A partial analysis of Strayhorn's Blood Count

[joelf]

I first posted a link to a FB video of me playing a solo rendition Billy Strayhorn's swan song composition, the masterful Blood Count---in The Songs. In the ensuing comments one player said he'd never heard of the song. Well, I'd like to remedy that. It's a masterpiece.

There's a recording of Stan Getz playing it, Pure Getz (Concord, 1982) so good it became my reference point. Ellington's band featured Johnny Hodges, undoubtedly with a Strayhorn chart.

My guitar rendition I'm linking to deviates slightly from Jim McNeeley's accompaniment to Getz, but it's hardly a reharmonization (in fact, I learned it from The Billy Strayhorn Songbook, a 'personality' collection, and merely tweaked a bit).

But on reflection I felt I'd be doing a service by providing an analysis of Strayhorn's ingenious chordal pathways. He always found untrodden roads to travel.

The analysis is the last post as I write this. I believe at 10:14 yesterday. But 1st if desired you can hear me play this gem---very 1st post...

A solo rendition of Strayhorn's Blood Count

[joelf]

Just added my lead sheet---last post as of this writing...

[mr. beaumont]

Very cool to see your sheet!

Here's how I kind of do it. Things change here and there. I drop the 6th to a D. I pretty much just took everything from the Ellington/Hodges version...I should probably branch out more...butvthat version is so perfect.

[joelf]

Very cool to see your sheet!

Here's how I kind of do it. Things change here and there. I drop the 6th to a D. I pretty much just took everything from the Ellington/Hodges version...I should probably branch out more...butvthat version is so perfect.

That was...contemplative. Almost sounded like a classical player would do it---and that's no insult. Good job, man.

But when are you gonna feature them mutts?

From the sounds at Chez Matz they wanna get into show biz pretty bad...

[supersoul]

I had to give it a try. Pretty straight cover and no improvisation, but I don't know what I could add to it. It's a complete composition as it is.

[mr. beaumont]

That was...contemplative. Almost sounded like a classical player would do it---and that's no insult. Good job, man.

But when are you gonna feature them mutts?

From the sounds at Chez Matz they wanna get into show biz pretty bad...

You know, those fellas used to pop into my vids all of the time...now they kind of hang in the background...soon I won't hear much of them at all...it's a little sad, they're growing up.

I had to give it a try. Pretty straight cover and no improvisation, but I don't know what I could add to it. It's a complete composition as it is.

It's interesting you say that, and Joel's observation that my take was almost like a "classical player" would approach it...

I heard Bucky Pizzarelli say of this tune that it was like a classical piece to him. It doesn't need anything added. I liked that. Though I need to figure out if I feel that way partly because improvising on these changes (and actually saying something) is a daunting task!

Anyway, supersoul, I love your take, and I'd like to know more about that guitar...you're getting a really lovely, mellow sound from it, not something I always associate with an acoustic archtop.

[supersoul]

It's interesting you say that, and Joel's observation that my take was almost like a "classical player" would approach it...

I heard Bucky Pizzarelli say of this tune that it was like a classical piece to him. It doesn't need anything added. I liked that. Though I need to figure out if I feel that way partly because improvising on these changes (and actually saying something) is a daunting task!

Anyway, supersoul, I love your take, and I'd like to know more about that guitar...you're getting a really lovely, mellow sound from it, not something I always associate with an acoustic archtop.

Johnny Hodges plays it beautifully, I mean, he basically sings it! The main melody sounds like it's floating down on currents of air. He milks some of those bends for all their worth. There are times when he ad libs some things, but it's always to further the tune. And then the guitar just goes plunk plunk plunk so how to make the melody come alive like that, that's a challenge.

The background horn parts on the Ellington version seem really rich, too, with little counter melodies, chromatic movements, harmonic voicings. I liked what you did with the low D string. It opened up the rest of the guitar to be a bit more orchestral and complete sounding.

