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Double Bass Is it time to burn my Real Book?

#102
TroyK said:
I also play about 6 gigs a year with a drag chanteusse. Trust me when I say that those songs and arrangements are not "Standards that everyone should know". If we're on a long enough stand, ................................................................................................................ That's why Chris Symer can't get any work in this town. ;)
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Tha's O.K. Chris. Now we know what Troy does for work. I guess it's reaL COLD UP THERE IN Alaska, or wherever you guys live .........Man, and everybody made P.W. out to be heartless with his Larry Welk and blood clots observation.
 
#104
Here's a somewhat limited list of tunes to know:
All of Me
All the Things You are
Autumn leaves
Back Home Again In Indiana
Blue Bossa
Bluesette
Body and Soul
Cherokee
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Easy to Love
Four
The Girl From Ipanema
God Bless the Child
Groovin' High
Honeysuckle Rose
How High the Moon
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
I Could Write a Book
I Love You
I'll Remember April
In a Mellow Tone
It Don't Mean a Thing
Like Someone In Love
Meditation
Mood Indigo
My Funny Valentine
My Romance
Out of Nowhere
Prelude to a Kiss
Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
Satin Doll
Song For My Father
Stella By Starlight
Stompin' at the Savoy
Take the A Train
There is No Greater Love
There Will Never Be Another You
What Am I Here For
Yesterdays

These tunes will most likely get you by on most gigs you'll go on. (With the addition of blues and rhythm changes)
 
#105
rosskratter said:
Here's a somewhat limited list of tunes to know:
All of Me
All the Things You are
Autumn leaves
Back Home Again In Indiana
Blue Bossa
Bluesette
Body and Soul
Cherokee
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Easy to Love
Four
The Girl From Ipanema
God Bless the Child
Groovin' High
Honeysuckle Rose
How High the Moon
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
I Could Write a Book
I Love You
I'll Remember April
In a Mellow Tone
It Don't Mean a Thing
Like Someone In Love
Meditation
Mood Indigo
My Funny Valentine
My Romance
Out of Nowhere
Prelude to a Kiss
Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
Satin Doll
Song For My Father
Stella By Starlight
Stompin' at the Savoy
Take the A Train
There is No Greater Love
There Will Never Be Another You
What Am I Here For
Yesterdays

These tunes will most likely get you by on most gigs you'll go on. (With the addition of blues and rhythm changes)
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You know, the thing is, there are some great tunes in there and I know....I don't know...more than 1/2 of them. But, they won't get me by on most gigs I'll get called for here in Seattle. I could build (and have) a list that I consider to be my "local" list, but there are a lot of differences from yours. And, my "local list" doesn't really hold up when I move around even in my own circles. NY aside, I suspect that it's that way in most other jazz markets, but I could be wrong. It certainly seems to be here.

I can learn tunes pretty quickly (because I've worked on it a lot). But, I don't retain them very well. Looking at your list, for example. I learned "I Could Write a Book" once, but no one's called it in seems like 3 or 4 years, since I swore off weddings probably. Maybe I could play it now, maybe not. I'm not bad at faking it, but I don't like to do it and sometimes it doesn't work out. So, as someone said earlier, I should fake it, crash and burn on the gig and hope that doesn't stop my phone from ringing. Then come home and woodshed my shame away so that it never happens again..but then it doesn't get get called again in 2014. Will I have retained it? Honestly, probably not. Maybe, doing the work is always good, but doesn't always pay off directly for me.

It's just how it is for me with some songs. "Come on, man if you can play 'Daahood', then you can play 'Alfie's Theme', it's way easier". Great, but I don't know Alfie's Theme. Can you talk it down to me before we hit, give me some advance warning or give me a chart to read? If someone tells me we're going to play it and I can find 15-20 minutes to refresh on it before the gig, I'm probably fine, but if not, I need a chart. Hopefully, not a illegal/bad changes/fake book chart, but I should have the same one that whoever is running the gig is using or the most standard changes from which to use my giant ears and base substitutions on.

