Jump Blues tips?

[To B3]

I''m starting to play with an artist that plays some jump blues numbers, along with other blues styles. I'm fluent on pretty much every style of blues, with jump blues being maybe the main exception.

 

I've never played nor heard too much jump blues. All I know is that it involves normally a II-V-I turnaround.

 

I searched for tutorials online on youtube and all I could find is some "how to play guitar licks" and other things that I did not find useful.

 

So, question is... any 101 tips on how to play that style on piano/organ, which scales are used (guess the regular blues pentatonic cant be used all along, right?), and stuff?

 

Keep in mind that I'm self taught and have a very, very poor music reading, so, the more basic or visual the explanations, the better. Thanks in advance.

[JeffLearman]

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say. To me, the term always just meant the same as swing blues, and could be usual 1-4-5, though often with a 5-#5-5-1 turnaround rather than V-IV-I, plus a number of other substitutions (like 2-5-1, 6-2-5-1, 3-6-2-5, and [not as a turnaround] 2m-3m-b3#9-5). But mostly it's a rhythmic thing rather than a harmonic one since all those could be in any kind of blues anyway. Forgive the Arabic numerals, they should be Roman but I'm being lazy.

 

But whadda I know? Not much.

 

One thing I like to do is, in C, play E-G-A-C chord on I. Drop the E to Eb on IV, and move that chord up a whole step for the V. It's fun to do that on both piano and Hammond at the same time, or both left and right on piano, in a rhythmic style (plus altering the voicings, just using the ones given above as home base.)

 

Regarding scales ... I hope you're not playing just pentatonics blues scale for any blues. In C, on I, you should be using Eb, E, F, Gb, and G -- that's 5 chromatics in a row. The A (6) works too, though not a killer. On IV, you avoid the E (favoring the Eb) and stress the A (6 for C but 3 for F). Slide into it, too. On the V, you can use either the V's blues pentatonic (plus blues note) or the I's, and even switch between them for a nice effect. But that's for 1-4-5 blues. Off the top of my head I couldn't say how I adjust that for 2-5-1. Funny how the blues guys start with 1 and the jazz guys end with 1.

 

Anyway, this is probably the grade schooler giving advice to the college student. I look forward to hearing from folks with a clue!

 

Meanwhile, listen to this playlist of 64 tunes:

 

[video:youtube]

 

It's just the first one I found on youtube, but it sounds good to me.

[JeffLearman]

I have about 3 tricks I play all night and it seems to satisfy whoever I play with. I keep thinking I should make a video series on how to sound like a much better player than you really are. (Of course, the first two lessons are LISTEN and DON'T PLAY SO MANY NOTES.)

 

PS: Don't miss this one, in the playlist above:

[video:youtube]

[I-missRichardTee]

Ok, how is Louie Prima Jump Jive and Wail?

I am no expert , so let me add Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy!! It's blues like and jumps!! In any case, it would work.

Another that technically may not be, but who would know or care is

Rag Mop

Caledonia

Choo Choo Cha Boogie

C C Rider

 

Bandleaders Louis Jordan

Cab Calloway

Prima

 

It kicked in just before Bill Haley type Rock and Roll, correct me if I am wrong.

[I-missRichardTee]

Found this

Definition: The style of hard R&B that came to be known as "jump blues" had its origin in the economic belt-tightening that came during World War II. Swing bands, forced to downsize to a rhythm section and one or two soloists, began to compensate for their smaller scale by playing harder, faster, wilder versions of the swing jazz they'd become known for, and also incorporating the blues that was just starting to make inroads into urban areas (thanks to the migration of rural blacks from the South up into big cities like Chicago and Memphis). The result was the first example of "rhythm and blues," and also one of the main stylistic influences on what would later become known as "rock and roll."

The typical jump blues song had a simpler beat than most swing jazz, usually with guitar relegated to rhythm and solos provided by a saxophone. In deference to the wilder music, "jump blues" lyrics were often more salacious than their other "R&B" counterparts, often featuring outrageous and even campy vocals to match. Although it originally began as an offshoot of the "boogie-woogie" craze, jump blues was less concerned with swinging the beat than hitting it hard. As a result, country and "country boogie" musicians latched onto the style, eventually creating rockabilly, while black artists cleaned the words up somewhat and brought an even harder version into rock: both Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" and Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" are excellent examples of jump. Several jump blues hits became rock standards as well, including "The Train Kept A-Rollin'," "Shake, Rattle, And Roll," and "Good Rockin' Tonight." As R&B slowed down and got funkier in the early Sixties, jump blues faded from existence; however, many blues bands, especially those with horn sections, continue to record in the style.

 

Also Known As: R&B, Boogie-Woogie, Rock and Roll

 

Reminds me of today: with the "downsizing" and economics involved!! If those people only knew what was to come!

