Tag Archives: Jazz

Wayne Shorter’s Footprints – cover version

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Wayne Shorter’s ‘Footprints’ was the tune of the month in Matt Warnock’s Jazz study group. This is my end of the month submission for feedback.

On Matt’s suggestion from last month I switched my focus from technical to musical items. So rather than use x scale and y arpeggio, I used a different idea for each chorus.

As Matt says, “Scales and arpeggios are a means to an end, if you keep focussing on the means, you’ll always play in a technical way. If you focus on what those means can do for you, create musical ideas, then your focus is on the end result, making music.”

“The word ‘jazz,’ to me…only means ‘I dare you.” Wayne Shorter

I played in Em so that I could use open strings. To a drum pattern that I found while practicing to random drum beats on my looper (something I do quite often). I tried to use a theme for each chorus. This was the first and only take after setting up levels. I like this tune a lot……another great month. Thanks Matt.

0:00 Chords
0:37 Melody
1:11 Melody + Ornaments
1:45 4ths
2:19 Single String
2:45 Bend + Tap + face 😉
3:40 Patterns ala Bickert
4:03 Just play *2
5:15 Chords
5:48 Melody + Ornaments
6:26 Out

Infant Eyes, Wayne Shorter cover with Lyda Van Tol

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Here’s our cover of Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes” with wonderful vocals from Lyda Van Tol….guitar work from yours truly. Backed by the Confinement Crew. We hope you enjoy it.

Lyda and I have been exploring the ways to bring classical and jazz together. Looking at common ground, and investigating differences. Wayne Shorter’s jazz standard Infant Eyes seemed like a perfect starting point. Wayne Shorter being heavily inspired by French composer Eric Satie who was in turn inspired by French impressionist composer Debussy.
The story goes that Wayne wrote the melody while trying to sing his child to sleep.

The lyrics were written later by someone else. I cannot find a definitive answer to who and when they were written…..if you know please tell me. Anyway, here they are…

There’s no place beneath the sky, the voice will never arise
That could sing of my love, for my dear infant eyes

Infant eyes, you are my own
Without your smile, the stars would fall
And the moon would lose its glow
And the rivers would cease to flow

I wish you could realize, this love I have inside
A love that never dies, for my dear infant eyes

Some day you will grow up, you’ll grow up and have your problems
Little girl you must try to be strong, for being strong
Is the one thing in the whole world that will save you
And always keep room in your heart for love
For love will teach you to care
And in caring, you’ll find the need for sharing
And through sharing, you’ll live a happy life

A joyous life my dear sweet child
May God be with you all the while
And go on your way working harder day by day
Until your dreams, your dreams come true
Make your dreams come true

Infant eyes you are my own
Without your smile, the stars would fall
And the moon would lose its glow
And the river would cease to flow

You know, I wish you could realize
This love I have inside
A love that never dies
For my dear infant eyes
I love you infant eyes
I love you infant eyes

Footprints – Wayne Shorter

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The weather has been grim. It’s been raining for days. More guitar time then! On the Strat-Talk forum where we discuss all things stratocaster there is a weekly challenge that I sometimes join in with. This week’s challenge was to record oneself playing over a backing track for Wayne Shorter’s Footprints. I liked the sound of of it, and decided to gve it a go.
I spent a happy morning teaching myself the melody by ear then recording this…..

Here’s what we have….
Drums intro, 4 bars keyboard turnaround, 2* Melody, 4 choruses improvisation, 2* Melody, 2*tag, outro.
I recorded using a 1967 ‘Chet Atkins’ Gretsch Country Gentleman – also know as the George Harrison guitar, through a DV Mark Little Jazz amplifier into Ableton Live. The backing track was posted by Monte over on strat-talk. Here’s the challenge thread in case you fancy having a go, or checking out what other players made of it.

A great morning on the guitar learning about a tune that I was not familiar with. What you been up too?

“Footprints” is a jazz standard composed by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and first recorded for his album Adam’s Apple in 1966. The first commercial release of the song was a different recording on the Miles Davis album Miles Smiles recorded later in 1966, but released earlier. It has become a jazz standard.

