The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I have heard this vamp thing, as an introduction to a song, a number of times. A couple of examples, I have in my brain are, Autumn Leaves on Cannonball Adderly’s album, Something else, and All the Things You Are, as recorded by Dizzy and Parker. (I can not remember the name of the album. Maybe The Champ or just Dizzy and Bird?)

    Where do these vamps come from?

    I always guessed that they were taken from the associated musical.

    (These guesses can get me in trouble. For example, the pictures in my mind’s eye that I form, when I listen to an opera, (in a language I do not speak), are typically much happier, then the opera is).

    Do these vamps have a musical term associated with them?

    I do not often hear these vamps when I see a live performance. How often are they played with the associated tune?

    Why would one use the said vamp?

    Why does a whole Grateful Dead concert sound like one of these vamps? Just Joking: I love the dead. (I appreciate any rock band that utilizes key modulations).
    Last edited by st.bede; 11-15-2022 at 02:33 PM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    It’s called the intro. They were probably made up at the session.

  4. #3

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    Yeah, they don't necessarily "come from" anywhere.

    Anytime you are dealing with a group of players who are playing together consistently-- or like in the case of Blue Note, are paid to rehearse, you might find the players messing with arrangements to keep things interesting.

  5. #4

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    Solid reply: I was just going to reply "it is called Jazz".

  6. #5

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    There are many classic jazz tunes with specific intros. Round Midnight, Star Eyes, Joy Spring, Groovin High. The Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie intro you mention is actually from a tune Bird of Paradise, a 'contrafact' (different melody written over the same chord progression) of All The Things You Are


    Very often, these intros didn't make it into the old Real Book charts, so it was somewhat a badge of professionalism to know them.

    Show tunes can have a preamble known as the verse. These tend to be played more often if there is a vocalist. I've heard folk like Bucky Pizzarelli or Howard Alden use a verse as an intro, but usually verses are singer's territory




    Jerry Garcia's father was a swing/jazz clarinetist Jerome "Jerry" Garcia was named after All The Things You Are composer Jerome Kern...



    PK

  7. #6
    These answers are a lot less exotic then my imagination… just an intro… makes it seem so pedestrian, on the other hand, also it allows a sense of freedom… so, then any song any where can start with a intro in the jazz world.

    (It is funny how assumptions work. Jazz=“high” art, “high” art= codified rules, thus; if it takes place it must fall into a rule. There is a Aristotelian fallacy at play here. I probably should always look closely at my assumptions, however assumptions are too often invisible. I would bet that many have the same assumption about Jazz as an art form, and often forget the interplay between a more earthy approach and an more sophisticated approach. No matter how sophisticated Duke was, he also stated: if it don’t swing… ).

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by paulkogut
    There are many classic jazz tunes with specific intros. Round Midnight, Star Eyes, Joy Spring, Groovin High. The Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie intro you mention is actually from a tune Bird of Paradise, a 'contrafact' (different melody written over the same chord progression) of All The Things You Are


    Very often, these intros didn't make it into the old Real Book charts, so it was somewhat a badge of professionalism to know them.

    Show tunes can have a preamble known as the verse. These tend to be played more often if there is a vocalist. I've heard folk like Bucky Pizzarelli or Howard Alden use a verse as an intro, but usually verses are singer's territory



    PK
    Thank you for the information. I guess I was somewhat right but was too ossified in my thinking.

  9. #8

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    That Parker intro is supposedly based on a Rachmaninoff prelude:


  10. #9

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    An interesting video about its origins:


  11. #10

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  12. #11
    Thank you all. Some really great information in this thread.

    Grahambop that vid was very interesting thank you.

  13. #12

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    Here is a video on this subject from a very talented young pro (there is also a part II video on the channel):

  14. #13

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    I've always liked that bass vamp at the beginning of Poinciana that Ahmad Jamal does. I guess you could call it a vamp. It's not on the original and even Ahmad doesn't do it on some of his versions of the tune.


  15. #14

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    You might hear, on the bandstand, "vamp the last 4 bars as an intro" or "vamp a ii V in Eb" or a iii VI ii V, or whatever.

    Or they might be specified by the composer or arranger in the chart.

  16. #15

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    Yea... I use intros and outros .... and interludes on 80 to 90% of tunes I play at gigs. The more you understand composition and arranging... (and that dreaded theory thing), the more options you have.

    And obviously the better the players are... always helps.

    Typically... there needs to be some type of musical reference to... or from the tune. But not always, you can pull from different tunes in the same style or even a characteristic lick or Chord Pattern.

    Being able to not just be in the moment, LOL also helps. I give verbal or playing cues... before, during and even just take over the tune sometimes...

    (it's really a good play practice to be able to play your instrument without needing to stare at it while playing.)

    Although it can be a great visual effect to create that struggle or magical momentary thing... LOL

    (Rick we're playing sunday at Ocean... your always welcome)

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by grahambop
    That Parker intro is supposedly based on a Rachmaninoff prelude:
    Whether it was taken from that work or not, it’s the opening “riff” of Rocky’s Prelude in C# minor (aka The Bells of Moscow). P in C#m was one of the major pieces I had to learn as a kid taking piano lessons. The first time I heard it as a jazz intro, I thought they were going to play a jazz version of it

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    Whether it was taken from that work or not, it’s the opening “riff” of Rocky’s Prelude in C# minor (aka The Bells of Moscow). P in C#m was one of the major pieces I had to learn as a kid taking piano lessons. The first time I heard it as a jazz intro, I thought they were going to play a jazz version of it
    Yes that’s what the guy in the video was playing on the piano, i.e. the first few bars of Rachmaninoff’s prelude in C# minor, Op 3 No. 2 (aka the Bells of Moscow).

  19. #18

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    I always loved this creative, groovy vamp intro Joe Pass and John Pisano played (starts at 06:02) on "The Breeze and I." Joe's solo has such a cool, sly feel as well.


  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Yea
    (Rick we're playing sunday at Ocean... your always welcome)
    I should be able to make it.

    For the thread: Playing with Reg is special, among other reasons, because of the stuff happening on the fly.