Posts made by SmoothOperator

Here is some of my lip syncing and playing.

@barliman2001

Here is an extended edit with more trumpets:

I've been doing some recording, it just sounds like a highly processed trumpet to me. Like they used the same processing techniques on modern pop vocals(those people are robots). EG autotune recording and aligning multiple takes adjusting the timings. Dynamic equalization. Pretty much fed it straight into melodyne. Added massive verb on a sidechain gate.

Who is the trumpet player on Pepas.

That's a sick track.

I have got back into home studio recording. Are there any good tricks for recording trumpet. I've done a little googling, mostly tips for big band type recording, no ribbon mic here maybe later.

I am interested in different processing techniques especially VSTs. I have started using auto tune, a nice effect, maybe a gate to keep down breath noises.

So far one of my favorite effects is taking advantage of the proximity effect on with a harmon mute and getting right down on a dynamic mic.

I want to do some stereo recording, I think that is an advantage of trumpet that it is a nice portable and directional instrument. I have a pair of pencil condenser mics. Haven't had a lot of luck getting a good tone this way though, too bright and kinda harsh, though a bucket mute helps here. Any ideas?

@smoothoperator

It appears to be the neapolitan scale which is related to the double harmonic minor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neapolitan_scale

@richard-iii

If you are used to a strict three note chords, jazz is a little to get used. I have one of these jazz chord books, I tried stacking 7s,2s,9s,11s etc. They sound good alternating major third minor third, however I notice they also don't stand out very much the more notes that are added. That is the thing with Jazz sometimes it isn't very distinct, sort of like background music. I think that is one thing I like about A Night In Tunisia, is that it has a distinctive sound that stands out, despite the Jazz harmonies.

@georgeb said in Night In Tunisia, Double Harmonic Minor:

@smoothoperator
I respect you and your knowledge of music theory, but honestly, I play a song because I like it for a variety of reasons, but I never feel the need to dissect it. For me it would ruin the fun of playing.

Its more of an aggregating process than a dissecting process. Looking for other licks to roll into and expand upon Night In Tunisia.

Re: Jazz Song #1 - A Night In Tunisia

I like to learn songs that have similar harmonic themes, eg rhythm changes, diatonic circle of fifths, minor line cliche, etc.

One song I like to play often is Night In Tunisia, I had a bit of an epiphany. If you look up the conventional theory that its a tritone substitution on a A7 Dm change that gives you a Eb7 Dm half tone tonic motion. I was looking at other songs that kind of reminded me of that when I realized that another song Misirlou also features a prominent half step chord motion F E(Misirlou is also on the radar as a nice trumpet tune, not only did Dick Dale play trumpet on that track, even before Dick Dale played it Harry James had somewhat of a hit with it). Anyway interestingly enough Misirlou is in a Byzantine scale.

If you juxtapose the Dm and Eb7 chords on top of each other, the F is the only note that would need to move to be in a byzantine scale.
C# D Eb F G A Bb

Maybe it is just a superficial resemblance to the music of Egypt and North Africa since there are only so many ways to resolve a half tone chord motion.

Did anyone mention Ray Anthony. He had some hits, I'm not sure which would be a signature tune though.

Its a playoff between sounding like something and sounding good. I've recently gotten a piano for my daughter, so I had an opportunity to play some jazz chords and I've found that for the most part they sound good 7's, 2's, 11's 13's you can keep stacking the thirds alternating major minor intervals maybe through in some upper structure triads, maybe revoice them a little and they sound great no doubt about it, but they also sound sort of nebulous and vague.

I prefer to draw on melodic quotes from similar songs or parts of songs, maybe riffs or licks, maybe some rhythmic ideas. The theory sort of helps here, a little recognizing, where a diminished section of a song can be juxtaposed into another situation, with a little transposition.

I feel like starting from scratch with the chords is too difficult to do(well) on the fly, often times coming across as an etude, here it comes Coltrane is going to play this scale then that scale then the other scale. You might as well write a new song.

I'm also not a fan of the Julliard(Miles Davis) approach, those guys are kind of like culture vultures, and aren't really crafting anything new.

@newell-post

I think there would be alot more famous signature songs if it weren't for extra curricular activities. Kinda sad that in the rarefied air of the greats(at least the ones listed so far) so many died young, and of those that died a number were due to alcohol.

@kehaulani said in Famous Signature Songs:

Exhausted? Gad. What about (might be duplicates, due to poor eyesight -sorry):
Clifford Brown
Lee Morgan
Bubber Miley
Roy Eldridge
Maurice Andre
Rafael Mendez
Harry James
Louis Prima
Freddie Hubbard
Dizzy Gillespie
Chet Baker
Fats Navarro

I think Harry James was overlooked, but that's kind like cheating because back then swing music was pop music. Would "Two O'clock Jump" be a contender for his signature?

@kehaulani said in Famous Signature Songs:

No one knows any other Signature Songs by legendary players?

I think the thread has covered all the bases though I'm surprised Grazing in the Grass isn't getting more comments.

I like this thread alot though. It's a tough criteria, after thinking about it. A "signature" implies alot. Like the player has to be band lead or at least a very successful soloist. Though some of the songs that don't fit the bill are still interesting.

A couple that are on the radar as legendary players are Chic Chocolate, Chocolate Armenteros, and Baba Brooks. They get into the confusing international waters, and never had hits in the USA so it's difficult to assess their popularity.

Chic lead the house band at the Taj Mahal and recorded many Bolly Wood films:

I think the sweets pattern is pretty interesting, Taste of Honey, Sugar Libs, Chocolate.

@smoothoperator

Actually, I was confused the comp part was trumpet, but the solo was a trombone. I was confused I a solo transcription for the Trombone when I was trying to find the Trumpet music.

It appears to be "Kush" Griffith on the trumpet and James even refers to him in the song. Play Kush's part, so Kush can play his horn.

Though, maybe just a studio recording.

@smoothoperator

I think that horn part was actually a trombone.

Here is a cool clip James Brown's band opening with Sidewinder: https://youtu.be/BMELadyJK-8?t=343.

Do any of the Funk trumpet players get credit? Ain't it Funky is slick, and Jungle Boogie:

I've been looking at the Jamaican Ska, horn players, but it doesn't look like they crossed over into the US.

Call On me - Lee Loughnane (Chicago) ??

@dr-go

Maybe his signature, but did he ever play it at a gig? I think I am trying to avoid those songs where they recorded umpteen takes to get an ungoddly good track, that isn't even really the main attraction(its a theme for a movie). There are a bunch of songs out there like Penny Lane or High Hopes:

Perez Prado's Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White is confusing. I guess Prado wasn't the trumpet player on that solo, and I can't find much on Billy Regis, the trumpeter. Like was that his signature sound?