Here's something to think about. What are the most significant tunes to you? "Significance" can be anything you want it to be, from the meaning of the lyrics, your, "signature" tune, a tune that represented a musical breakthrough, a reference to a particular period in your life...anything that makes your selections stand out to you.

My top 12, right off the top of my head are:

* That's All-(First recognition of great changes).

* Wildflower-(First tune that made me aware that you can find meaningful "gems" in rock and other music forms-also, my grandma's favorite-played it at her funeral).

* When Sunny Gets Blue-(Changes taught to be by Ella).

* Song For My Father-(Heard Horace play it live-I played it at my father's funeral).

* Hiding Inside Myself-(Kenny Rankin at his finest-sentimental song-a favorite to perform).

* Spring Can Really Hang You Up-(Just beautiful-learned it during my "conversion" to a hard line jazz guy).

* What are you Doing The Rest of Your Life?
(Has everything-beautiful changes and message).

* Sunny-(Learned this from a long-time mentor/teacher/duo partner-practiced variations on the lead lines).

* Work song-(Fun to play. Written by Oscar Brown Jr., not a close friend, but a great guy to hang out with).

* At This Moment-(Sentimental Billy Vera Song. The ladies LOVE it! Great to have a fabulous song-and singer- get the proper recognition).

* Gravy Waltz (Written by Another Hero and former employer-Steve Allen. My introduction to jazz waltz. He taught it to me).

* Wave (Was a major bossa fan during my transition from a strictly Rock dude. Still love bossa).

Had to do this list quickly, off the top of my head, because the significant tunes probably number in the thousands, if you think about it. Still play all the tunes above several times a week and never tire of them.


What are yours, and why?


Russ

(Gotta go to work-5:00 cocktail job)

Not necessarily my all-time favorites but 'most significant'. Just a few off the top of my head.

1. 'round midnight - Monk -some of the most beautiful changes of any song anywhere, any genre'.

2. Strange Fruit - Billy Holiday - spent some of my early childhood in the South; 'nuff said.

3. Brown Baby - Oscar Brown, Jr. - beautiful lyrics.

4. Drown in my own tears - Ray Charles - maybe the most soulful tune ever.

5. I can stand a little rain - Joe Cocker - The one I've picked out for my funeral.

6. Sometimes I feel like a Motherless child - Spiritual - best done with an operatic soprano backed by a Black college choir.

7. What are you doing the rest of your life/How deep is the ocean - toss up for songs about love and commitment

8. Here's to Life - Shirley Horn - Maybe the best rendition of one of the best songs ever - plus, Shirley and I grew up together in the Washington, D.C. area.

9. I put a spell on you - Nina Simone - raw, raw, raw (Nina did a lot of tunes that have significance for me).

10. Love and Happiness - Al Green - taught me the role that rhythm plays in a performance.

11. The Thrill is Gone - B.B. King - what the blues is all about.

12. Autumn Leaves - Miles w/Cannonball Adderley - the definitive 'cool' jazz.

All these tunes go way beyond just 'liking them'. To a large degree, they define my soul.

chas

Ok, like Cass, I just had to add these:

13. God Bless the Child - Billie Holiday - my mother's favorite (her second favorite; 'I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you' - aimed primarily at my father ).

14. You Don't Know What Love Is - Johnny Adams - so poignant, plus great changes.

15. Everytime We Say Goodbye - Gloria Lynn - just love that change "from major to minor".

16. My Funny Valentine - Practically any version - quite possibly my favorite song.

[This message has been edited by cgiles (edited 06-12-2010).]

"Significant" has changed since I've gone solo. Since I now play for the "more senior" crowd, I've come to retread many songs I learned in my youth and early adulthood. Here are 5 of the songs that are significant to my OMB venture.

1. How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You - James Taylor version. Gets the crowd moving, clapping and singing along; always played near the end of the set.
2. My Girl - Temptations. We love our Motown in Motown.
3. Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain - Willie Nelson. Only started playing this about a year ago, but everyone loves it.
4. Have I Told You Lately - Van Morrison. I love the song and love to tell the meaning of the lyrics.
5. Happy Trails - Roy & Dale Rogers. It's become my new goodnight song. We all sing together and wave a "happy trails" goodbye.

AND -
I just have to add -
The Nearness of You - I never kreally knew this song until our eJam of a year ago. Now I can't do a job without it.


[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 06-11-2010).]

Just three that come immediately to mind...

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes...love the message and the change to the bridge

Just the Way You Are...a true modern standard...one of my favorite songs to play...took many hours to get the sax solo (Phil Woods)as close as possible.

