This Guy Got me Interested in jazz accordion
- Thread starter GeorgeH76
- Start date
Cool clip, thanks George! Are you playing some jazz too?
I have a book of AVD arrangements with the improvisations. Difficult if not impossible for me to play them. Try to play this passage from "Laura".
I have put out several jazz tunes on youtube. I have my own style, but have some influence from listening to AVD for a long time. I got almost 7,000 views for my rendition of "All of Me"
I have a book of AVD arrangements with the improvisations. Difficult if not impossible for me to play them. Try to play this passage from "Laura".
I have put out several jazz tunes on youtube. I have my own style, but have some influence from listening to AVD for a long time. I got almost 7,000 views for my rendition of "All of Me"
Nice one George! Yea, I'm not trying that sheet!
JeffJetton
Prolific poster
Me, after reading that first measure...
Me, after reading that first measure...
. Dissect it… that entire line (ONE measure… lol), uses mostly 2 basic skills… chromatic scales and arpeggios. If you are comfy with that, in THEORY you should be able to play that measure At SOME speed. It looks scary but not if you work on the fingering and chunk it in to 3 or 4 notes at a time, then in to one beat at a time, then link 2 beats, 3 beats and then link the measure together. It’s doable to some degree, perhaps if not at the full speed that AVD did it!
I do believe that you cannot read and memorize jazz modulations and runs, they need to come from the "inner you". Sure you can memorize that arrangement of Laura, but w/o the ability to create your own runs, that would limit you to playing Laura; just one tune. Practice doing mods and runs on tunes you know. At some point, you should be able to create and play a full tune, syncopated in jazz. Sure they'll sound a bit clunky early one but in time, you'll sound more and more like you know what you're doing !
just my .02
just my .02
Thomas N
Well-known member
This is interesting. Art Van Damme also got me into Jazz Accordion. About 25 years ago I bought maybe four or five CDs of his from Amazon and listened to them over and over. I had never heard anything like that. I loved it and still do. His sound and ability to swing is instantly recognizable to me.
I had read a long diatribe on a Jazz Forum years ago about Art. The poster (anonymous, of course) had mentioned that Art had no creativity and merely played the same exact riffs over and over and over. He also, according to the poster, meticulously transcribed Benny Goodman (King of Swing) clarinet solos note for note and then would practice them for upwards of 14 hours per day. His insinuation, in other words, was that Art Van Damme could not improvise and was a mechanical player.
I vacillate in either believing there's a bit of truth to this or it's complete unsubstantiated rubbish. I noticed that if you listen to one of his staples, Gone with the Wind, over multiple years over multiple albums it's pretty darn close to being the exact same every time. There isn't much variety in his solos on that particular song. If you compare that to say, Galliano or Johnny Meijer, you'll notice that their renditions of the same song are completely different depending upon the mood or tempo.
Bottom line is that I am not well-versed enough in ANY of this to really come to any kind of conclusion. I love Art Van Damme and if given the choice to listen to any accordionist I'll pick him every single time. Instantly recognizable, incredible technique, swings like no other, and just joyous music to me.
Thomas N
Well-known member
I have a book of AVD arrangements with the improvisations. Difficult if not impossible for me to play them. Try to play this passage from "Laura".
I have put out several jazz tunes on youtube. I have my own style, but have some influence from listening to AVD for a long time. I got almost 7,000 views for my rendition of "All of Me"
Your rendition of All of Me is OUTSTANDING! And wow, I can hear a ton of Art Van Damme influence in it, from the chord slides to the solo runs. And that's a VERY GOOD THING!
Ventura
Been here for ages!
i am not a pure Jazz fan, nor do i understand it
(meaing Cory can listen to a million note improv and tell
you if there was even one bad/incorrect note)
but i came to respect Art for a number of reasons
1: he kept his Quintet together and MAKING MONEY far far longer than
any other "band leader" ever managed to do.. in Studio and out..
