[J-Moen]

Hello everyone,

I hope you can welcome me to what might be my last TOTM for a little while, as we are expecting our new baby in November! So, I imagine things are going to be changing a lot to me, so heres a fresh reminder that "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Beautiful Mercer Ellington blues, with a super fun upbeat head and just an all around enjoyable tune. This has been one of my favorites for a very long time, so I hope everyone can appreciate it! Also, hopefully the friendly blues changes make for a nice easy tune for all of us, as I know I'll be busy this month.

Here is the lead sheet for Eb/Bb in Concert Bb and Concert F, With a backing for each. My favorite is the Bb, but I noticed more versions in F, so I included both.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bG8hPU-hys_6WvYbJBskvri74XwIgLHV?usp=sharing

Hope for lots of participation and an amazingly fun October TOTM with everyone!

 

[J-Moen]

And here are my first two runs, mostly to test against a new mouthpiece (Marantz Double Ring). But I figured I'd share and get the ball rolling asap!

https://soundcloud.com/user-805266588%2Fthings-aint-chameleon 10mfan Chameleon 7**

https://soundcloud.com/user-805266588%2Fthings-aint-legacy Marantz Legacy Double Ring 7*

I'll be sure to get a much more refined version out in the next week or two, but I hope you enjoy and maybe you guys can tell me your favorite mpc!

 

[mrpeebee]

Thanks for preparing Jared.

A very nice pick, I regret now even more that I don't have an option to make recordings anymore.

Added this month B&I TOTM to the index thread:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...2010-onwards&p=4029854&viewfull=1#post4029854

Looking forward to an active month.

 

[J-Moen]

Thanks for preparing Jared.

A very nice pick, I regret now even more that I don't have an option to make recordings anymore.

Added this month B&I TOTM to the index thread:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...f-the-Month)-INDEX-since-January-2010-onwards

Looking forward to an active month.

Your recordings are missed by all of us Peter! I'd have loved to hear you prepare something in the style of Gonsalves

Thanks!

 

[Alex Nyman]

Thanks for preparing Jared.

A very nice pick, I regret now even more that I don't have an option to make recordings anymore.

Added this month B&I TOTM to the index thread:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...f-the-Month)-INDEX-since-January-2010-onwards

Looking forward to an active month.

It is indeed a real pity you don't have the facilities to record at the present time Peter. Here's hoping that things change for the better some time soon.

 

[Michael_A]

Hello everyone,

I hope you can welcome me to what might be my last TOTM for a little while, as we are expecting our new baby in November! So, I imagine things are going to be changing a lot to me, so heres a fresh reminder that "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Beautiful Mercer Ellington blues, with a super fun upbeat head and just an all around enjoyable tune. This has been one of my favorites for a very long time, so I hope everyone can appreciate it! Also, hopefully the friendly blues changes make for a nice easy tune for all of us, as I know I'll be busy this month.

Here is the lead sheet for Eb/Bb in Concert Bb and Concert F, With a backing for each. My favorite is the Bb, but I noticed more versions in F, so I included both.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bG8hPU-hys_6WvYbJBskvri74XwIgLHV?usp=sharing

Hope for lots of participation and an amazingly fun October TOTM with everyone!

Jared, wonderful pick... everyone can express himself, no borders

 

[J-Moen]

Jared, wonderful pick... everyone can express himself, no borders

Thanks! Looking forward to all the expression from you! 🙂

 

[billpf]

Hello everyone,

I hope you can welcome me to what might be my last TOTM for a little while, as we are expecting our new baby in November! So, I imagine things are going to be changing a lot to me, so heres a fresh reminder that "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Beautiful Mercer Ellington blues, with a super fun upbeat head and just an all around enjoyable tune. This has been one of my favorites for a very long time, so I hope everyone can appreciate it! Also, hopefully the friendly blues changes make for a nice easy tune for all of us, as I know I'll be busy this month.