[I-missRichardTee]

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say. To me, the term always just meant the same as swing blues, and could be usual 1-4-5, though often with a 5-#5-5-1 turnaround rather than V-IV-I, plus a number of other substitutions (like 2-5-1, 6-2-5-1, 3-6-2-5, and [not as a turnaround] 2m-3m-b3#9-5). But mostly it's a rhythmic thing rather than a harmonic one since all those could be in any kind of blues anyway. Forgive the Arabic numerals, they should be Roman but I'm being lazy.

 

But whadda I know? Not much.

 

One thing I like to do is, in C, play E-G-A-C chord on I. Drop the E to Eb on IV, and move that chord up a whole step for the V. It's fun to do that on both piano and Hammond at the same time, or both left and right on piano, in a rhythmic style (plus altering the voicings, just using the ones given above as home base.)

 

Regarding scales ... I hope you're not playing just pentatonics blues scale for any blues. In C, on I, you should be using Eb, E, F, Gb, and G -- that's 5 chromatics in a row. The A (6) works too, though not a killer. On IV, you avoid the E (favoring the Eb) and stress the A (6 for C but 3 for F). Slide into it, too. On the V, you can use either the V's blues pentatonic (plus blues note) or the I's, and even switch between them for a nice effect. But that's for 1-4-5 blues. Off the top of my head I couldn't say how I adjust that for 2-5-1. Funny how the blues guys start with 1 and the jazz guys end with 1.

 

Anyway, this is probably the grade schooler giving advice to the college student. I look forward to hearing from folks with a clue!

 

Meanwhile, listen to this playlist of 64 tunes:

 

[video:youtube]

 

It's just the first one I found on youtube, but it sounds good to me.

 

Wow, my first reaction to that boogie feel is.. man, this is a foreign groove. The swing feel is odd and stilted for me!! Anyone else feel conversely or?

[dazzjazz]

I've done a few gigs like that. It can be demanding, so practice up some standard boogie patterns in a few keys and join them together in various ways. It is a very exacting style to my ears, and it's pretty deep if you wanna dive in all the way!

 

Keep it light and happy - use the major blues scale on the I chord a lot!

 

[JeffLearman]

Found this

Definition: The style of hard R&B that came to be known as "jump blues" had its origin in the economic belt-tightening that came during World War II. Swing bands, forced to downsize to a rhythm section and one or two soloists, began to compensate for their smaller scale by playing harder, faster, wilder versions of the swing jazz they'd become known for, and also incorporating the blues that was just starting to make inroads into urban areas (thanks to the migration of rural blacks from the South up into big cities like Chicago and Memphis).

Thanks -- that's useful and it makes sense!

 

In the early 80's I shared a house with the sax player from the Blue Front Persuaders, and they used my rig in the basement for practice.

[video:youtube]

When I first met these guys my style was bleach-cycle white, and hanging with them was a serious ear-opening. Everyone in the house (6 or more of us, over 4 years) loved it whenever they practiced.

[CEB]

Listen to everything you can find by the two Louis'

 

Louis Prima and Louis Jordan.

 

[I-missRichardTee]

Listen to everything you can find by the two Louis'

 

Louis Prima and Louis Jordan.

 

And I never knew this till recently ( Prima was all the rage in N jersey back in the day- pulling in huge money in Vegas as was Elvis !! ) because I rejected Prima and Sam Butera back then. But fast forward to now, I clearly hear that Prima has a large debt to Louis Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong, Prima AND Jordan.

[Jazzmammal]

Imho, this is all you need right here. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy live

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_VPQ5XN0-o

 

This is an hour and 12 minutes of every conceivable jump swing piano lick there is and the camera spends enough time looking over Josh's shoulder that you can see what he's doing and pick some of this up.

 

Notice the different styles here and try to at least have a grasp of each of them. For me, I was doing straight ahead stuff for years up to about three years ago when that dried up and now I'm doing all kinds of syles including some of this. I've done New Orleans style, boogie, jump swing, shuffles and whatever you call that style where the guys are slinking all over the stage chasing a monkey. The thing is if you're trying to really play like Josh you have to have some serious chops but if you don't you can still pick up enough of the hot licks to get you through a gig.

 

Don't just skip through this, listen to everything. It's all here.

 

Bob

 

 

[stoken6]

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Don't just skip through this, listen to everything. It's all here.

Wow, brilliant. Thanks for posting. Great groove, slick and smooth, top piano-ing and I love the horn line-up, arrangements and playing.

 

It's on my 'phones while I'm at work!

 

Cheers Mike.

[To B3]

Thank you all for the tips! Tried a bunch of them yesterday and they worked well. On soloing, major Blues scale on the key of the song on I and IV seems to work well, with some 6th thrown here and there. Only thing I did not figured all out is what to do on the II-V-I turnaround to keep it tasty.

 

Gonna keep practicing and listening to all the videos you guys linked! And keep it coming if you have some more!

[bourniplus]

Imho, this is all you need right here. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_VPQ5XN0-o

A bit off-topic, but how do you guys think the piano is miked in that video? I can't see any mic at all. Maybe a midi'ed upright?

[JeffLearman]

Uprights are normally miked on the back, to get the harp. There's a screen covering the back.