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| Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... https://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7170 |
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| Author: | jwanka [ Sat Dec 28, 2013 1:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
I've been looking into an arrangement of Blackbird for the Stick and in my snoopings I came across a couple of wonderful recordings done by Brad Mehldau. This guy never ceases to amaze me. First clip is a solo recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLQ7qGoJq4 There are so many great things going in this solo arrangement; the few things that I noticed were that at around 1:30 or so he adds a third voice temporarily. I don't know if he improvised that completely or whether it's implied by the harmony and main lead voice. I also listened to the division between left hand and right and it seems to me that the left hand stuck pretty close to the normal tonality (and pulse) while the right hand strayed further and further out as improvisation progressed until he reeled it all back in to restate the melody. I really loved how the solo line wove in and and out and sometimes violated the barline only land in the right spot a few beats later (Jackie Terrasson has a nice version of Nardis where he flouts the bar line in the exact same way.....I'll have to dig it up). Such a nice technique and phrasing as well. I was also struck by how he introduced the piece as something that he's been "trying" to play on the piano for years. Make me wonder how far this is from his ideal version and if he's actually really that humble or whether it was just interesting way to phase that thought. This second one is Blackbird again, but with a band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw-X5GT ... tion=share Damnit, I don't know which version I like better. =) In this version, I really like how the bass supplies the pulse for the first couple of verses until they really start jamming. Again, so much going on. The jazz chords are phenomenal during the improvisation part of it - this could be textbook example of how to use more complicated chords to explicate the harmony/melody. At 2:30 there's the classic Mehldau(ism) of playing the melody with the lefthand, too. The thing that impressed me about this is that after the jamming section, they slide back into a very sensitive and articulate re-rendering of the head. The thing that's so great about this segue is that it doesn't sound like they're just playing the head again in obligatory way, but that it's been there they whole time and they're just touching on it again. So many times, when you get back to the head it's like "oh, yeah, this was Autumn Leaves" or whatever.... I could go on for days about this, but what a great glimpse into what you can do with this song. I guess that's the mark of a classic. Anyone have other versions of Blackbird that might be instructive? I think that I have Jaco's version around someplace, too.... |
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| Author: | Lee Vatip [ Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
I recorded a gypsy swing version of Blackbird on my last CD. There's also a youtube TV video of me and Washboard Dave playing this great tune as a duo Very different Steve A |
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| Author: | jwanka [ Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
Lee Vatip wrote: I recorded a gypsy swing version of Blackbird on my last CD. There's also a youtube TV video of me and Washboard Dave playing this great tune as a duo Very different Steve A Thanks Steve! I'll try to check it out! |
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| Author: | nashorn [ Sun Dec 29, 2013 12:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
Lee Vatip wrote: I recorded a gypsy swing version of Blackbird on my last CD. There's also a youtube TV video of me and Washboard Dave playing this great tune as a duo Very different Steve A Very nice! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1pUGU9SkP0[/youtube] |
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| Author: | jwanka [ Sun Dec 29, 2013 1:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
Thanks for finding this Johann! What a fun version! ....and I saw what you did there at 2:10. =) |
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| Author: | earthgene [ Mon Dec 30, 2013 12:01 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
Outstanding. |
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| Author: | Lee Vatip [ Mon Dec 30, 2013 7:22 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
Whoa....a medley of Real Book tunes. BTW...Washboard Dave was just featured in Modern Drummer mag. SA |
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| Author: | earthgene [ Mon Dec 30, 2013 9:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
It sounded like a standard set for you. |
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| Author: | Lee Vatip [ Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
Standards set. One song 10 standards. The Real Book in four minutes |
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| Author: | earthgene [ Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackbird - Brad Mehldau, solo and with a band.... |
You covered them all. |
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