Feb. Song Of The Month--Swing 48

MikeK · February 1

This month's song is often called at jams since anyone can play it. It's just a blues in Gmin, but that i-iv-V "simplicity" in the chord structure means there's so much room to explore the endless possibilities for soloing. I always figured that Django wrote it in 1948, but apparently that's incorrect since he first recorded it in July of 1947 with the Hot Club. That's the version that features Hubert Rostaing on clarinet. And it also notably features a drum solo, which you don't often get on Django's recordings. There's a link to that recording below. When I call it at a gig, I don't like to play it that fast (some of you may know that I'm not a big fan of playing any of these tunes super fast. To me they tend to lose their groove at super high tempos and therefore aren't very entertaining to the audience. That's especially true in restaurant/cafe settings where people are trying to relax and certainly true when people are dancing. But that's a subject for another thread). Django's only other recording of it was in February of 1948, again with the Hot Club but this time with Steph instead of the clarinet. Because it's essentially the same chords as Blues En Minour (if you play it in Gmin), sometimes I like to reference the melody of 1 over the other, to see if I can get a smile out of my bandmates. But I only do it occasionally, as I dont want to be too predictable. Here's the link to the 1st version, I'll post the chart my band uses later:

https://youtu.be/hyMTK4K5fv0?si=Zf-zh-Iz_Ibt8Xd0

MikeK · February 9

Here's the chart, not that anyone needs it since it's so simple. But that allows room for lots of added chordal movement. Anyone who wishes to post their ideas here is welcome to do so:

2025-02-09 09-11.pdf

voutoreenie · February 9

Since no one's posting...for anyone looking to get a little bit outside on lead with some more of the modal wackiness I like to post about, substitute in Db lydian arps/licks over the Eb7 going into the D7

(you could also perhaps think of it as subbing in DbM7 arps/licks over the Eb7 but you need to sharp 4th from a Gb to a G so it remains in key with the Eb7...and if you've never messed around with modes before, you've just made it lydian so hey, look at you now!)

wim · February 9

LDDLH have a version of this tune with a very strange intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIIjFmyu1X0

To me it sounds like they're intending to create an auditory illusion known as a Shepherd tone.

billyshakes · February 9

I had never heard of the Shepherd tone or effect. But seeing the spectrum visualizer on that wiki page really helped me get what was happening. Thanks, @wim