[RyanS]

You guys were an awesome help with the minor stuff, so I figure I might ask this question here as well.

In addition to being the sax player, I'm also the vocalist for my blues group. We've been looking for some tunes that are typical blues tunes but not the blues form - something to use as a changeup.

Currently, we are doing:

Ain't nobody's Business
Since I fell For you
Moanin'

We'd like to have about 6-10 of these kinds of tunes to throw in - since we are playing all blues and most if it in 2-3 keys. If there is an uptempo song - that would be a bonus! Of course - if you have a link to a sax player doing any of this stuff, that is awesome!

Thanks in advance.

 

[hgiles]

Cantelope Island
Watermelon Man
Doxy
Blue Bossa
Hackensack (Rifftide)

Autumn Leaves
Willow Weep for Me
In Walked Bud
Black Orpheus
Minor Swing
Nutville
Song For My Father
Sugar
Well You Neednt

 

[dexdex]

Just A Closer Walk with Thee
Careless Love
You Are My Sunshine
Down By The Riverside
Blues In My Heart
Blues My Naughty Sweety Gives To Me
... many other gospel or New Orleans classics.

 

[RootyTootoot]

Careless Love (just mentioned) is one of my favourite songs.

"Sunny" is bluesy but not a blues.

Ooo, ooo. Comin Home Baby is a good one up tempo.

 

[rleitch]

We do "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" every once in a while...fun! IKO IKO is good!

 

[TommyD69]

Midnight train
Rackem' up (pool shootin music)

 

[JL]

"Work Song":

Here it is with vocals, if you want to do it that way:

"Cold Duck Time":

You can find numerous versions of both these tunes on you tube.

 

[gary]

Autumn Leaves

You always come up with stuff that throws me, Haywood. I can't remember the tune, but recently you identified a tune (I believe it was a samba) as a blues and I never looked at it that way. Now this. Can you show me how Autumn Leaves is a blues? Thanks.

BTW, here's a nice version. Are you folks hip to the late Eva Cassidy?

 

[saxpiece]

Maybe "Blues In The Night" http://www.e-chords.com/chords/johnny-mercer/blues-in-the-night

 

[MartinMusicMan]

Check the entire Ray Charles catalogue.

Also, we did "Fever" last night when I sat in at a gig. Very sultry, bluesy feel, but not a blues.

 

[MartinMusicMan]

My band does Ray's "Hit The Road Jack." We get a few women out of the audience to come up and sing the refrain. Everybody knows the song and love to sing along. They dance too. It's non-blues changes (Am G F E or whatever key) and it's fun to solo on.

 

[JL]

Also, we did "Fever" last night when I sat in at a gig..

Yeah, I do 'Fever' as an instrumental with my band. I shamelessly stole the (sax instrumental) head directly from a King Curtis recording. It's not really a blues, but much closer to a blues than Autumn Leaves! Buddy Guy did a pretty edgy (vocal) version of 'Fever.'

Here's the King Curtis version:

 

[Pete Thomas]

I've spotted a few tunes so far in the thread that I don't quite see how they are blues.

I tend to think if you can use a reasonable predominance of blue notes: b3, b5 or b7 on otherwise major chords, then it's a blues feel.

Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying
Sentimental Journey
Georgia on my Mind

 

[MartinMusicMan]

Now I'm confused. I don't see how a tune can have non-blues changes and still be a blues. Seems like an oxymoron. Although, there are lots of variations on blues changes. But they're still blues changes. But the OP gave Since I Fell For You as an example. That's not a blues and it's not blues changes, it's a pop song structure. But it's often done by "bluesy" performers. So maybe what we're talking about here is tunes with a bluesy feel, but are not blues and do not have blues changes.

Apologies for getting pedantic on you all.

 

[dexdex]

I thought the OP was asking for songs playable a bluesy way, but other than real blues. As said, most of Ray Charles Book would fit. Many gospels and New Orleans traditionals also do.

 

[RootyTootoot]

Now I'm confused. I don't see how a tune can have non-blues changes and still be a blues. Seems like an oxymoron.

I'm confused too. I presumed the OP was looking for pop etc material where the changes aren't blues but you can use a blues type feel over the solo. I think it might be worthwhile to have some news back from the OP on that one as to whether any of this has been at all helpful..

Yes, as dexdex just said, Ray Charles stuff is a great example.

 

[JL]

Yeah, maybe RyanS should chime back in and let us know if our suggestions are on track for what he's looking for.

I did notice he said they play a lot of blues tunes, but only in 2 or 3 keys. Ryan, based on that statement, I would suggest you expand your actual blues repertoire more. That tells me you aren't covering the spectrum of blues from swing, jump, funk, shuffles, slow, fast, rhumba, New Orleans, to Chicago, Texas, early rock & roll, etc.... If you delve into more genres of the blues (even sticking to the 12 bar form, mostly) you'll find a lot of different tunes in at least 8 or 9 keys (if not all 12), and with different rhythm & 'feel.'

 

[hakukani]

I thought the definition of a blues is a 12, 16, 24, or 32 bar form where somewhere in the first 12 bars, it goes to the IV chord.

 

[patmiller]

Here's a left field response. There are also tunes that follow the blues form but aren't blues.

Se Jo Ves Di Maridarmi is a tune I play in a band that does country swing versions of traditional tunes from Friuli, the north eastern most province of Italy. The form is a 12 bar blues that goes to the IV chord in the right place yet there is no way it could be called a blues.

 

[RyanS]

I've gotten some great suggestions from this thread!

I am leaning more towards tunes that have words and could fit right into a blues jam or blues set without blinking. They could be 8-bar blues tunes or some pop songs (like since I fell for you).

A lot of the Ray charles stuff seems right up my alley and I've found a couple of other tunes I'll mention here:

St. James Infirmary
Trouble in Mind
Please send me someone to love
Cherry Red