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SOTM June 2019 - Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

nigeld

nigeld

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This month's Song Of The Month is the Spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", written by former, or actual, slave Wallace Willis (who is also credited with writing "Steal Away") some time after 1865.

I believe that this song may have particular interest for English Rugby fans, but that was not the reason for choosing it.

The notes and backing track are here:
Swing Low Files

I have transposed it to concert F to make it easier to play on alto.
The backing track is at 85bpm, with a 2-bar intro, 2 times through chorus and verse, and then one more chorus to finish.

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see?
(Coming for to carry me home)
A band of angels coming after me
(Coming for to carry me home)

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

If you get there before I do
(Coming for to carry me home)
Tell all of my friends, that I'm coming there too
(Coming for to carry me home)

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home


Here are recordings by B B King, Robert Robinson, and Louis Armstrong for your delectation:
I didn't find a saxophone recording that I liked, so here is your opportunity!
(There is a recording by Sonny Rollins with bagpipes, but it is rather odd.)






 
You just got my attention..

The most important lesson that my father taught me was to "create memories". He continued to encourage me to work hard, safe money, and take very special vacations..
When we were kids, my parents would take those very special vacations without us. They would leave us with my great grandmother that didn't speak any English and we didn't speak Italian.
The first thing my great grandmother did was take away all of our cap guns. The second thing she did was played this tune on the piano and we sang it.
 
A couple of notes
As it's Sunday, I played into the coats hung on my door to keep the volume down.
I plan to record another version with a half step modulation in the middle and "play out" more, volume and expression-wise.
The whole process took about 90 minutes, from choosing a key (A concert) and tempo (60), programming bass, piano and recording two guitar tracks, then saxophone. The alto received far less attention than it should have (this is after all, café saxophone), but I wanted to rise to the challenge of the production.

https://soundcloud.com/randulo%2Fswing-low-sweet-chariot
View: https://soundcloud.com/randulo/swing-low-sweet-chariot
 
Sonny Rollins with Rufus Harley on bagpipes. Maybe I should ask my bagpipe-playing friend to do a joint recording session with me.

@nigeld calls it rather odd, but he must have been talking about the album version as this live recording from Ronnie Scott's in 1974 is great !

.

Rhys
 
Last edited:
6441 said:
The whole process took about 90 minutes, from choosing a key (A concert) and tempo (60), programming bass, piano and recording two guitar tracks, then saxophone. The alto received far less attention than it should have (this is after all, café saxophone), but I wanted to rise to the challenge of the production.
Click to expand...

A lovely laid-back version. :clapping:

I'm impressed by your speed - it would take me longer than that just to record and post it with a pre-packaged backing track.
 
nigeld said:
I'm impressed by your speed - it would take me longer than that just to record and post it with a pre-packaged backing track.
Click to expand...
I was expecting someone to ask why "Gb on the alto"? Answer: because I like the open guitar voicings in A concert. I've also thought about making some more adventurous changes, V13b9 and diminished passage somewhere. Maybe next time.
I may be overly bold in my SOTM/BOTM postings, but I think it's such a great way to "force" learning tunes from outside your own context. I can't resist posting them, because it 's here. I hope it will encourage other beginner or intermediate players to post. This is a totally safe space... mostly ;)
 
6441 said:
A couple of notes
As it's Sunday, I played into the coats hung on my door to keep the volume down.
I plan to record another version with a half step modulation in the middle and "play out" more, volume and expression-wise.
The whole process took about 90 minutes, from choosing a key (A concert) and tempo (60), programming bass, piano and recording two guitar tracks, then saxophone. The alto received far less attention than it should have (this is after all, café saxophone), but I wanted to rise to the challenge of the production.

https://soundcloud.com/randulo%2Fswing-low-sweet-chariot
View: https://soundcloud.com/randulo/swing-low-sweet-chariot
Click to expand...
Really enjoyed that :)

Jx
 

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