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BOTM BOTM March 2019: The man I love

MikeMorrell

MikeMorrell

Netherlands
Café Supporter
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Breda
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Amateur (for 30 years)
I'm delighted to host the BOTM for March and I chose the (Gershwin) jazz classic 'The man I love'. It's one of the vocal numbers that my Big Band does and I've always liked it. There are some great instrumental versions too.

You can find the sheet music and backing tracks at The man I love. You can play the tune "as written" or with as many variations/improvisations as you like. I'll post a couple of examples. The backing tracks are for two run-throughs of the sheet music. Feel free to slow down or speed up the tempo in something like Audacity.

To be honest, @nigeld deserves 95% of the credit for my 'hosting'! I picked the tune and made sure that the the B-flat and E-flat sheet music was playable for as many members as possible. @nigeld made up the (non-copyrighted) sheets and backing track (in various formats). My sincere thanks to him for doing all the 'hard work' 🙂!

I'll post a couple of versions but there are many more (including sax) on Youtube. Those by Wynton Marsalis and Miles Davis playing around with the tune are worth checking out.

I'm looking forward to hearing your versions. I'll do one too.

Mike
PS. There are backing tracks on Youtube and Spotify too but these of course are copyrighted.

 
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nigeld said:
If it would help. we can create a faster backing track.
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I want to rise to the challenge, but it's always nice to have a choice, too. Ballads are both easy, yet incredibly challenging, right? But I'd rather practice them than play endless series of long notes days after day. (Yes, we should probably do both, I know.)
 
Hi @randulo, as a complete amateur I can't hope to come anywhere near the sound, intonation or expression of professional vocalists or instrumentalists. As far as I'm concerned, BOTM/SOTM are not competitions and there are no 'minimum skill requirements'. They're just opportunities to practice, try things out, let other members know 'where you are' in terms of your skills and development and - most importantly - get some helpful feedback.

Ballads are usually more about expression/interpretation than about 'technical skills'. My technical skills are lousy so that's why I like ballads🙂. They're slow and I have more time to 'feel' how I'd like to express and embellish on the tune. I personally don't feel the need for mastery of sound or intonation of long notes. Everyone is free to cut off long notes and fill them in with silence or something else.

@nigeld kindly offered to create a faster backing track but my initial response to him was 'don't bother'. Different versions of the tune have different tempi. The tempo range is very broadly from 65 to 85 bpm. In preparing this BOTM, I suggested to @nigeld that he create a backing track with an 'average' tempo of 75 bpm. Depending on your personal preferences, you can speed up the tempo (without changing the pitch) to 80 or 85 bpm or slow it down to 70 or 65 bpm in something like Audacity or a different DAW. If you're not sure how to do this, please respond or send me a PM.

Mike

nigeld said:
If it would help. we can create a faster backing track.
Click to expand...
6441 said:
My favorite vocal version. (Bonus: it's in Eb concert, most vocals aren't. If I listen about 100 times, I may get the nerve to submit a try. Great choice, @MikeMorrell , but the long notes require some serious mastery of sound and intonation. Can't wait to hear some Café versions!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9BgmbDiL4
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Great songs often have one thing in common: simplicity. The repetition/variation pattern of the A section gives strength to it, building up tension with the same three notes played three times, the two variations and the release resolving the phrase at the end. The second A section restates the theme and the end of it leads to a tonality change in the B section (bridge), a trope in these kinds of songs. After the bridge, a third A section restates the theme. So, IMO, the challenge here is to phrase these three notes played three times in three A sections is an interesting manner.

I find my major 7th sax intros always sound the same to me, so I went to the pawn shop and paid the loan on my guitar to record the intro for the song, then took it back there. I didn't try for fancy on the saxophone solo, but all in all, I am ok with releasing this into the wild with apologies the the Gershwin trust, if called for.

https://soundcloud.com/randulo%2Fthe-woman-i-love
View: https://soundcloud.com/randulo/the-woman-i-love


Ok, the pawn shop thing was a joke, because I'm nervous. The Stratocaster is right here next to me in the studio. Do not be fooled, that Windows tower next to it is used soley as a footrest.
IMG_20190304_110657.webp
 
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Very sweet - I really like this, @randulo! Thanks too, for posting the first recording in this BOTM thread! I couldn't have explained why I like this ballad as well as you do, but I think you're right. Relative beginners can play the notes as written but there are also many opportunties (= 'challenges') to make the repetitions more interesting/varied by varying the timing and melody.

IMHO you did an excellent job in this. Each 'repetition' sounded different and fresh and I like how you used a wide range of tones. You improv was spot on. I really liked your guitar intro too!

Mike

6441 said:
Great songs often have one thing in common: simplicity. The repetition/variation pattern of the A section gives strength to it, building up tension with the same three notes plaed three times, the two veriations and the release resolving the phrase at the end. The second A section restates the theme and the end of it leads to a tonality change in the B section (bridge), a trope in these kinds of songs. After the bridge, a third A section restates the them. So, IMO, the challenge here is to phrase these three notes played three times in three A sections is an interesting manner.
Click to expand...
 
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