JGO Virtual 'Bluez' Jam (Round 1) - Blue Monk in minor

[mr. beaumont]

I appreciate all the effort, but Blue Monk in minor is somehow very unsettling to me.

[pamosmusic]

I appreciate all the effort, but Blue Monk in minor is somehow very unsettling to me.

I was going to say the same thing.

are we allowed to participate if we play it in major?

[John A.]

I like finale better. Then again I’ve been using it for fifteen years now so there’s some sunk cost.

Unless someone wanted to compose or arrange for real, MuseScore will do the job just as well, or so it seems from poking around.

75% of the time I’m not using any of finales functionality

I think MuseScore can do pretty much everything the big boys do now, and it's mainly a matter of familiarity and format. I used MuseScore for lead sheets, and it's great for that.

[Reg]

Yea Rag...

It's one of many standard Minor Blues Chord patterns. I just adjusted the melody... which I just noticed, the + of beat one... in bar 3...should be a Gb... not G natural. (or an Ab).

Anyway... I don't like the tune, haven't played or listened to it in decades.... but playing it in Minor looks fun. I'll try and phone vid something... busy couple of weeks... I'm fried, LOL.

I just made example quickly... and didn't copy or have any reference that I listened to. It's just a Blues man....

[Bobby Timmons]

I appreciate all the effort, but Blue Monk in minor is somehow very unsettling to me.

What's so terrible about it? It sounds good. And certainly no weirder than his other tunes.

I was going to say the same thing.

are we allowed to participate if we play it in major?

Yeah I guess so.

[ragman1]

It's just a Blues man....

Thanks. I thought the chords were yours, I recognised them

I liked the C#m/Cm shift at the end and the extended last lick. I spotted the Gb but didn't care for the drop to Bb in bar 4. For what's worth, I made a basic midi just to hear how it all went clearly. But then I got to thinking, given a good sax player and a combo, it might sound professionally jazzy if done well... hence my question.

We'll see what happens when you unfry :-)

[pamosmusic]

Wtf? What's so terrible about it? It sounds good. And certainly no weirder than his other tunes.

No, just play it. You can call the next one if you want. I wouldn't have started with Blue Monk for the 1 millionth time if it was as written.

lol noted.

youre probably a real Mr congeniality at a live jam session

[mr. beaumont]

It's just a blues, the chords are fine. The head just sounds weird to me...probably because I've heard the original a million times...Monk, for whatever reason...I don't mess with his stuff.

Putting it in minor makes it sound like one of those weird YouTube videos like "Bohemian Rhapsody, but minor"

Just my ears, y'all carry on.

[ragman1]

Does this mean that all the dom blues we can play have to be in minor now?

starts shaking..

[Bobby Timmons]

If it's gonna cause you guys physical pain to play my nice arrangement of Blue Monk in minor, then I'll take your participation in major. I think you can play it in minor tho.

youre probably a real Mr congeniality at a live jam session

In real life I'm meek and everyone is mean to me. :P

[pamosmusic]

In real life I'm meek and everyone is mean to me. :P

that tracks

[Bobby Timmons]

[ragman1]

Yes, but, what's the next tune? Will it be major or minor? And, if it is major, will it have to put into minor?

Or shall we only do known minor blues?

Or can we make our own minor blues?

[Bobby Timmons]

^ The only guideline per week is we're going to set the key per week by going up a half step each week - A this week, Bb next week, B the week after that etc. But you can disregard that if you want. And everyone's free to call the next tune.

[Mick-7]

Out of curiosity, can someone possibly point to recordings of any artists who did it in minor?

No, we can't, because no one has. Remember, this idea emerged out of the warped mind of Bobby Timmons Jr.

Straight No Chaser is a better candidate for minor.

[Bobby Timmons]

You guys are seriously sick and need help if you think minor Blue Monk sounds bad. What is your opinion of actual discordant Monk tunes then?

[mr. beaumont]

You guys are seriously sick and need help if you think minor Blue Monk sounds bad. What is you opinion of actual discordant Monk tunes then?

They're great.

Minor Blue Monk doesn't sound discordant. The original is actually much more angular. Which is a good thing.

[pamosmusic]

They're great.

Minor Blue Monk doesn't sound discordant. The original is actually much more angular. Which is a good thing.

Yerp

[mr. beaumont]

[ragman1]

Bobby -

Before we get lost or go funny, I'm quite sure no one is saying they don't like Monk. That's not the point. The point is/was we're wondering why we don't just play a minor blues rather than fiddle with a perfectly good Monk blues.

You must admit it's a long way round just to find a minor blues to play. I think that's the point, really.

[Bobby Timmons]

Edit: No rag, I didn't choose it to 'find a minor blues to play' what are you talking about. I actually just thought it sounds good and was a cool idea.

[mr. beaumont]

Sorry, I'm not trying to make light of it...it's just putting it in minor smooths out the edges for me, and it just feels weird being that it's Monk. Monk has edges.

I'll back off and derail no further.

[pamosmusic]

“Mutiny” implies you were ever captain of this ship.

Avast! Gon w’ye!

[Bobby Timmons]

^ You are out-of-control.

I'll back off and derail no further.

It's ok, it's a jam. Jackassery, discussion, and compromise are permitted.

Sorry, I'm not trying to make light of it... it's just putting it in minor smooths out the edges for me, and it just feels weird being that it's Monk. Monk has edges.

I didn't have any second thought about it sounding cool and being a cool idea. But if you guys don't like it then fine play it major.

About you thinking minor smooths it out, I don't get that. Why would you be able to play less spiky in minor than major? Did you not listen to my version? I purposely don't play exactly like Monk because he's my biggest influence, but I do put some spike/edge in there. I'm pretty sure my version wasn't Hans Groiner like, and if you think it was I must say I'm a bit put off. :P

[pamosmusic]

^ You are out-of-control.

Quite right.

About you thinking minor smooths it out, I don't get that. Why would you be able to play less spiky in minor than major?

Just points in the melody where lowering the third makes it less chromatic and less dissonant. The whole step right at the beginning, then the spot in m3-4 where what would be 5 #2 3, becomes 5 2 b3

just makes it a little less weird