Emily tries to play Jazz

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VikingBlues
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Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by VikingBlues »

... or to be more accurate VB tries to play jazz with a BT of 'Emily'. I'll admit I don't know the song it's based on or who wrote it or what the chords are - not ideal for an improv! :roll:

Thought I'd try a totally different genre as the blues playing is not taking off at all since those last few 'better' recordings. Of course it's not jazz - I don't know how to play that - it's just some attempt at melodic guitar lead in a challenging situation. I enjoyed the laid back aspect - I feel like my main spring has snapped - no energy at all. I think my 'get up and go' has got up and went. :lol:

This recording is sort of Eb Major - often Eb Ionian sounds a great fit to me. BUT - every so often it veers way off and I've not a clue .... any of the jazzers here like to shed light? :icon_whoknows:

PRS neck pup. I've tried to share the lead with the piano - apart from anything else the pianist knows what he's doing - good thing one of us does. :whistle:

download/file.php?id=1474
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An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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losaavedra
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by losaavedra »

Amazing what you've come up with if you don't know the tune!!! One of my favorite jazz arrangements. I spent a lot of time trying to do the melody decently to it on alto. I first heard it as the Paul Desmond version at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkcRo7oUIro

Really nice interpretation by your good self well done.

ps. musicnotes.com have 2 versions of the score ... one in C kicks off in Amaj7, the other in A with a Cmaj7. You can get enough of the score as a 'sample' to figure what the changes are doing!
Mike
"I feel more like I do now than when I first came on" (Ronnie Scott, Maidstone)
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tytlblues
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by tytlblues »

well VB, that's quite the departure from your normal style. I wish I could help figure out the changes........if it is an actual tune, or jazz standard, i can look it up in a real (fake) book of jazz tunes. Anyhow, you did a pretty good job zeroing in on the melody line, and playing along. Nice tone also......so VB as a jazz guitarist hmmmmmmmmmmm :dance:
Tytlblues

"Notes are expensive... spend them wisely”
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tytlblues
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by tytlblues »

OK, so I am slow tonight, I didn't know the song was Emily, Johnny Mandel, Johnny Mercer. Got it now! Thanks for posting that youtube link Lossavedra!
Tytlblues

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losaavedra
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by losaavedra »

Later ... found score and tab here:

http://starglasses.net/Emily.pdf
Mike
"I feel more like I do now than when I first came on" (Ronnie Scott, Maidstone)
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Bluesmole
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by Bluesmole »

Hi Viking,
I haven't been around much lately- too busy with retirement activities- so what a pleasant surprise to hear your take on Emily. Your 'light jazz' playing is on a par with mine. I've always found jazz easier to play on the sax than the guitar! Mainly due to gnarled, arthiritic fingers not coping with the chord stretches!!
We all have these 'plateaux' with the Blues. Play around a bit (as the actress said to the bishop) and you'll refresh your Blues vibe.
Frank :oldie:
"Big Bill Broonzy, a white boy's inspiration" (1963), and the Blues ever since.
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VikingBlues
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by VikingBlues »

losaavedra wrote:Amazing what you've come up with if you don't know the tune!!! One of my favorite jazz arrangements. I spent a lot of time trying to do the melody decently to it on alto. I first heard it as the Paul Desmond version
Thanks for the link to the Paul Desmond - interesting to know what it should sound like. :D

Though what I particularly like about backing tracks, whather blues, jazz, rock, pop etc is that you can have great fun inventing your own melodies and tunes and licks. tbh I've got so used to playing what's in my head now, I find it almost impossible to memorise notes played by someone else and to play them. Mind you - that's a memory getting worse with age thing as well! :oldie:

Hopefully the score may give some clues as to better note choices in those few sections where I got totally lost. It's good there was a strong piano going as I could ease off and let that take over - someone might even be fooled into thinking it was a deliberate musical choice. :lol:
bluesmole wrote:Mainly due to gnarled, arthiritic fingers not coping with the chord stretches!!
Nice to see a post from you Bluesmole :D - glad you are active in your retirement. I sympathise with the stretches problem - I gave up classical guitar lessons due to strains to the joints and I have a degree of discomfort lurking most of the time these days - hence tuned down 10s on the 25.5" scale Strat. As far as 'jazz' goes I stick with single notes pretty well all the time - partly a lack of knowledge of the exotic chords used but also down to the physically demading requirements of where the fingers need to go. Still - I enjoy my wee excursions into Jazz-lite.
tytlblues wrote:well VB, that's quite the departure from your normal style. I wish I could help figure out the changes........if it is an actual tune, or jazz standard, i can look it up in a real (fake) book of jazz tunes. Anyhow, you did a pretty good job zeroing in on the melody line, and playing along. Nice tone also......so VB as a jazz guitarist hmmmmmmmmmmm :dance:
I venture into this jazzy territory every so often - it's usually a sign that things are a bit bogged down in my usual styles. I do find the aspect of having to wing it is quite helpful in getting my playing going again. I did venture briefly onto a jazz guitar forum, realised how big the gulf was and am sticking with my little simplistic tunes. The only jazzy recording so far that I've felt I've not been struggling at places in was 'See the Old Folks Safely Home' - Blatant Plug - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=976&p=7983&hilit=old+folks#p7983 - blimey - 5 months goes by a bit sharpish! :eye_rub:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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Blindboy
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by Blindboy »

Oh yeah! Another facet to the VB sound. :thumbsup:
Sweet tone and sweet playing. Jazz is challenging... I stick with tunes that can be played mostly in the blues scale, and sound like a blues player attempting jazz. (imagine that :big_smile: )
Good job on this piece.
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
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VikingBlues
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Re: Emily tries to play Jazz

Post by VikingBlues »

Thanks Blindboy. :D

You may recall you were a catalyst in my getting interested in trying these sort of jazzy pieces. Remeber a certain 'Jazzy Bossa Nova Blues thing collab'.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=252&hilit=bossa

...and I'm still totally baffled how you manage to bring chordy type of runs into your jazzy based improvs. :eye_rub: One note at a time is a big enough challenge for me!

95% of my progress overthe last two years has been due to at least partly cracking the code to playing single note lead on an instinctive level. When it comes to chords ... hmmm ... not sure there is a way to do instinctive on them. :icon_whoknows: Shame I'm too lazy to work hard at theory. :sad:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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