Jazz tune of the month anyone?

[DavidKOS]

David, I know what you mean and don't take any offence. I do find the Sher books in MY own gigging experience to be what players often play. I will say that I don't play swing era gigs often, usually I playing with players who play bop era and later. I should have clarified that.

There are usually a number of chord progressions that fit any Jazz tune. The biggest arguments I hear between musicians are what are "correct".

Any of the progressions I post, take with a grain of salt. If you want to use others, feel free!!!

I too have worked with musicians that use the Sher books, too, that's why I am very familiar with the style of chord subs used in the books.

I grew up in New Orleans and learned to play jazz at a young age from master older players; we also had to play gigs that covered Dixieland, swing, big band, bebop, and fusion style jazz.

Frankly, you are correct in that the Sher books do represent the way a large number of players harmonize tunes in the current practice. The choices are often not my preference as a jazz player and teacher.

I recall one gig in the 70's when a hot-shot jazz pianist asked the bandleader about some fancy chords subs he used on some tune or other.

The bandleader, a well-respected player, conductor, and arranger, said:

"Substitute chords hell, those were just the wrong changes"

[BrianWilliam]

Pete, perhaps you could post a vanilla and advanced chord sheet. I'm interested in the latter.

[Drew Egerton]

The ambiguity of chord progressions in jazz has been one of the hardest things to wrap my head around so far as a purely bluegrass player up until this year.

"These are the chords...but you CAN play these 4 other chords here where this one is...sometimes...if you want to..."

I'm definitely looking forward to learning from this thread!

[mandopops]

Pete, David, & Niles all give good insights into the Jazz process.

I've never been in a full time Jazz band. In my decades of playing, either solo, duo, trio, I have played many of the "Jazz/Great American Songbook" tunes. To look for the definitive/Holy Grail version might be futile.(Same with fiddle tunes). Instead of spending too much time looking for the "Perfect" version. Pick one & get going.

I try to find a couple of sources & then make choices. Then if you are playing with others, try to agree on an arrangement. Listen to different recordings, as well. If you want to learn "All the Things You Are" listen to Bird & Diz, of course, but also dig up a Tony Bennett recording.

I, like, Niles, at times will look for a "Vanilla" very straight version, learn that, then look for more complex takes on the tune. I have down thru the years used song books, Fake books, online, & one on one with someone to learn tunes. I'm lucky now, some years back my brother, a professional drummer, loaned me a CD he got from one of his Musician friends. It had about 10-12 fake books, Real,New Real Sher etc that I put on my computer. So if I look up a tune often I'll have several to work from.

I don't think Pete would say his take on the tune is the definitive way to play it. It is one person's starting point. Jazz, as it very nature, is an exploration. Discover new ways to play the tunes. (Insert the Star Trek motto here).

Joe B

[colorado_al]

I love playing the mandolin in jazz precisely because of the chord choices. If I'm playing solo, I get to make interesting choices that hopefully vary throughout the tune to keep it interesting and expressive, and I only have 4 (or 3 or 2) notes to worry about. When I'm playing with a group, I can just play 2 or 3 string chords that accentuate a 9th or just play some 3 note inversion and let everyone else worry about what the rest of the chord sounds like. Or even drop into percussion mode and play no notes at all, or just play fills or whatever I think might sound right. Since the mandolin is not normally the main instrument to carry the rhythm, I think it gives more freedom to the player to go to different places that you might not get to on a guitar.

Insert the Star Trek motto here

PS- I vote that next month's tune is the OG Star Trek theme by Alexander Courage

[Bill McCall]

I'm grateful for whatever Pete posts. I really appreciate his effort here.

[BrianWilliam]

The ambiguity of chord progressions in jazz has been one of the hardest things to wrap my head around so far as a purely bluegrass player up until this year.

"These are the chords...but you CAN play these 4 other chords here where this one is...sometimes...if you want to..."

I'm definitely looking forward to learning from this thread!

It's shared chord tones right? Looking forward to learning more about it.

[Jess L.]

... I vote that next month's tune is the OG Star Trek theme by Alexander Courage

That would be awesome! Would love to try that, and to hear other people's versions too - this would be fun! Hopefully it would be ok as an option if I played it just slightly faster than the video, maybe somewhere inbetween the jazz tempo and the TV tempo.

[colorado_al]

That would be awesome! Would love to try that, and to hear other people's versions too - this would be fun! Hopefully it would be ok as an option if I played it just slightly faster than the video, maybe somewhere inbetween the jazz tempo and the TV tempo.

Click on the gear icon in the bottom right and you can change the speed. I think it sounds pretty good at 1.5x

[Jess L.]

Click on the gear icon in the bottom right and you can change the speed. I think it sounds pretty good at 1.5x

Thanks! And I agree about 1.5x, sounds good there.

[KOakley]

I would suggest www. guitarcats.com as a material source.