Caravan

Joli Gadjo

Dear all,

Those tunes often puzzle me : C7 -Db7...
What is the strategy for improvisation ?
Do you stick on C7 or Db7 ?
Do you think modal ?
Or some kind of Fm melodic or harmonic ?

Ideas / Strategies / Help would be very welcome and most appreciated...
Thanks !

-JG

dennis

well the actual chord for that whole A section is just C7 and Fm... the Db7 is just an embellishment...

as a soloist, you can pretty much do anything... outline C7, or sometimes go up a half step and out line Db7.... however you see fit... the more important thing is to make a strong rhythmic and melodic statement... sometimes that means not playing a lot of notes, but playing the rhythms that groove the most.... you can come up with melodic and rhythmic motifs....

stochelo is a great guy to study because his lines are usually conceptually very simple and easy to understand... and you'll see/hear clearly the rhythmic strength of his lines... he 'll sometimes play sequences, or repeated patterns with a strong rhythmic feel...

btw they play it in Dm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S60nl1BI6mw

nice video, cuz nous'che messes the form up at the beginning hahahha but stochelo and nonnie follow him

Joli Gadjo

Thanks a lot Dennis, that is very helpful indeed.
I will take a look at Stochelo's playing... I usually think it's out of my league because it's way too fast, but I'll take your advice for it.
Thanks again !

gotgenes

dennis wrote:

nice video, cuz nous'che messes the form up at the beginning hahahha but stochelo and nonnie follow him

Are you talking about around 1:33? There's definitely a teetering moment there. Also at 2:20, but I think in that case, Nous'che is spot on. The form of the tune is AABA, right?

Here's another recording of Stochelo performing "Caravan" with (I think) Johnny Rosenberg on rhythm guitar and an unidentified bass player. poorer recording quality but just as fantastic playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdL_LHKVIMo

I think the lick at 1:21 has to be one of my favorite, and a great example of what Dennis is talking about when he says to play rhythmic sequences. Also, I think there's a flub in the song form on that recording, too, as, at 2:09, they go into the B part prematurely. (The soloing section wound up becoming AAB AABA instead of AABA AABA.)