Blue Bossa

[W32Hybris]

Hello, I was recently invited to play at my school's Senior "Senior" Prom, and one of the songs I will be playing is Blue Bossa. The Arrangement we will be playing is by Kenny Dorham, and goes like this:

|| Cmi6 | % | Fmi7 | % | Dmi7(b5) | G7(#9#5) | Cmi6 | % | Ebmi7 | Ab7 | Dbmaj7 | % | Dmi7(b5) | G7(#9#5) | Cmi6 | % :||

There is more to the song, but that is all we are playing.

Right now, I am playing just the root and the 5th, but it's getting boring. Can anyone suggest any ideas to spice it up a bit? Fills maybe?

Some arpeggios that I know that are relevant:
C9
F7
Dmi7b5
G7#5
Ebmi7
Ab13
Dbmaj7

any input is welcome

 

[ole Jason]

I don't think I would busy up a bossa too much. The whole style is based around the syncopations in the rythm section. Maybe walking around the turn arounds a bit or asking the other players if they're comfortable with substitutions would help you have more fun with it. Or just ask for a solo

 

[Howard K]

I didnt know this until I saw a band play blue bossa live recently... but the progression you're playing is exactly the same as the "unbranded" version on the Aebersold CD I have.

There's many more experienced on TB at this sort of thing, but what I do when I play this is something like...

root, 5th over the C
move over the F using scale tones
then to highlight the turnaround: accent the b5 and/or min7 in the D
use the altered chord tones somehow in the G, e.g. root, #2, 3, #5, or a brief fill using the #9 and 10. this strengthens the resolve into the C- again. doesnt need much bass activity tho

Actually I find it sounds good to play a b9 (Ab) in the G as well... not sure if that's the recording I have, my ears or what?
The aebersold sheet says G7+9 - which I read as G7#9 - as per your post, but I find the b9 sounds 'nicer' so I often play Ab root plus octave (b2,b9) and it works!? Why?! Heck I dunno?!

Also, as it says in the aebersold book, you need to play the 3rd and 7ths in the key change (II-V-I in Db) so I do something like root,3,5 in Eb, 5th down into root of Ab, then play the DbM7 arpeggio and then you just sharpen the Db to move into the turnaround again, Dmin7b5...

As ole Jason says, it doesnt really need much, there is plenty of room to noodle, but the bossa groove is the key.

enjoy...

p.s. still learning this one myself really, so if any of thisis nonsense, i apologise.

if you find any nice lines, do share

 

[W32Hybris]

thanks for the responses!

and yes, I forgot to mention that I am doing the root 3rd for the G and the root/...
...yeah, theory sucks. I do this for the D:

G|--------
D|------6--
A|--5----
E|--------

thanks for the ideas though, I'll mess around with them tonight and see what I can come up with.

Also, I neglected to mention that there will be 1-2 other bass players there. One will be doing a bass solo and hte other doing the melody, so I'll have to be careful that whatever I do doesn't mess up the frequencies too much

rock on

 

[ole Jason]

You'll be fine. If you get a recording of that put it up on here I'd like to hear it. Have fun

 

[jazzbo]

Good luck. But if you can't learn the tune, I suggest SOLAR FLAIR

 

[Lovebown]

Originally posted by Howard K


Actually I find it sounds good to play a b9 (Ab) in the G as well... not sure if that's the recording I have, my ears or what?
The aebersold sheet says G7+9 - which I read as G7#9 - as per your post, but I find the b9 sounds 'nicer' so I often play Ab root plus octave (b2,b9) and it works!? Why?! Heck I dunno?!


Thing is G7#9 can essentially be interpreted as G7b9#9#11. The b9 will pretty much always sound good on dominant chords in jazz. Most seasoned players in the bebop tradtion will for standard opt for a half/whole diminished scale over this chord.
[/b]


Also, as it says in the aebersold book, you need to play the 3rd and 7ths in the key change (II-V-I in Db) so I do something like root,3,5 in Eb, 5th down into root of Ab, then play the DbM7 arpeggio and then you just sharpen the Db to move into the turnaround again, Dmin7b5...


Well... I don't know
what it says in your Aebersold book but there is no particular reason why you need to arpeggiate this 2-5-1 in Db major. See the thing here is to not have a game plan BEFORE you actually play. A Bossa line really isn't that diffrent from a swing walking line... it's still jazz... as you get more experienced you'll see what works and what doesen't

/lovebown

 

[W32Hybris]

eh? sry I'm nto much of a theory guy

what we're playing doesn't sound like a bossa nova at ALL. let me rephrase. AT ALL .

it grooooooves

I've got somethin pretty cool goin now, as soon as i can get a 1/4" to [little headphone jack size] i'll record it

 

[bassmantele]

Get the original on CD and listen closely. When you play, leave lots of space. Think simple, rhythmic and tasty, not busy. People should know it's a bossa nova even if you're the only one playing.

 

[Howard K]

Thing is G7#9 can essentially be interpreted as G7b9#9#11. The b9 will pretty much always sound good on dominant chords in jazz. Most seasoned players in the bebop tradtion will for standard opt for a half/whole diminished scale over this chord.

Gotcha. Thanks v-much

Well... I don't know what it says in your Aebersold book but there is no particular reason why you need to arpeggiate this 2-5-1 in Db major. See the thing here is to not have a game plan BEFORE you actually play. A Bossa line really isn't that diffrent from a swing walking line... it's still jazz... as you get more experienced you'll see what works and what doesen't

Absolutely, I'm starting out!

