February 2024 - Exactly Like You

[M-ster]

Our standard for Feb 2024 will be Exactly Like You (Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields, 1930).

Background:
Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Exactly Like You)

[AllanAllen]

The Lionel Hampton vocal!

[ragman1]

Yee-haw

[Jimmy Smith]

Yee-haw

Git on lil dogey.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

[alpop]

Nice mix of blues and jazz ideas. My kind of playing. If I was a better player, I would play just like this!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Nice mix of blues and jazz ideas. My kind of playing. If I was a better player, I would play just like this!

Wow - thanks so much! I’m very glad you like it.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I've been trying to get into the gypsy bag this year, and I found a gypsy backing track for this one that's really good. So I took a shot at it. Sweep picking is still a work in progress for me, so I didn't try to do that here because I can't reliably pull it off yet. I'm still working on getting the feel of the genre and maintaining a light touch. Hopefully, the speed will come.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Interesting. Can't fault the playing, of course, but I thought if you're going to have an acoustic rhythm then you probably should have played the lead acoustically too.

Thanks! I agree with you. But my wife was still asleep when I recorded this, and I had to go direct to avoid waking her. I think my Eastman 810CE7 did pretty well through the pickup - I love the sound, and I was picking pretty lightly even though the doors were closed both to our bedroom and to the den where I was playing.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I'm getting my gear ready for tonight's gig. While checking my Ibanez AF207 through the Blu 6, I thought I heard Bucky telling me to try Exactly Like You fingerstyle. He's right - it's a great tune for the lap piano. I'll have to work up an arrangement for it to put it in my solo repertoire, but here's my first take -

[supersoul]

I'm getting my gear ready for tonight's gig. While checking my Ibanez AF207 through the Blu 6, I thought I heard Bucky telling me to try Exactly Like You fingerstyle. He's right - it's a great tune for the lap piano. I'll have to work up an arrangement for it to put it in my solo repertoire, but here's my first take -

I dig this version. I thought I heard a metronome in the background, but otherwise is it unaccompanied?

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I dig this version. I thought I heard a metronome in the background, but otherwise is it unaccompanied?

It's unaccompanied. I often practice with a click track because it helps me maintain rhythmic discipline. Even after 68 years of playing, I tend to speed up when playing solo, and practicing with a click has helped but not cured this. It's still a struggle if I don't concentrate on it. And playing new things sometimes distracts me from timing. I should have used phones, but I practice mic'ed and don't usually think about this. Sorry!

[Jimmy Smith]

Why are you sounding like Bucky Pizzarelli?!!

[supersoul]

It's unaccompanied. I often practice with a click track because it helps me maintain rhythmic discipline. Even after 68 years of playing, I tend to speed up when playing solo, and practicing with a click has helped but not cured this. It's still a struggle if I don't concentrate on it. And playing new things sometimes distracts me from timing. I should have used phones, but I practice mic'ed and don't usually think about this. Sorry!

It sounded good, and I didn't really notice the metronome until as your last notes were fading out!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Why are you sounding like Bucky Pizzarelli?!!

Don't blame me - Van Eps made me do it!

[Jimmy Smith]

Happy with the take despite some clipping.

[Skip Ellis]

I always liked this version ( a little hillbilly but I grew up in OK and have western swing in my blood):

[Jimmy Smith]

This has been my favorite version. Dizzy, Stan Getz, and OP. Smokin.

[Fusionshred]

I'm getting my gear ready for tonight's gig. While checking my Ibanez AF207 through the Blu 6, I thought I heard Bucky telling me to try Exactly Like You fingerstyle. He's right - it's a great tune for the lap piano. I'll have to work up an arrangement for it to put it in my solo repertoire, but here's my first take -

That was great! And, thanks, it makes me wish I still had my AF207!