Smooth jazz Xmas cover

[pveniot]

Hi,
My attempt for Y181025SJ

Please submit Instrumentals that have a Jazzy vibe. Deliver a Christmas sound and style similar to the references mentioned above. Your submissions should have authentic-sounding instrumentation, solid musicianship, and great arrangements. You’d be wise to stick as close to the song’s original melody as possible, so that it’s easily recognized by listeners. Be sure your submissions sound like an authentic Jazz ensemble. Any material that sounds stiff, synthetic, or obviously MIDI-driven will not work for this pitch.

I think pretty much on the case... absolutely no midi here!

https://soundcloud.com/pierre-veniot/o- ... f-bethleem

Any comments on the mix or else...

Thx in advance

[ttully]

Hi Pveniot,

Way too midi....ha..just kidding!!

The first 4 seconds are a little confusing.... but once it gets going is is very good!!!!
But at about :40 to 1:00 it loses it..... I think you are using the wrong instrument for the harmony...
And the harmony is off in places..
Then from 1:00 to 1:05 it is great again...then loses it a little...but not too bad.

I think you are off to a great start.....I would try to get the harmony a bit better...stick with a mainstream feel...don't go off with some
crazy harmonies that most people will not understand!!!

My 2 cents,
Tim

[pveniot]

Hi ttully, thx for the input...
Question: when you talk about '' harmony'' do you talk about the piano?
('cause I'm not really satisfied about it)

What do you say about the saxophones section?

Nice comment many thx

Pierre

[ttully]

oh yea...its a unison playing from :40 to :50....
To my ears...a different instrument would be better....I don't know what without hearing it!!!

BUT now that i have played it about 10 times it sounds ok.....but at first it sounded very odd....

And the harmony at :53 to :60 is not quite right (the staccato kind of stuff) the notes may be right but the phrasing does not fit well
and at :57...it sounds very off to my ears......but listening over and over....it sounds better cause I am getting used to it... but at first it sounded way off.

But from about 1:01 to 1:07 is is a very pleasing sound.

If that all makes any sense!!!

Maybe someone else will have an opinion........


Tm

[Kolstad]

You play well, but there are some choices here that doesnt match up to a smooth jazz vibe for me.

The effect you start and end with sounds a bit disharmonic, and in the beginning it felt like halloween, which is not what you want.
I think that idea would work better inside the arrangement somewhere, after you've introduced what the horn sounds like.

The drums sort of chug away, without really interacting with the rest of the elements. Not very jazz like. Try to follow the melody with the rhythm sometime, to add some variation. Drums sounded like a rock loop, which you dont have to when you actually play them.

I wanted an electric bass or piano for smooth jazz, to break up the traditional elements. Something with more sustain. This sounded more like trad.jazz to me (think Oscar Petersons christmas album). Didn't really get the "smooth" vibe, at least to my ears.

I think you could add some compression to the mix for smooth jazz, It could smooth out the sax and piano a bit, getting closer.

Now, I didn't see the references (no time to find it, sorry), so it may all be read with some salt.

Just imo, good luck.

[pveniot]

Thx ttully and Kolstad

If I resume, I hear hat the piano needs to be more full, less rhythmic...
And The drums are a bit off style...

Makes sense since this was my apprehension...
Work in progress...

Useful critique
Best regards

[nicotina]

Apart from the backbeat on the drums, it sounds more like traditional "west coast" jazz to me. Smooth Jazz tends to be more R and B influenced, usually with electric bass. And smooth jazz wouldn't put in any dissonant horn voicings like you have in there.

Still, nice playing! I like fifties West Coast Jazz (Art Pepper, etc), and this fits in to me (except the drums).

Vince

[pveniot]

Apart from the backbeat on the drums, it sounds more like traditional "west coast" jazz to me. Smooth Jazz tends to be more R and B influenced, usually with electric bass. And smooth jazz wouldn't put in any dissonant horn voicings like you have in there.

Still, nice playing! I like fifties West Coast Jazz (Art Pepper, etc), and this fits in to me (except the drums).

Vince

Thanks Vince... dissonant saxes are being worked on... Like less present in the mix...
Yeah the drums are not really ''smooth jazz''
Work in progress...

Thanks for the input..
Pierre

[andygabrys]

In addition to what has been noted above:

1) Drums
2) dissonant harmonies starting at 0:40
3) smooth jazz being a derivative of R&B - so it sounds like instrumental R&B music rather than jazz.


a) Its the bass clarinet that doesn't work for me. Its fine to double a melody 8vb in some cases but this is not a strict melody double. There are some differing attacks between the lead alto and the bass clarinet. There are some other notes that are definitely holding down in the bass range and its hard to hear what the bass is supposed to be doing there.

When I have arranged pieces for jazz big band, its totally cool to have bass clarinet, Bari sax, bass bone playing low stuff - but in most cases it usually doubled by the Bass, and sometimes the piano left hand - to add clarity and solidity. If its not doubled the horns are usually roots of spread voicings in a shout chorus where the chord duration is relatively short, so the Bass is still heard around it.

b) rhythm played by the horn section at 0:56 is a little weak and at first I though it was an artifact in the recording.

c) Production as a whole is a little lo-fi - the beginning and end would be things I would clean up.

d) apparent level of production - its quiet to the ear. You might want to reference some commercially available smooth jazz Christmas versions to make sure your production is similar in master loudness and quality. That also might influence the style you want to have your piece model.

You definitely have some nice playing and arranging talent and ears and I am sure you can get something together that will be a good pitch for this listing.

[pveniot]

In addition to what has been noted above:

1) Drums
Changed!
2) dissonant harmonies starting at 0:40
Also
3) smooth jazz being a derivative of R&B - so it sounds like instrumental R&B music rather than jazz.
Dunno what you mean!

a) Its the bass clarinet that doesn't work for me. Its fine to double a melody 8vb in some cases but this is not a strict melody double. There are some differing attacks between the lead alto and the bass clarinet. There are some other notes that are definitely holding down in the bass range and its hard to hear what the bass is supposed to be doing there.
It 's out

When I have arranged pieces for jazz big band, its totally cool to have bass clarinet, Bari sax, bass bone playing low stuff - but in most cases it usually doubled by the Bass, and sometimes the piano left hand - to add clarity and solidity. If its not doubled the horns are usually roots of spread voicings in a shout chorus where the chord duration is relatively short, so the Bass is still heard around it.

I know, also am an arranger ...

b) rhythm played by the horn section at 0:56 is a little weak and at first I though it was an artifact in the recording.

Out

c) Production as a whole is a little lo-fi - the beginning and end would be things I would clean up.

d) apparent level of production - its quiet to the ear. You might want to reference some commercially available smooth jazz Christmas versions to make sure your production is similar in master loudness and quality. That also might influence the style you want to have your piece model.

You definitely have some nice playing and arranging talent and ears and I am sure you can get something together that will be a good pitch for this listing.

I know

Thx a lot Andy

Here is the one I submitted... not perfect, I do not want the displease the gods!
https://soundcloud.com/pierre-veniot/o- ... f-bethleem

Pierre