Alone Again Naturally...another favorite to play...one of those tunes hardly played anymore, but instantly recognized when it is.

Ian

Hey Russ
After a long period of dark clouds (health problems) I'm here once more.
My five stars list:
-Corcovado
-Eu e a brisa
-Amazonas
-This masquerade
-Autumn leaves
-All the things you are
-Con alma
-What are you doing the rest of Your life
-C'est si bon
-Champagne
-Setembro(wedding song)
-Aquarela do Brazil
-Wave
-Adios nonino
-Senza fine

and....
some of my own tunes:
-Gray morning
-Mountains
-Tristesse

Best regards from Brazil
Chico

Here are a few that I love to perform and sing on stage...

1- MY WAY - Frank Sinatra, lyrics say it all very inspirational to the way I approach performing music all these years.

2- I'LL BE LOVING YOU ALWAYS -
Irving Berlin 1925, Something my wife said to me before we were married & she was so right. http://deenotes.homestead.com/belovingyou.html

3- YOU WERE ALWAYS ON MY MIND -
Willie Nelson, lyrics made me realize it was time to Grow Up & be a man!

4- I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU -
Stevie Wonder, A song my daughter sang to me when she was 2 years old. Every time I play it I hear her voice in my head singing to Daddy.

5- Daddy's Little Girl - recorded by The Mills Brothers in 1950....Singing these lyrics I just can't get thru this song on stage or at a Wedding, etc, when the father dances with his daughter without a tear in my eye.

There are many more but these are my top 5.

A Night in Tunisia (Jimmy Smith)
How do you get your head and fingers around THAT?

What's New (Smith again)
That falling figure around the dim chord at the end still gives me goosebumps.

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
An old childhood haunt. Never did hear a nightingale sing there.

Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime (The Korgis)
Pop song that's a bit short on lyrics, but the changes are really nice.

Karelia Suite (The Nice - later to be Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
Sheer power. A tour-de-force.



[This message has been edited by 124 (edited 06-11-2010).]

In no particular order and just off the top of my head:

Nearness of You -- Like Cass, I never thought of playing it until the e-jam...now it is one of my standards.

Cubanchero -- Gary D. got me interested in this when we were talking about Latin numbers that fill a dance floor.

That's All -- for the same reasons as Russ.

Bluemoon/Sincerely medley -
Special Angel
Put Your Head On My Shoulder ---all nostalgic R&R belly rubbers that get folks on the dance floor.

Almost anything by Delbert McClinton:
Why Me, Givin' Up For Your Love, Back to Lousiana -- just to name three.

Vince Gill's Look At Us -- especially for anniversary dedications.

And some of the great chestnuts that seem to live forever: Because of You. It's Impossible. It Had To Be You...etc.etc.etc.

I usually throw in one Chuck Berry song per night.

And a couple DonM will know...and Russ will not :
I've Got a Brand New Girlfriend
Redneck Woman
Baby Likes To Rock It

I'll leave it there...but there's a couple hundred more I really enjoy doing.

Eddie

Stonewall Jackson--don't be angry" forever associated with playing music with my dad. Betchya we play it at least once when I'm home next week.
Buck Owens--buckaroo. One of the best classic country guitar instrumentals and a fond memory of my uncle Rick, dad's brother, who played it very well. He wasn't home much, preferring to bum around in Cali, but I remember him playing it. Again, I'll probably be playing that one next week too.

George Jones--the race is on. I lived a lot of years wondering what that guitar sound was in the solo. Had never heard of a baritone guitar or tictac bass.

2 Brent mason recordings. His guitar solo on Alan Jackson's Don't even know her name, and his own composition Hotwired. Stunning examples of modern chicken pickin style, using outside notes and scales far beyond pentatonics.

You are my Sunshine. Always remember the many happy hours of my grandpa teaching me to play harmonica when I was only 4. He knew 4 guitar chords; that was it. But he and I had a lot of fun over the years playing the old-time music.

Take six-- Goldmine. First time I heard that song in high school, and was unable to believe it was humanly possible to sing that in tune, with that level of harmonic sophistication. That song introduced me to the dominant 7 sharp 11 chord, which is the basis for my SZ handle.

But Beautiful. Loved the song when I learned it in college, and went down in history to stay when I had the extreme honor to play that song with Kenny Burrell, the one and only time I met him in Cali during the winter namm.

What is Hip-- Tower of Power. I'd never heard groove and beats like that in all my life and it sent me down the road to learning about funk music.

So there's a few. I could name so many more, but....

