help with "Someone to watch over me"

moontheloon

Silver Member
playing a gig on sat with a bunch of cats I have never played with.....the first time we will play together is when the first tune is counted off sat night....

the woman who is singing wants to do "someone to watch over me"

Im assuming its the Ella version.....but she is insisting there be drums in it.....

I have yet to hear a version of this song with drums

any suggestions on how to approach this.....

I was thinking brushes of course.......but this is a tune I have never played before....

I cant even really catch the time when i listen to it...

any thoughts?
 
I "feel" a very light swing to this song - off beat soft hats / circular brush snare with no particular accent / standard jazz pattern with brush on ride cymbal - more a bit of texture than anything definite...

..... or perhaps a .... boomp ta-ta-ta-ta-tahhhhh chick ba-boomp ta-ta-ta-ta-tahhhh chick <rpt> feel along with the reeds
 
its crazy Bo....I cant really find the time.....

as soon as I think I have it locked....it slips right through my fingers

Ive never had this problem......I can usually find the swing in a ballad.....cant grab it here
 
its crazy Bo....I cant really find the time.....

as soon as I think I have it locked....it slips right through my fingers

Ive never had this problem......I can usually find the swing in a ballad.....cant grab it here

Are you talking about the chorus of the tune or the rubato intro? That whole front part of the tune is supposed to be out-of-time anyway, is this where the problem is? Once you get to the "There's a somebody I'm longing to see..." part, that's where the time keeping starts. But then again, it's a jazz standard, so it'll probably be played differently by everyone who plays it!
 
Saw this trail and it reminded me of something I was meaning to ask…

I enjoy listening to modern jazz from the ECM-label and lately have been listening specifically to the Marcin Wasilewski Trio and the Tomasz Stanko Quartet.. Now, does anyone know how the drum parts on these tracks are established? I often can’t find any structure in them at first, but after listening a few times it starts to make sense (although I can’t articulate what that “sense” is…). Are the drummers here improvising most of the time, or would most they do be written out? Does anyone have any experience in this area?

Thanks,

Dutch
 
STWOM is a ballad, so use brushes- hihat on two and four, and play a triplet-based swing feel, or just swish quarter notes. Unless someone specifies a different feel, of course. If you're having problems finding the time, make sure to get a real count off in the correct tempo, or just listen for it. Some inexperienced rhythm sections play ballads rubato all the way through, which is not standard- there needs to be a tempo, even if it's treated loosely. As Bo said, the verse will usually be rubato with no drums; the chorus- the familiar tune- will be in time.

Dutch- Most of the drumming will be improvised. I don't know what Stanko gives his drummers, but most likely they get a lead sheet which has a melody, some chord changes, maybe a bass line, maybe some ensemble figures, and maybe some blowing changes for the soloing. Usually there's a note or a verbal instruction re: the style of the piece. Some people do more arranging than others, and I'm sure very often the drummer gets no chart at all.
 
STWOM is a ballad, so use brushes- hihat on two and four, and play a triplet-based swing feel, or just swish quarter notes. Unless someone specifies a different feel, of course. If you're having problems finding the time, make sure to get a real count off in the correct tempo, or just listen for it. Some inexperienced rhythm sections play ballads rubato all the way through, which is not standard- there needs to be a tempo, even if it's treated loosely. As Bo said, the verse will usually be rubato with no drums; the chorus- the familiar tune- will be in time.

Ditto to Todd's comments. I'd also suggest really listening to the bass player and focus on locking in the time with him or her. Hopefully the bass player will play confidently, so that if you're tentative about where the time is in the first few beats, you'll have something to latch onto.

Good luck!

Ed
 
Ditto to Todd's comments. I'd also suggest really listening to the bass player and focus on locking in the time with him or her. Hopefully the bass player will play confidently, so that if you're tentative about where the time is in the first few beats, you'll have something to latch onto.

Good luck!

Ed

+1. The main thing is lock in with the bass player and let the singer use your "time" to weave in and out around.
 
playing a gig on sat with a bunch of cats I have never played with.....the first time we will play together is when the first tune is counted off sat night....

the woman who is singing wants to do "someone to watch over me"

Im assuming its the Ella version.....but she is insisting there be drums in it.....

I have yet to hear a version of this song with drums

any suggestions on how to approach this.....

I was thinking brushes of course.......but this is a tune I have never played before....

I cant even really catch the time when i listen to it...

any thoughts?

Hey Moon,

Here are excellent versions to consider. Different interpretations but all have what you're looking for.

1) Ella - http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JANcQf3fjuA

2) Linda Ronstadt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0oRfg5RyVA&feature=related

3) Frank Sinatra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlgWm7Yly-I&feature=related

4) Sarah Vaughan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXMb-sK0VzM&feature=related

5) Etta James: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0d7gR2XXY4&feature=related

Beautiful song.

Cheers,
-r
 
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