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Not How Much, But What...


catesta

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I know there is a saying something like this "It's not how much you say, but rather what you say."

I thought it would be cool to list some of your favorite solos that are really short, but oh so sweet.

Solos that really speak loudly, but don't last very long. I usually find this to be common with tunes that have vocals.

One of my favorites is Cootie Williams, and Lawrence Brown on "Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From" with Al Hibbler on vocals.

Another is a live version of Sinatra on "I've Got You Under My Skin," I know the band is Basie and I've always assumed the trombone was that of either Al Grey or Benny Powell. I can't say for sure since I only have this on the Reprise compilation CD "The Very Good Years."

I'll toss in a third, and yes it's another Sinatra. This time with Ellington the song is "Follow Me," and the two masters of the sweet but short are Cootie Williams, and Paul Gonsalves.

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Hands down, no contest — my favorite "short" solo, which, and dig this ladies and gentleman, consists of only one pitch, is by Cecil Payne. On Coleman Hawkins's recording of "The Big Head," Payne repeats only one note (with the rhythmic figure of dotted quarter note, followed by an eighth) and somehow grooves all hell out of it. Thunder rolls down from the heavens, and even Bean is infected by the groove, picking up this figure for his solo.

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You say "short but sweet" and the first things that pop into my mind are Fred Lipsius' things on BS&T's "God Bless The Child" & "Without You". I don't know if Lipsius could do anything besides "short but sweet", at least in those days, but with BS&T, he did it extremely effectively. "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)" from BS&T 4, that's another one, not QUITE so sweet, but still a good'un.

That "Skin" solo is by Al Grey, I'm 99% certain, and it's a great one indeed, but be mindful that it's "based on" the original solo from SONGS FOR SWINGING LOVERS, which was played by Milt Bernhart.

Speaking of Sinatra, Plas Johnson's intro on "That Old Feeling" from NICE AND EASY is a gem, staying perfectly as it does "inside" Nelson Riddle's superb arrangement and setting the tone for the equally superb performance that follows. He gets a little solo spot later on, and it's nice enough, but tht intro - HELL YEAH!

One more - the VERY brief (2 bars!) alto break on The Mothers' "Who Needs The Peace Corps" from "WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY. Don't know if that was Bunk Gardner, Ian Underwood, or somebody else, but HOO-EEE that's some hip shit!

Edited by JSngry
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Jim, thanks for the confirmation of Al Grey.

Since you brought up Nelson Riddle that reminds me of another.

Off the Ella Swings Gently With Nelson record, the song is I Can't Get Started, I have no idea who does the trumpet solo, and it ain't even much to speak of, but for some reason it grabs me every time I hear it.

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I've Got you Under was the first Sinatra title that evr made me take notice.. mainly because of Milts Solo.. made my buy the Swingin Lovers Album, turned me on to Sinatra. Those Capitol / Riddles are still my favourite Sinatra's..oops there goes Chris' thread..

Simple solos.. short ones seem to be from the pre LP days ..because they hafd to be short.. but my old standby.. Tommy Ladnier on Really the Blues...short, simple but toatally in the mood of the piece

Django Reinhardt on Japanese Sandman from the 1937 Dicky Wells set. Greta solo, full of dynamics, swings like mad and resolves perfectly to bring Dicky up for his out chorus.... any guitarist who hasn't heard this track, hell any musician who hasn't.. shpuld be fed Catesta's barbequed Spam.....

Another sol0 that builds nicely to a climax is Sidney DeParis on Nobody Knows how I Feel this morning... he hints that he's going to growl, builds on it, and closes out the solo with the fully realised phrase.

Not a solo but one of my favourite musical interludes are the exchanges between Johnny Hodges and Lawrence Brown on Me 'n You after Ivie's vocal. They swap phrases of assorted bar lengths.. not your usual straight 4's or 8's.. just a gem of a record

Well there goes the thread theme again... pass me that Barbeque...... :o

Edited by P.D.
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On Ray Charles' "Greenbacks" from the Atlantic sessions there's a perfect little 12 bar Bari break by "Fathead" Newman......a life giving experience.

...had to join the forum (hello everyone) to share that little tidbit, but just HAD to get it out.

ziz

Howdy!

With taste like that, you'll be most welcome here!

That "Greenbacks" solo was one of my first obsessions - LOVED it. Well, in 1977 I found a record store in Fort Wort called Sybil's Golden Oldies that had not one, not two, but THREE copies of "Greenbacks" on original Atlantic 78s - $1.25 each!

Well, long story short - I ended up buying all 3 in the space of 6 weeks, because every one I bought got broken, including the 3rd one, the label of which still resides today pinned above the inside entry to my closet, like a Bizarro horseshoe.

Edited by JSngry
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