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  #1  
Old 03-17-2014, 02:31 PM
rrayner rrayner is offline
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Default Harlem Nocturne Septet

“Harlem Nocturne” was written by Earle Hagen and Dick Rogers in 1939. This was the other “Nocturne” in my band’s repertoire, the other being my theme song, “Autumn Nocturne”. This arrangement again features tenor saxophone, which was my instrument -- when you are the band leader, you get to say who gets the solos.

I have marked the tempo as “sultry”, which is the mood I tried to project with this piece. I probably started playing this piece back in the late ‘50s, working at the time in either trios or quartets. When I got to the Air Force and was fronting my own septet, this was one of my feature arrangements. The background riffs of the other three horns are pretty simplistic, but it was not meant to be a complicated arrangement. I took liberties with the bridge -- it is not played completely like it was written. I am not certain if I heard someone else play the variation or if I just came up with it on my own.

As will be my practice with all future contributions of septet/octet/big band arrangements, I have notated the drum part (for printing) with standard drum notation and the notes set to a Velocity of 1. The “real” drum part is hidden on the Conductor’s Score, but can be viewed by opening the Working Score. I have anomaly in the drum part in that I have several rim shots, measure 1 for instance, which requires a drum stick. But the direction to the drummer for the rest of the piece is to use brushes. If I ever talk to a "real" drummer about this, perhaps I can figure out a better way to notate this situation.

Again, I have modified note attacks and durations for a more natural feel as described in:

http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/showthread.php?t=30356

As an afterthought, I have added an MP3 file of what this arrangement sounds like on my Clavinova -- quite a bit different than General Midi sounds.

Ralph Rayner
Attached Files
File Type: not Harlem Nocturne.not (145.8 KB, 31 views)
File Type: mp3 Harlem Nocturne.mp3 (1.98 MB, 20 views)

Last edited by rrayner; 03-17-2014 at 03:00 PM. Reason: addendum
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  #2  
Old 03-18-2014, 12:59 PM
dj dj is offline
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Default Re: Harlem Nocturne Septet

Nice!

The Clavinova rendition is so close to real that I would have sworn it was played by a full band.

A/B-ing it with the .not file, played through my Yamaha XG machine, the Tenor Sax seems to be the same sound, but the Bari. Sax, in particular, sticks out as rougher on my machine. The Brass/Bari. Sax blend in the mp3 is great; very convincing.

Very interesting to see your use of the shorthand slash chords and repeat symbols we've talked about elsewhere. We don't, however, have a piano track here, just the slash chord symbols, so is there some "body" missing that the piano would have added?

I'm sending all of my big band tracks to you from now on for finishing.

David
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  #3  
Old 03-18-2014, 01:26 PM
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Sherry C Sherry C is offline
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Default Re: Harlem Nocturne Septet

Hi Ralph,

I'm with David - your score is immensely clear and readable, and the sound from your Clavinova is very realistic. Thanks for including that, because I remember you mentioning before that "Clarice" had some great sounds that were specific to her. I like your arrangement better than the one our band currently uses

Thanks for sharing - this one goes (along with most of your others) in my "play along practice" folder

ttfn,
Sherry
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Old 03-18-2014, 02:14 PM
rrayner rrayner is offline
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Default Re: Harlem Nocturne Septet

Hi Sherry & David,

Thanks as always for the compliments. I have had a lot of fun over the early years and now again with this song.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dj View Post
Very interesting to see your use of the shorthand slash chords and repeat symbols we've talked about elsewhere. We don't, however, have a piano track here, just the slash chord symbols, so is there some "body" missing that the piano would have added?David
There is something "missing" alright, David. I did not graduate from Berklee, but left after 2-1/2 years to join the USAF Band. Perhaps in that final 1-1/2 years I missed, there would have been some instruction on how to write piano parts, but all I was given during my time there was, "Give the piano player a road map with the chord symbols and let him wing it!" Berklee probably handles that better now. Throughout the Forum, you will find pieces where I have written rudimentary piano parts, but not many. Where you do find some, they are written more like another horn part. If I could only find time to take some piano lessons, it might get better, but I am starting to feel the pressure of time, and I want so badly to write.

Another reason for the absence of an actual written piano part is that I believe that the horn riffs I used in this arrangement were essentially what he used to play behind me in my quartet.

Ralph
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Old 03-19-2014, 12:19 PM
dj dj is offline
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Default Re: Harlem Nocturne Septet

[QUOTE=rrayner;65307]"Give the piano player a road map with the chord symbols and let him wing it!"/QUOTE]



That's like "How many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Answer: "None. The piano player will do it with his left hand."

Sorry, Sherry.

One of my sisters did a two-year program in jazz piano performance at Berklee. Me? I had six months of piano lessons from a guy who blew cigar smoke at me.

David
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Old 03-19-2014, 12:41 PM
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Sherry C Sherry C is offline
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Default Re: Harlem Nocturne Septet

Hi David,

Quote:
Originally Posted by dj View Post
That's like "How many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Answer: "None. The piano player will do it with his left hand."

Sorry, Sherry.
That's ok, I tell that joke too.

And then duct tape everything left of middle C on the keyboard if the keyboard player touches it

ttfn,
Sherry
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Old 04-16-2014, 08:37 AM
aulos43 aulos43 is offline
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Default Re: Harlem Nocturne Septet

Hi Ralph.

Nice.

Could you tell me what the intent of the slur markings over staccato notes is? Is that a breath marking?

I got the "Music Notation (Berklee Guide)" in February, but haven't had a chance to get too far into it. I took an orchestration class back in the 70's and have some background in reading string, keyboard and recorder music -- they each treat slurs their own way. And it varies from era to era and place to place, it seems.

Would appreciate the views of a working musician with a jazz perspective.

Thanks

Walt

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