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SOTM May 2020 - My Little Suede Shoes

Out of curiosity, where would you pan the backing track in that case?

Decent backing tracks will be stereo with the instruments already positioned across from left to right in the way that the producer wanted or thought was natural, so you don't want to mess with that. Usually the solo instrument or voice you add to the backing track would sit in the middle, but that is often where the drums and bass already are.

If you are making your own backing tracks, for instance with Band in a Box, you may get the flexibility to position each backing instrument where you like. BiaB Styles come with the rhythm section instruments already panned to a good starting point. But you can move them around. And you can also take account of where the rhythm section instruments are positioned when choosing the best panned position for your solo instrument. For instance if drums and bass are central and piano is panned 25 left, you might place the sax 25 right.

When I am recording my four saxophones for a quartet without rhythm section backing track I currently use:
  • Alto 70% left
  • Bari 20% left
  • Soprano 20% right
  • Tenor 70% right
And after mixing the instruments to the right levels I use stereo reverb to knit them all together

Hope that makes sense

Rhys
 
Is it just me or does this tune have a bit of Dave Brubeck vibe?
 
Is it just me or does this tune have a bit of Dave Brubeck vibe?
Reminds more of this one:

However, I have heard this song, My Little Blue Suede Shoes for years but never knew the title. I have a version in my head that obviously is not the actual melody. It's a fun tune to play and a great choice, @rhysonsax !
 
I can't think of a specific song, it's just when it moves from the A section to the B section, it reminded me of Brubeck.
It just came to me. Yes, because the bridge is very close to Take Five! Those major scale arpeggios are everywhere in jazz, too. They're the same notes, played in 5/4.
 
It just came to me. Yes, because the bridge is very close to Take Five! Those major scale arpeggios are everywhere in jazz, too. They're the same notes, played in 5/4.
Ah yes. Bullseye! Not just me then. It's very melodic. Nice.
 
Ah yes. Bullseye! Not just me then. It's very melodic. Nice.
What's funny is that in Take Five, the bridge is very different from the bluesy verse melody, but in Suede Shoes, the difference between verse and bridge is pretty subtle. So much so, that you can play the same melodic lines in both the blues and bridge. In Take Five, the verse is minor and bluesy, the bridge "major ninth-y", two opposites.
 
In the first post I linked to a YouTube video with a sample solo on ,alto. That video doesn't seem to provide a link to the written out solo but I realised I could make one by screen capture, so I did.

My Little Suede Shoes - Sample alto solo.pdf - Box

Page 1 is the head and page 2 is the single chorus solo - only short, but it has some nice phrases if you want to borrow them.

Rhys
 
What's funny is that in Take Five, the bridge is very different from the bluesy verse melody, but in Suede Shoes, the difference between verse and bridge is pretty subtle. So much so, that you can play the same melodic lines in both the blues and bridge. In Take Five, the verse is minor and bluesy, the bridge "major ninth-y", two opposites.

In Take 5, one story is that the A section was a little bluesy fragment that Paul Desmond came up with but he was struggling to complete the tune and Brubeck wrote the bridge.

Rhys
 
In lockdown it's a struggle to find a time of day when playing my saxophones doesn't annoy the family or our neighbours. I just managed to grab a little window of opportunity to record two very short versions on baritone.

Version one uses a short ABRSM backing track that was done in concert C for jazz flute but I shifted it into the right key and transcribed (stole) the example flute solo.

My Little Suede Shoes - Rhys bari V1.mp3 - Box

Version two uses the short Hal Leonard backing track that they sell to play with the Charlie Parker Omnibook transcriptions. On this I played that example solo from YouTube as it was much easier than the Parker transcription !

My Little Suede Shoes - Rhys bari V2.mp3 - Box

I hope there will be some more recordings from forum members as the month goes on.

Rhys
 
Thanks for that. I wondered what it would sound like on bari. I much prefer the quicker version - it makes the bari feel lighter, and has a more interesting solo.
 
Nice first try. I wonder if you would relax more with one of the backing tracks at a slightly slower tempo.
Yes, I think that's a good idea. I will give that a try. Thanks!
 
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