What to play on Footprints?

If you don't find a specific forum, post your message here (please read all the forum list first).

What to play on Footprints?

Postby pavloconga » Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:13 pm

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
User avatar
pavloconga
 
Posts: 546
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 12:41 am
Location: Australia

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby niallgregory » Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:22 pm

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 .
niall gregory
niallgregory
 
Posts: 610
Joined: Thu May 24, 2001 2:09 am
Location: ireland

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby OLSONGO » Wed Nov 30, 2011 2:51 am

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
User avatar
OLSONGO
 
Posts: 871
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 6:39 am
Location: Tampa, Florida

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby niallgregory » Wed Nov 30, 2011 11:48 am

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)
niall gregory
niallgregory
 
Posts: 610
Joined: Thu May 24, 2001 2:09 am
Location: ireland

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby congamyk » Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:45 pm

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.
congamyk
 
Posts: 1142
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2001 6:59 pm
Location: Vegas

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby KING CONGA » Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:58 pm

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
User avatar
KING CONGA
 
Posts: 1021
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 6:18 pm
Location: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby pavloconga » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:11 am

Thanks for all your input everyone.
User avatar
pavloconga
 
Posts: 546
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 12:41 am
Location: Australia

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby pavloconga » Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:09 am

Nice work JC
User avatar
pavloconga
 
Posts: 546
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 12:41 am
Location: Australia

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby OLSONGO » Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:37 pm

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
User avatar
OLSONGO
 
Posts: 871
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 6:39 am
Location: Tampa, Florida

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby pcastag » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:11 am

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
PC
User avatar
pcastag
 
Posts: 1421
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 6:33 pm
Location: Houston, TX

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby congamyk » Fri Dec 02, 2011 5:00 am

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.
congamyk
 
Posts: 1142
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2001 6:59 pm
Location: Vegas

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby davidpenalosa » Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:26 am

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
User avatar
davidpenalosa
 
Posts: 1151
Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 6:44 pm
Location: CA

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby JohnnyConga » Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:32 pm

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...
User avatar
JohnnyConga
 
Posts: 3825
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2001 7:58 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale,Fl/Miami

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby davidpenalosa » Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:33 am

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
User avatar
davidpenalosa
 
Posts: 1151
Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 6:44 pm
Location: CA

Re: What to play on Footprints?

Postby congamyk » Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:39 am

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.
Last edited by congamyk on Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
congamyk
 
Posts: 1142
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2001 6:59 pm
Location: Vegas

Next

Return to Open Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests


cron