For those of you that play some jazz

[hogrider16]

I posted this on another forum, thought I’d post it here too. There was some confusion, so just to be clear, I’m NOT looking for suggestions of jazz tunes to play. I’m looking to see what NON jazz you mix in with your jazz.

Would like to see song lists from those of you who are actually gigging playing jazz-ish tunes (western swing counts). I’m putting together bass, drums, guitar/vocal trio and would like to put together a jazz-ish, blues, maybe some Motown set list. Here’s what I have so far:

Some Jazz-ish -
Comin’ Home Baby
Chitlins Con Carne
Sunny- Stanley Turrentine
Summertime -Barney Kessel
Blue Monk
Cool Blues
Watermelon Man
C-Jam Blues
Night Train
Peter Gunn

Looking at some traditional country -
Your cheating heart,
Hey good lookin’
Honky Tonk Man
16 Tons

Some blues -
Born under a bad sign
Messing with the Kid
Sweet Home Chicago
I just want to make love
The Thrill is Gone

Some Motown-ish -
Hard to Handle
Walking the Dog - Rufus Thomas version
Cissy Strut
Ain’t no Sunshine

Really just looking to see what other people are doing. Not trying to put together a straight ahead jazz trio.

Thanks!

 

[TsarNicholas]

Rufus Thomas and Otis Redding…. That’s Stax not Motown!

 

[hogrider16]

Rufus Thomas and Otis Redding…. That’s Stax not Motown!

Motown-ISH, never said Motown. Just as I said jazz-ISH, not jazz.

Even if I did misrepresent those tunes as Motown, I have to ask, how is that comment at all relevant to my question?

 

[Shadowy_Man]

I play a bit of jazz, a bit of country, a bit of rockabilly and western swing. Poorly.

A few things that make the rotation that aren't so obvious, and work well as instrumentals:

Wichita Lineman
Bang Bang
Mimi Queen of Bathurst (Atomic 7/Shadowy Men)

For the holidays, Christmas music can often work really well in a jazz or western swing style, like:

The Christmas Song
White Christmas
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Rockin Around the Christmas Three

 

[wabash slim]

Motown-ISH, never said Motown. Just as I said jazz-ISH, not jazz.

Even if I did misrepresent those tunes as Motown, I have to ask, how is that comment at all relevant to my question?

Might've been easier and more encompassing to just say "soul".

And that's a great list of tunes to work on.

 

[hogrider16]

Might've been easier and more encompassing to just say "soul".

And that's a great list of tunes to work on.

Maybe I'm just being grumpy, but I get really tired of this type of nit-picking on forums. I would think that most people on a Gretsch site would know what Motown is and it's not a leap to infer that they would know what Motown-ish is. I'm unclear what the value of distinguishing between Motown and Stax is other than "look at me, look at me, I caught someone in a mistake."

Thanks for the feedback on the list. I'm concerned about the coherence of those tunes, as relates to appealing to an audience.

 

[gentlemanbass]

I posted this on another forum, thought I’d post it here too. There was some confusion, so just to be clear, I’m NOT looking for suggestions of jazz tunes to play. I’m looking to see what NON jazz you mix in with your jazz.

Would like to see song lists from those of you who are actually gigging playing jazz-ish tunes (western swing counts). I’m putting together bass, drums, guitar/vocal trio and would like to put together a jazz-ish, blues, maybe some Motown set list. Here’s what I have so far:

Some Jazz-ish -
Comin’ Home Baby
Chitlins Con Carne
Sunny- Stanley Turrentine
Summertime -Barney Kessel
Blue Monk
Cool Blues
Watermelon Man
C-Jam Blues
Night Train
Peter Gunn

Looking at some traditional country -
Your cheating heart,
Hey good lookin’
Honky Tonk Man
16 Tons

Some blues -
Born under a bad sign
Messing with the Kid
Sweet Home Chicago
I just want to make love
The Thrill is Gone

Some Motown-ish -
Hard to Handle
Walking the Dog - Rufus Thomas version
Cissy Strut
Ain’t no Sunshine

Really just looking to see what other people are doing. Not trying to put together a straight ahead jazz trio.

