Polka Dots and Moonbeans.

**cesarguit** · 02-27-2024, 02:07 PM

I hope you like my arrangement. Trying new things and ideas borrowed from Yotam Silberstein.
All comments are welcome.

**AllanAllen** · 02-27-2024, 03:09 PM

Beautiful. From your face it looked like you struggled for a moment, but I couldn't hear it in the music.

**cesarguit** · 02-27-2024, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Beautiful. From your face it looked like you struggled for a moment, but I couldn't hear it in the music.

Certainly, the arrangement is complex for my abilities and I also can't playing relaxed when I'm recording. It's something I have to work on

**AllanAllen** · 02-27-2024, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by cesarguit

Certainly, the arrangement is complex for my abilities and I also can't playing relaxed when I'm recording. It's something I have to work on

The important part was that it sounded good, which it did. Great work.

**Bobby Timmons** · 02-27-2024, 06:06 PM

Good job sir. I liked how it all worked together seamlessly for rhythm, melody, and harmony.

**cesarguit** · 02-27-2024, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

Good job sir. I liked how it all worked together seamlessly for rhythm, melody, and harmony.

Thanks.

**Mick-7** · 03-13-2024, 03:29 PM

Nice playing....

The lyrics of this tune are kind of goofy: "polka dots and moonbeams sparkled on a pug-nosed dream."

Has he fallen for a prize fighter?

**mr. beaumont** · 03-13-2024, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

Nice playing....

The lyrics of this tune are kind of goofy: "polka dots and moonbeams sparkled on a pug-nosed dream."

Has he fallen for a prize fighter?

Easily near the top of the "Beauty of the melody is inversely proportionate to that of the lyrics" list.

Really nice playing Cesar.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 03-13-2024, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

The lyrics of this tune are kind of goofy: "polka dots and moonbeams sparkled on a pug-nosed dream."

It’s not in the same league with “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?”. North and South and East and West of your life????? I used to hate that song, and it was very popular at weddings back in 1970. The band in which I played at the time played my wedding (with my replacement - Mike Sembello). It turned out that my wife wanted me to sing and play it for her at our reception. I almost choked trying not to laugh while singing it, but I got through it somehow and swore to myself that I’d never play it again.

**cesarguit** · 03-14-2024, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

Nice playing....

The lyrics of this tune are kind of goofy: "polka dots and moonbeams sparkled on a pug-nosed dream."

Has he fallen for a prize fighter?

I usually don't pay much attention to the lyrics of songs. In this case it doesn't seem very successful

**wintermoon** · 03-14-2024, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by cesarguit

I usually don't pay much attention to the lyrics of songs. In this case it doesn't seem very successful

Interesting, I find that knowing the lyrics really helps in playing a tune.
Not sure that I ever consciously learned them but over the years I've listened to a lot of vocalists so maybe through osmosis.
I think Benny Carter endorsed learning them.

**Mick-7** · 03-14-2024, 03:25 PM

"I think Benny Carter endorsed learning them."

She may be biased.

"I find that knowing the lyrics really helps in playing a tune."

In what way? They can help you remember it - the melody and thereby the harmony - or is that what you meant?

But if you can't stand the lyrics, as nshsi (nevershouldhavesoldit) testified, it may have the opposite effect.

nshi, I hope it's not your soul that your forum name references?

**wintermoon** · 03-14-2024, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

"I think Benny Carter endorsed learning them."

She may be biased.

"I find that knowing the lyrics really helps in playing a tune."

In what way? They can help you remember it - the melody and thereby the harmony - or is that what you meant?

But if you can't stand the lyrics, as nshsi (nevershouldhavesoldit) testified, it may have the opposite effect.

nshi, I hope it's not your soul that your forum name references?

Yeah, it helps me remember melodies, for better or worse. Like "I burned a hole in the dining room table" helps me remember the melody to "ps I love you"

speaking of ps, Benny Carter was a male alto saxophonist/composer/arranger.
Take the dark glasses off, maybe you thought I typed Betty

**Mick-7** · 03-14-2024, 10:50 PM

Oh, you're right, I was thinking of Betty Carter.... Did Benny sing? Hoping he did if only to save my joke from perdition.