Alone Together jazz standard cover

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I’m working hard on my Jazz playing. Here is a cover of Alone Together, a jazz standard written by Arthur Schwartz with lyrics by Howard Dietz. It was introduced in the Broadway musical Flying Colors in 1932 by Jean Sargent.
The song soon became a hit, with Leo Reisman and His Orchestra’s 1932 recording (vocal by Frank Luther) being the first to reach the charts. It has become a jazz standard. The first jazz musician to record the song was Artie Shaw in 1939. Though I reckon the version most people know best is the Chet Baker version from 1959.

Alone Together was the August ‘tune of the month’ in the PJG (Play Jazz Group) study group on facebook. This was my submission for the end of the month ‘final project’. Posting a final project gets you feedback from Matt, and from your peers. Another great month of learning! I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this tune. It was one that I didn’t know, and now I love it. I‘ve learnt so much this month about navigating tricky changes. I’ve had such fun with comping. My goal for the past couple of months has been to be more succint, to start and end phrases properley, also to create tension where appropriate. I think I’m getting there, still a way to go though. I played the bass part using Matt’s walking bass line from the weekly excercises. For the comping, I used diatonic moves, some approach chords, and substitutions….and a little ’arrangement’ walking the Fmaj7 down to the Dmaj7 in half steps (bar 11 onwards). I normally play the melody straight for FPs, but this time I decided to add flowers. Soloing wise, bars 9 to 13 became my favourites. Find it Matt Warnock’s Play Jazz Guitar Facebook group here…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/playjazzguitar/

Sidestepping excercise over the B scetion of ‘Alone Together’.

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Nobody has asked me how I’m getting on with my Jazz studies! So…..

Sidestepping excercise over the B scetion of ‘Alone Together’ using G, G#, and Am pentatonic. The G# pentatonic is used over the C7 chord making for a very tense sound that releases when you use Am pentatonic over Fmaj7. This excercise is from Jazz tutor Matthew Warnock. You can find it and other excercises relating to this month’s tune of the month Alone Together in his Play Jazz Guitar Facebook group here… https://www.facebook.com/groups/playj… I started studying Jazz guitar with Matt a while ago. He has a way of explaining things that make it easy to understand. I’ve learnt more in the past few months than I have in the past few years! Plus, I’m really enjoying playing, and have never been more in love with the guitar. If you are thinking of getting into jazz guitar, the group is free to join, there is excellent camaraderie amongst the members. It’s a lot of fun. Here is Matt’s website – https://www.mwgcourses.com I’m using a Fender Telecaster straight into a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6. Ableton Live is my DAW. Video from my Ipad.

Bennetti’s Jazz Blues Club March 2020

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With all bars and restaurants closed, and travel banned for non essential purposes there was no way Bennetti’s Jazz Blues Club could go ahead in March. Instead we put out our first ever online broadcast. This featured music from members only. You can listen to it here….

Music from Norrie Snakebite Burnnett, Tim Bragg, Andy Berry, Ann Ellam, Rod Millgate, Madame Blanc, and Steve and Ev’ from Highland Hotclub.

Bennetti’s Jazz Blues Club 2020

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Bennetti’s Jazz Blues Club…proudly presents a programme of Jazz and Blues for 2020….
27th February – Soleil Couchant
30th April – Soleil Couchant
25th June – Soleil Couchant
27th August – Soleil Couchant
29th October – Soleil Couchant
26th December – Soleil Couchant

There will be some additional ‘secret sessions’. Please ‘like’ our facebook page to be kept informed.

If you are looking for some Jazz and Blues action in the Haute Vienne, Charente area of France, then Bennetti’s Jazz n Blues Club could be the place for you. We meet on the last Thursday every other month. All players of all abilities are very welcome, all I ask is that you contact me first so that I can fit you in where you’ll be happiest. Bennetti’s Jazz n Blues Club is primarily for musicians, our aim is, “to create a warm loving environment in which like minded musicians can meet, play, share, grow, and get hip!”, having said that, all fans of jazz n blues are welcome.