Thanks!

Most “jazz standards” started as pop songs.

Treat them as such or rather than jazz interpretations ( usually meaning swing) try rock, country or whatever your fancy treatments.

 

[TsarNicholas]

Maybe I'm just being grumpy, but I get really tired of this type of nit-picking on forums. I would think that most people on a Gretsch site would know what Motown is and it's not a leap to infer that they would know what Motown-ish is. I'm unclear what the value of distinguishing between Motown and Stax is other than "look at me, look at me, I caught someone in a mistake."

Thanks for the feedback on the list. I'm concerned about the coherence of those tunes, as relates to appealing to an audience.

Apologies if I came across as nitpicky. I just feel very strongly about Stax.

To make an actual contribution, my band dips into some tunes like Honky Tonk and Hold It by Bill Doggett, both cool tunes with jazzy tinges and can be made jazzier or more r&b as you please.

 

[gretschbigsby]

Agree that is a great list, hogrider. Would love to check out your band!

Regarding Stax, those of us who feel passionately about the label really want people to know more about the music.. I think that is the motivation here. I've been to Memphis several times and visited the Stax Museum located on the site of the old studio, etc. Motown just overwhelms the public perception of soul so, for Stax zealots, I think we really want music lovers to experience the Stax/Volt catalogue.

I am a moderator of another guitar board and I try to approach posts using a version of Hanson's Razor... never presume malice where trying to be helpful can provide an alternative motive. That being said, there can be a lot of malice on guitar forums for the reasons already mentioned.

A couple of other things that are likewise off topic:

Memphis is an amazing city to visit: Stax Museum, Rock and Soul Museum, Civil Rights Museum (built on the site of MLK assassination), Sun Studios, Graceland, Beale Street. A few years back, I called Royal Studios (where the Hi Record Label was located-- all the 70's Al Green stuff) and the founders grandson gave me a tour-- I actually saw the microphone into which Al sang all the hits and Teeny Hodges' Fender Amp. And don't forgot the amazing food in Memphis....

And to hogrider-- I just drove through West Virginia to visit some cousins in NC. What a beautiful state! the views were stunning. I need to do a vacation there.

 

[dlew919]

Mid to late Beatles - yesterday, you never give me your money, day in the life, let it be...
Pop - Dancing Queen, He ain't heavy, Knock three times, Tie a yellow ribbon, Bad Bad Leroy Brown
Rock and Roll - Runaway, Johnny B. Goode, Suspicious Minds, Can't Help Falling in Love, Viva Las Vegas.. (Big Elvis Fan)
Coutnry - Hank, Merle, Johnny, Sunday Morning Comin Down, Me and Bobby McGee.

 

[hogrider16]

Apologies if I came across as nitpicky. I just feel very strongly about Stax.

To make an actual contribution, my band dips into some tunes like Honky Tonk and Hold It by Bill Doggett, both cool tunes with jazzy tinges and can be made jazzier or more r&b as you please.

No apologies needed, I was just being a cranky old man. My arthritis in my ankle was so bad yesterday I could hardly walk. Today it’s gone so I love everyone.

 

[wabash slim]

I'm a huge STAX fan as well. Being a keyboard player primarily, I feel Booker T is at the top of the keyboard pantheon. I have a Peavey Cropper Classic Tele clone as well. "Green Onions" is my favorite tune. We wouldn't have the Blues Bros. without STAX.

I've got the dreaded arthritis and sciatica, so I can sympathize with the grumpies on a bad day.

 

[Synchro]

A few jazzy things we’ve done

Sunny (sort of a Wes Montgomery approach)
One More Payment (ClimtBlack, Western Swing)
Spooky (Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section, very jazzy changes)
Ruby Baby (Donald Fagan version with Steely Dan style changes)
Sformy (Another Classics IV tune, great changes)
Honky Tonk
King Of The Road
All Of Me (old standard)
House of Blue Lights (Asleep At The Wheel)
Do it or Die (Atlanta Rhythm Section) We haven’t don’t this one, but it’s been on the wish list.

