Jazz+ Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 "Mercy Mercy Mercy" plays very well as a solo piano piece. I can't think of any other tunes quite as fine for a funky solo piano gig. I know the others like Watermelon Man, Cantalope Island, The Sidewinder, Chameleon , Moanin', Cold Duck Time, Listen Here, The In Crowd, People Make the World Go Round, Fever, I Wish, and a bunch of Joe Sample's best original tunes... Have I missed any ? But none of them seem to play in solo piano as well as "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy." Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 We Built This City and Highway to the Danger Zone work well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottom End Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 We Built This City and Highway to the Danger Zone work well Yeah, if you're trying to clear out the room at closing time. "Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Analogaddict Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Highway to the Danger Zone Take My Breath Away is pretty hideous on solo piano too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 As funky is a state of mind and being, that flavor can be added to almost any tune in a solo or group setting. PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightbg Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I have a ball stretching out on old "chestnuts"; for example "Jada". I start it as a ballad, reharmonize the bejezus out of it, then kick it into a 4/4 shuffle with a walking bassline, do some open choruses, then revert back to the slow tempo and tag it out. "King of the Road", "Sweet Lorraine", etc., all seem to beg for a stylistic touchup.........and I probably gave away my age with these suggestions, but WTH, they don't call 'em standards for nothing.... Jake 1967 B-3 w/(2) 122's, Nord C1w/Leslie 2101 top, Nord PedalKeys 27, Nord Electro 4D, IK B3X, QSC K12.2, Yamaha reface YC+CS+CP "It needs a Hammond" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 A few that come to mind that might work for you. - What you won't do for Love. - After the Love is Gone - As - 50 Ways to Leave your Lover (obviously the B section is the funky part but A has strong melody, nice contrast) - Or maybe some of Grusin's songs from The Firm Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave E Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 We Built This City and Highway to the Danger Zone work well Add to this list: "A Horse With No Name" More seriously... try "Home At Last" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Or maybe some of Grusin's songs from The Firm I like that Grusin tune--"Modaji"..lot's of drum fill stuff going on but I just fill up the space with chordal kinda things. Probably works better has a trio song now that I think of it but check it out. I play "What's Goin'On", that seems to work well. Ditto on that Bobby Caldwell tune...WYWDFL Still Crazy After All These Years kinda like a Gospel Waltz. I added some different chords, nothing radical, let me know if you want to see them. https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 2005 NY Steinway D, Yamaha AvantGrand N3X, CP88, P515 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Song for my Father (Horace Silver) Sugar (Stanley Turrentine) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 "Mercy Mercy Mercy" plays very well as a solo piano piece. I can't think of any other tunes quite as fine for a funky solo piano gig. I know the others like Watermelon Man, Cantalope Island, The Sidewinder, Chameleon , Moanin', Cold Duck Time, Listen Here, The In Crowd, People Make the World Go Round, Fever, I Wish, and a bunch of Joe Sample's best original tunes... Have I missed any ? But none of them seem to play in solo piano as well as "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy." Songs like Sidewinder were written as rhythm section grooves. Mercy, Mercy is just simpler to pull off by itself. Instead of finding more old tunes, I'd probably try a standard in a similar groove (tunes like "You Don't Know What Love Is" are adaptable to new renditions) or maybe just write something. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Instead of finding more old tunes, I'd probably try a standard in a similar groove (tunes like "You Don't Know What Love Is" are adaptable to new renditions) or maybe just write something. Exactly, there's more meat there has far has being able to blow with the standards. "You Don't Know WLI" works well. "Lullaby of Birdland", which I normally can't stand can get a rebirth has a Latin-Cha-Cha feel. I did it that way on this horrible gig where no one in the band could play. The sax player called it with that groove--just goes to show, even on the lamest of gigs you might actually walk away with something positive. I've played "Tenderly" with a 16th note groove. Another Stevie tune that works well has a Samba or light 16th note groove is "Overjoyed". https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 2005 NY Steinway D, Yamaha AvantGrand N3X, CP88, P515 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gryphon Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Cast Your Fate to the Wind, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Walk On By, It's All In The Game, or if you really want people to remember you, Allegro Barbaro. Estonia 190, Korg TrinityPlus, Yamaha P90, Roland PK-5a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 "Lullaby of Birdland", which I normally can't stand can get a rebirth has a Latin-Cha-Cha feel. I did it that way on this horrible gig where no one in the band could play. The sax player called it with that groove--just goes to show, even on the lamest of gigs you might actually walk away with something positive. I've played "Tenderly" with a 16th note groove. I speed read that incorrectly... I thought it said Tenderly as a Cha-Cha. Imagine that as a medium slow cha-cha. hahaha CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gryphon Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 We Built This City and Highway to the Danger Zone work well I got a great laugh out of this. The tragic reality to your post, though, is that some people actually like those songs. Estonia 190, Korg TrinityPlus, Yamaha P90, Roland PK-5a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP3 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 "Supper's Ready" always brings down the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Allegro Barbaro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Julien Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Linus and Lucy? ( or is that Lucy and Linus?) Where Its At - Beck Money - PF I like to move it, move it (except The Wurly which can be a bit temperamental and the 122 for obvious reasons) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montunoman Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 the Temptations- Just My Imgination Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montunoman Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 the Temptations- Just My Imgination Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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