Hi guys...I'm new to the Forum. But I've listened to countless Reharms you guys have done, and they're fantastic! From the early "Here's That Rainy Day" to the dissonant "How Insensitive" to the most recent "My Romance" and God, you guys know how to re-stimulate the mind!

I'm normally a sax / clarinet player, but Bill Evans & Oscar Peterson are two of my biggest heroes...even on sax. Ideas are ideas...right?

Anyway...I have a couple of reharms myself (albeit crappy root-heavy piano playing), and I'd like some feedback from all of you wonderful, thought-provoking cats. I'm just not that hip with DivShare and all that. I have them recorded through Garage Band and saved as an MP3 file. If any of you guys can lead me in the right direction to post, it would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance,
-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

Ok...I think I've figured out the DivShare thing. Kindly let me know if you can hear it.

http://www.divshare.com/download/8958405-03a

Thanks,
-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

A bit of homework...
Limiting myself to the songs I had not heard yet:

Steve... you're the usual mad genius. The combination of "Waltz for Debby" and "Nice Work" is intriguing and hilarious at the same time. "Rainbow" is great too, if a bit dark (sounds like that rainbow isn't going to last too long! ).

Dave Ferris, I find your playing intense and inspired. "Beatrice" is tops, but "Pensativa" is at the same level. "Whisper Not" has a different atmosphere, but always well conducted, with a logical succession of episodes.

Lucas - I didn't recognize "Chelsea Bridge", but it doesn't matter... it stands very well as an independent piece of music.

Then there's the veritable Teddy Wilson style of Dave Horne on "Sweet Lorraine". I don't think I've ever played that song, even though I've heard it from a bunch of jazz greats. The style is nailed, with a few harmonic twists.

And the surprise of the month...
Beeboss' "Someday my Prince". I find your style quite inspiring. That kind of 'Bachian' purity of the single line, and the power you put into creating the whole solo were a great, pleasant surprise. Hats off.

Ndhjazz: Your link does work. Your "Softly" reharm sound nice - maybe just a tad simple/fusiony for my ears. But it should sound great in a group context.

Now for the good news... a few days ago I got a spare 5 minutes in a recording studio. The piano was miked, so I finally played my reharm of "Alfie", which I had written for the latest KC comp but wasn't able to record in time. Very rough, but good enough for your golden ears... Now I have to find the time to add a little (fake) bass at home, then I'll post it.

Thanks marino for the feedback, and to let me know you could hear it. Here's the other reharms I've done:

http://www.divshare.com/download/8958391-1a7
(Blue Bossa)

http://www.divshare.com/download/8958401-0d3
(Maiden Voyage)

http://www.divshare.com/download/8958389-929
(Autumn Leaves)

http://www.divshare.com/download/8958399-fa5
(Out of Nowhere)

http://www.divshare.com/download/8958397-697
(My Romance)

...any comments please. I really want to learn, grow, and get better at this side of things all the way around.

Thanks so much,
-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

Carlo thanks for the words of support has usual.

Nathan, welcome to the forum.



Better late than never:
http://www.divshare.com/download/8961749-b0a
http://www.divshare.com/download/8961752-4f3

Welcome Nathan, nice playing and glad you're enjoying the thread.

And thanks Carlo. I never do Rainbow, in fact, that may be about the only time I've played it. Just tried something different, although the first 3 chords came from Mary Lou Williams' version - I obtained a copy from my piano tuner who used to tune her home piano.

"Waltz for Debby" was just a rewritten melody of that tune, but I quoted Nice Work in the solo.

Interesting how this thread has developed: the actual definition of a reharm is taking a song and completely reharming it, which wasn't my original intention with the thread. I was initially just thinking of us sharing chord substitutions, which might aid players in finding new things to play on standard tunes. Sometimes a single chord can open up a whole new approach.

So until this thread, I'd rarely thought of reharming an entire tune, since substitutions let you endlessly apply yourself to a song without planning it as a reharm.

