Limehouse Blues

[thekid]

Anyone have any ideas on this tune?

[Phil Kelly]

I just did a chart based on a Pete Christleib Qtet CD in Nashville where he did it WAAAY down slow ( about at "Shiny Stockings" tempo ..

I did it for Petes 10pc band in LA and it worked so well I blew it up for a full band!


:tanz: :tanz: :tanz: :tanz: :tanz: :tanz: :tanz:

[EdByrne]

Anyone have any ideas on this tune?

Hey thekid,

Do you have any specific question(s)?



Limehouse Blues


T: Tonic, at rest; SD: Subdominant, active; D: Dominant, most active

Note: I’m looking at the Real Book, which I realize is no urtext; therefore I apologize if I am referring to some incorrect chords. Nonetheless, this hasty analysis will get you somewhere in the neighborhood.


//IV7 (SD Blues Chord)—4 mm;

II7 (very delayed V7/V7 Sec Dom relationship)—4 mm;

I MA7 (T)—1m; IV MA7 (SD)—1 m; ii7/vi7, V7/vi7—1m; vi7 (T)—1m;

V7/V7 (Sec D)—2mm; V7 (D)—1m; Sub V7/IV7—1m;

IV7 (SD Blues Chord)—4 mm;

II7—4 mm;

I7 (Blues T)—1m; V7/ii7 (Sec D)—1m; ii7 (SD)—2mm;

ii7-5 SD)—1m; V7 (D)—1m; I7 (Blues T)—1m; Sub V7/IV7 (Turnaround)—1m//

32-Bar Recurring Form: //: A, A’, A’’, A’’’ ://


Based entirely on a repeated rhythmic motive, this piece focuses on simple traditional blues-colored chord relationships (non-functional dominant 7ths) in service of the primary key.

[Egbert Souse]

It's a great old tune and has been recorded many times in a lot of different ways by a lot of people at a lot of different tempos and i sure wish you'd lose that "jazz rocks" thing and go listen to them.

[thekid]

What are you talking about?
Jazz does rock.
It's the best music ever.
I'm not talking about smooth jazz or anything.
I hate smooth jazz
Don't worry. I've listened to the tune multiple times of different players playing it.

[thekid]

Hey thekid,

Do you have any specific question(s)?


I was just talking about soloing over it. :)

[Jay Norem]

I sure wish you'd lose that "jazz rocks" thing .

The jazz police strike again....

[Jay Norem]

P.S. Egbert, I sure wish you would lose that "accent grave over the e."

[Egbert Souse]

Who, ME?
The jazz police?

Lemme just get outta the way and let you TALK about it.
When you come up with something, publish it and i'll read about it.

Rock *THIS*, Hotshot.

Talk, indeed.

God help us.

[EdByrne]

I was just talking about soloing over it. :)

The way I'd approach improvising on this tune, which is comprised of a 4-measure rhythmic motive that is sequenced through a variety of closely related key areas, would be to develop the melodic curve and the rhythms themselves. This can be done by simply paraphrasing it, or by doing this systematically though permutation, displacement and segmentation. Pepper with blues notes, jazz inflections, articulations and vibratos.

[Jeff Lampert]

Hi folks. My first post. Glad to be here. And Ed, I read some of your "Rainy Day" re-harms, and they're terrific.

To thekid,

I play Limehouse Blues pretty often. If you're looking for some harmonic ideas, here's a few.

In the key of Ab, the chords are basically

Db7 | Db7 | Db7 | Db7
Bb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 | Bb7
Abmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | C7 | Fm7
Bb7 | Bb7 | Eb7 | Eb7

Db7 | Db7 | Db7 | Db7
Bb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 | Bb7
Abmaj7 | F7 | Bbm7 | Bbm7
Bbm7 | Eb7 | Abmaj7 | D7

Over the 4-measure Db7 lines, the Ab melodic minor scale works well. Also, playing lines based on a ii-V, i.e. Abm7, Db7, which are modes of the Gb major scale.

Over the 4-measure Bb7, the F melodic minor scale works well. Also, playing lines based on a ii-V, i.e. Fm7,Bb7 which are modes of the Eb major scale.

Over the Abmaj7 | Dbmaj7, modes of Ab major scale.

Over the C7 | Fm7, play ii-V-i i.e. Gm7,C7.Fm7. Also, try F harmonic minor, and imply a Gm7b5,C7b9,Fmi(ma7) progression. Also, over the C7, Db diminished lines.

Over the Bb7 | Bb7 , again F melodic minor. Also, secondary dominant II-V patterns since the Bb7 is a secondary dominant resolving to Eb7. Also, tri-tone sub E7#11 lines over the Bb7 resolving to Eb7.

Over the Abmaj7 | F7 |, descending lines that imply Ab7,G7,Gb7, resolving to F7. Also, since the Cm7b5 is harmonically almost an Ab7, this forms a iib5-V7-i resolving to the Bbm7 that follows in the next measure. Over the Abmaj7 | F7 |Bbm7 | Bbm7, try the Bb harmonic minor scale (be aware of the Gb note which clashes a bit with the G note of the Abmaj7).

Over the Bbm7 | Eb7 | Abmaj7, play ii-V-I lines using modes of the Ab major scale. Over the D7, use the A melodic minor. Also, ii-V lines for Am7,D7, which will make a nice parallel ii-V's to the Db7 as the progression repeats, playing Abm7, Db7 ii-V lines mentioned earlier.

[thekid]

Over the 4-measure Db7 lines, the Ab melodic minor scale works well. Also, playing lines based on a ii-V, i.e. Abm7, Db7, which are modes of the Gb major scale.


What do you mean by playing lines based on a ii-V? Do you mean just like playing there a Ab dorian or Db Mixolydian? Or is it something else you are talking about.

[Jeff Lampert]

Yes.

[thekid]

Hey thanks.
Welcome to the forum.
Stick around a while Jeff!

[Egbert Souse]

I sincerely and humbly apologize for my attitude, rudeness and assholery above.

Rock on, kid.

[thekid]

I sincerely and humbly apologize for my attitude, rudeness and assholery above.

Rock on, kid.

It's all good!:)
Don't worry about it.