2: he understood how to accompany people.. listen to his Album with
Jo Stafford.. it is a training guide for all musicians (or should be)
3: and listen to him giving the other musicians their 8 bars or more, and
how sweetly he supports them with his impeccable complex chording,
touch sensitivity, and timing ( and THAT is proof he could and did improve )
JAZZ CHORDING i DO understand, and employ.. (just not for playng jazz)
and other accordionists have always appreciated hearing those nice and'
often unexpected chords and progressions and aside from my Teacher
Bob Homovich and my own nature, i do have to thank Art for helping
me understand
4: watch his bellows.. he articulates individual notes and feathers his chords
naturally and with total control..
to counter that anon posting.. consider that he toured the world
and his preference was to perform with prefection, but that required
muisicians that he could hire for the session locally.. in Amsterdam.. in Germany..
and here too when he played in DC
so his CHARTS had to be impeccable, and clear, and HIS play had to
also be absolutely consistent for those session players to have a hope
of keeping up and understanding what was being played..
in other words he needed to memorize his parts and play them correctly
so that the whole would work.. everywhere..everytime..
that's my 2 cents
(meaing Cory can listen to a million note improv and tell
you if there was even one bad/incorrect note)
but i came to respect Art for a number of reasons
1: he kept his Quintet together and MAKING MONEY far far longer than
any other "band leader" ever managed to do.. in Studio and out..
2: he understood how to accompany people.. listen to his Album with
Jo Stafford.. it is a training guide for all musicians (or should be)
3: and listen to him giving the other musicians their 8 bars or more, and
how sweetly he supports them with his impeccable complex chording,
touch sensitivity, and timing ( and THAT is proof he could and did improve )
JAZZ CHORDING i DO understand, and employ.. (just not for playng jazz)
and other accordionists have always appreciated hearing those nice and'
often unexpected chords and progressions and aside from my Teacher
Bob Homovich and my own nature, i do have to thank Art for helping
me understand
4: watch his bellows.. he articulates individual notes and feathers his chords
naturally and with total control..
to counter that anon posting.. consider that he toured the world
and his preference was to perform with prefection, but that required
muisicians that he could hire for the session locally.. in Amsterdam.. in Germany..
and here too when he played in DC
so his CHARTS had to be impeccable, and clear, and HIS play had to
also be absolutely consistent for those session players to have a hope
of keeping up and understanding what was being played..
in other words he needed to memorize his parts and play them correctly
so that the whole would work.. everywhere..everytime..
that's my 2 cents
I think it's "that sound" that you never heard before -- and these new sounds have a great influence you. Here's a few of mine:
- Lenny on the Hammond -- "Plantation Boogie"
- Art Damn
- The Three Sons
- Joe Vero, at the Euclid Roller Drome (near Cleveland, OH) on his Hammond with his beat to the "Flea Hop"
This is, what, I believe, has the greatest influence on anyone:
What You are, Is What You Where, When.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
Thomas N
Well-known member
This is one of the CDs I purchased and I couldn't agree with you more. It was after listening to this CD that I realized I could never accompany anybody that well no matter how much I practiced.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
i believe it comes from having a natural mindset that
causes the "leader" to always be finding ways to bring
out the best in his sidemen and Vocalists.. whether giving
them well padded opportunities or simply recognizing their
strengths and letting them be played to..
i always would ask, even on the pick-up gigs which were many in my youth,
i mean the Cordovox player always called the songs (even though was
still wet behind the ears and the Clarinet player might be 80 years old )
that's just the way it was.. and i would ask each one what their best or favourite
songs were and if they had anything special in their arrangements i should
work with, and i would always incorporate the answers into my set calling
if you bring out the best in everyone around you...
causes the "leader" to always be finding ways to bring
out the best in his sidemen and Vocalists.. whether giving
them well padded opportunities or simply recognizing their
strengths and letting them be played to..
i always would ask, even on the pick-up gigs which were many in my youth,
i mean the Cordovox player always called the songs (even though was
still wet behind the ears and the Clarinet player might be 80 years old )
that's just the way it was.. and i would ask each one what their best or favourite
songs were and if they had anything special in their arrangements i should
work with, and i would always incorporate the answers into my set calling
if you bring out the best in everyone around you...
I would add Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Booker T and the MGs to the list and come to mind.
Thanks for listening! What is difficult are the speedy runs and 5 finger chords that Art makes look easy.
Good advice. I did a youtube of "Laura" where I "copied the parts that I was comfortable with and easy to memorize and made up my own stuff on the parts that I could not play. Also, I didn't play all the chords exactly as written. I guess I improvised the improvisation?
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