Request: "Blues in the night"

[Smoothsailor]

Hello!

I have been searching for some chord melody arrangement for "Blues in the night".

Does anyone know where i can find one?

I like Kenny Burells version (but i dont have the skill to transcribe it)

[Mick-7]

So... it's a standard blues progression, but of course Kenny's playing is never standard.

As near as I can tell from the low-fi YouTube video, here are the final chords he plays.




Here is a lead sheet for the tune, from the "Jazz Fake" book, I've attached a pdf of it too.

[ragman1]

You could try this. You can see what she's playing. I don't like her, she seems to want the camera to adore her, but what she's doing seems to tally pretty well with the Kenny Burrell version.

But don't go by her phrasing. It's correct but there's no real feeling. Phrase it like you're singing it, with meaning. That's what KB does, you can hear it. Knowing the lyrics of this one would definitely be an advantage.

[ragman1]

Another thing you could do, which I'd do if I wanted to learn it, is record the KB version.

Play it a phrase at a time, just a few notes, and compare it with the girl's video. You can see very clearly where she's playing it and how she's fingering it. That also gives you time to sort out any notes/sounds that aren't clear. It's good training too.

The other way, of course, is to buy the KB transcription. I haven't looked but there's bound to be one somewhere, possibly as part of a reputable book.

But personally I'd do it the first way because it not only saves you money but is ultimately better for you :-)

[mr. beaumont]

I worked this out a long time ago, I should probably go back and check my work! But this might be helpful.

[Smoothsailor]

I worked this out a long time ago, I should probably go back and check my work! But this might be helpful.

Thank you all for great answers.

That video helped a lot. Would love to see the complete song!

And the other posts to.

Maybe it's a good idea to learn this songs (as all others) from different angels..

I love the feel of the song and the lyrics.. it really paints a vivid picture.

Love the Cab Calloway version and the Dinah Shore one.

[ragman1]

different angels..

Absolutely, especially big hairy ones :-)

[Mick-7]

Thank you all for great answers.

I'd suggest you compose your own chord melodies and add ideas from players you like, that's the best way to learn how to do it.

Re: Kenny Burrells rendition, he uses most of the same chord voicings in his arrangements so if you study his other works, you'll find most of the voicings he uses in this one. A few books of transcriptions of his recordings have been published, for example:
Best of Kenny Burrell (Guitar Recorded Versions) Book - Amazon.com

You could try this. You can see what she's playing. I don't like her, she seems to want the camera to adore her, but what she's doing seems to tally pretty well with the Kenny Burrell version.

It's hard not to laugh watching that video, the way she is hamming for the camera is like a bad parody. I don't know about the rest of her rendition but the ending is not what Kenny played, he plays a descending bass line and utilizes open strings.

[PMB]

So... it's a standard blues progression, but of course Kenny's playing is never standard.

As near as I can tell from the low-fi YouTube video, here are the final chords he plays.

Almost there, Mick. I just took a listen and the upper pedal tone is on the 2nd string (often the case with this kind of chromatically descending chord sequence):

[PMB]

Btw, the chords from A7 to G13 are played with the thumb over the neck taking the root note and muting the 5th string whereas the Gb7 and Fmaj7 are 'drop 2 & 4' bar chords with the 4th string muted by the 3rd finger of the fretting hand.

[Mick-7]

Almost there, Mick. I just took a listen and the upper pedal tone is on the 2nd string (often the case with this kind of chromatically descending chord sequence):

I can see that, I was listening to it on a very small pc speaker. I don't buy your Fmaj7 fingering though (unsure about the Gb7 too), doesn't make sense to play such an ackward fingering when the common chord voicing with an open E string will give you the same notes. And why mute the D string in the Gb7 chord? - it's the 7th of the chord. Thought I heard a G, not a G#, in the last chord, but that would not be so dissonant.

Should have changed the #'s to b's in my chord voicings, Guitar Pro's default setting for Em applies sharps.

P.S. - I think my Gb7 (with nat. 5th, not b5th) and Fmaj7 voicings are correct.

[PMB]

I can see that, I was listening to it on a very small pc speaker. I don't buy your Fmaj7 fingering though (unsure about the Gb7 too), doesn't make sense to play such an ackward fingering when the common chord voicing with an open E string will give you the same notes. And why mute the D string in the Gb7 chord? - it's the 7th of the chord. Thought I heard a G, not a G#, in the last chord, but that would not be so dissonant.

Should have changed the #'s to b's in my chord voicings, Guitar Pro's default setting for Em applies sharps.

It may seem awkward, especially for players with smaller hands but that's the Fmaj7 voicing. I've played so many arrangements with exactly this move. The 'D' string is muted on the Gb7 chord because if you don't and move to the Fmaj7, it's almost impossible to play the 'E' on the D string in that chord. These drop 2 & 4s were standard fare for players that came through in the '50s - Kessel, Farlow, Smith etc. As for the final chord, it has both the G and G# and is one of KB's favourite voicings.

[Mick-7]

It may seem awkward, especially for players with smaller hands but that's the Fmaj7 voicing. I've played so many arrangements with exactly this move. The 'D' string is muted on the Gb7 chord because if you don't and move to the Fmaj7, it's almost impossible to play the 'E' on the D string in that chord. These drop 2 & 4s were standard fare for players that came through in the '50s - Kessel, Farlow, Smith etc. As for the final chord, it has both the G and G# and is one of KB's favourite voicings.

Well, I'm skeptical but my open string bias may be showing. A 3 fret stretch between the 2nd and 4th fingers is more than ackward and entirely unnecessary when you could play the conventional Fmaj7 chord and just add the open high E string. I attended a workshop with Barney Kessel and never saw him play or even suggest playing a chord like that Fmaj7 voicing. It's the sort of fingering that Joe Pass made fun of, his motto was don't play anything that you'll have trouble getting into or out of. Tal Farlow doesn't count as he had huge hands.

I would use the open E string in this chord sequence, because it allows you to add an additional note to each chord if you want. But that's something I do as a result of studying the voicings of piano players like Bill Evans - the more notes in the chords the better when it comes to song endings is my preference.

I was hearing an open G string in that last chord but probably just my open string bias again. The G# would account for the chords dissonance, and as you said, it's a common voicing for a 7#9 chord (but without the root on top).

This would be my revised ending:

[PMB]

Do whatever works for you, Mick. I just transcribed what Burrell actually played.

[Mick-7]

Do whatever works for you, Mick. I just transcribed what Burrell actually played.

I do have that album somewhere, in fact I took Kenny's chords from "`Round Midnight" off it, not a strange one in the set though, see the attached - may be a few typos in it.