Standards Gigs

[GJ77]

I'm just curious to know how many forum members do gigs where standards are required repertoire?

Over the years I've spent a lot of time learning, analysing and transcribing standards. Just recently I've been spending a lot of time on Stella By Starlight, purely because it's one that I've never felt that I've got to grips with to the degree I'd like, and for my own enjoyment as I think it's a lovely tune.

I gig quite a lot, in a variety of styles, but knowledge of standards is scarcely called for these days on the jazz gigs I do (I'm not bemoaning the fact, just observing). Obviously the progressions come up again and again so I don't doubt the value in studying them.

 

[Tenor Viol]

I've been to open mic nights (not played) where the resident band have the Real Books there and people come up and say they want to do 'x' and off eveyone goes...

 

[Colin the Bear]

All my stuff is standards. All my deping and sit ins are standards. How else would we know what to play? Can't really do justice to new stuff

 

[Nick Wyver]

Less than 10 in the last 40 years.
For me, learning standards is rather pointless.

 

[brianr]

I'm just curious to know how many forum members do gigs where standards are required repertoire?

Over the years I've spent a lot of time learning, analysing and transcribing standards. Just recently I've been spending a lot of time on Stella By Starlight, purely because it's one that I've never felt that I've got to grips with to the degree I'd like, and for my own enjoyment as I think it's a lovely tune.

I gig quite a lot, in a variety of styles, but knowledge of standards is scarcely called for these days on the jazz gigs I do (I'm not bemoaning the fact, just observing). Obviously the progressions come up again and again so I don't doubt the value in studying them.

I do gigs where "standards are required repertoire"

But , I see loads of variety within that title.
The classic repertoire of the American songbook stuff. porter, gershwin. Etc etc

then the Be Bop stuff: Anthropology, donna Lee, ornithology. Etc etc

then the stuff written slightly later, by jazzers: joe Henderson, wayne shorter, horace silver. Etc etc. So: song for my father, recorda Me, footprints. Etc etc

Then the funkier stuff: watermelon man, cantaloupe, the chicken etc etc

I tend to think of all that as "the repertoire"

seperate from that is 'own material' I almost never play that. ( wish I did )

funnily, I almost never hear Stella being played. Probably because its hard. But I agree it is a great one to get stuck into and to learn from.

 

[Eoe]

I just hate watermelon man.

 

[trimmy]

I just hate watermelon man.

I just love Watermelon man

 

[Jonesy]

I just hate watermelon man.

Everybody plays it just too damn quick.

 

[trimmy]

Everybody plays it just too damn quick.

Ooops 120bpm it'd be boring if we all played it the same way

 

[Jonesy]

Ooops 120bpm it'd be boring if we all played it the same way

120 bpm is OK, not 120 mph.

 

[jazzdoh]

Most of my gigs are using standards and there is plenty to get your teeth stuck into,some great tunes old and newish.

 

[trimmy]

Colin & Dibbs you cant 'respectively disagree' with me as it's a 'fact' that i love the tune, so please remove those blue monsters from my post !
Besmirching my good self pah

 

[Eoe]

It's real popular with Latinos and Mexicans . Lots of people must like it just can not figure out why. Rofl I always get this vision of Ninja Turtles dancing to it and instead of saying Watermelon Man they say ninjitsu man

 

[jbtsax]

Everybody plays it just too damn quick.

Not everybody.

 

[Jeanette]

so please remove those blue monsters from my post !

I could remove them but they have gone already

Jx

 

[Colin the Bear]

Oh Really? I prefer a Butter and egg man.

 

[Clivey]

Horses for course's I suppose, I have 3 or 4 two hour gigs a week at the moment and I pretty well have to do standards and perhaps a couple of my own. They are all Latin based arrangements though.

 

[jbtsax]

Less than 10 in the last 40 years.
For me, learning standards is rather pointless.

Even though the types of gigs you play don't include these tunes, in my view there is still value in learning this wonderful literature that makes up an important part of our musical history. If we as musicians don't carry forward this part of our musical heritage, then who will?

 

[Targa]

Horses for course's I suppose, I have 3 or 4 two hour gigs a week at the moment and I pretty well have to do standards and perhaps a couple of my own. They are all Latin based arrangements though.

Isn't Latin based music usually sung in monasteries?

 

[Alice]

Isn't Latin based music usually sung in monasteries?

Oh my goodness... That took me a moment... I must be really tired!