Doxy - Deep Dive

**Rick5** · 09-26-2023, 08:41 AM

Hi All,

I haven't played Doxy in probably 10 years and just started playing this tune again. I don't know why, but I did a deep dive into a bunch of recordings in a way I don't do for every tune and was kind of surprised with what I found. For the head, I studied about 12 different versions including versions in a couple of fake books and great players (e.g., Bob mintzer) on you tube. I don't think I found any two versions with the same head in terms of the pitches. As just one of multiple examples, in the second bar of the B section, I found recordings that played a G note to a Bb, a G to a C, and a G to Db. The last note in the B section was also any of those notes (Bb, C, or Db) depending on the recording. The A section also had pitch differences between recordings. I am used to hearing melody pitches altered in great American songbook tunes, but I was a little surprised by the wide variability in a jazz head written by a jazz musician. If I do the same for say some Monk tunes or Bird tunes, will I find the same thing? I have usually learned tunes from a couple of recordings. I don't know that I have ever studied so many versions of the same tune before, but I did find the pitch variability to be interesting and a little surprising. There is no "right" head for Doxy. Lol.

Thanks,
Rick

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**AllanAllen** · 09-26-2023, 09:48 AM

If I do the same for say some Monk tunes or Bird tunes, will I find the same thing?

yes.

I spent the time learning things by ear just to have to go back and relearn stuff from the real book or iReal after playing live. Easier for me to relearn the real book version than demand everyone else stop reading.

**Rick5** · 09-26-2023, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

yes.

I spent the time learning things by ear just to have to go back and relearn stuff from the real book or iReal after playing live. Easier for me to relearn the real book version than demand everyone else stop reading.

Great point. I make to sure to know all the tunes for gigs, but the guys are play with are (usually) playing Hal Leonard RB series versions of tunes, so those are the versions I know without charts. I am going to try to do this for some other tunes to see what I find. I really did not expect so much variability in the pitch choices on the head for this tune.

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**Jimmy Smith** · 09-26-2023, 10:16 AM

Probably not all the tunes are off. I doubt there's any uncertainty about what the melody is to autumn leaves. Also you know how us amateur players will not play the song right but try to make it sound good? Pros do that too haha.

**Jimmy Smith** · 09-26-2023, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Rick5

If I do the same for say some Monk tunes or Bird tunes, will I find the same thing?

If you play the melody wrong to a Monk tune, (or decide to solo instead) Monk will get up from the piano and tell you to get your act together.

39:20

**Rick5** · 09-26-2023, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

Probably not all the tunes are off. I doubt there's any uncertainty about what the melody is to autumn leaves. Also you know how us amateur players will not play the song right but try to make it sound good? Pros do that too haha.

I am imagine they were all doing it intentionally in the same way miles changed melody pitches when playing heads on standards. I guess I just didn't expect as much variability on an actual jazz head. For example, look at the A section on the joe pass version on YouTube. It's different from Rollins or fake books.

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**AllanAllen** · 09-26-2023, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

Probably not all the tunes are off. I doubt there's any uncertainty about what the melody is to autumn leaves. Also you know how us amateur players will not play the song right but try to make it sound good? Pros do that too haha.

Yeah, but the harmony for bars 27 and 28 have a ton of variations. Even RealBook and iReal are different. There's a big band out here that does the minor, minor major7, minor 7, minor 6 descending root thing from In a Sentimental Mood over those bars. I never heard that in a recording.

It was actually the variation in those bars of Autumn Leaves and having Summertime fall apart because of different charts/versions that I just started to do melody by ear and harmony by iReal. But when I try to double up with the trumpet and he's reading from Hal Leonard Real Book... things still get weird... I need to write my own charts. Sometimes the answer is just right there huh...