Straight-ahead Jazzers: What Is Abbey L. Doing in This Vid?

[MathOfInsects]

She makes a very specific finger signal at the end of the sax solo, which clearly designed to indicate a return to the top/verse. I haven't seen this. Have you? What does it mean, and how is it different from the "head" signal?

 

This happens at 4:59

 

[yamahaahamay]

Your link is missing some bits

[MathOfInsects]

Your link is missing some bits

 

I just linked it right to the weird hand motion in question (t's at 4:59) but edited the post to make it clearer. Thanks for the heads up.

[Jonathan Hughes]

Your link is still missing the part that indicates what video it is. You've just got www.youtube.com followed by the time. If you go to the video, you can click the "share" button, and then there's a check box for "at time" which will create the correct link for you.

[MathOfInsects]

Your link is still missing the part that indicates what video it is. You've just got www.youtube.com followed by the time. If you go to the video, you can click the "share" button, and then there's a check box for "at time" which will create the correct link for you.

 

:roll: :roll:

 

LMAO. Fixed. Thanks.

[ProfD]

Looks like she made a T with her fingers for top and sang another verse but brotha Eric's call below makes sense too.

[MAJUSCULE]

I believe she's cueing to the B section, actually, not the top. "Khaki suits" and the changes and all... which might explain why the motion seems to be cutting her finger off at the halfway point.

[Docbop]

If you look at her mouth it like she's saying "one", as she taps her fingers. So could be just establishing where she is at and she seems to be looking at the bass player.

[drawback]

After what appears to be an open form under the sax solo (where the players appear cueing each other), she sings along to ensure they"re all on the same page, then tells the pianist & bassist that she will jump back in at the top of the next section, cut the solo. Finally, if you ask me.

[MAJUSCULE]

Ok, not to be a drangus about it (I also don't know this tune super well and am listening on my laptop speakers), but it seems pretty clear to me (YMMV) that the form is intro, full chorus vocal, full chorus sax solo, followed by the vocal coming back in on the B, singing one more A, and tagging out.

[MathOfInsects]

OK. Well, the primary question was whether this was some customary motion that I had somehow missed until now, and I think I can conclude that it obviously is not.

 

Eric, you're right about the form, and in fact when I first saw it, I wondered if there was anything to the fact of her pointing to the second portion of her finger--like, B section--but decided that was too subtle to be useful in real time.

 

Prof, I like it, but don't think she's saying "top." She does say something, but I'm almost positive it starts with a B (but is not the word "B"). She says it twice. And in spite of how I framed the question, Eric's right, that's the B section they go into.

 

Rod & Docbop...I don't think it's a "one" she's saying. I first thought that too, but that's the world's weirdest way to signal a "one," since she already had a finger up she just could have used. (It's hard for a NYer to deploy that sentence sincerely, but there you go.) Why would you take a finger that's already showing "one" and use it to point to another finger showing "one"? It doesn't make sense. Plus...the word almost definitely starts with a B.

 

Now I'm even more curious.

[drawback]

Eric, I meant the form of the solo. That's just me judging by the performance which looks like an unrehearsed gig and the solo could have been extended to another chorus for her to come in on the verse, or another verse for her to come in on the B. Whatever. She was directing the band to cut the solo there. I took the raised finger as a "watch me."

[MAJUSCULE]

Sorry, hope I wasn't too caustic there. Been a long couple weeks... months... years...

 

But yeah, the motion itself may just be a spur of the moment thing (since she also used a vocal cue), or it may be a more idiosyncratic/regional cue. The further back you get the less standardized/more scene-specific it gets. Not that I need to tell you that.

[MathOfInsects]

I wrote to Michael Bowie (the bass player she turns to). I'll post if he responds.

 

Prof, he's in your neck of the woods. Do you know him?

[MathOfInsects]

The further back you get the less standardized/more scene-specific it gets. Not that I need to tell you that.

Don't you have a service job to quit?

[drawback]

At least we all agree it's not "Where's the one?"

[ProfD]

I wrote to Michael Bowie (the bass player she turns to). I'll post if he responds.

 

Prof, he's in your neck of the woods. Do you know him?

I don't know him personally.