Here is the lead sheet for Eb/Bb in Concert Bb and Concert F, With a backing for each. My favorite is the Bb, but I noticed more versions in F, so I included both.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bG8hPU-hys_6WvYbJBskvri74XwIgLHV?usp=sharing

Hope for lots of participation and an amazingly fun October TOTM with everyone!

Hey Jared,

Firstly, congratulations on the news of the impending arrival of a new member to your family! You are right, things will never be the same again - but in a good way (most of the time!)

Moving on to this month's TOTM, great choice, I LOVE this tune!

I always think of this as being more of a laid back blues because of this version that Johnny Hodges recorded in the 40s. I recently bought myself Band-In-A-Box so am going to try to come up with something in the same vein.

Bill

 

[mrpeebee]

It is indeed a real pity you don't have the facilities to record at the present time Peter. Here's hoping that things change for the better some time soon.

I hope so too Alex, but I have to admit that I'm also not very active in finding solutions. Life is very busy here already (work and private), I just don't have enough hours in a day to do all I would like to do!

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

I would like to share a version of this TOTM tune by Dutch master alto player Piet Noordijk, who died in 2011 (79 years old). He was a great be-bopper, but also a real swinger. If the style Texas Alto's would exist Piet would be a master of that style!

Check this amateur video clip of 1999, a really wild and energetic performance by Piet and the (great) rhythm section:

 

[billpf]

And here are my first two runs, mostly to test against a new mouthpiece (Marantz Double Ring). But I figured I'd share and get the ball rolling asap!

I'll be sure to get a much more refined version out in the next week or two, but I hope you enjoy and maybe you guys can tell me your favorite mpc!

Great stuff Jared,

You sound terrific on both takes! I like your confidence, swagger, and R&B approach here, both takes featured a nice growl too - solid Baby!

Now to the mouthpieces. Assuming all the record settings were the same, I would say that both pieces sounded full bodied, in tune, and allowed you to express yourself really well. The 10Mfan sounded a bit brighter to my ears but also had a little bit more buzz on notes that you phrased with a 'fatter' tone - and I thought that this suited your approach to this particular tune. On the other hand the Marantz sounded slightly smoother I thought, but then this might give it the edge if you were playing 'Girl From Ipanema' for example. But really I am splitting hairs here, I thought both mouthpieces sounded great.

You have set the bar pretty high with these two takes, but you have also inspired also me to try and come up with something special this month!

Bill

 

[billpf]

I would like to share a version of this TOTM tune by Dutch master alto player Piet Noordijk, who died in 2011 (79 years old). He was a great be-bopper, but also a real swinger. If the style Texas Alto's would exist Piet would be a master of that style!

Check this amateur video clip of 1999, a really wild and energetic performance by Piet and the (great) rhythm section:

Wow! That is fantastic Peter - what a great band!

I would only argue with you on one small point. That is where you describe it as an amateur video. I make my living as a TV cameraman and I can assure you there is nothing amateur about this production - especially if it dates to 1999! Most importantly the sound is great, really well recorded, and you can hear everything very clearly. As far as the camera work is concerned, you see everything in focus and properly exposed - again no small feat in 1999 - I can assure you! There is also the moment early on where the shot looks past the soloist out into the audience who look uninterested and at this point the cameraman wisely adjusts the shot to exclude the audience. This was a decision made on the spur of the moment by a seasoned professional - trust me, I've been there!

Great tune, great band, great video!

Bill

 

[Michael_A]

Wow! That is fantastic Peter - what a great band!

I make my living as a TV cameraman

Great tune, great band, great video!

Bill

Hey Billy,
interesting points of your BIO . Nice...

 

[mrpeebee]

Wow! That is fantastic Peter - what a great band!

