[billpf]

Welcome to the Beginner and Intermediate TOTM for June 2021! For this month I have chosen 'Mood Indigo', a classic from the Duke Ellington songbook.

The tune was written in 1930 by Ellington and his clarinetist in the early years of the Ellington orchestra, Barney Bigard. In his autobiography Bigard recalled that he was given part of the tune by his old teacher Lorenzo Tio. He worked on it further and then took what he had to a recording session where Ellington added the final touches. The tune became immediately popular, but Bigard was left rueing the fact that the sheet music was published under the names of Ellington and his manager, Irving Mills, a ruthless businessman and also a music publisher! He recalled "I missed the boat for twenty eight years on royalties. I didn't get a dime. It was all under Ellington and Mills' name. You see in those days - just to show how stupid we were - we would write a number and sell it to Mills for twenty five or fifty dollars. If we had kept the numbers with our names on we would have had royalties for years and years."

I have included C, Bb, and Eb charts, and also a link to a backing track I made with BIAB. There are also a few other backings available online.

https://soundcloud.com/user-826011730%2Fmood-indigo-backing
Here are a few great versions, including the original Ellington recording when the tune was titled 'Dreamy Blues'. Also a later Ellington TV performance featuring Paul Gonsalves on tenor.

The tune was so popular that Irving Mills eventually wrote lyrics for it, though it is probably more likely to have been done by some anonymous writer in his employment! Here are versions from Frank and Ella

Ella Fitzgerald - Mood Indigo [1957]

I hope these versions inspire you all, and I am really looking forward to hearing what you can come up with this month!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Great choice, Bill!

Thanks Michael!

 

[billpf]

Very happy to have this tune and you hosting Bill! I'll add it to the index later today when I return to my desktop computer.

The pleasure is all mine Jared!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Ok - to get the ball rolling here is my first effort.

https://soundcloud.com/user-826011730%2Fmood-indigo

 

[billpf]

Hi Peter,

Thank you for those kind words and constructive comments - they are much appreciated.

I take your point entirely about extending my lines. I have received exactly the same comment from my online tutor! It seems that at this very early stage of ‘improvisational development’ my brain is working so hard just to think of the right notes to fit the chords that I find I am completely exhausted mentally after a bar or two, and then need to pause to collect my thoughts! Anyway, it is something that I am aware of and working hard to improve with further practice - along with all the other things I need to work on!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Fully understand that Bill.

A part of learning to improvise is - besides all the technical stuff - to not be afraid to play wrong notes (sometimes they work out well and if not, nobody got ever killed by playing a wrong note!) and also to trust your ear. That last point can be achieved by listening a lot to the song and get the chord sequence sound wise into your ears (so hear and feel were the important changes are).

That is very good advice Peter. I definitely suffer from Wrong Note Phobia, and I am sure that this is another contributing factor in my stop-start solos! I'll try to loosen up and start embracing the odd 'clunker' here and there in the interests of advancing my soloing abilities!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Here is my old quick and dirty version of September 2017:

That is fantastic Peter!

A great sound and so much soul. Thank you very much for sharing that with us!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Bill, very good. Nice development toward the end. I have no doubt, that if you'll spend more time on this tune, something like jam on it for an hour for 5 days, you'll come with something absolutely NICE.
Don't take it as advice if it looks too much/crazy... I just know that there are some tunes that I can spend a lot of time without realizing how long I play it and have fun.

Why I am saying that because I remember your different works here on TOTM and different results.
Best.

Thanks Michael,

I agree with you completely. My usual contributions to the forum are recorded after working on the given tune for a few weeks at my leisure. By comparison, this particular effort was recorded in a bit of a hurry in order to get a posting up asap, as I feel that the forum's host should lead by example! Anyway, I intend to take your advice and relax and fool around with the tune over the next week or two and try and post something a bit better later in the month.

Bill

 

[billpf]

Just a note: if you are playing along with Duke, it's up a whole step from the key of the provided backing track. That is, it's in Bb concert (C for tenor/sop and G for alto/bari). I think the Sinatra version is in Ab maybe, but the Duke versions (including with Louis Armstrong) are in Bb. I might dig around for a backing track that has it in Duke's key.

I can very easily make adjustments to the BIAB backing - transposition, tempo, number of choruses etc. I'll post a version that is up a whole step. I'll do the same with the lead sheets.

Bill

 

[billpf]

Here's the same backing track taken up a whole step.

https://soundcloud.com/user-826011730%2Fmood-indigo-bb-concert-backing-render
Also adjusted charts for Bb and Eb

 

[billpf]

Love the tone and killer embellishment! I did think the intonation felt a little wonky in the beginning. It dialed in as you progressed - maybe a cold horn or, if you're like me, trying to force intonation makes it worse lol. I loved the note choice though - I felt that you're variety has definitely increased throughout the solo. The statements were definitely short - which is something I'm guilty of as well, but I loved it! Well done Bill! Can't wait to see your next take!

Thank you Jared - you are too kind!

It is very generous of you to describe my intonation at the beginning of the track as 'a little wonky'. I think that 'flat as a tack' would be a more accurate assessment! The combination of a very cold room, a newly fitted neck cork - that needed to be filed down a bit more, and being in a rush to get something posted resulted in a recording that I would describe as sub-optimal - even by my humble standards! However, having set the bar so low, I am reasonably confident that I can come up with something a bit better later this month!

