Old Folks - Lockdown Ballad *7 (Conn 10M)

mrpeebee said:

Very nice Tim, beautiful sound and fantastic recording quality.

I noticed you played it lower than Ben Webster, I think your take is in F concert (like the Don Byas recording). Good old Ben did record it in C concert (D for tenor), which key sounds in my ears a bit more vulnerable (but that's maybe due to the famous live version of Ben and Teddy Wilson). I did just post in another thread a version I recorded in January 2016, which is played in C concert (>here<).

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link to yours - nice stuff. Yes, you're right, it takes on a whole different character up higher. I was listening recently to a 1970s recording of Dexter in Tokyo, doing it in Eb. As far as I'm aware F is the 'original' key so I chose to record it there, and liked the way it gave a boldness to the tune lower in the register - which is where I tend to like to start ballads. My Nearness of You recording, though (see previous post on this thread - Lockdown Ballad #4) is higher up on the horn. Always good to notice how we can open up a whole different colour palate and set of improvisational choices depending on which key we start in. I've always tried to be a 'tone' player, if that makes sense, so the improvisational process is very much about connecting with the sound of each individual note rather than scales etc... which is why I appreciate your message, as thinking about key is a really important thing for me.
Anyway, I go on - but thanks for connecting with such an interesting comment