A Collaborative Recording Idea

Nomad

Long ago, in a newsgroup far, far away, an idea was mooted to try a geographically distributed multitrack recording project. The idea was that a tune would be selected and a mono backing track prepared and distributed to the participating musicians. Each player would then record their part and send a stereo wave file to the sound engineer. The track consisted of the mono backing track in one channel, and the player's recording in the other. The engineer would then strip out the backing track and add the player's recorded part to a multitrack system for mixdown and mastering.

Although that particular project was never completed, I found the idea appealing, especially so because the participants weren't playing their primary instruments, or were relatively non-serious amateur musicians to begin with - it was more of a fun, have-a-go virtual band thing with the idea of making a passable rendition of a tune at the end of it.

The chosen tune for this particular project was In A Sentimental Mood by Duke Ellington because it was felt that a fairly easy jazz standard offered plenty of scope for people to play stuff and the arrangement needn't be restricted to a set number of verses. Being a standard, previous recordings and printed versions are also widely available - plenty of scope to get a good idea of how a tune goes. The idea was that, once the number of players had been determined, there would be opening and closing verses played by an ensemble (not necessarily all players - rhythm and horn section in this case), with additional verses in the middle to feature other instruments and solos.

So, I've been wondering if there might be some interest in trying something like this here.

If there is, I would like to stick to the idea of playing a jazz standard, although open to suggestions for possible tunes. I do think it would be better to avoid something like a 15-piece guitar orchestra (playing your main instrument isn't really the point, after all).

If you're interested, please respond, stating what instrument(s) you would like to play and/or what you can do to assist. Beyond players, the project will need a backing track of the right length, and somebody that can do a decent job of mixing the multitrack into a final stereo recording.

I have Band In A Box, but only limited experience in using it to generate backing tracks. I could conceivably do this part, or at least have a go and see how it sounds. I'm a fairly decent arranger. I also have the means to do multitrack recording, but I'm not sure that I have the skill to do a decent job of mastering.

Instruments I might be into playing with comments on what I'm likely capable of...

Hammond organ. Can do backing and fairly simple solos. (Hands only - I'm useless with the bass pedals.)
Tenor sax. Passable as part of a horn section if the notes aren't too tough to hit, but I should probably avoid solos.

Thoughts?

Nomad

An addendum: The idea is not to end up with a tune where we play solos over a backing track. The backing track is essentially a click track, and all instruments on that should be replaced where appropriate by recordings made by the participants.

Nomad

How about Moonlight Serenade?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n92ATE3IgIs

Not too fast, not too complex, superb melody.

 

PolarityMan

I've never played jazz in my life but I'd be up for having a bash at drums, bass or guitar.

thecolourbox

I'd be interested in taking part but the only "other" instruments I have are mandolin or autoharp, neither of which are suited to a jazz standard.

TTony

I'd play.

I'll volunteer for any instrument that's in my GR20.  Or is that cheating?

Nomad

I think the guy who had the idea for the original project went for that because jazz tunes are well suited to being restructured, the instrument choices can be pretty free, and there's the thing where players take turns to do their solo bits. He played in an amateur big band, so he had a fondness for that sort of stuff anyway.

Doesn't have to be a jazz standard, though. I think the main thing is to pick a tune that's known and not too difficult, and which can be restructured without losing the gist.

To put it another way, there are standards that aren't particularly 'jazz' - just good tunes that have kinda settled into the collective consciousness. (For example, Cry Me A River - there's a jazz tune in there, but the vocal melody is what everybody knows, and that's not necessarily 'jazz'.)

I had a look at a MIDI file for Moonlight Serenade last night, and there are rather a lot more parts to it than I expected, so maybe that's not such a good one to try. I'll have a trawl and see what other possibilities there are. Suggestions welcome.

Nomad

TTony said:

I'd play.

I'll volunteer for any instrument that's in my GR20.  Or is that cheating?

I'd be fine with that. (I think there should probably be a rule of no sequencing - stuff has to be played by a human and recorded.)

Are there any particular sounds you like to use on the GR20?

TTony

Not fussed really - depends on what type of music I'm playing. Brass & strings are good.