Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thEGZLR5RM  Download    This is another Christmas favorite that we do every year.  It was first sung by Judy Garland in the MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis in 1944.  The lyrics had to be re-written because they were just too depressing and rather morbid.  The first two lines originally were, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas – it may be your last”.  What?  Don’t say that!  I’m glad Hugh Martin agreed to change the words,  though he didn’t want to.

Anyway, this is the arrangement we use.  I thought harmonica fit nicely for a lead line, with a little sprinkle of vibes and a jazz guitar on top.  I’ve done two different versions on the Christmas song list – this is number 1.  Number 2 is considerably more upbeat (I might have been drinking that night).  Oh… and have yourself a merry little Christmas –  from the Zobrist household.

Santa Baby

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thA7M7R4ZZ  Right-Click to Download    This Christmas tune has been recorded by every singer from LeAnn Rimes to Madonna to Homer & Jethro (go figure that one).  The original recording was done way back in 1953 by the one and only Eartha Kitt.  It was a huge hit for her so she re-recorded it 10 years later with a more uptempo arrangement (if something works just keep trotting it out there, I guess).  Madonna’s popular rendition in 1987 was based on Kitt’s latter version.

Since Madonna has the moral turpitude of a snake, we elect to perform this song in the original Eartha Kitt style – besides, it’s more fun and Karen gets to use her “Betty Boop” voice.  If you’re lucky enough to have a Yamaha workstation keyboard, use the “voice oohs” setting on track 14…. the backup vocals are surprisingly realistic.  Of course, if you have three backup singers you won’t need that.  This one is primarily for single performers, so get your best “Betty Boop” in gear.  Great song…

The Christmas Song

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thGYMI0Z20  Right-Click to Save    I put a jazz Christmas CD together about two years ago, and shared it with a few people (and one dog) last year with folks  I thought would get a kick out of it.  However, I’ve since discovered that my sequences are now all over the internet – with no credit to me.  Can you say “copyright”?  Apparently, I can’t.

No matter.  This season I’ll share my jazzy Christmas tracks with everybody and anybody.  Singers can use these arrangements in their own holiday sets and I’ll be honored if they do.  “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” (The Christmas Song) has become a classic – written by Mel Torme and recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio in 1946.  This arrangement is nothing like the original (I heard it by someone several years ago), but works as a nice jazz piece around the holidays.   My piano lead gets a little carried away, but when the beat is there ya gotta go with it.  Backup midi tracks are on the Christmas list.

Superstar

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

th4YXSKWAR  Right-Click to Save    I would never, ever perform this song.  And I wouldn’t play behind a singer who wanted to do this song.  So there.  It’s the lyrics – actually only one line that ruined it for me, and that is “Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh, baby”.  I mean, come on – somebody couldn’t come up with more words than that for a crucial line in the chorus?  I made fun of it for years.

Of course, the Carpenters have the best-known version.   It was first recorded by Delaney and Bonnie, who did it in a very “bluesy”style – never a hit for them.  Then Bette Midler gave it a shot… no good (must have been that “baby” line).  Richard Carpenter heard Bette perform it on the “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” and decided he wanted to cover it.  Karen Carpenter didn’t like the tune (had to be that line) but, after hearing Richard’s arrangement, she came around.

I didn’t pay much attention to orchestration before I started writing backing tracks for singers.  Now I don’t listen to lyrics anymore.  “Superstar” has great instrumentation – violins, piano, french horns, harp, oboe, and an entire brass section.  Quite a challenge to work all that in and still have a workable piece for a single performer or small combo.  Now I’m gonna rewrite that stupid line myself…… baby.

Teach Me Tonight

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

Stage_Spotlight  Right-Click to Save    This is a blue light special at K-Mart. What I mean is, do this song in the middle of the third set, lights down onstage except for beautiful blue spots on the singer.  Dramatic and subtle at the same time.  Just a suggestion…

This one has become a jazz standard and was first recorded by “The DeCarlo Sisters” (who?) in 1954.  The 78 RPM record of them doing the song is considered quite the collector’s item.  A guy with the unlikely name of “maynardcat” found a unique way to show off his record (click link below).  Those were the days.

This should be a simple song with not too much instrumentation, so I might have mucked it up a bit with the violin track.  Of course, you can always mute that track if you agree that I got carried away.  It’s on the jazz/swing list.  And don’t forget the blue spots….

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=teach+me+tonight+the+decastro+sisters+video&FORM=VIRE15#view=detail&mid=05E735C7B5C248EDF9D505E735C7B5C248EDF9D5

My Girl

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thT7LFN57M  Right-Click to Download    Oh, boy… The Temptations! Harmony doesn’t get any better than this.  This one was their very first number-one hit, which was an emotional blow to Eddie Kendricks, their lead singer.  David Ruffin was recruited from background vocal status to sing the lead and pretty much took the job away from Kendricks for the rest of their career.  Ruffin’s voice was more mellow with a kind of gruff edge that worked extremely well with the Temptation’s style.  Sorry, Eddie…

The six ascending guitar notes at the top are most notable because they are a perfect example of a C major pentatonic scale, played exactly from octave to octave.  I always thought the beginning bass riff prior to the guitar was the “signature” part of the song, but what do I know?  I think when you hear the bass you say, “Hey, that could be My Girl” – then, when the guitar arrives, you know you were right.