I acknowledge that this is a personal limitation. I've sat with the guys who can just go "yeah, I heard that on the radio once about 8 years ago..what key?" And I want to be one of those guys. Personally, carrying the Real Book around with me was going to keep me from ever getting there, so I ritualistically desecrated mine and it helps. I moved way forward that year and am still going, but it didn't make me suddenly able to show up for whatever call I get with just my wits and make beautiful music. Someday. I'm still aspiring.

Not arguing, just offering a practical side view from the other coast.
 
#106
It's just a book. It's there. Lots of stuff is in there. You don't have to print it out, 'cause it's a book. You turn to the page where your chart is at.

I'm a jazz beginner and I'm memorizing the songs that my teacher and I are going over. What's the problem with learning a song from some sheet music?

I think, at a certain point, it will be better exercise for me to recognize certain changes and progressions by ear, but for now, it sure is helpful for me and my teacher to point at the chart while we're talking about it.

Three years from now, if I'm dragging the book around and flipping through like a jerk to find "Stella by Starlight," kill me. Until then, what's the harm?
 
#107
I'll be one to say, given your situation and approach, no harm ASSUMING you've got a good book. You didn't say which one you were carrying. The Chuck Sher books and the Hal Leonard Real Books are legitimately "sheet music" at least by our standards. The original Berklee Real Books as a learning tool can cause you lots of problems.

You didn't say how old you are, but I suspect that younger generations will never see those books as there are better alternatives now. Make sure you've got a good book if that's your approach.
 
#108
Posted by Troy (couldn't figure out to do the quote right)
"You know, the thing is, there are some great tunes in there and I know....I don't know...more than 1/2 of them. But, they won't get me by on most gigs I'll get called for here in Seattle. I could build (and have) a list that I consider to be my "local" list, but there are a lot of differences from yours. And, my "local list" doesn't really hold up when I move around even in my own circles."


What would you consider to be your local list? I am based in Seattle too and it would be cool to have a "local list" to get started on.
 
#114
rivmiquiv said:
What would you consider to be your local list? I am based in Seattle too and it would be cool to have a "local list" to get started on.
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Send me a PM and we can talk about it. A few lists like that have been compiled and sent to me over the years and I'll be happy to share them with you. On the other hand, they haven't really held up that well for me, unless I always play with the same people.

Even then, some of those people, for reasons that I couldn't begin to explain always at some point in that process, drop a whole mess of tunes on that list that they NEVER play. I suspect that they got frustrated with the process at some point and pulled a list off of this equivalent thread on talktenorsax.com or wherever they geek it up with their virtual peers.

I've also experienced the fact that I can't work this out with players who like to and/or intend to read on stage. A few horn players in particular who I'm thinking off. They all play in big bands and reading big scores is what they are used to. On a quartet gig, it doesn't occur to them that there is any reason not to have a music stand with a chart for every simple tune that they've played a million times on it. So, when you talk to them about a list, why wouldn't they just publish the table of contents to all of the Real Books? They're not planning on doing the work on those songs anyway, they're just going to read them down and blow when their solo comes.

I try to chose who to play with and put myself with people who are working the way that I want to so that I can grow beyond that, but all kidding aside, I'm not a first call bassist in this town. I get a fair bit of work, my phone rings a lot and I have my own trio and and am first call a decent handful of people who like playing with me. But, I'm not in a position to turn down work if it's good work and I think the group is playing well. I don't play if I think the music will be bad or if the gig just doesn't make sense in the market. Or if they want something different than I how I see myself.

So, I said I wouldn't lecture and I'm not, but for me, dependence on charts for standards or something that I'll play more than 4 or 5 times, holds me back and doesn't allow me to do my best playing. Something I'm committed to continuing to work through.

Back to your question, seriously, if you PM me I'll try to share whatever I have with you. Sorry for the tangent. This is a pervasive topic for me.
 

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