Gypsy Rhythm Domination: Django & Count Basie Endings

DjangoBooks

Rhythm video #3 is now live and we've saved the best till last.



VIDEO #3: Killer Endings



In the new lesson you'll learn two of the best ways ever to finish a swing tune.



Killer Endings = Applause from the Crowd!



VIDEO #3: Killer Endings



These are gig ready - tried and tested sure-fire endings guaranteed to get the crowd applauding and begging for more.

MichaelHorowitz

Even the worst performance can be saved with a great ending, here's how!

jazzygtr

"LIKE" and "Smiles" for Michael's reply!!!

Jazzaferri

Is there a pricing structure set yet for the full meal deal

MichaelHorowitz

They'll post the pricing details on Sept 1

spatzo

I agree with you Michael!

Maurice Ferret always said " Un beau début, une belle fin" that is to say that both a good introduction and a good ending were absolutely necessary to get the approbation of any audience.

Django was a master for this and has given to gypsy jazz a full library of ideas for intros and endings that are dully played even today. One among others had hit me when I heard it for the first time: the begining of "Undecided" played in D major with introducing breaks by Django followed then by an impro that could be a true theme stop-breaked then with a wonderful modulation in C major (D to D°7 to G7) before Berryl Davies begins to sing the tune.

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Great idea! and as far as I know unheard in that time even in the States. Django had of course listened with attention to Satchmo's music that had produced excellent intros (ref. "West End Blues" famous intro for exemple) but he didn't decided to merely reproduce what he had heard, he was able to improvise very convincing intros by himself. Another great one is the intro built on very tensed chords on "I Know That You Know" with Barney Bigard, this intro immediately but very subtilly introduces the theme and leads convincingly to the tune...

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The intro for Duke Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood" is also excellent, both pertinent and convincing and of course totally unexpected but the list is a very long one... What about "When Day Is Done" with its three parts structure?

Very good idea of the Nolan brothers!

spatzo

In Django's music intros and endings are only pieces of a puzzle building the different parts of a whole structure. This gives an interesting view on the complexity of Django Reinhardt's music. An exemple above all is "The Man I Love" 1939 with the extraordinary idea to introduce the rhythm section for part of the last chorus after a continuous presentation of "surprises" during the whole development of the tune that can be quickly listed as: piano intro, guitar-piano duo on theme (A1, A2, B, A3) with piano arpeggios background slow-tempo, rhythm change break by piano, theme to impro transition with stride piano background medium tempo (A1,A2), piano arpeggios background on B, octave harmonics on A3, acceleration break on piano and guitar impro medium to fast-tempo (A1, A2, B, A3), acceleration to very fast tempo and introduction of rhythm section guitars and bass (A1, A2), stop-break piano with guitar chords impro ( B ), guitar impro and final chromatic ending (5th/b5th up to Tonic) on A3. Many, many very good ideas perfectly planned and executed...

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Anne-Marie Duverney that recorded Django for her radio broadcast "Surprise partie" in 1947 wrote some words on the second cover of a Vogue record saying that Django spoke a lot of time with the musicians before recording a tune such as to perfectly plan the development of the tune. She said that sometimes she was a bit nervous as she first thought that they were loosing time but at the end she was accustomed and the result as we know was always great.