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BOTM August 2019 - Good Morning Heartache

jbtsax

in memoriam 1947 - 2023
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Nigeld was kind enough to ask me if I would like to host this month's ballad of the month. The song I selected is one of my favorites. It was written for Billie Holliday and was first recorded on January 22 1946. It became one of her signature songs along with "Strange Fruit" and gained renewed popularity following the movie "Lady Sings the Blues" in 1972 starring Diana Ross.

A quick performance note: in bars 21 and 25 of the melody the note in the original sheet music is a minor third although artists on some recordings treat it as a major third. Both notes work harmonically since the chords are dominant 7#9 chords.

This is the link to the music in Bb and Eb along with backing tracks in two different styles as well as MGU files for those who have BiaB and wish to make their own version. Good Morning Heartache

Below are videos of the version recorded by Billie Holliday in 1956, and a version recorded by trumpeter Chris Botti and vocalist Jill Scott in a more "modern" style. I'm looking forward to hearing member's versions and interpretations of this classic tune.



 
Nice pick @jbtsax I have done a tenor version of this lovely ballad before so to quickly start it off with a cheapo Chinese G4M D’Addario MP and Jazz select 2H reed.

Very nice. Thanks for leading the way. I hope to hear a more recent version as well. I really like your backing track. That sounds like "Toots Thielemans" in the background.
 
I just found a couple of nice alto recordings. First this unusual version by the great Hank Crawford.


And then a more conventional one by Vincent Herring.


Rhys
 
Lovely tenor recording by Scott Hamilton:

Rhys
 
Very nice. I especially liked how you embellished the melody in places.
 
@rhysonsax Very listenable with a well controlled tone. The chromatic runs between notes added a tasteful embellishment to the melody. Thanks for sharing.
 
A lovely, inventive version recorded by Joe Henderson.

Rhys
 
In the SYOS thread I mentioned that I'd bought a Scott Paddock signature model in the half price sale - it's 10/10 for volume and 10/10 for brightness on their slidey scale, with a small chamber and a big step baffle (and lime green)....and I challenged myself to play the next BOTM on it to see if I could tame it for soft and fluffy stuff. So here it is..

 
In the SYOS thread I mentioned that I'd bought a Scott Paddock signature model in the half price sale - it's 10/10 for volume and 10/10 for brightness on their slidey scale, with a small chamber and a big step baffle (and lime green)....and I challenged myself to play the next BOTM on it to see if I could tame it for soft and fluffy stuff. So here it is..
What a lovely well controlled sound. I can visualize a dimly lit smoky nightclub while listening to that. Thanks for participating.
 
Gosh I haven't done one of these BOTMs for years. I virtually never play the alto as always struggle with tone and intonation on it. A year can easily go by without me picking it up, but this thread gave me a push to dust it off. So let's not go into the tone, tuning, or technique! I didn't know the tune (although it does remind me of something), and I have to say I found it surprisingly challenging. I can't claim it's remotely fluid and there are some glaring mistakes but I didn't see the point in doing dozens of takes as it's never going to be stellar, but here's my effort...

View: https://soundcloud.com/key-demos/good-morning-heartache-mdmn
 
Thank you for jumping in and keeping this thread going. There were some very nice notes in the improvised and embellished parts.
 
You get a very nice sound on alto. I liked how you embellished the melody in places as well as the runs connecting registers. We are looking forward to one with a backing track.
 

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