3 good songs for audition at Conservatorium?

[JazzyLambert]

Got to do 3 contrasting jazz/Latin tunes, improvising through the changes. I am going to play DB one on tune and BG on two.

So far I am leaning towards St Thomas and Sir Duke (sight read not improvised) on BG and Anthropology on DB. I am thinking of soloing on all tunes except Sir Duke.

Any suggestions for better tunes? Are these good choices?

[Groovy Bastard]

If you want to sound fresh to them, do stuff the wrong way around:

Maiden Voyage with a funk beat.
Just Friends with a New Orleans beat.
Cantaloupe Island as a swing tune.

Don't just copy the original basslines, they have heard them 1000's of times, make up your own, but be sure to make it fit.

The 3 tunes you chose are very similar harmonically, try to put a song in a minor key in there.

Sight reading is not a good idea, it gives a message of bad preparation.

Don't try to impress them, try to make nice music. Good luck!

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by JazzyLambert

Got to do 3 contrasting jazz/Latin tunes, improvising through the changes. I am going to play DB one on tune and BG on two.

So far I am leaning towards St Thomas and Sir Duke (sight read not improvised) on BG and Anthropology on DB. I am thinking of soloing on all tunes except Sir Duke.

Any suggestions for better tunes? Are these good choices?

Antropology is just as good as any other bop tune, so it's ok.

St. Thomas IMHO is a bit on the simple side - and played at just about every jam session.
I would suggest a funky version of a more complicated Latin song - some Jobim? Triste? Desafinado? On the BG.

Sir Duke - disadvisable. You either can play it - in the technical sense - or not. So it won't show any special musical ability (I can play it, so it can't be that hard )

In your list I missed something really slow. A ballad. with a nice, deeply felt bass solo. On DB? Maybe 2x DB, 1x BG?
A well played ballad will show your ability for timing and concentration, and your solo will show real musical feeling.

[gnasher1993]

If you want to impress them, show them an outstanding walking line and solo over All the things you are.

Don't do anything simple like Autumn Leaves that just progress in 4ths.

Maybe some sort of modal progression, one of Joe Lovano's tunes.

Just a few suggestions...

[saxmachine777]

Unless you really kill it on "St. Thomas", I'd skip it. It may not really deserve it, but people get sick of the tune fast. Maybe try something Brazilian for the latin tune? Something with interesting changes and a lot of opportunity for interesting rhythms. In fact, maybe even an odd-meter tune to boot. Check out Airto Moreira's "Mixing" or "Tombo in 7/4" and Hermeto Pascoal's "Tacho". Just some thoughts. It's totally your audition, so I wouldn't want to bulldoze your personality in it.

Rhythm changes are always good, but again, their frequency of play is double-edged. Be solid, and they'll know you can swing, but it runs the risk of being a sound they've heard too often. If you want options, try a tune with Coltrane changes (cycling ii-Vs through thirds). "Countdown" is neat because it takes Miles Davis' "Tune Up" and turns it on its head, but so is "Have You Met Miss Jones" (which was written with a Coltrane turnaround before Coltrane started using them).

Funk/R&B, I think, is harder to go wrong with, because the tunes aren't quite as steeped in academia as those jazz standards. Just bring it with soul and some tasty fills/embelishments.

Again, these are merely suggestions, so take them with as much salt as you like, but I have been through the conservatory audition process, and the aforementioned guidelines (along with others' posted guidelines) are something I would do differently had I the second chance.

Peace, love, and break a leg.

[jgbass]

Really, it is not so much the tune, but the fact that you play it well -- your swing tune really swings, and your Latin tune has a good time feel to it. I would have a tune with a blues feel there too and show them you can play with this feel.

I would pick tunes that you can play by memory and I would play two of the three on DB, one on EB. I would pick tunes you are really familiar with. Better to go that route than try to impress them with more challenging songs that you might not pull off under pressure.

I would have solos ready on all tunes. I would vary the tempos of the tunes as well and have no two tunes at similar tempos. And, for DB, intonation, intonation, intonation.

[Alper Yilmaz]

I would go for:

1. a Bird blues like "Blues for Alice"
2. a ballad like "Blue in Green"
3. a fast tempo rhythm changes like "Oleo" or something like "Airegin" with fast chord changes

The first one would show that you can function in a traditional context like a 12-bar blues, yet a little more complex due to its changes. You should definitely take a solo on this one. I would say go for the upright...

The second is a ballad more in the "cool" context as it does not have the mII-V7-Imaj7 chord progression. Also, the form of this song is challenging for some. I would play electric bass on this one. A brief solo in the style of Kai Eckhardt on John McLaughlin's "At the Royal Festival Hall" might be nice.

The third will show your strength and dexterity on fast-tempo tunes. You do not need to make a solo on this, but having a strong accompaniment on the bass would be great! I would play this on the upright as well, as the attack of DB would make this song swing more easily.

Of course, IME and IMO! Good luck!

Cheers,

Alper

Originally Posted by JazzyLambert

Got to do 3 contrasting jazz/Latin tunes, improvising through the changes. I am going to play DB one on tune and BG on two.

So far I am leaning towards St Thomas and Sir Duke (sight read not improvised) on BG and Anthropology on DB. I am thinking of soloing on all tunes except Sir Duke.

Any suggestions for better tunes? Are these good choices?

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by gnasher1993

If you want to impress them, show them an outstanding walking line and solo over All the things you are.

Don't do anything simple like Autumn Leaves that just progress in 4ths.

Maybe some sort of modal progression, one of Joe Lovano's tunes.