Just FYI - in the aebersold book, it says that you should use the 3rd and 7th to highlight the key change... which I assume is a a learning tool, a start point - to get you to hear the key change when you play it.
I suggested arpeggios as a simple example really

Also, incedentally, the tune I'm talking about is solar flair - what I referred to as the "aebersold unbranded version" earlier. The only difference being that the C chords are just minor, rather than minor6... a neglidgeable difference if you're only playing root+5th over those two bars

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Howard - you have more knowledge about this stuff than the vast majority of people I meet at Jazz Summerschool - you should come this year!!

They have a "tongue in cheek" rule for jam sessions there : any soloist who plays more than 10 choruses on Blue Bossa wil have their hands broken!!

 

[Howard K]

Howard - you have more knowledge about this stuff than the vast majority of people I meet at Jazz Summerschool - you should come this year!!

>>> Maybe, but I'm all talk and no trousers! I dont have the playing experience of jazz in a group. I can jam and I can read a chart slowly, but "holding it down" while other players noodle their noggins off, while playing a nice smooth walk - well, I'm still working on that!

You're right tho.. maybe I should.. hmmm
Details, I need details!

They have a "tongue in cheek" rule for jam sessions there : any soloist who plays more than 10 choruses on Blue Bossa wil have their hands broken!!

Surely everyone would be sound asleep after a bass solo that long?

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Link Removed


Actually I think the "jam session rule" is aimed at horn players!!

 

[Howard K]

Actually I think the "jam session rule" is aimed at horn players!!

Makes more sense.. you'd probably have your hands broken after ten bars of bass solo.. providing of course anyone could actually hear it!

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

But you should come along to the Summerschool and put all this into practice!!

I recommend it to anyone - loads of playing and great fun!!

So - you can go for one or two weeks - from Sunday to Friday.

The thing about this one, is that is all based around playing - in small groups - like a real Jazz combo.

So - you get assigned to a group and stay with a Jazz pro tutor for the whole week, getting to work together as a group during the day - but you can also form your own groups and there are also open jam sessions every early afternoon/evening - followed by the "Jazz Club" - where there are performances from student and tutor groups in the student union bar which has a nice stage and great atmosphere once it gets going - until about 12.30.

It's my favourite holiday of the year!!

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
Link Removed

PS - the brochure for 2004 isn't out yet - this has the application form, prices, accommodation details etc.

It actually takes place at the end of July - but you usually have to apply by about March/April and pay a small deposit (£10-15)as it does get full up, pretty quickly!

But the link above, gives some basic info...

 

[Howard K]

I went home for lunch today... playing around with this song a bit, found this...

Over the F-7 (so moving into D-7b5) it sounds great if you play F root, then GMajor7 arpeggio and AbMajor7 arpeggio to move into the D... of course you dont have to play the arpeggio exactly, that's just what I found... a start point for development basically

There's a bunch of shared notes between each of those three chords depending on which scale yuou take the chord from (that I cant be faffed to type right now), and the G to Ab movement of the Major7 chord sounds "nice n' jazzy" coz it be chromatic innit

You can also walk, using loadsa chromatics through the D-7b5 and G7 chords back to the tonic...

My advice, learn a few chords, Major7, minor7, dominant7 and minor7b5 - and this song will become a lot easier!

 

[ole Jason]

Thanks for idea Howard, I'll try that out later tonight when I practice. Adding the b9 to the G sounded great, I had never thought of that before haha. My group played this song for awhile tonight, if you're not dead set on keeping it a traditional bossa you can migrate to related latin styles pretty easily to mix things up. We do the changes as a sambo a couple times during the solos. I think playing it as a calypso would work well too. Also, because the traditional bossa drumset part is similar to a rock beat you can migrate to a light funk groove and slap a bit. I find a little rythmic variation helps things along moreso than trying to add fills and such, that could just be the way my group works though.

 

[Slot]

Also ....

as some already said, wherever there is a #9, a b9 is also always implied.

But the same go's with #5's and b5's.

So whenever you see a dominant chord with a #5(G7#5#9), the b5 will also be a strong note to hit. Or it can be reversed, likewise when dealing with 9ths.

 

[Lovebown]

Also ....

as some already said, wherever there is a #9, a b9 is also always implied.

But the same go's with #5's and b5's.

So whenever you see a dominant chord with a #5(G7#5#9), the b5 will also be a strong note to hit. Or it can be reversed, likewise when dealing with 9ths.

That runs a bit contrary to my experience actually. Actually a chord notated as G7#5#9 is a bit silly IMO because what it means to the eyes/ears of a jazz musician is G7 alt.

At the same a chord notated as G7#11 (or b5) doesen't really imply a #5/b6. The Dominant #11 chord is actually derived from the jazz melodic minors 4th mode, which is sometimes reffered to as lydian mixolydian scale, and the #5 is NOT a part of that scale.

Either way, almost any note can work on a dominant chord if played with intention and conviction. For practicing it might be convenient to know that some of the common scales that apply to dominant chords are for example these:

X7: Mixolydian scale.
Xb9#9: Half-whole diminished.
Xalt: Superlocrian scale (7th mode of jazz melodic minor)
X#11: Mixolydian #4.

And.. there are of course very many more possibilities.

/lovebown