Thanks for the replies and suggestions, all under consideration!

Yeah, this is a great tune. I have played and recorded a few versions of it... We have some Django fanatics around here (GP AB, Canada) who insist on playing the 'I' as a min/maj7 or a min6 so that they can blow through Hmin, or use melodic minor on the 'I' chord. Sometimes it's safest to just play the triad on 'I' when playing with others if you have the bass role I find...

I have added about 40 standards to my practice rotation, all in an effort to "get ready" for Interlochen next year. I can play them all with just roots, R5, R58va, Triads, 7th chords, Tetrachords, and a sort of sequenced motif in the LH. I am not quite able to improvise between those things yet in the LH while soloing or playing the melody, but I will. Jazz standards provide an excellent practice framework... My end game is to be able to improvise in the bass side freely while improvising freely in the treble side simultaneously while respecting the harmony of the tune. In a lot of tunes, (Blue Bossa, etc) I miss hearing the tensions, hence my question here...

I might have to come up with a thing where I play R5 on the two bass strings, and then the "rest of the chord plus it's tensions" on the other strings.

All good, it's getting solved. Thanks again, guys.

Glen that was beautiful.

GP, such a flowing and complete rendition, like a concert pianist on expressive strings, which you are and they are.

I have an alternative progression for Scott and a way out of the fingering dilemma. You could go for the bold "flat five" root progressions, doubling the LH chords available for RH theme, decorations and improvs.

For the first phrase you'd go from tonic Am to Bm7 with a quick transition into F7, or just play the F7 instead of Bm7 (emphasizing the flatted 5th of the composer's Bm7b5 chord), then moving a half step down to E7 and resolving to Am.

The second phrase starts with A7 and here you can add another jazz substitution chord, Eb7, before resolving down a half step to Dm.

And on it goes with "flat five" root movements throughout the song and many songs. Where to stop?! If you're at C major moving to F major, you can "smell the roses" along the way at F#7. Melody doesn't really change.

As a principle, and since I don't really like muddy chords, I tend to leave the 5th out of the equation. It doesn't' really add much plus The most important notes are, in the end, the 3rd and 7th so I tend to prefer fingerings with this ones. Tritone changes are a plus and if you leave the tonic out also, tritone substitutions become 2nd nature.


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Really nice Glenn!

Thanks to everyone who posted, you guys were a big help in today's explorations.
Yeah, I might be splitting hairs here, but I really, really, really want those tensions in the chord. I at least want the option of playing them, listening to it, and deciding if I love it or not for myself. I can play the tune with the omitted tensions, I want to see what it's like with the tensions...

lol tritones are like cowbells, gotta have more...

Gong like inharmonics, and yes, the flatted 5th is prominent and early in the chain. I do believe the cowbell falls into that category of resonances outside the natural overtone series. So yes, more cowbell please. Seriously, I've got to have the cowbell.

Well, yes, there is a naturally occurring flatted 5th harmonic but it's very high up the ladder and not gong like at all.

Thanks for the kind comments gentlemen. I've always really liked this tune. Among other reasons I love the fact that it makes for great soloing practice. It's got just enough changes that make it more challenging to solo over but not stupid difficult (if that makes any sense )

always seemed strange to me that so many stick players got to that tune

'Cause it sounds cool!

And it's a beautiful melody really. I used to do a looped tune called "Lost At Sea" a long time ago (it was on a demo CD I used to sell at gigs) where the main gist of the melody was lifted from Black Orpheus. I had originally played that melody over the loop just as a filler until I came up with something else but it sounded so nice that I kept it. Haven't played that tune in a decade but now I'm thinking I might have to resurrect it.