I was excited when Nigel roped me in kindly invited me to host this BOTM. First of all, I've often spoken of how much I love ballads, and this is one of my favorites.
You probably know the story about how the name and words weren't for Nancy at all, but the name got changed for Sinatra's Nancy. Legend has it Frank was in tears when he heard it. I have some further things I'd like to put forth after I do the usual format of links and examples, so first here are those.
Nigel created all the necessary files here:
I don't read music, so without his extensive labor, I couldn't be involved in these other than as a participant. Below is a playlist with over 30 versions of Nancy to click and choose from. I will call out a few I think are significant below it.
www.youtube.com
Sure, there's Ben Webster, Cannonball, Coltrane, Tony Bennett, Paul Desmond, Herbie Mann, and Frank Sinatra giving expected classic performances, but also many others. Kurt Elling's (Dedicated to You album) with a smooth Ernie Watts solo, and another orchestral arrangement with Ralph Reichert taking the lead on saxophone. Bob Berg plays soprano on Karrin Allyson's tribute to Coltrane's ballads album. Eric Alexander is on David Hazeltine's up tempo version.
Also lots of other instruments, piano, flugelhorn, flute, guitar. Oscar Peterson does what turns into an up tempo version with a heavy blues vocabulary thrown in for good measure. Bill Evans and Addison Frei put in more contemplative piano versions. But we are all about saxophones, so...
Saxophones
I won't gush on about the Coltrane version, but it's the one I have heard the most as I love the Ballads album and have listened to it hundreds of times. I learned the tune in F, that's the key Trane plays it in, and maybe a tenor player can explain why. I did move to Eb when the BOTM thing came up. The version is typical of that period and that album, a pretty straight but very soulful expression of the melody with some of the little slightly outside interjections between the phrases that he's famous for.
Ernie Watts plays some background embellishment with the singer, but his entry at 2:24 is magnificent:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFp0TFm7KcQ&list=PL8N_3Hpv_t3OwXp97hvFW7JWEosGd0geV&index=3&t=0s
I think it's important to listen to at least one of the vocal versions. In fact, while I didn't read the notes or chords, I did read the lyrics many times while playing.
Here's the Karrin Allyson, listen to how she phrases the lyrics (with Bob Berg on soprano).
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PwyoWj0PlA
Bob Berg does a beautiful live rendition with pianist Niels Lan Doky which was nicely filmed and recorded.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK3TXjlW1YI&list=PL8N_3Hpv_t3OwXp97hvFW7JWEosGd0geV&index=6
There's a lot to "parse" on the Cooper Nelson (alto) version. Listen to what Cooper does with the simple tune. This is an a treasure trove of rhythmic and melodic ideas. He uses some surprising staccato and a kind of disjointed rhythm sometimes, both to great effect.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32RqLLWLox4&list=PL8N_3Hpv_t3OwXp97hvFW7JWEosGd0geV&index=14
Whatever level you are at on the saxophone, as a member of this site I invite you to please make and post a recording. It will possibly advance your playing and no one will judge you. You may receive the occasional suggestion, but mostly you'll get the encouragement you need. For you longtime members, you know the drill, so with no further verbiage, I turn the mic over to you.
We all look forward to hearing your take of "Nancy"!
You probably know the story about how the name and words weren't for Nancy at all, but the name got changed for Sinatra's Nancy. Legend has it Frank was in tears when he heard it. I have some further things I'd like to put forth after I do the usual format of links and examples, so first here are those.
Nigel created all the necessary files here:
I don't read music, so without his extensive labor, I couldn't be involved in these other than as a participant. Below is a playlist with over 30 versions of Nancy to click and choose from. I will call out a few I think are significant below it.
Nancy
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
Sure, there's Ben Webster, Cannonball, Coltrane, Tony Bennett, Paul Desmond, Herbie Mann, and Frank Sinatra giving expected classic performances, but also many others. Kurt Elling's (Dedicated to You album) with a smooth Ernie Watts solo, and another orchestral arrangement with Ralph Reichert taking the lead on saxophone. Bob Berg plays soprano on Karrin Allyson's tribute to Coltrane's ballads album. Eric Alexander is on David Hazeltine's up tempo version.
Also lots of other instruments, piano, flugelhorn, flute, guitar. Oscar Peterson does what turns into an up tempo version with a heavy blues vocabulary thrown in for good measure. Bill Evans and Addison Frei put in more contemplative piano versions. But we are all about saxophones, so...
Saxophones
I won't gush on about the Coltrane version, but it's the one I have heard the most as I love the Ballads album and have listened to it hundreds of times. I learned the tune in F, that's the key Trane plays it in, and maybe a tenor player can explain why. I did move to Eb when the BOTM thing came up. The version is typical of that period and that album, a pretty straight but very soulful expression of the melody with some of the little slightly outside interjections between the phrases that he's famous for.
Ernie Watts plays some background embellishment with the singer, but his entry at 2:24 is magnificent:
I think it's important to listen to at least one of the vocal versions. In fact, while I didn't read the notes or chords, I did read the lyrics many times while playing.
Here's the Karrin Allyson, listen to how she phrases the lyrics (with Bob Berg on soprano).
Bob Berg does a beautiful live rendition with pianist Niels Lan Doky which was nicely filmed and recorded.
There's a lot to "parse" on the Cooper Nelson (alto) version. Listen to what Cooper does with the simple tune. This is an a treasure trove of rhythmic and melodic ideas. He uses some surprising staccato and a kind of disjointed rhythm sometimes, both to great effect.
Whatever level you are at on the saxophone, as a member of this site I invite you to please make and post a recording. It will possibly advance your playing and no one will judge you. You may receive the occasional suggestion, but mostly you'll get the encouragement you need. For you longtime members, you know the drill, so with no further verbiage, I turn the mic over to you.
We all look forward to hearing your take of "Nancy"!