If you’re a single performer out there using backing tracks, you can pay a hefty price for a professional sequence for “My Girl”, or you can use mine for free.  I’m not quite good enough to get the violins just right (especially in the middle eight), but who’s gonna notice?  No one yet has come up to us and said, “You know those strings aren’t quite right in that middle part there”.  But they will now….

Fever

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

th4B9YW0K3  Right-Click to Save    This tale of oh, so passionate love was first recorded by a man by the name of Little Willie John. He was a major influence on R&B singers in the ’60s but nobody much knows about him today… maybe because he stabbed a man to death and died in prison at the tender age of 30…. that’ll kick your career in the butt.

Of course, the most famous version of “Fever” belongs to Peggy Lee.  She recorded it in 1958 and the lyrics were considered quite racy at the time… hence, its popularity.  I always thought her rendition was pretty boring, except for the finger-snapping (cool).  So our performance of the song runs more along the lines of Micahel Buble.  It’s a little weird, but interesting, I think.  The backup tracks are on the Jazz/Swing list.

Proud Mary

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thOLNQEL5G  Right-Click to Download    This iconic tune was written by John Fogerty and recorded with his band Creedence Clearwater Revival  in 1969.  The bands’ name came from three sources:  Fogerty’s friend Credence Newball (the spelling changed to creedence for “creed”), a commercial for Olympia Beer (clear water), and the band’s almost religious dedication to their music (revival).  Cool, huh?  I first heard them in my dorm room in college and I’ve been a fan ever since.  Fogerty loved Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony… you know the intro “dit, dit dit…dah”.  Those notes inspired the first two chords of  “Proud Mary”, C and A.  Who knew we were listening to classical all along.

“Proud Mary”, however, is probably the most over-played song in America (other than “Brown-Eyed Girl”, which I’ve grown to despise).  I mean, EVERYBODY played this song, and I’m as guilty as the next guy.  First we all played it like Creedence for, like, ten years.  Then we had to do it like Ike and Tina Turner… well, I never did that – hated it!  So if you’re tired of performing it the same old two ways (there’s always a request for it), here’s my version for you to try.  Be brave – trot this one out there for fun and see what happens (the midi backing tracks are on the Pop/Rock list).  And if some idiot says, “Hey, that ain’t the Proud Mary I know” – pat him on the back, buy ’em a drink, and suggest that he get a life.

Stuck in the 70’s

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thDSJEW3TN  Right-Click to Save    Actually, I’m stuck in the 60’s, but 70’s makes me sound younger.  But from 1975 to 1979 I was in a “wedding band” (of sorts) and I’m pretty certain we did this song.  There are people who can set me straight on this, but if we didn’t do it… we should have.  We had a fabulous “chick singer” who would have more than nailed “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon.  But I digress…

Fans of Carly have always wondered who the song was about.  Personally, I suspected it was Warren Beatty, but no one knew for sure… except Carly, of course.  I started this little article 2 days ago with the intent of revealing Beatty as the culprit.  Doncha’ know this morning I read in the paper that Carly is now telling all… and it’s (yep) Warren Beatty.  What a coincidence, huh?  Thanks a lot, Carly.  Steal my thunder, why don’t you.

Anyway, this would be a great song in your repertoire if it’s not already there.  An interesting aside…. Carly confirmed Warren was the second verse, but is not telling who the rest of the song is about (clever lady – keep the mystery flowing).  Despite her explanation that only a part of the song is Beatty, she said, “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him”.   What a guy….

Check out the lyrics on the link below:

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/carly+simon/you+are+so+vain_20354877.html

Just a Closer Walk With Thee

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

th3DSPKNTK  Right-Click to Save    The original author of this hymn is unknown, but evidence suggests it was first heard on the plantations in the South. While working in the fields, slaves were heard singing a song about walking by the Lord’s side.  It wasn’t actually put on a record label until 1941 by the Selah Jubilee Singers, but it didn’t reach the ears of very many people. Red Foley sold a million copies in 1941, but it really didn’t get heard until Tennessee Ernie Ford put his incredible voice to the melody in the late 1950’s.  And it didn’t hurt that Elvis recorded it either.  By 1970, over one hundred artists had recorded “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” with some degree of success.

I thought it would make a nice addition to the Sacred/Gospel Instrumentals list.  I hear it like Fats Domino might have done it, so it’s an interpretation you’ve never heard and might not like.  I hope that’s not so…