Next tune: Falling in Love With Love

Tunes from our last two jams are now available on the site under the Media tab. Sorry it took so long but we've been busy with other operational odds and ends.

Our next tune is Falling in Love With Love. We'll play this tune at both jams this month. With four weeks before the next jam there's plenty of time to practice and we suggest starting with the ideas Jim Doherty laid out in his previous article on playing over simple, common chord progressions. In that article is a lead sheet with the melody and a simplified version of the chords.

If you missed Jim's workshop on playing over simple, common chord progressions two weeks ago you can download it or listen to it at this page. Jim was hoping we'd play this song as a way to work on the concepts from his workshop but we ran out of time.

Check out the masters on this tune; this is what we're working towards.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HcV_azEf5A]


Lester Leaps In

With two jams per month they'll be coming up fast. After our jam this Sunday at Talula we have another one next Sunday at Liliana's. Here's some advice from Dan about the next tune we're learning for our October 16th session at Liliana's.

"Lester Leaps is In" is a simple riff tune recorded by Lester Young in 1939.  The tune's harmony uses "AABA" 32- bar song form,  "I've Got Rhythm"  changes as its chord progression.

The most essential element in preparing to improvise on this tune or any tune is to listen to the original recording and to do some transcription. (Learning the head and  at least part of the main solo by ear.)

When approaching the actual chords, remember that on a beginning level, the "A" sections may be improvised on in one key, in this case concert "Bb".  After one has become comfortable with the one key method, it is prudent to dig deeper into the specific harmonies. The Bridge in rhythm changes starts a major third above the tonic, and works around the Circle of Fourths utilizing dominant seventh chord till we get back to the tonic key.