 

[Webby]

I play in a Swing-Band, so I can't really recommend motown-ish stuff, but here's an excerpt of some tunes we play, that might work in your setting.

We sometimes play contemporary tunes in a 30s/40s approach, which works especially well on Wedding-gigs (At least that's my observation). Also audiences tend to love music from film and television.

- Black Coffee
- Blue Drag (Check out the Version by Allan Toussaint with Marc Ribot on guitar, tasty!)
- Everybody wants to be a cat
- Five Spot After Dark
- Harlem Nocturne
- Tainted Love
- Tenor Madness
- Why Don't You Do Right
- (Every Time I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone
- Fever (Check out the Version by Sam Butera for an Interesting Twist on that Classic)
- Is You Is (Or Is You Ain't My Baby)
- Night Train
- Seven Come Eleven
- Seven Nation Army
- St. James Infirmary
- Swingin' On Nothin'
- Tears
- The Grabtown Grapple

And here's what some of that Stuff sounds like in our Versions:



Hope that helps!

Paul

 

[Synchro]

I loved Everybody Wants To Be A Cat.

 

[Webby]

I loved Everybody Wants To Be A Cat.

Thank you very much!

 

[Synchro]

I loved Everybody Wants To Be A Cat.

Thank you very much!

I wish that there was more Jazz happening. I’ve been sort of making my way back to Jazz, of late, especially Wes Montgomery.

 

[KuKuKu]

I play in a Swing-Band, so I can't really recommend motown-ish stuff, but here's an excerpt of some tunes we play, that might work in your setting.

We sometimes play contemporary tunes in a 30s/40s approach, which works especially well on Wedding-gigs (At least that's my observation). Also audiences tend to love music from film and television.

- Black Coffee
- Blue Drag (Check out the Version by Allan Toussaint with Marc Ribot on guitar, tasty!)
- Everybody wants to be a cat
- Five Spot After Dark
- Harlem Nocturne
- Tainted Love
- Tenor Madness
- Why Don't You Do Right
- (Every Time I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone
- Fever (Check out the Version by Sam Butera for an Interesting Twist on that Classic)
- Is You Is (Or Is You Ain't My Baby)
- Night Train
- Seven Come Eleven
- Seven Nation Army
- St. James Infirmary
- Swingin' On Nothin'
- Tears
- The Grabtown Grapple

And here's what some of that Stuff sounds like in our Versions:



Hope that helps!

Paul

Looking forward to see you in November.

 

[Webby]

Looking forward to see you in November.

Oh, how nice to stumble across you on here!
Yeah, I'm also looking forward to November in the past years it's always been a blast!

 

[Tele295]

And here I thought I was probably the only person here who knew Toussaint’s s version of Blue Drag. It’s an old viper song from 1924, and a standard in the gypsy jazz community (where I learned it). It’s awfully fun to drop a little Stray Cat Strut into it. I always felt Setzer had the Django licks in that solo.

I play in a Swing-Band, so I can't really recommend motown-ish stuff, but here's an excerpt of some tunes we play, that might work in your setting.

We sometimes play contemporary tunes in a 30s/40s approach, which works especially well on Wedding-gigs (At least that's my observation). Also audiences tend to love music from film and television.

- Black Coffee
- Blue Drag (Check out the Version by Allan Toussaint with Marc Ribot on guitar, tasty!)
- Everybody wants to be a cat
- Five Spot After Dark
- Harlem Nocturne
- Tainted Love
- Tenor Madness
- Why Don't You Do Right
- (Every Time I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone
- Fever (Check out the Version by Sam Butera for an Interesting Twist on that Classic)
- Is You Is (Or Is You Ain't My Baby)
- Night Train
- Seven Come Eleven
- Seven Nation Army
- St. James Infirmary
- Swingin' On Nothin'
- Tears
- The Grabtown Grapple

And here's what some of that Stuff sounds like in our Versions:



Hope that helps!

Paul