I am also very much looking forward to hearing your contribution!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Hi Aquarian,

It has always been a mystery to me too. The first time I thought of it was when trying to play along with one of Getz’s iconic samba tunes. It was either Desafinado or Girl From Ipanema, I can’t recall which right now. Anyway all the fake books had it in a completely different key. The only possible explanations I could think of were that perhaps the original tune had been transposed by Getz to a key that he preferred, or that the producers of fake books want to produce a single version of the tune that will transpose into comfortable keys for each of their C, Bb, and Eb editions? But as the Getz recording was such a huge hit, and for most people the only version of the tune that they knew, it seemed odd for the fake book charts not to be in that same key.

Back to Mood Indigo, I am looking forward to hearing your Bb version!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Here's a take, It's not quite where I want it to be yet but maybe it's halfway there.
https://soundcloud.com/user-650929438%2Fmood-indigo-alto-solo

That's a really nice take Aquarian! I enjoyed the relaxed approach and the long, flowing, counter-melodies you created in your solo. I found that to be a real challenge with this tune, so well done!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Hey Jared,

I am very impressed with the progress you have been making in all aspects of your playing. On this recording you sounded really relaxed and produced some nice extended variations on the melody, without repeating yourself or running out of ideas. These are some of the things that I am battling with in my own playing, and know how much work it takes to make even small improvements, so I applaud the results you are getting!
I was also very impressed with your tone - warm, full, and even throughout the range of the horn. It suited this tune very well. Bravo!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Thanks Aquarian!

I Was hoping to have a chance to listen to more takes before posting - but its my turn to try to get the baby down for bed! So before I head off, here's what I laid down tonight - very rough take, but pushing towards my goal of making a very dynamic expressive take using a wider range of the horn - Also experimenting with different recording settings, let me know if the recording sounds better!

Wow Jared!

You have managed a second take already. I don't know how you find the time. A fortnight after posting Take 1, I still haven't got around to recording Take 2 - and I haven't got a baby to look after! That is very impressive time management!

I listened to both takes and I can detect some variation in the record settings, but I can't say that I prefer one over the other. As for the performance on Take 2, one comment I would make is that I prefer the way you state the melody on Take 1. I enjoyed your embellishment of the melody line on both takes, my only gripe would be with the very second note, which I would prefer to hear held to its full length. In Take 1 you did this the first time through and then shortened it on the repeat, whereas in Take 2 you played the shortened note each time which I think detracts somewhat from the beauty of the melody. This small quibble aside, I really enjoyed the way you varied your performance and found new ways to explore the tune throughout your solo. I find that after the first chorus of a solo I just start repeating myself - so well done!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Thanks! I find this song deceptively difficult. The chords themselves are not very difficult or unusual, but they realy only get you halfway there. I went back and listened to a couple versions and realized that the swing players really use the blues in there a lot, which helped me tie it together a bit.

I think you are onto something there!

I got tangled up by trying too hard to follow the chord structure, which made for a disjointed solo, plus trying too hard to reference the melody and getting lost as to whether I was on the first or second half of the tune, as the backing for each part sounds so similar. With your observations in mind, I am going to try a simpler approach on my next attempt!

Bill

 

[billpf]

here is my mood...

OMG Michael - that is absolutely gorgeous!

What a sound - it was like listening to Ben Webster on alto! I loved everything about it, especially the way you kept the melody front and centre, but still managed to tell your story. And what a story! Very sensual, full of beauty and happiness, but also in parts wistful and melancholy. In other words, all the feelings that this tune should inspire in us. A great version! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Here is my Take 2. Still needs work, but a definite improvement on Take 1!

Bill

https://soundcloud.com/user-826011730%2Fmood-indigo-take-2

 

[billpf]

Hey Dexdex,

What a great version! I always enjoy it when special guests pay us a visit at the Beginners and Intermediate TOTM - no invitation required, and yes, we even welcome clarinets! I also started out on my musical journey playing the dreaded agony stick, but eventually transitioned to tenor sax and got rid of my clarinet, so I have nothing but the greatest admiration for anyone who can make it sound like you do! Thank you for dropping by and sharing ‘Moody Dingo‘ with us!

Many years ago I read Mezz Mezzrow’s biography ‘Really the Blues’. He told an amazing story of a very colourful life made up of equal parts crime and music. His descriptions of the drug world that surrounded the early jazz scene were very informative to say the least. And who knows, some parts of it may even have been true!

Bill

 

[billpf]

Yeah Bill, that's a big improvement for sure!

Played with a very relaxed attitude. The solo was really interesting with nice lines flowing over the scheme, not cut off in small building blocks like in take 1. Can clearly here the late grate Lester in your solo approach, you played some beautiful melodic lines which would have brought a smile on his face! Also nice how you went from the solo into the last 8 bars of the theme, in a free spirit and not afraid of exploring (improvising!) alternative solutions.

Only thing I could give some critic on is that your sound in the openings theme was a bit off in the higher register. In the bottom you sound loud and clear, the upper register was way softer and seemed to have been played on another distance (or angle) to the mic.

So overall good to hear that the work you did put in came out in this second take Bill, very well done.

Thank you Peter! There is still a lot to work on - including my recording setup!

Bill