**DanielleOM** · 03-15-2024, 07:39 AM

I have been working on this tune but have not felt comfortable singing and playing the chords. With the sheet music I have been looking at, it almost seems too busy with the number of chord changes and melody. For me it's a tongue twister. I seem to reasonably happy with the simple chord melody arrangement I have worked out. I am thinking listening to other vocal arrangements should be on my to do list.

**Tom Karol** · 03-15-2024, 08:37 AM

Wes did a wonderful version of this song on, "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery."

**mr. beaumont** · 03-15-2024, 09:20 AM

I'm going to start another thread about knowing the words to a tune...I'm a big fan of it...

One must take into account our OP here is from Spain. And while I'm certain that even from just our limited interactions here that his English is better than my Spanish, you do have to ask yourself, is translating a whole tune necessary...maybe?

**cesarguit** · 03-15-2024, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I'm going to start another thread about knowing the words to a tune...I'm a big fan of it...

One must take into account our OP here is from Spain. And while I'm certain that even from just our limited interactions here that his English is better than my Spanish, you do have to ask yourself, is translating a whole tune necessary...maybe?

Yes, my mother language is Spanish and that is why I don't usually pay much attention to the lyrics of the songs. Furthermore, I usually listen to more instrumental versions than sung versions.
If you are going to open a thread about lyrics, for me one of the songs where harmony makes the most sense in relation to the lyrics is "But beautiful"

**murrayatuptown** · 03-15-2024, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

It’s not in the same league with “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?”. North and South and East and West of your life????? I used to hate that song, and it was very popular at weddings back in 1970. The band in which I played at the time played my wedding (with my replacement - Mike Sembello). It turned out that my wife wanted me to sing and play it for her at our reception. I almost choked trying not to laugh while singing it, but I got through it somehow and swore to myself that I’d never play it again.

I went to a wedding where one of the bride & groom's songs was "Highway to Hell" (some screaming rock band I can half visualize but not utter or type the name of at this moment), and the reception was in the church basement, downstairs from the sanctuary where the ceremony was (saved money by only renting one building?).

We thought "Really? This is one of their Wedding Songs?".

It got uglier quickly and they are no longer married. The groom was the nice one as far as we were concerned.

**murrayatuptown** · 03-16-2024, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by cesarguit

Yes, my mother language is Spanish and that is why I don't usually pay much attention to the lyrics of the songs. Furthermore, I usually listen to more instrumental versions than sung versions.
If you are going to open a thread about lyrics, for me one of the songs where harmony makes the most sense in relation to the lyrics is "But beautiful"

I bought a CD in Michigan from a Cuban artist living in Canada. Despite 4 years of Spanish in high school (OK, 1970's it WAS a long time ago), could not understand any of the Spanish. I blamed Cuban articulation that seemed to cut off many ending consonants. So I could not understand who or what the verbs referred to (he or she?, and what many words were. But I liked the rhythms and listened to the voices as additional instruments. I let a friend who grew up in Colombia and another country listen and he gave it back, saying "NO. I can't even listen to that", without saying why.)

Later I met a woman from Cuba at work who I explained my dilemma to. She borrowed it, and upon return asked me 'You like this?'.

I explained I had no idea what they were singing about, and probably didn't want to know, and how I listened to the singing rhythms as another instrument. I thought that was probably true of most singing. I'd rather not know the words because I'd tire of them the third time, or find them shallow & trite.

She said she would call it kind of like "Cuban Country Music", and explained what the lyrics were and that they were a bit poetic, philosophical, sentimental. She didn't say NO emphatically like the other person. I think he didn't like that the lyrics were applied to rhythms from many non-Cuban genres, from Jamaica to New Orleans, like a mixed up corruption/confusion. He is proud of having a pretty good knowledge of food and music from many South & Central American countries, and was particularly fond of Cuban music.