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What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:13 pm
by pavloconga
Hi guys,
Just a question.
I've been asked at short notice to play 2 sets of (mostly) jazz this weekend.
We only had time for one (rushed) rehearsal last night, but one song that I'm not so familiar with is 'Footprints' by Wayne Shorter.

What would you play on a song like this? It has a kind of 6 feel to it but seems to sometimes fall somewhere between 6 and 4 time.
I can feel it with a swing feel also.
Your suggestions appreciated! :)

Pavlo

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:22 pm
by niallgregory
love that tune . Check out this brief sample of bobby matos doing it http://www.allmusic.com/album/footprints-r295356 . very 6 /8 version though .

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 2:51 am
by OLSONGO
Have played this tune many of times, 6 x 8 feel . Now you can play it and express yourself in many ways , it all depends how you hear it and how you want to move it, to make it interesting.
Peace
Olsongo

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 11:48 am
by niallgregory
JohnnyConga wrote:Hey Niall On my next CD release I am doing a different arrangement of Footprints that is more like Disco tempoTumbao/Guaguanco-Rumba...but your gonna have to wait to hear my version...coming soon!!!....



Sounds good man . Interesting to hear the tune at that tempo 8)

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:45 pm
by congamyk
pavloconga wrote:Hi guys,
Just a question.
I've been asked at short notice to play 2 sets of (mostly) jazz this weekend.
We only had time for one (rushed) rehearsal last night, but one song that I'm not so familiar with is 'Footprints' by Wayne Shorter.

What would you play on a song like this?


I play bembe on 2 drums over this tune.

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:58 pm
by KING CONGA
niallgregory wrote:love that tune . Check out this brief sample of bobby matos doing it http://www.allmusic.com/album/footprints-r295356 . very 6 /8 version though .

I have this CD, it's awesome. footprints on this CD is one, if not, my favorite with Cogas.
Brother Onile, does this CD sound familiar :P

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:11 am
by pavloconga
Thanks for all your input everyone.

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:09 am
by pavloconga
Nice work JC

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:37 pm
by OLSONGO
Hate to say it JC but that snare down beat kills it for me, also sounds out of tune. Tha groove is cool, but that snare no way jose.
peace
OLsongo

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:11 am
by pcastag
Sounds cool, when I heard the bass i though you might be coming in with a fast guaguanco, like the obsesion version by jerry gonzalez. Nice work JC!
PC

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 5:00 am
by congamyk
nice tune JC, it's a fresh approach to Footprints.
@ :59 you change out of the tumbao into a nice funk pattern.


I have to agree about the drummer. :roll:
His snare is tuned low like he's playing classic rock - Allman Brothers or something.
He has hat slightly open the whole time - clanging...I hate that.
I like a nice tight groove on hat with some accents, but now drummers just leave it open to be louder.
@ 1:48 the drummer sounds completely lost and misses repeatedly after that until the final head.

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:26 am
by davidpenalosa
The original version on Miles Smiles has the bass (Ron Carter) and drums (Tony Williams) going in and out of 12/8 and 4/4 (click on the chart below):

FOOTPRINTS BASS LINES.jpg
Basic 12/8 and 4/4 forms of "Footprints" bass line.
.

I say 12/8 rather than 6/4, or 3/4, as most charts represent it, because both 12/8 and 4/4 are in duple meter; they both are set within a cycle of four main beats. Although the triple-pulse bass line marks what would be the main beats in 6/4 and 3/4, the strokes of the bass are in fact cross-beats. I show the main beats below the bass lines above with dash note-heads. They are shown here purely for reference. This is where the bass player should tap their foot. On the original version the bass switches to 4/4 at 2:20.

Bobby Matos takes these two basic African rhythmic structures and uses bembé for the 12/8 feel and changes to guaguancó (at 3:35) for the 4/4 feel. Bobby's version literally expresses what is implied on the Miles version. When listening to their free approach of going from triple to duple-pulse and back, the Miles version makes me think that a sparse arrangement of columbia could work for this song.
-David

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:32 pm
by JohnnyConga
Here is my New arrangement of Footprints to be released on my new upcoming CD-OYE!...to be released for the new year..this is a rough mix of the tune...without the trumpet solo on it...(my engineer forgot to put it on my listening cd,which this is from...

http://soundcloud.com/johnny-conga/footprints

wadda think guys? You like it or not?...I will also be redoing the drumset...

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:33 am
by davidpenalosa
I like it Johnny. The only thing I would change is the backbeat on the snare. I think it would sound better soundly only on the two-side, rather than on both sides.
-David

Re: What to play on Footprints?

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:39 am
by congamyk
davidpenalosa wrote:The original version on Miles Smiles has the bass (Ron Carter) and drums (Tony Williams) going in and out of 12/8 and 4/4 (click on the chart below):


The original version of Footprints was released on Shorter's "Adam's Apple" in 1966.