It seems fitting to start this generation of Song Of The Month with September Song, since it's September. Like a lot of folks, I first knew about this tune from Nat King Cole. I enjoy calling it at gigs in September, but it's a really fun tune to solo over any time of the year, and I love the haunting melody of the head. My favorite Django version is on the Blue Star cd "The Great Artistry Of Django Reinhardt" recorded in Paris in 1953. His singing sustain on the electric guitar suits the tune beautifully and I think it works well in the quartet format of guitar, bass, piano & drums.
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i really like the Song! I love the story that Kurt Weill asked the actor for whom he was suposed to write a Song about his tonal range and he replied "i have none"!
I love the Django Version that starts with the g harmonic with real funny chromatic statements:
September Song - YouTube
I took this as a jumping point and made a solo-guitar arrangement as a kind of study or toolbox:
September Song solo guitar- YouTube
Nicely done, Djangheureux! That's a very creative & interesting interpretation of September Song. Beautiful guitar too.
I like this song too! I first heard this tune from the Robin Nolan Trio album with Randy Greer. I have the Refined Records version titled "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", but it is the same recordings from the RNT album "Nat meets Django" just repackaged. Randy has that similar quality to his voice that Nat had.
i recently discovered this great guy with his take on September Song:
Nando Reinhardt - September Song - YouTube
Thank you MikeK!
That was a fun take @Djangheureux
I also just discovered Nando a few weeks ago. He's incredible.
Nando's a wizard! Thanks @Djangheureux.
Here's a link to Django's version from 1953 that I referenced earlier in this thread. Enjoy--
https://youtu.be/cKwuSD0_qB8
Great idea!
I've always been a visual learner and pick things up 10x faster if a lick or melody is shown to me compared to reading the music in whatever format. Transcribing tends to make things stick longer, but sometimes just seeing someone play it slowly does the trick.
So here's a quick and dirty version of the melody played slowly to see the fingerings and then with a backing track. A little sloppy and some rust on there, I haven't played it in a long time- but maybe it helps and can put someone on the right track.
backing track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHD__wbt6Ag
Cheers
It's interesting right hand technique that Nando uses. There is a lot of movement in the fingers (thumb and index) holding the pick, and not much movement of the wrist. You would think that would make a weak sound, but the sound is good ... 🤷
It's interesting right hand technique that Nando uses.
You can also see it well in this duet with Diknu Schneeberger.