I would only argue with you on one small point. That is where you describe it as an amateur video. I make my living as a TV cameraman and I can assure you there is nothing amateur about this production - especially if it dates to 1999! Most importantly the sound is great, really well recorded, and you can hear everything very clearly. As far as the camera work is concerned, you see everything in focus and properly exposed - again no small feat in 1999 - I can assure you! There is also the moment early on where the shot looks past the soloist out into the audience who look uninterested and at this point the cameraman wisely adjusts the shot to exclude the audience. This was a decision made on the spur of the moment by a seasoned professional - trust me, I've been there!

Great tune, great band, great video!

Bill

I feel corrected Bill!

I was put on the wrong path because of the grainy/snowy film quality, but changed my mind after reading your valid points above.

 

[J-Moen]

Great stuff Jared,

You sound terrific on both takes! I like your confidence, swagger, and R&B approach here, both takes featured a nice growl too - solid Baby!

Now to the mouthpieces. Assuming all the record settings were the same, I would say that both pieces sounded full bodied, in tune, and allowed you to express yourself really well. The 10Mfan sounded a bit brighter to my ears but also had a little bit more buzz on notes that you phrased with a 'fatter' tone - and I thought that this suited your approach to this particular tune. On the other hand the Marantz sounded slightly smoother I thought, but then this might give it the edge if you were playing 'Girl From Ipanema' for example. But really I am splitting hairs here, I thought both mouthpieces sounded great.

You have set the bar pretty high with these two takes, but you have also inspired also me to try and come up with something special this month!

Bill

Thanks Bill, very thorough! I am thinking the same, really some great pieces I am messing with. I was pushing them both, mostly because I wanted to see howbthe Double Ring would respond. The chameleon is definitely a little more baffle and brightness overall, but they both play great. I still haven't decided which take a like more!

I'll say you are very right, when Hodges lays back on this song it's just beautiful. The head still feels upbeat to me though ?. Anyhow I'll focus to one MPC and make a better take soon, more in the style of Ellington's orchestra with Hodges, may have to work alto a lot on my scoops and bends haha.

That was a great alto take you shared, Peter. Thanks for sharing, could definitely listen to more, going to add him to my listening material!

 

[ailmont]

I wasn't sure how to approach this tune as it's completely new to me. I decided to create my own BIAB backing and came up with this just for fun. Conn 10M Meyer 7M MP Rigotti Jazz 3M reed.

https://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=14122132​

 

[J-Moen]

I wasn't sure how to approach this tune as it's completely new to me. I decided to create my own BIAB backing and came up with this just for fun. Conn 10M Meyer 7M MP Rigotti Jazz 3M reed.

https://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=14122132​

That was awesome! Nothing quite like an oldschool outwest style variation! Very impressed how you repurposed the tune into the country style - the blues lends itself well in that genre, but I never pictured this tune due to its big band nature. Very unique and fun, well done.

 

[billpf]

I wasn't sure how to approach this tune as it's completely new to me. I decided to create my own BIAB backing and came up with this just for fun. Conn 10M Meyer 7M MP Rigotti Jazz 3M reed.

As you can probably tell from my picture icon, (Sonny Rollins dressed in cowboy gear from the cover of 'Way Out West'), I am partial to jazz being given the tongue-in-cheek C&W treatment! Your recording is very much in this vein and I really enjoyed it. Well done!

Bill

 

[J-Moen]

Well, I was trying to get another take of this one out in a softer approach. However, I spent many hours playing yesterday to make my tribute video and I think my chops are shot. I couldn't hold a tone or play the head to save my life.

I'll try again tomorrow!

 

[billpf]

Ok - here's my effort, inspired by the Johnny Hodges version I posted earlier in the thread. I was trying to capture the laid-back, late night vibe of that amazing recording.

Bill

https://soundcloud.com/user-826011730%2Fthings-aint-what-they-used-to-be

 

[mrpeebee]

I was trying to capture the laid-back, late night vibe of that amazing recording.

You succeeded very well in that Bill, very nice take.