True SK. When taking classes in college, they always taught tri-tone substitutions, and altered changes for a blues (diminished chords, turnarounds, as well as Parker Blues Changes) or altered changes for "Rhythm Changes". I've even read in Pettinger's Bill Evans Biography that Bill would take a tune like "My Romance" and play the head in 3/4 in "C" taking his first solo ride in 4/4 in "F", and the next ride in 3/4 in "Bb" and so on alternating the time signature while going through the cycle of fifths. I've also heard of cats taking their own harmonic concepts to the chords of a standard while comping (extentions, etc). But I've never really thought about changing a tune completely until I found this thread. It's REALLY opened up my mind, and I'm really glad there are cats out there like you guys. Making musicians actually THINK...what a concept?!?!?!

I was just tinkering around, and I came up with this for "Stars Fell on Alabama"

http://www.divshare.com/download/8963378-881

It's taken in a romantic / Jarrett direction.

-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

So, here's my "Satin Doll" for anyone interested:

http://www.divshare.com/download/8983601-6df

-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

Green Dolphin St. :

http://www.divshare.com/download/8988591-cf4


-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

Nathan, nice open feel on Stars Fell. Thanks for posting those. Anything that rejuvenates our playing is great.

As to comments/suggestions, there are no rules of thumb on an approach. I'm not into criticizing music anyway - my tastes generally go towards musical surprises and harmonically rich stuff. And a simple tune can also be 'harmonically rich' enough with few chords.

"Green Dolphin" - I liked the descending chords at the end of the first A and the nebulous, displaced tonal center effect of the second A. It sounded like it went to Fmaj7 for a second which was a surprise.

I hadn't either. General thoughts to anyone: Recently I find myself a little conflicted on the concept of reharms, if it means a total revamping of a tune. Sure, nothing wrong with expressing a song in a new way when it's musical, and in jazz solos we explore a tune in a myriad of ways. And I'm all for stretching on a song, but when the song is someone else's, the head should be somewhat faithful to the original. Perhaps if I'd changed the term "reharm" to simply "arrangement" it may be more acceptable to take liberties - although I've done some arrangements, they've never been my focus.

This thread has been mostly experimental for me and certainly has its rewards. I got to dabble in the total reharm approach on some songs. But I prefer to write new songs, or just explore a tune openly through improvisation and substitutions.

As I said earlier, the original thread idea was for chord substitutions, but by my choice of the word "reharm", it led toward a deeper reharm path.

Well...for what it's worth, I played a gig this weekend in which the guitar player called "All of Me"...a tune that we've all probably played a million times. But after he called it, he said "...but put the "Ladybird" turnaround at the end." It made the tune really fresh and lively. So there's a substitution for anyone interested.

-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

Yeah, it would give a freshness to the tune. And anything that helps get you away from "All Of Me" is helpful.

There's a gazillion turnarounds - could be their own thread.

Just had a quick idea, and I recorded it really quick on the piano. What if you combined "Spiral Dance" and "Footprints"?

http://www.divshare.com/download/8997150-666

-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

On the other hand.............

Thanks for sharing, nathan!



Definitely there was a bit of semantics happening with the word "Reharm". Personally it always meant a bit more to me than just a few substitutions. But there is certainly a line where it becomes a "re-write" more than a reharm.

Interesting in Jazz- you have the contrafact- Bird does Ornithology on How High The Moon to name one of hundreds, and then the reharm- Trane does Body and Soul and sticks Giant Steps changes in the bridge.

SK- what do you think it is/what about something like 26-2? Trane reharms Confirmation but then writes his own head on top of the reharm anyway. I guess that's almost a "inspired by" type of situation.

My version Chelsea Bridge was about as obscure as I could ever get and it was on purpose since we were in a sort of "guess the tune" vibe for the week. Not my usual reharm and especially since I avoided the melody on purpose to keep the secret. I doubt I'd ever play that on a gig or record it like that, it was more just for 'lab' purposes, throwing ideas around in here. It would be fun for me to take the changes I did there and re-insert the melody as much as possible. I think it would sound cool back in context rather that deconstructed to the nth degree... Anyway, it was fun for me.


