already. I'd have no trouble getting backing tracks going - the challenge right now is to find a nice example of real pro comping for me to emulate.

**mr. beaumont** · 05-10-2010, 03:28 PM

peterk, was it the one off the concord "twofer" called autumn leaves?

I'll listen to the whole thing tonight and let you know if it's worth buying or downloading for your studies...although, in general, it's an album worth having anyway, lots of good playing.

**mr. beaumont** · 05-10-2010, 07:41 PM

peter--

the tal cut of autumn leaves on the concord "autumn leaves" twofer is a trio recording, and tal is in the lead the whole time.

starts with a great chord melody, then has some seriously sloppy playing after that, until tal kinda puts it back together...a strange recording, actually. Some nice chording, but no "accompanyment."

**sdr** · 05-10-2010, 09:52 PM

As I read this I'm listening Ron Carter's bass solo on my just-downloaded version of Autumn Leaves from Jim Hall and Ron Carter's Alone Together album. Not sure if that works for the assignment, but real nice playing nevertheless.

**holgit** · 05-11-2010, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by sdr

As I read this I'm listening Ron Carter's bass solo on my just-downloaded version of Autumn Leaves from Jim Hall and Ron Carter's Alone Together album. Not sure if that works for the assignment, but real nice playing nevertheless.

Yes, that's really nice, heard it last night, too. But does Jim Hall a "typical" swing comping?

**wizard3739** · 05-11-2010, 08:42 PM

Here is a suggestion for you for Autumn Leaves and any other song you might want to study for comping.

1) input the song (chords & melody) into one of the Band In A Box (2010 with real tracks) versions.

2) pick a style that is all real tracks with guitar, bass and drums only. (I suggest a ballad style).

3) Go to the notation tab and and set the instrument for guitar.

4) The net result of this effort is: You will have a very nice printable version of the song by a very good Canadian jazz guitarist who is very good at comping. Although I have not tried to use the tab setting, I think you can set BIAB to print the tabs also.

wiz

**peterk1** · 05-12-2010, 12:13 PM

Thanks everyone. Glad I'm not the only one who found this little treasure hunt challenging. Looks like I'll be doing this one bossa style! (...with the Band In A Box solution being a nice safety valve...thanks for that one wiz).

**wizard3739** · 05-12-2010, 04:33 PM

Your welcome, Peterk1, my jazz trio often does Autumn Leaves as a Bossanova because our Vocalist likes it best in a Latin format.

wiz

**woyvel** · 05-13-2010, 07:01 PM

I like the Hall/Carter version. Regarding the above video. Coryell and Tal are doing "look at me" playing (IMO) in while Abercrombie solo is, to me, more tasteful and fluid. They're all great talents.

**JazzGuitarist** · 05-17-2010, 05:50 PM

Has anyone tab for Joe Pass version of this song?

**Flat** · 06-01-2010, 11:57 PM

I hope it's not too much of a hijack, but maybe someone could help me out.

I just started looking around for a way to buy backing tracks to practice soloing for a few ubiquitous standards: Sunny, Autumn Leaves, Summertime, etc.

I thought maybe I could find a CD with a few songs I like--or even better: buy music-minus-one guitar-karaoke tracks song-by-song from iTunes or Amazon.

I've heard good things about Jamey Abersold, and thought maybe he'd have a CD like that.

But after reading Howie's comment above, I started to wonder if maybe Band in the Box (I'm on Mac OS X) would be a better investment than shopping for pre-recorded tracks?

Any advice either way? Tracking down backing tracks, or learning my way around BIAB?

-Flat

**merseybeat** · 06-02-2010, 01:45 AM

I am at work now but I will be more than happy to post Autumn Leaves and Summertime backing tracks from BIAB (Drums Bass Comp Guitar) when I get home later!

Eddie

PS Band in a box is the best investment you will ever make!

**merseybeat** · 06-02-2010, 01:56 AM

Just for a quick simple comp idea on Autumn leaves try this (G MAJ)

Am7 / Am9 /
D9 / G#7b13 /
GMaj7 / G7b13 / ...............(Always a winner, gives a nice sense of direction towards the IV)
C69 / / / .........................(Much more mature choice than a CMaj7)
F#m7b5 / / /
B7#9 / B7b9 /
Em / Em6 / E7b9#5 / / / ...(Try using any E7Alt to create a movement)

This is not written in stone but hopefully you will get the idea! (The combinations are endless!)
When inventing a comp I tend to think of a horn arrangment (Years of playing with a horn section I suppose)

Regards

Eddie

**peterk1** · 06-02-2010, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by Flat

I hope it's not too much of a hijack, but maybe someone could help me out.

Band In A Box is the better idea by a mile. Mainly because
o you can vary the tempo/key
o test out different styles
o less work to get something going

**merseybeat** · 06-18-2010, 09:32 AM

As promised, sorry its late!

http://eddie-hughes.com/eddie/Autumn%20Leaves.mp3

**fep** · 06-18-2010, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Tony Santodonato

Why do we guitarists always do this tune in G / E min (open strings?) My old sax teacher gave it to me in Bb / Gmin . I prefer how it sounds and how it lays out on the neck. And its not easier on the sax in Bb. I think its the key Miles and Cannonball did it in.Must be sonics involved.

I'd bet it's often played in Em because that's the way it is in the Real Book.

**NeillonGuitar** · 06-19-2010, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by peterk1

My teacher gave me an interesting little assignment that's turning out to be a little challenging. We're going to start working on some repertoire comping-wise, so I would hopefully be able to pass auditions/gig sometime in the future and this is the first tune.

We listened to a couple of versions of the tune I had on my iPod and they all had piano comping, so he challenged me to find a version of the tune with guitar comping that I really liked....

So yesterday I trawled through iTunes and listened to snippets of 450 versions of the tune and picked out two that had cool guitar comping....but both of them are playing the tune as a bossa.

Does anyone know of any versions of the tune, where it's done straight-ahead swing? I'm looking more for piano style comping and not gypsy jazz style.

As a side note, it was truly depressing to see how under-represented our beloved instrument was on all those versions.

I don't want to sound preachy, but what I have picked up about playing jazz guitar is that you listen to piano players to get comping ideas and horn players to get soloing ideas.
I get a lot of my comping ideas from Wynton Kelly's left hand when he is doing a solo!

NL

**FatJeff** · 06-19-2010, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by peterk1

Band In A Box is the better idea by a mile. Mainly because
o you can vary the tempo/key
o test out different styles
o less work to get something going

I use both. The advantages you mentioned for BiAB are true, but on the other hand, you're not really playing with real musicians. It's still all computer generated (even if the real-tracks are real music samples, they're still stitched together by a computer algorithm, and I can tell the difference sometimes).

One thing about the Aebersold CDs is that you can take a book/CD with you, but it's much more difficult to lug around a computer with speakers, KB, monitor, etc.