Jump to content

When Lights Are Low - Bridge Changes


Recommended Posts

I sometimes hear the bridge played as a series of three ii-V-I progressions before the turnaround to the home key.

But I have also heard it played with the first chord of the bridge as a major 7th chord on the IV, related to the first ii-V-I key if that makes sense. 

So, playing it on the piano in Eb, that could mean the first chord of the bridge is an Abm7 or a B maj. 7.  I kind of like the sound of the latter because it seems a little less expected, but either work.  

Last night, I listened to a very early recording by Benny Carter, and I heard the series of three ii-V-I progressions, but the fidelity wasn't the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, medjuck said:

I'll ask Ira Nepus who was a friend of Benny's and often played with him.  Miles famously didn't know the bridge.

Not sure if Miles altered the bridge to a repeat of the A section in a new key because he didn't know Carter's bridge or because he found his simpler altered version of Carter's bridge to the piece easier/more attractive for him to blow on. He did something very similar to the bridge of Monk's "Well You Needn't" for, I assume, the same reason. In any case, thanks to Miles' popular recordings of those pieces, his altered versions of their bridges came to be commonly used.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ira answered as follows (though he also says it good to go with your ears too).

 

I worked with Benny and Jamey Abersold on this before Benny passed.   The first chord of the bridge in this key of Eflat  starts on:  A flat minor going to G flat major in the next bar. Then  B minor to A major to Dminor to C major, to  Cminor to Fminor and then  back to the top. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Not sure if Miles altered the bridge to a repeat of the A section in a new key because he didn't know Carter's bridge or because he found his simpler altered version of Carter's bridge to the piece easier/more attractive for him to blow on. He did something very similar to the bridge of Monk's "Well You Needn't" for, I assume, the same reason. In any case, thanks to Miles' popular recordings of those pieces, his altered versions of their bridges came to be commonly used.

Miles played it in F and the brigde in Bb. I never had heard the original version since I´m not really familiar with Benny Carter´s work, but didn´t play Miles with Benny Carter in LA in 1946 and decided to stay and record with Bird ? 


Miles´ bridge on "Well You Needn´t " is common ground at jam sessions, but I always ask which bridge they want, since if I play it on my own, I use the Monk bridge, since I´m familiar with Monk´s music. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember playing that tune with a pianist who had been on the road with Chet baker for 8 months, and was featured on the Woody Herman album "East Meets West>, but had just just received his doctorate in Musical Theory.

He lectured us on how the tune was the most perfect miniaturization of Sonata Form in the history of music. We all just nodded our heads as if we understood what he was talking about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I just listened to Chet Baker's version of this tune, from Chet Baker in New York.  Instead of playing the bridge, they play the A section again, up a perfect fourth, kind of like the bridge in "What's New."

Why on earth would anyone want to cover "When Lights are Low" and delete that amazing bridge?!?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...