The guitar, I just have a clip-on instrument mic, an AKG C419, attached to the tailpiece and pointing at a spot behind the treble side of the bridge. I got that technique from Campus5 on here. It's direct into an Apogee One, which has phantom power. Then I use an EQ to take off some of the treble, just to get rid of the zinginess.

[mr. beaumont]

Johnny Hodges plays it beautifully, I mean, he basically sings it! The main melody sounds like it's floating down on currents of air. He milks some of those bends for all their worth. There are times when he ad libs some things, but it's always to further the tune. And then the guitar just goes plunk plunk plunk so how to make the melody come alive like that, that's a challenge.

I may, at some point, try playing the melody only on an electric guitar with some distortion. Sacrilege, probably. But I kind of want to hear it.

The guitar is interesting...it's a little portable orchestra in some ways, but we need to be very mindful of which parts we orchestrate...

[supersoul]

I may, at some point, try playing the melody only on an electric guitar with some distortion. Sacrilege, probably. But I kind of want to hear it.

The guitar is interesting...it's a little portable orchestra in some ways, but we need to be very mindful of which parts we orchestrate...

I could imagine someone doing it on a tele, with a real biting tone, bridge pickup. I'm thinking of Danny Gatton for some reason, he did a cool version of Sleepwalk.

The guitar is definitely interesting! I like that, that you have to be mindful of which parts to orchestrate. The guitar doesn't have the single note expressiveness of a saxophone or the unlimited choice of notes that the piano has, but that just mean you have to dig deeper to find the crucial bits. Then you have to make it sound like those are all the notes you need, haha

[mr. beaumont]

I could imagine someone doing it on a tele, with a real biting tone, bridge pickup. I'm thinking of Danny Gatton for some reason, he did a cool version of Sleepwalk.

The guitar is definitely interesting! I like that, that you have to be mindful of which parts to orchestrate. The guitar doesn't have the single note expressiveness of a saxophone or the unlimited choice of notes that the piano has, but that just mean you have to dig deeper to find the crucial bits. Then you have to make it sound like those are all the notes you need, haha

Yeah, or a Roy Buchanan thing with lots of volume swells...

I'm totally going to do this.

[ragman1]

[joelf]

I heard Bucky Pizzarelli say of this tune that it was like a classical piece to him. It doesn't need anything added. I liked that. Though I need to figure out if I feel that way partly because improvising on these changes (and actually saying something) is a daunting task!.

(Shhhh----I'm not really here and no one read this, OK?)

It's a set piece, complete and needing nothing else. Like Lush Life was intended to be. Strayhorn even (in David Hajdu's biog Lush Life) got his nose quite out of joint at Nat Cole's rendition---probably mostly the overdone chart by Kenton arranger Pete Rugolo. 'Why the f didn't they leave it alone?!' was what the maestro said.

Composers are protective of their work, and should be, b/c many truly good songs get either ruined or something the composer doesn't like on a particular recording becomes 'coin of the realm' anyway and now they're stuck with it. Or have to keep explaining the way it was intended. It's a losing battle once that coin of the realm thing kicks in, especially if the version in question is not an improvement (which is often the case).

I myself have heard a bad version of my song on recording. It was the 1st vocal rendition on a commercially released CD, and I was a bit concerned that other singers would think hers was right and there'd be further bad versions, you know, like guppies or rabbits multiplying. So I understand this. (Fortunately, around 2 people, including her mother, bought the CD, so I needn't worry too much).

When Peggy Lee recorded a bombastic Lover---a lively, swinging version in 4/4, replete with bongos and screaming trumpets---Richard Rodgers was unimpressed. Miss Peggy Lee and he landed one night at the same cocktail party.

Lee, running up excitedly to Rodgers:

'Dick! Dick! We have a hit!!'

Rodgers, cooly and with a look of slight exaggeration:

'You know my dear, it is a waltz'...