[El Lobo]

Well,

OK. Well, the primary question was whether this was some customary motion that I had somehow missed until now, and I think I can conclude that it obviously is not.

Yeah, not a signal I'm familiar with, either East coast or West. But I read it as "the bridge." She's singing kind of a counterpoint to the sax solo - and not in the mic - as a way of saying where she is in the form, then she signals the end of the solo and "we're going to the B section or bridge" or whatever you want to call it.

[MathOfInsects]

Well,

OK. Well, the primary question was whether this was some customary motion that I had somehow missed until now, and I think I can conclude that it obviously is not.

Yeah, not a signal I'm familiar with, either East coast or West. But I read it as "the bridge." She's singing kind of a counterpoint to the sax solo - and not in the mic - as a way of saying where she is in the form, then she signals the end of the solo and "we're going to the B section or bridge" or whatever you want to call it.

It certainly seems to mean that, I'm just curious what/why.

 

Mr. Bowie replied with a (deserved), "Remind me how I know you?" I gave more context but he might be out. I will try whoever of the others is still among us.

[cedar]

There are universal signals here in LA both for jazz gigs and casuals, don't know if it holds for NYC and East Coast but signifying going back to the bridge is usually expressed in two ways

 

I'm not sure if the discussion occurred here or on a Facebook group, but I recall a few years ago Reezekeys and other commenting about how signs differ from one geographical area from another. For example, I believe that in some places fingers held up was a reference to sharps, but in other places it was a reference to flats. I really don't remember the details, but it's possible that thread (if it happened here) also included a discussion of signs for the bridge.

 

[i apologize for so blatantly displaying my increasing senility .....]

[MathOfInsects]

Yes, in most places, fingers-down is flats, fingers-up is sharps. But in NY (and maybe Boston?), it's the opposite. The reason is jazzers play tunes in flat keys far more than sharp keys, so the goal is just to make maximally visible how many flats THIS tune is in.

 

Out here it's the other way--fingers up for sharps and down for flats. It was a very minor adjustment but easy enough to get behind, particularly since I didn't really do straight jazzbo gigs back East, so it didn't come up that often.

[MathOfInsects]

OK, horse's mouth. Eric nailed it, ProfD wins Honorable Mention for the "T":

 

"Granted, not many artists use many hand signals; but the queen of hand signals was Betty Carter. During my stint with her (Benny Green/piano, Winard Harper/drums), Betty utilized so many you could design an entire course around the subject!

 

I digress. Abbey's signal for the "half" was to make a "T" or a cross with her fingers. Some people touch their back for "back half", but Abbey used a more subtle gesture.

 

I hope this helps. Thanks for reaching out.

"

 

The "B" word, given this, is "back."

[Al Quinn]

I"m pretty sure she was signaling to go to the bridge. Seems like a variation on crossed fingers in one hand (i.e., second and third fingers) which is a signal for the bridge that I"m familiar with.

[El Lobo]

Abbey's signal for the "half" was to make a "T" or a cross with her fingers. Some people touch their back for "back half", but Abbey used a more subtle gesture. ...

Michael Bowie"

The "B" word, given this, is "back."

Given Mr. Bowie's quote, I read that signal as making a half sign, putting one finger across the other in the middle of the finger is half the finger.

[MathOfInsects]

Given Mr. Bowie's quote, I read that signal as making a half sign, putting one finger across the other in the middle of the finger is half the finger.

It is, unquestionably. The word she says when she turns to him, though, is "Back." Listen now and you'll hear it.

[obxa]

That was fun, and thanks for clearing that up. Familiar with touching of the back, but not that one, and I like it.

 

Funny- very first thing I noticed was her doing the thumb up gesture, like she was asking for more monitor?

 

There's certainly a loose standard. I used to work for Peggy March who was a sweetheart, but she had a bunch of hand signals she never was consistent about. One she used to specify was what I call the "Miss America -Vanna White hand turn". Said was to be used when she wanted to end a held vocal fermata, but instead would also spread her fingers, or make a fist (which I was used to being a sign for the the Tag....). Finally realized after not getting the hand turn the first time, it was all the same thing.

[MathOfInsects]

An unexpected post-script to this is the email conversation the gracious Mr. Bowie and I ended up having throughout the rest of the afternoon. What a treat.