Setlist recommendations for duo>

Tony F · #1 03-16-2009, 09:47 PM

Hi, I've recently joined up with a local jazz outfit, and due to loads of personal commitments with the other guys, the band has now been whittled down to me and the guitarist!

We've started trying out a few standards with the view of going out as a jazz duo, but I'd welcome suggestions as to what kind of numbers would sound good with such sparse instrumentation. Who else has played with this setup?

For example, we've got a very mellow arrangement of "My Funny Valentine" going (it's compulsory, isn't it?), but "Take the A-Train" sounded very... um... bare. We tried a few different ways of playing it, but it wasn't particularly working well. Time to drop it and move on.

So, who's got a setlist for a duo then?

Thanks in advance,

Tony

olivieraleman · #2 03-16-2009, 10:07 PM

I do a duo gig with a nylon string guitarist at an Italian restaurant and here's some tunes we do; Summertime, All Blues, Take 5(in E), High High The Moon, Amazing Grace, Take Me Home Country Roads(very free form-sounds great!), Blue Bossa, Night and Day, I Cant Help It If Im Still In Love With You(ala Lenny Breau). This guitarist is Roger Hoard, who was staff guitarist for WWVA Jamboree and studied with Chet and Lenny, he plays fingerstyle and covers alot of ground.

jweiss · #3 03-16-2009, 10:10 PM

My piano player and I have been compiling a list of tunes to play as a duo in the future. So far we have:

Nostalgia in Times Square
So What
Stella
Stolen Moments
There is No Greater Love
Whims of Chambers
All the Things You Are
Bluesette
Central Park West
Days of Wine and Roses
Night and Day
Peri's Scope

olivieraleman · #4 03-16-2009, 10:20 PM

Tony
Do either one of you sing? Depending on the venue its nice to mix things up with some vocals. Whats your target audience?

bass-me-up · #5 03-17-2009, 01:53 AM

i played quiet a lot of gigs as a git/bass duo. we played everything from jazz standards to the chili peppers (under the bridge).

most real book standards worked pretty well especially all the bossa nova and standard swing stuff.

4 on six has always been one of my fav's. listen to it here:
www.myspace.com/steffenknaussbass

right know we are working on a trio setlist (add female vocals).

cheers

steffen

Oric · #6 03-17-2009, 05:50 AM

Not to take over the thread, but some recommendations for bass and bass trombone would be nice too. (my sister plays the bass trombone, quite loudly [I'm very proud]), and I'm trying to get her more used to playing jazz melodies, as opposed to honking in a big band horn section.

Tony F · #7 03-18-2009, 06:16 AM

Thanks so much for your input, there's some good leads there. I'll print out this thread and show the guitarist on Thursday and we'll see what we can get started on.

Cheers,

Tony

klem.gote · #8 03-18-2009, 07:50 AM

I started doing a bass/guitar duo with a friend of mine when we were in high school. We too were concerened with the "bare" sound, and as a result we both overplayed to compensate. Years later, we now enjoy the "space". It's about music now, not sound. There's an old album with Jim Hall and Ron Carter, from the early 70s I think. There's a tune on it called "Reciept Please", that might also be the name of the album. It's a great example of the kind of music 2guys can make.

fingers · #9 03-19-2009, 05:20 PM

Anything

Carl Johnson · #10 03-19-2009, 11:26 PM

Play anything you'd play with a 3 or 4 piece. The important thing for me is to keep the best time I can. Creative peddle patterns go a long way. Playing duos is the bomb for getting your solo chop up.

Every now and then I'll work with my friend; a very talented local trumpet player, lots of fun. Relax and groove