[Chico222]

Hey guys,

Any sexy romantic pieces you guys have come across that would be a good performance piece for a small combo jazz band? I play alto sax so I'm looking for something I could maybe seduce the audience with. The style I'm looking for is like Kenny G in that song called "Breathless" (I think that's what it's called).

I would be performing it much like this girl is, meaning I would be playing the whole time with a rhythm section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-fxs_ZWXH4

I will be in the music store this saturday hopefully you guys can give me some good opinions, thank you!

 

[Adderleysfasthands]

dont go for kenny G, theres many jazz ballads that would impress the audience, its your choice but i do not think you should go with that elevator music to be blunt. Love for sale, autumn leaves, misty, somewhere over the rainbow, blue bossa, desinfado, lover man, Naima, any of these pieces (if played well) should leave the audience feeling strongly sentimental

i hope i helped

 

[Russ]

Breathless was performed on Soprano if I'm not mistaken.

How about Dave Koz ? Something from his album 'At the movies' ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYjChITy0U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehrA4O1Z0Xk

The audience should be suitably wowed. Tunes known by everyone with a different slant.

 

[Saxplayer67]

dont go for kenny G, theres many jazz ballads that would impress the audience, its your choice but i do not think you should go with that elevator music to be blunt. Love for sale, autumn leaves, misty, somewhere over the rainbow, blue bossa, desinfado, lover man, Naima, any of these pieces (if played well) should leave the audience feeling strongly sentimental

i hope i helped

Of all those, I'd only go for Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Desafinado (to give it its correct spelling) and Lover Man. I don't think Joe Public will rate Naima. Joe Public will appreciate Kenny G more than they would Coltrane.

 

[Chico222]

Hey guys thanks for the replies so far.

Yes Breathless was performed on soprano. I'm not necessaily looking for a Kenny G piece, just a Kenny G style piece. I need somethin I can perform on my alto and I'm not really hot on transposing an entire soprano piece so i can play it on the alto.

Desafinado? Who's piece is that?

 

[Saxplayer67]

Hey guys thanks for the replies so far.

Yes Breathless was performed on soprano. I'm not necessaily looking for a Kenny G piece, just a Kenny G style piece. I need somethin I can perform on my alto and I'm not really hot on transposing an entire soprano piece so i can play it on the alto.

Desafinado? Who's piece is that?

Desafinado is a bossa nova by the king of bossa nova - Antonio Carlos Jobim (Girl from Ipanema). My sheet music also gives it the translated title 'Slightly Out of Tune' and in my early sax days, I renamed it in pencil 'Very Out of Tune'!

 

[scottieAnthony]

How about an oldie My funny Valentine, slow very nice and dreamy,

 

[JazzItUp]

who's that chinese girl in the youtube video? her sound and tone is so beautiful! I think im in love!

 

[fballatore]

How about "Nothing gonna change my love for you"?

 

[Seasax]

maybe lover man, a great, easy piece and nice chords to solo over,
you could also do a little improv piece based around C Major with added sharpened 5th, with slow melodic runs, try it, it sounds great with the right guitar backing, runs like: G1 G#1 G2 F2 F2 G2 E2 with plenty of sliding about with grace notes and runs up to notes,
as i said, give it a go

 

[Chico222]

I have a recording of Stan Getz playing desafinado.......it's a little too happy, I'm trying to play something really romantic and slower.

You guys ever heard of In A Sentimental Mood with John Coltrane? That type of song is what I want. I'm gonna look for those titles you guys have suggested so far at the music far tomorrow.

Please keep 'em coming...thank you

 

[Martinman]

I have some really nice version of Sentimental Mood, but I don't know who did it. That would certainly be my first choice. How about Winelight?

 

[hakukani]

You guys ever heard of In A Sentimental Mood with John Coltrane?
Please keep 'em coming...thank you

Yes. It's on the Duke with Trane recording. It's actually Duke Ellington's composition.

Other ballads:

Every Time we say Goodbye-Cole Porter
Stella by Starlight
Body and Soul
Georgia on My Mind

 

[Carl H.]

Gershwin, Someone To Watch Over Me is a good one.

 

[Chico222]

Let's say I find a piece that I like but it's originally in a different key, for example In A Sentimental Mood (tenor), how do I find the same song in alto, or do I have to transpose the whole thing......(I'm not real good at that)

 

[playitfunky]

i like Black Orpheus for a mellow song that sounds good on Alto

 

[Dog Pants]

Mood Indigo
I Got It Bad
Chelsea Bridge
Day Dream
I Remember Clifford
When I Fall In Love

 

[terjeo]

Let's say I find a piece that I like but it's originally in a different key, for example In A Sentimental Mood (tenor), how do I find the same song in alto, or do I have to transpose the whole thing......(I'm not real good at that)

You can find a lot of sheet music on www.musicnotes.com ; a lot of them can be transposed to any key you want. Downloads are usually $3-$5 a song.

Terje.

 

[Chico222]

Thanks Terjeo I'll look into that tonight definitely.

I just bought a book with some of the titles you guys have recommended. I'm going to play them tonight and see what I feel.

 

[Saxplayer67]

I could recommend a list of nice numbers but it would exceed the bandwidth of the site lol.

The Chinese - or Japanese can't remember which - girl in the youtube vid is apparently very big over there. She did a great version of Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You. Her tone and technique uses bits of the typical smooth jazz sound and also some Sanborn licks. It's very enjoyable and the band she was with did well too.

Most of the numbers mentioned so far in the thread are in my repertoire. As Hakukani mentioned Coltrane, I also love Coltrane's reading of Nancy With the Laughing Face.