Need help finding covers for my instrumental groove/funk/jazz trio

[Tony G]

I'm playing in a three piece band right now (guitar, bass, drums), playing instrumental groove/jazz/funk/whatever you want to call it. We are playing some tunes from Charlie Hunter, John Scofield, etc. But I'm coming up short finding music like this that only a trio can do. Any suggestions?

[Tony G]

Anyone?

[JimK]

I'm a little in the same boat...our horn player cannot do every gig.

We do about 50% originals where the guitarist is skilled enough to play the heads & the rhythm...he earns his money on those nights.

Anyway, there's some Wayne Krantz trio stuff we're into. Adam Rogers has some stuff, too.
I guess a trio like Matthew Garrison/Jeff Sipe/Alex Machacek is out, right?
Their album is called Improvisation.

[emagdnim]

check out the jazz pistols

[caligula]

Stuff like Mike Stern would be on my list. Stern plays a lot of trio gigs with Andrews and Weckl and his songs sound great, even without the horn and that other stuff you hear on the recordings.
What about Satriani? ..if it's not too "hardrockish." I used to play ECHO and ICE 9 in a three piece band...lots of fun.
Robben Ford and Eric Johnson have great instrumental songs as well.

[Tony G]

These are some great ideas guys. Keep them coming.

[Kwesi]

Try John Mayer's and John Scofield's take on "I Don't Need No Doctor". Vocals help but the arrangement (At least the arrangement on Mayer's "Where the light is" album) has so much variety that you wouldn't miss them that and it's super funky.

[soong]

Chameleon from Herbie Hancock.
I dare you!

[JimK]

Yeah, we've done "Chameleon" as a trio...same, too, for "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Footprints", etc.

...which reminds me of an Andy Summers' album called The Last Dance Of Mr. X.
It's a trio thing where they cover some Jazz Classics in a Jazz-Rock-R&B vibe.

[c-ba55]

The Meters

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by c-ba55

The Meters

I love the Meters, but their stuff is far too organ driven for our sound.

[JimK]

Oz Noy w/ Will Lee & __________ (drawing a blank on the drummer. Anton Fig?) do a nice job of re-inventing "Cissy Strut". IIRC, it's done in "E"...still in 4/4 although there's some heavy displacement going on.
I would think there's some youtube footage of it.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by JimK

Oz Noy w/ Will Lee & __________ (drawing a blank on the drummer. Anton Fig?) do a nice job of re-inventing "Cissy Strut". IIRC, it's done in "E"...still in 4/4 although there's some heavy displacement going on.
I would think there's some youtube footage of it.

Cool, I'll take a look around for it.

[KJung]

Tony. I play quite a few instrumental guitar/bass/drums trio gigs.

Actually, some of the Meter's stuff works great in that context. We try to stay away from the moldy oldies like Mercy Mercy, Chameleon, I Shot the Sheriff, etc. Those have just been played too much IMO, and many audiences will turn off.

Take a look at Robben Ford's work. The 'Talk to Your Daughter' disc has some great tunes that work instrumentally. Scofield's 'A Go Go' disc has some great tunes that are cool for most audiences.

We also do instrumental groove versions of lots of pop tunes by James Taylor, The Beatles, etc. Those go over very well, since people recognize the melodies and tunes, but they still work well to play over in an instrumental trio format.

There are a number of Pat Metheny tunes (James, etc.) that are relatively easy to play and that people seem to enjoy.

Finally, a small number of 'Real Book' type tunes done 'non swing' usually goes over pretty well. Pick a few that people are familiar with (Song for my Father, A Train, Cherokee, etc., etc.) and do them 'differently'.... like as a fast funk/samba, or a more smooth jazz groove. It's amazing how people dig hearing stuff they are familiar with, but in a different context.

[Ed Fuqua]

I'd also recommend getting out of the headspace that the only options are tunes that have been done by groups with exactly the same instrumentation that you have. Get something you like, get it in your ear and then get as close as you can to the sound in your head with the instrumentation that you have. Yer gonna have to come up with some way to get the spirit of what you're hearing across without playing what somebody else played to do it.

And that will be some VERY fresh ****.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

I'd also recommend getting out of the headspace that the only options are tunes that have been done by groups with exactly the same instrumentation that you have. Get something you like, get it in your ear and then get as close as you can to the sound in your head with the instrumentation that you have. Yer gonna have to come up with some way to get the spirit of what you're hearing across without playing what somebody else played to do it.

And that will be some VERY fresh ****.

+1 Ed. That's what I was kind of alluding to. Performing familiar tunes in a very different way really seems to be appreciated by the audience.

We actually do some Joe Sample tunes in a guitar trio. It's challenging and fun.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by KJung

Tony. I play quite a few instrumental guitar/bass/drums trio gigs.

Actually, some of the Meter's stuff works great in that context. We try to stay away from the moldy oldies like Mercy Mercy, Chameleon, I Shot the Sheriff, etc. Those have just been played too much IMO, and many audiences will turn off.

Take a look at Roben Ford's work. The 'Talk to Your Daughter' disc has some great tunes that work instrumentally. Scofield's 'A Go Go' disc has some great tunes that are cool for most audiences.

We also do instrumental groove versions of lots of pop tunes by James Taylor, The Beatles, etc. Those go over very well, since people recognize the melodies and tunes, but they still work well to play over in an instrumental trio format.

There are a number of Pat Metheny tunes (James, etc.) that are relatively easy to play and that people seem to enjoy.

Finally, a small number of 'Real Book' type tunes done 'non swing' usually goes over pretty well. Pick a few that people are familiar with (Song for my Father, A Train, Cherokee, etc., etc.) and do them 'differently'.... like as a fast funk/samba, or a more smooth jazz groove. It's amazing how people dig hearing stuff they are familiar with, but in a different context.

Great suggestions Ken. Thanks.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

I'd also recommend getting out of the headspace that the only options are tunes that have been done by groups with exactly the same instrumentation that you have. Get something you like, get it in your ear and then get as close as you can to the sound in your head with the instrumentation that you have. Yer gonna have to come up with some way to get the spirit of what you're hearing across without playing what somebody else played to do it.

And that will be some VERY fresh ****.

Thanks for chiming in Ed. I absolutely agree, and we have already started doing this. We play a couple of tune from Soulive which of course is very organ driven, but I think we adapted it great. My comment about the Meters being too organ driven might just be me not opening my mind enough to them. I just love their funky sound so much I couldn't possibly think of doing a Meter's cover without a B-3, could I?

[c-ba55]

Horace Silver (The Preacher, Sister Sadie, Song for my father, others)
Canonball / Nat Adderley (Work Song, Sack O' Woe, Mercy mercy mercy)
Wes Montgomery (Four on Six, Road Song)
Ramsey Lewis (the in crowd)
Lee Morgan (The Sidewinder)
Herbie Hancock (lots)

The essence of all these tunes can be captured with your group. Make it happen!

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by c-ba55

Horace Silver (The Preacher, Sister Sadie, Song for my father, others)
Canonball / Nat Adderley (Work Song, Sack O' Woe, Mercy mercy mercy)
Wes Montgomery (Four on Six, Road Song)
Ramsey Lewis (the in crowd)
Lee Morgan (The Sidewinder)
Herbie Hancock (lots)

The essence of all these tunes can be captured with your group. Make it happen!

Great! Thanks for posting.