As performed on the
YAMAHA GRAND PIANO..EXCELLENT! WOW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvOx5qhcb3U&feature=related

Chico soooooo good to see you back. And I also would include Masquerade in my list. It takes me back to when I first started dating my wife who I have been married to for 30 years. We both loved listening to George Benson so Masquerade and Breezin' are at the top of my list.

I guess others would include
Lee Ritenour's cover of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely"

Cissy Houston and Herbie Mann "Cajun Moon" from the "Surprises" album ... people tend to forget that Whitney Houston's mother Cissy is an awesome singer.

Steely Dan ... too many songs to list. I just love this band ... always have ... always will.

Return To Forever "Duel Of The Tyrant And The Jester" though almost any track from the "Romantic Warrior" album is memorable for me.

Another album that every song holds dear memories for me is "Heavy Weather" by Weather Report. That is why I put http://www.synthzone.com/songs/diki/Zawinul.mp3 by Diki on Synthzone. I think he plays a moving version of this track from that album. I had never heard anyone else play this other than Joe Zawinul. Thanks so much Diki.



[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 06-12-2010).]

Here are five more of my most significant1:
1. Put Your Head on My Shoulder - Paul Anka. As Eddie said, pure nostalgia. All the women swoon and sing along as if Paul was there himself.
2. You Were Always On My Mind - Willie Nelson. I side with Donny here; it's a great tune for nostalgia and usually sits third or fourth in my set.
3. Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet. As much as I say I'm not going to play it as much, every time I do the people react positively and enjoy the song.
4. What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong version. It's near the bottom of the lineup but tugs at their heartstrings, especially the older men.
5. Runaround Sue - If anyone is going to get up and dance at a nursing home gig, this is the song that does it for me; slightly slowed down. It's fostered Sea Cruise and Runaway.

Ditto!!

Here's one that's been my favorite as played by Reuben Gonzalez. Be sure to read the wikipedia entry, he had an interesting career, that went on hold then back in gear again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeVpOO4l4RM&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubén_González

This tune, Comme Au Premier Jour, written by Andre Gagnon, has been a favorite and a mainstay in my restaurant repertoire.

Here it is played "live" on my PSR-S910 during a a gig...recorded to Wav in the keyboard, and then converted to MP3 (192 Kbps)
http://www.4shared.com/audio/yvXo4IOP/PremierJour_IMN.html

Ian

Many of the above and these:
I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry. Dexter Gordon
Where Are You. Dexter Gordon
Cheesecake. Dexter Gordon
Everything Happens To Me. Billie Holliday
Just The Way You Look Tonight. Frank, Steve Tyrell and all the other greats
My One And Ony Love. Johnny Hartman and Coltrane
Give Me The Simple Life.
A Kiss To Build A Dream On. Poppa Louie and Steve Tyrell
Desafinado.
My Romance. Ray Brown Quartet W/ Ralph Moore
It Might As Well Be Spring.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Ray Charles style

I have too many to list

I'm with you on that ...

t.



[This message has been edited by tony mads usa (edited 06-13-2010).]

Ian ... that was beautiful ... thank you ... another addition to the iPOD ! ...
t.

Wow, that is awesome! And that Yamaha sounds fab, just amazing. I would give anything to be able to play like that.

Ian...
EXCELLENT - Thanks for taking the time to share that with us.
Eddie

Thanks for the kind words, Tony and SemiLive...Andre Gagnon composed some very beautiful music.

The style I used started out as a Piano Orchestra Ballad, which was on the included style disk that came with my old PSR-2000...I added some string pads and phrases from other styles.

Thanks again,

Ian

That one is beautiful in almost any style, Boo, and is also one of my favorites.

Another one that brings back a lot of sentiments, is playing When You Wish Upon a Star...first movie I saw, and I remember going with my Mum and her having apples and cookies and other goodies in her pockets, as eating at the canteen was too expensive...still is

I love the chord changes in tunes from that era.

Ian





[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 06-13-2010).]

Ian I wasn't surprised coming from YOU that this would be such a beautiful ballad played on the Yamaha S910...who needs 76 keys, live drums, etc,? ....it's the player that makes it happen....& you my friend have proved that with this wonderful rendition...BRAVO!!

Thanks very much, my friend.

I sometimes play this on the P-85 with piano and strings layered, but I prefer it on the arranger.

I've been playing it for some time, and it is a tune I get a lot of requests for...initially it was hardly known at all where I played, and now it's become a sort of signature tune for me.

A simple yet very effective melody.

Ian

Thanks very much Eddie...I appreciate your kind words.

Ian

Ian, now that's some fine music and playing with a great arrangement!! Perfect style choice!