Jazz returns...

[Paulie]

A couple of returns today... going to try and edit a couple of tracks to save my submittals for tonights listing.

Jazz quintet a la Miles and Coltrane Quintet
https://soundcloud.com/yopauliemusic/on ... e-old-guys
Screener #319: “Trumpet sounds too synthetic.”
Me: It's me playing a real trumpet with harmon mute.


Jazz Quartet a la Joe Henderson
https://soundcloud.com/yopauliemusic/this-ones-for-me
Screener #319: “Needs to have more of a classic jazz sound.”
Me: Are you talking mix or style? #Puzzled


Jazz Quartet a la Sonny Rollins
https://soundcloud.com/yopauliemusic/schools-out
Screener #319: “Bass and drums sound small. Try adding some reverb to the drums and adding more attack to the bass sound.”


I've got a couple of libraries I know will take them. #Motivated

[Len911]

Paulie, imo, the reverb comment was probably the most applicable for all the songs and the comments. I mean in the first song, with you playing a real trumpet with a harmon mute, (close-up in a padded room?) Don't real trumpets get much of their sound from the room?? Same thing on number two, most vintage jazz videos and tracks seem to be in a large room or stage, sometimes not so great sounding acoustics, but real sounding. And then the third song does mention the reverb. Years ago there was a real violinist who got some comments about a fake sounding violin, and I think they might have played it in their bedroom.

This free experimental reverb, if still available as free? might be worthwhile to try out
https://www.u-he.com/cms/179-protoverb

[Paulie]

Thanks for the feedback Len... I've got plenty of reverbs available. I once got dinged about sounding too MIDI when playing a real soprano sax. Guess they wanted it sloppier.

Hard to tell how they want things mixed. I've been dinged for not sounding old enough, not sounding current enough... reverb is always a taste thing and when you listen to various a la's it's all over the board. Same for panning. One of the things that drives me nuts about this industry is the amount of work people put into tunes from a mix/EQ perspective and then most of the time the stuff is mixed so low in the final product (under dialog) that you can barely hear it, and therefore barely hear subtleties like reverb on a harmon mute or if the drums are too dry.

I forgot to post the listing for the details.

ORIGINAL JAZZ INSTRUMENTALS are needed for several $500, NON-Exclusive, Direct-to-Music Supervisor placements in a NEW TV Series. They’re looking for Jazz Instrumentals in a variety of Tempos and Styles that would appeal to fans of the following artists:

“Freddie Freeloader” by Miles Davis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPfFhfSuUZ4
“Ad Lib Blues” by Lester Young with Oscar Peterson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPHj9uNZOgk
“Blue Train” by John Coltrane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpZHUVjQydI

Please send them well-crafted Jazz Instrumentals that are, or sound like an authentic Jazz Ensemble with top-notch musicians. Authenticity is really key for this pitch. Your production should sound like real humans playing real instruments, even if you’re using Virtual Instruments. Stick to a traditional “Jazz Standard” sound, and avoid submitting anything that’s too avant-garde or experimental. You should also keep anything that sounds stiff or obviously MIDI-driven on the shelf. They’re not looking for material that sounds “kind of like” Jazz. They want the real deal! All submissions should be at least 2 minutes in length (yes, you can even submit a 3 or 4 minute long – give or take - piece).

[Paulie]

The Miles and Coltrane a la's were recorded in big rooms... "Freddie" is a huge room. But the second a la with Lester Young is close mic'd with basically no reverb. Nothing in the listing suggested era-based recording authenticity, they just wanted real musicians playing authentically in the idiom. C'est la vie, Write, Submit, Forget, Repeat.

[Paulie]

I've remixed all three per the screener feedback, plus your harmon mute input Len. The new versions are on my Taxi music page, there is a jazz listing due tonight that I've submitted these to. Hopefully the feedback from the returns will lead to forwards. #WorkingSmarter

Thanks again!

PC

[niallyboy]

Hi Paul,

I checked out the Joe Henderson-esque This One's For Me track, as I also re'cd two returns for the same reason: not in the classic jazz style/sound (I did get five forwards on this one, however). All of the a la's were blues, as was This One's for Me. I'm only thinking that it was the soloing itself-- a bit angular and introspective in the Joe Henderson manner. Gorgeous solo, bro! (hard rubber mouthpiece?) That said, they also offer some Coltrane for a reference-- go figure.

This brings me to the question of what defines classic jazz. I think your track IS classic jazz, yet from the screener's perspective, they're looking for something more watered-down and less obtrusive. As players, we have to unlearn some of our instincts and dilute, baby, dilute!

Cheers,
Niall