Pork Pie Hat

weeding · #1 02-21-2006, 01:51 AM

Ahhh sweet satisfaction. Just got all the notes for Pork Pie Hat down. All hail Charles Mingus, as he is the almighty lord of crazy arse rhythms and jazz tunes. Now, now to the point. I'm going to try a solo bass arrangement of this piece (maybe using a piano as well, or a clarinet...) and I'm wondering if anyone here has tackled this before. If so, could they give me any hints or tips to help? This would be much appreciated.

PS. If anyone wants a copy of the music written out for both bass and treble clef, then just PM me and I can give them pictures or a copy in Finale.

Garry Goodman · #2 02-21-2006, 02:40 AM

Do you mean "Goobye Pork Pie Hat"?
It's in a number of "RealBooks", even in the Vocal Real Book with lyrics by Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
It's a nice straight ahead Jazz ballad.
John McLaughlin did a cool version on "My Goal's Beyond".

"He put all his soul into a tenor saxophobe"
I think it's usually played in F minor.
Have fun!

BassChuck · #3 02-21-2006, 06:03 AM

I doing the same thing to work on fretless.

But... I'm coming to the feeling that the melody is just so incredibly strong that it, musically, stands by itself with no need for any kind of accompaniment.

So, I'm experimenting with a non-tonal synth wash as a background. I'm thinking of something along the lines of an Absynth kind of changing sound...... but all of that may just get trashed cause Mingus is just fine by himself.

Bruce Lindfield · #4 02-21-2006, 06:54 AM

It's just a 12-bar Blues!!

JimK · #5 02-21-2006, 07:28 AM

...and re-harmonized like no other!

Howard K · #6 02-22-2006, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garry Goodman

"He put all his soul into a tenor saxophobe"

I think I might be developing an accute case of saxophobia

GBPPH has a great melody indeed. I might just dig that out of my more than a playalong book when I get home for lunch

Bruce Lindfield · #7 02-22-2006, 05:52 AM

(Joni Mitchell/Charles Mingus)

When Charlie speaks of Lester
You know someone great has gone
The sweetest swinging music man
Had a Porkie Pig hat on
A bright star
In a dark age
When the bandstands had a thousand ways
Of refusing a black man admission
Black musician
In those days they put him in an
Underdog position
Cellars and chittlins'

When Lester took him a wife
Arm and arm went black and white
And some saw red
And drove them from their hotel bed
Love is never easy
It's short of the hope we have for happiness
Bright and sweet
Love is never easy street!
Now we are black and white
Embracing out in the lunatic New York night
It's very unlikely we'll be driven out of town
Or be hung in a tree
That's unlikely!

Tonight these crowds
Are happy and loud
Children are up dancing in the streets
In the sticky middle of the night
Summer serenade
Of taxi horns and fun arcades
Where right or wrong
Under neon
Every feeling goes on!
For you and me
The sidewalk is a history book
And a circus
Dangerous clowns
Balancing dreadful and wonderful perceptions
They have been handed
Day by day
Generations on down

We came up from the subway
On the music midnight makes
To Charlie's bass and Lester's saxophone
In taxi horns and brakes
Now Charlie's down in Mexico
With the healers
So the sidewalk leads us with music
To two little dancers
Dancing outside a black bar
There's a sign up on the awning
It says "Pork Pie Hat Bar"
And there's black babies dancing...
Tonight!

JONI MITCHELL - "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" lyrics

Phil Smith · #8 02-22-2006, 08:06 AM

Interesting lyrics, but I don't think they are the standard ones to the tune i.e. the ones most often sung to the song.

Bruce Lindfield · #9 02-22-2006, 08:11 AM

Well - they're sung by Joni Mitchell on the albums Mingus and the live "Shadows and Light"

Redhotbassist · #10 02-22-2006, 12:09 PM

I quite like Millers version of this, some great phrases.

MaskedJackal · #11 02-22-2006, 01:17 PM

I figured out the first lick....anybody have tab?

RHFusillo · #12 02-22-2006, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

Interesting lyrics, but I don't think they are the standard ones to the tune i.e. the ones most often sung to the song.

Bruce quoted the Joni Mitchell lyrics. The other ones are by Rahsaan Roland Kirk. I think that Joni's lyrics are nicer (she even put lyrics to Booker Ervin's tenor solo), but there was something moving about Rahsaan and his sidemen chanting, "Lester Young is blowing what he's feeling..."

Phil Smith · #13 02-22-2006, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Well - they're sung by Joni Mitchell on the albums Mingus and the live "Shadows and Light"

Yeah, and???

MikeyFingers · #14 02-22-2006, 01:59 PM

I love the Joni Mitchell/Jaco version of this song.

Jazzin' · #15 02-22-2006, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeyFingers

I love the Joni Mitchell/Jaco version of this song.

Yeah, it's really good. I have the video of the whole concert. Joni Mitchell, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, and others.

weeding · #16 02-23-2006, 01:42 AM

Miller's version is the only one I've heard (apart of course from my Charles Mingus live at the Montreaux Jazz Festival) and I think it's quite nice. However, for some reason which I can't pick he plays it in D sharp instead of F...

Garry Goodman · #17 02-23-2006, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

Interesting lyrics, but I don't think they are the standard ones to the tune i.e. the ones most often sung to the song.

R.R Kirk's lyrics
He put all of his soul into a tenor saxophone
Had a way of talkn',twas a lang
uage all his own

Life's story,love and glory if you listen when he plays it for you now
Listen and listen and dig it,can you dig it?
Lester Young is playing what he's feeling
Dealing and dancing you home

Now someone might of told you,Lester Young he's out of style
But now I'm here to tell you,"Prez is happening right now"
Life's story,love and glory if you listen when he plays it for you now
Listen and listen and dig it,can you dig it?
Lester Young is playing what he's feeling
Dealing and dancing you home
http://www.jonimitchell.com/glossary/entry.cfm?id=32

Bruce Lindfield · #18 02-23-2006, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHFusillo

Bruce quoted the Joni Mitchell lyrics. The other ones are by Rahsaan Roland Kirk. I think that Joni's lyrics are nicer (she even put lyrics to Booker Ervin's tenor solo)

I agree!

It's a great solo and I think it's amazing that it has been preserved in this way.

dlloyd · #19 02-23-2006, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

Interesting lyrics, but I don't think they are the standard ones to the tune i.e. the ones most often sung to the song.

It's the version that's the most listened to. Probably.