Willow Weep for Me

[Big Beat Steve]

o'donel levy does a nice jobe with "willow" on this one:

So this O'Donnell feller took his inspiration for this album from LEE DORSEY?? :rolleyes:

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

o'donel levy does a nice jobe with "willow" on this one:

So this O'Donnell feller took his inspiration for this album from LEE DORSEY?? :rolleyes:

Sure. Why not? Good title; nice little riff. Not as good, in my view, as "Get out my life woman", which Grasella Oliphant did with Patton & Green & Clark Terry, but good 'nuff.

MG

[JSngry]

It was good enough for Lou Donaldson...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Yes, I was going to mention that, but forgot.

MG

[JSngry]

My vote (maybe heresy to some around here ):

Stan Kenton's version with vocals by June Christy (the flipside of "Fantasy" on Capitol).

The Kenton version on Standards In Silhouette is a real gem.

[Bright Moments]

i just heard a nice (and long) version by Red Garland on his "Groovy" album (prestige - 1957)

[WorldB3]

wow, no mention of the Baby Face Willette version with Grant Green.

Its been OOP for awhile, the new RVG will be worth picking up. Great session.

Edited January 27, 2009 by WorldB3

[Chuck Nessa]

For me Willow is a song needing words to communicate so my choices would probably be vocals.

[RDK]

I love the song and have heard many versions of it, but it's funny how certain songs just call out for specific instrumentation. For me, "Willow" is best when played on vibes. Just as "The Nearness of You" is to me a trombone song.

[Spontooneous]

Favorite all-out blowing version has to be Basie's "Taxi War Dance." (If you don't think those are "Willow" changes, just give the trombone solo another listen.)

[JSngry]

I know those aren't "Willow " changes. It has some of the same chords in some of the same order, but that "similarity" does not equal "same".

Tell you what - sing a full chorus of the lyrics of "Willow..." over a chorus of "Taxi". If they are in fact "the same", they should fit together perfectly.

They don't. Not unless you're Darlene Edwards or somebody.

For one thing, the second half of the A-sections goes someplace different. Plus, the harmonic sequence of the bridge on Taxi only cycles once. On Willow, it goes twice. That's because the harmonic rhythm for those chances slows down to half of what it would be if it were really Willow form at that tempo.

It might seem like a technicality, but when you call a tune at a session and say something like "It's Willow changes" and then proceed to play something that's "like" Willow changes, doesn't even keep the same form, people might well gonna be pissed...

Maybe the misunderstanding springs from terminology. When a musician says that a tune is "ABC changes" without any qualification, they meant that the changes are the same, the form is the same, that nothing changes except whatever melody you put on top. With "Taxi", we have a tune that is certainly similar/inspired by Willow, but - the form is not the same, and neither are all of the changes.

To a lay person, hey, big deal, probably. And ok, whatever gets you through the night, if ou knwo what I mean. But it's still wrong.

Edited January 28, 2009 by JSngry

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

For me Willow is a song needing words to communicate so my choices would probably be vocals.

I know what you mean, but don't you "hear" the words when you're listening to an instrumental version? And isn't that part of what the musician intended to happen?

MG

[Bright Moments]

how about Carmell Jones' version on Jay Hawk Talk!

[Dave James]

I'm loathe to admit this, but one of my favorite versions is sung by the 60's British twosome, Chad & Jeremy.

P.M. to Bright Moments. I'd remove that picture if you want anyone to read your posts. Once I saw it, I kind of forgot about what's his name...you know, the jazz trumpeter. Who is that gorgeous gal anyway?

Up over and out.

[paul secor]

The Chad & Jeremy was my intro to this song. Luckily, I heard other versions soon afterward.

[Serioza]

Willow Weep For Me - (Wynton Marsalis) ~ Modern Jazz Quartet & Friends

and

Willow Weep For Me- Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie Orchestra

[Bright Moments]

a nice (instrumental) version here"

[fasstrack]

It's not merely a geat vehicle, it's a great song. For years I played it as a jazz waltz, and it's fine like that. But it really is a ballad and now I want to sing it by memory. The lyrics are not easy and it rivals Blues in the Night---and Sinatra just put both away.

[Bright Moments]

i just heard an excellent version of "Willow" by the Mal Waldron Trio on "Free at Last"

[AllenLowe]

in my blues box (plug plug) I have a version of Willie Weep for Me with Les Paul and Benny Carter -

[Jim R]

I'm loathe to admit this, but one of my favorite versions is sung by the 60's British twosome, Chad & Jeremy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WV99z3Dapc

The Chad & Jeremy was my intro to this song. Luckily, I heard other versions soon afterward.

Wow, I didn't expect anybody else (let alone two people) to mention Chad & Jeremy's version. It was my introduction also, and was the first LP I ever owned (a gift from an older brother). I even remember seeing them on the Patty Duke Show back in the day.