This song is a bit outside my comfort zone, so I have played it safe ;o) The trouble with Jazz for me, is that unlike other musical genres I don't hear the improv. possibilities in my head as much. I would like to investigate this further but for the time time being I'm happy to play a really pleasant tune with a few frills.
I'm using a Suzuki Hammond in A, good old 2nd position again! I haven't played the Hammond for a while and had forgotten what a lovely harp it is.
Really very sweet. That's probably one of my all time favorite tunes. Errol Garner was, well, like no one else. Your rendition was, as always, tasteful, skillful, full of feeling. To even attempt to play this gorgeous tune is an act of supreme courage. Thanks for taking it on. ---------- Matthew
GreyOwl>truly beautiful. Agree with all above comments. Cannot understand 'How you played it safe as you were outside of your comfort zone' as it sounded like you have it comfortably nailed. ---------- HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
With regard to 'This song is a bit outside my comfort zone, so I have played it safe'
I mean i would have liked to have been more adventurous perhaps on the second verse and chorus with a jazz improv, straying from the melody. The trouble is my mind cannot see a possible improv. clearly at this time and so I played it safe and stuck more or less to the theme.
I guess I'll have to listen to more jazz to absorb this stuff, but it's never been my favourite genre.
I love this tune and have played it both on diatonic as well as chromatic. Jerry Portnoy has a nice version of diatonic and I've got a bootleg recording of George Smith on chromatic, but I still prefer it played on the chromatic in Errol Garner's original key, which was E-flat.
I like it on a diatonic when using country tuned harps. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Very nice! I like it pure and simple like you played it. I gotta get the guitar chords for that one--its just a wonderful standard. It reminds me of music like "Georgia On My Mind" and "The Shadow of Your Smile"--from an era of music when it was OK to play beautiful melodies.
Old Wailer. Yes, those are great songs and I would really like to give these old classics a go sometime.
@BarbequeBob - Would the country tuning dispense with the need of the 5OB? Have you tried the Newton Fourkey Tuning? I have just watched a guy playing Misty on youtube using this tuning and he didn't OB and seemed to use far less bends. ---------- Grey Owl YouTube Grey Owl Abstract Photos
Last Edited by on May 02, 2012 8:00 AM
@Greyowlphotoart -- It will elimate the need for the overblow, but you also can now use a double stop, which you can't do with overblows and when used judiciously, will work great on a tune like this. I haven't had a chance to use that tuning just yet so I can't comment on that one way or the other. CT is great for a lot more than just country (when I started, those harps didn't exist unless you retuned them yourself, and back then, this used to be known as Major 7th tuning). ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
@barbquebob Thanks for that info. it looks like I'm going to have to try a CT harp because I would like to try the song without OB's.
I am fairly new to OB's and have yet to develop my technique. That being said, I think OB's work pretty well for fast passing notes but they don't sound quite so good when you have to dwell on the notes on a slow song (esp a pretty melody like this one). The tonal difference between other notes is noticeable.
@Iceman
Following Bob’s heads up re Jerry’s version, I managed to track down this VIDEO on Youtube featuring Jerry playing a bit of the song at his 60th Birthday bash.
I particularly like his up-tempo switch in the solo but am not so keen on the amplified sound for this song, as I prefer to listen to the song played over the air to mic.
Greyowl, I haven't heard a version similar to Jerry's that's unamplified that I'm aware of. I checked the link out for Misty played in that tuning, and tho it sounds pretty nice, my only complaint about it is that the throat vibrato is a tad too strong and fast for that tune and also would've liked to have heard a bit more use of his hands in order to shape the sounds more.
I also have a bootleg of George Smith playing it thru the PA, amplified on a Bb chromatic played in C, rather than the key of the original, which is Eb. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