So all that talking aside, I do have a nice (recognizable lol) arrangement/reharm of What's New, I'll try to post it tomorrow.

Love this thread!!
(Talking music plus I get to hear SK and Dave Ferris and all these other great pianists play)

OK, this version should still work in those party gigs.

All of Me

Nathan - thanks for posting your reharms. I'll listen to them ASAP and I'll be back with some feedback.

Very nice! It'd be impressive just to make that tune bearable, let alone killing like that!

Love the very end.

Haha..Great Carlo! Too hip for the room. Not this one but some of the ones I've been playing lately.

Great version of "All of Me". But I have to agree with Dave in saying that it would probably be waaaaay too hip for the rooms I play in as well. The end sounds like something Monk would do, and it just made me smile. And thanks in advance for any feedback on the reharms Carlo.

Lucas brings up a good point...on which terms is a tune a "reharm" or an "arrangement"? I don't wanna get into an argument, but either way...if it makes the listener think, or inspires the musician...then it's doing a world of good! My two cents.

SK...thanks for the feedback on "Stars Fell..." and "Green Dolphin St." Where I'm from, the folks here think that "Stars Fell" is like the National Anthem or something. So I thought to myself...if they take this song so damn dramatic...why not make it so damn dramatic? That was the result. As far as the "nebulous" vibe for "Green Dolphin St", yeah...I was wanting to go for that 60's Miles Quintet / Herbie Hancock sound. Really outside, but you can still tell what the tune is. Hopefully, I achieved that. More than anything...thanks for listening and giving me feedback.

-Nathan
(ndhjazz)

Listening again Carlo I hear some Tatum in your playing here. Intertwined with your own modern sound.

Nathan, your explanation of Stars makes sense.

Yeah lucas, when it comes to rewriting a tune, then it's a new tune. That's the way I look at Charlie Parker's and Coltrane's songs.



That version of All Of Me might support the point I was making. (And you call me 'mad'.) It would certainly be appropriate at a party I might throw.

I'd love to be at THAT kinda party!

Ok, "What's New" reharm/subs etc.

http://www.divshare.com/download/9008494-618

wow, that was really something... I enjoyed it!

it's amazes me how on the first listening ones ear is so fresh.

the reharm got really nice in the lower register in I guess what would be about the 12 bar or so. ouch!

Pretty cool, lucas - a more ethereal What's New. Almost a subtle caricature - the character of the tune is still there, but you brought out a darker side of the original mood which compliments the piece.

Passing chords/subs come up naturally when we play a song - then we play into it. Expanded playing over that mood would sound nice.

Exactly. I envision this version sung with some kind of alternative lyrics...

Hi Nathan, I've listened to some of your reharms and I must say that I like your ideas and your enthusiasm.
"Blue Bossa" runs the border between "extreme bebop substitutions" and "totally free reharm", but I like how it always returns home. "Maiden Voyage" is more difficult because it doesn't have a fixed tonal center, but like most other of your reharms, should work well in a group context, with the rhythm section following the harmonic rhythm.
"Autumn Leaves" sounds quite nice, and again, I hear some sort of rhythmic arrangement behind it. "My Romance" has the nerve to make fun of Bill Evans, but with such grace and musicality that I'd say Bill is smiling and not getting angry!
Keep at it... the harmonic ear develops as you do more songs.
We could say, the more songs you harm, the more you will reharm.

Thanks for listening and for the comments/compliments, guys!

It made me realize- it could be really funny to make the mood of a standard with ultra-happy lyrics into music totally opposite that and vice versa. Like playing some bi-polar tricks on the audience.


Doing these can be a good practice tool (or I should say, "have been for me") in terms of 1) internalizing some new voicings I'm studying as well as 2) organically coming up with new ones while working a tune out.

Certainly always good to practice a voicing/concept/etc. in 12 keys but for my learning style it sticks better in context of a tune.

Oh yeah. Vice versa: Round Midnight in a major key (although the tune doesn't deserve parody.)