Just a few suggestions...

Uhhh, are you familiar with the changes for "All The Things You Are"?

Fmi7 Bbmi7 Eb7 Abma7 Dbma7 G7 Cma7
Cmi7 Fmi7 Bb7 Ebma7 Abma7 D7 Gma7

Those are all 4ths sir...

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Uhhh, are you familiar with the changes for "All The Things You Are"?

Fmi7 Bbmi7 Eb7 Abma7 Dbma7 G7 Cma7
Cmi7 Fmi7 Bb7 Ebma7 Abma7 D7 Gma7

Those are all 4ths sir...

LOL

[jgbass]

Why don't you go over to the DB side and post a question on the Ask Lynne Seaton site. He is a top pro and auditions students for the jazz program at UNT.

[gnasher1993]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Uhhh, are you familiar with the changes for "All The Things You Are"?

Fmi7 Bbmi7 Eb7 Abma7 Dbma7 G7 Cma7
Cmi7 Fmi7 Bb7 Ebma7 Abma7 D7 Gma7

Those are all 4ths sir...

They're not the chords I play ...

Even if that's the progression you're going with...carry on...it's not all 4ths throughout

In answer to your question, yes I am familiar with the tune.

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by gnasher1993

They're not the chords I play ...

Even if that's the progression you're going with...carry on...it's not all 4ths throughout

In answer to your question, yes I am familiar with the tune.

Oh wait, let me post the bridge:

Ami7 D7 Gmaj7 % (II V I in G major, 4ths)
F#mi7 B7 Emaj7 Calt7 (II V I in E major, V7 in F minor more 4ths)

ok here's the final A section too:

Fmi7 Bbmi7 Eb7 Abma7 (VI II V I Ab major 4ths!)
Dbma 7 Dbmi7 Cmi7 Bo7 (up a 4th, and then some tritone substitutions of 4ths
Bbmi7 Eb7 Abma7 (G7 C7) (II V I in Ab major, II V in F to get back to the top)

That's still a lot of 4ths there. Perhaps the difference is because of the metric system?

So what changes are you playing? Or are you just giving out wrong information?

[Michael Case]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Oh wait, let me post the bridge:

Ami7 D7 Gmaj7 % (II V I in G major, 4ths)
F#mi7 B7 Emaj7 Calt7 (II V I in E major, V7 in F minor more 4ths)

ok here's the final A section too:

Fmi7 Bbmi7 Eb7 Abma7 (VI II V I Ab major 4ths!)
Dbma 7 Dbmi7 Cmi7 Bo7 (up a 4th, and then some tritone substitutions of 4ths
Bbmi7 Eb7 Abma7 (G7 C7) (II V I in Ab major, II V in F to get back to the top)

That's still a lot of 4ths there. Perhaps the difference is because of the metric system?

So what changes are you playing? Or are you just giving out wrong information?

Those aren't the changes in the Krypton Real Book!

[gnasher1993]

My bad, I apologise . I didn't mean to cause conflict, offence or anything else. I was wrong, I'll admit it. I made a mistake, apparently humans do that sometimes .

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Or are you just giving out wrong information?

Don't go of accusing me of being a troll, there's plenty of folks on here who can vouch for me .

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Perhaps the difference is because of the metric system?

Is that some sort of dig at me for not being American? If it is, that's really low, have some dignity. If not, sorry for jumping to conclusions...

As I say, I didn't mean to cause offence but I kind of get the impression you did, again apologies if I'm wrong. Anyway, no hard feelings man...my bad...just lighten up a bit, TB's a community, a huge (slightly dysfunctional ) family. Cheers for correcting me, I won't get that wrong again :...anytime soon .

[Michael Case]

Originally Posted by gnasher1993

My bad, I apologise . I didn't mean to cause conflict, offence or anything else. I was wrong, I'll admit it. I made a mistake, apparently humans do that sometimes .

Yes, but you were insistent with your misinformation and rather arrogant.

Originally Posted by gnasher1993

Is that some sort of dig at me for not being American? If it is, that's really low, have some dignity. If not, sorry for jumping to conclusions...

No, it read as a dig at you for being an arrogant little kid who needed to be schooled.

Originally Posted by gnasher1993

As I say, I didn't mean to cause offence but I kind of get the impression you did, again apologies if I'm wrong. Anyway, no hard feelings man...my bad...just lighten up a bit, TB's a community, a huge (slightly dysfunctional ) family. Cheers for correcting me, I won't get that wrong again :...anytime soon .

I think you need to put some thought into your posts, there's a lot o poor information here on TB and people should really put more care into what they say.

[gnasher1993]

Seriously none of that was necessary. I've admitted I was wrong, now back off. I think you need to put some thought into your posts as well. I've apologised, there's nothing more I can do. Don't bring my age into this, you respect me and I'll respect you. "arrogant little kid who needed to be schooled"..."grumpy old man that needs to be sectioned."

I'm done here, I've said all that I want to say. As you were...

To the OP, speaking for myself, I apologise. I didn't mean to clog up your thread with my misinformation...it wasn't deliberate, I just didn't think. I wish you well in your studies and good luck with your audition.

Sorry man.

[JazzyLambert]

Thanks to everyone for the good advice. No real dramas, we can all get along.

Got some amazing news, a different Conservatorium (not quite as prestigious) has actually asked me to play bass at their end of year showcase concert, all expenses paid!

It's 1500km away,and I have to take a week off school but to be offered this gig is a huge honour for a high schooler.

Thanks again for all the excellent suggestions!