 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: seven
Date: 2012-07-18 20:57
I need help...I have an audition at an Italian restaurant playing jazz and "italian"(music associated with italians)music. Unfortunately I am a classical clarinetist and don't really know what it the world to play. So I have a real book, a best of italy book and a rock/pop book. The owner said he wants jazz and easy listening to be played. I really need this job, but every time I try playing something out of these books I get frustrated cause it doesn't sound good. Please give me some suggestions as to what to play!! Thanks
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Merlin_Williams
Date: 2012-07-18 21:17
Doesn't sound good in what sense? Are you using Bb books? Are you playing with any sort of accompaniment? Do you have any experience playing jazz?
Jupiter Canada Artist/Clinician
Stratford Shakespeare Festival musician
Woodwind Doubling Channel Creator on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/WoodwindDoubling
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Campana
Date: 2012-07-18 21:37
I think you can play mostly American standards from tin pan ally, these have been adopted into their own culture by most countries.
Have a look at the song list of Italian Love Songs by Dean Martin to intersperse a few with an Italian flavour...
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8224033
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: seven
Date: 2012-07-18 21:44
I don't have any form of accompanist, so it's just clarinet. I think that is the biggest reason that I think it sounds bad. I'm finding it very difficult to be able to make the melodies of the Italian songs interesting. As for for the jazz, I'm not a strong improviser so I just play the melody a few times embellished but it just seems very simple and I'm not sure how to make it more interesting...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Merlin_Williams
Date: 2012-07-18 21:57
No accompaniment for a resto gig? Not worth the effort. You'd be best finding an accordionist to work with.
For that matter, let the accordionist do the gig solo.
Jupiter Canada Artist/Clinician
Stratford Shakespeare Festival musician
Woodwind Doubling Channel Creator on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/WoodwindDoubling
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Campana
Date: 2012-07-18 22:06
Hi. I have spent half of each year in Spain since 1987. While I am retired and didn't have to work I socialised with a married couple who earned their living out there playing the restaurants. He played the trumpet and she was a singer. Good as he was I don't really think he could have survived without backing tapes/CDs. Pianists can do it but it's very hard for "single note at a time" instruments.
Post Edited (2012-07-18 22:08)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Wes
Date: 2012-07-18 22:22
Some folks use a laptop with Band in a Box accompaniment for solo gigs, with an amp. The chord changes have to be loaded into the computer for the tunes to be played. There may be spaces between the tunes, although they have a "jukebox feature" which could help.
The best clarinet player in the world would find a solo gig to be a challenge.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: larryb
Date: 2012-07-18 23:29
play opera arias: puccini, verdi, and that most italian composer, Mozart
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ned
Date: 2012-07-19 08:18
larryb wrote: ''play opera arias: puccini, verdi, and that most italian composer, Mozart''
These are good choices, however, despite the probable audience of largely Italians, they may not be familiar with their own classical composers. Throw a few of the obvious favourites, but go ''pop'' in the main.
May I suggest that you also learn the Italian national anthem (I'm not kidding) and O Solo Mio (don't know if I spelled that correctly). These can be played at appropriate times during the job..................yep.............it works. We played some Texan songs to a visiting bunch of folks to the jazz club I play in from time to time........they were chuffed.
How about learning some football club songs? Again, I'm not kidding. It seems that your audience will be ordinary Joes (or is that Guiseppes?).
Wes wrote: ''The best clarinet player in the world would find a solo gig to be a challenge.''
Very true, I daresay. Get some accompaniment, a guitar or accordion, or some sort of keyboard or computerised chord backing.
When I play 3 hour jobs with a 6 piece jazz band I'm done in, pretty much, by the end.
I can't imagine doing 3 hours of solo noodling and doodling.
Don't worry about jazz if you have never attempted it, there's plenty of material......but you WILL need some sort of backing.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-07-19 10:34
A lot of my "gigs" are solo with no accompaniment, but none are hours long, which I guess a restaurant gig can be. Regardless of where you play or who you are playing with(out) then decide and choose what you want to play. If you don't know, or want to compromise based on the situation, etc. then why don't you just ask the restaurant what they would like you to play and if playing solo is ok? At worst case what you can do doesn't work for them, but maybe they can explain better and give you more info abotu what they want.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jmsa
Date: 2012-07-19 13:29
Start off with the theme from The Godfather.
jmsa
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2012-07-19 14:40
Have you hung out in that restaurant to hear what kind of music they usually play in there? Does the manager have suggestions? (I'm not suggesting you simply copy the present repertory -- because maybe the manager wants you because s/he *hates* what they've been playing in there!) If it's a white tablecloth place that serves upscale food, then maybe your classical music would be perfect. If it's a pizza joint, not so much....
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-07-19 15:30
Hmmm ... Italian tunes ...
Renee & Renato - "Save Your Love"
Spagna - "Call Me"
Rafaella Carra - "Do It Do It Again"
Piero Umiliani - "Mah Na Mah Na"
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-07-19 16:14
Usually, song transcriptions with a "dominant" voice part work best, eg "Azzurro". But you'd still need some kind of rhythm thing...
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Nessie1
Date: 2012-07-19 16:16
I'd like to suggest "Amore" (When the moon fills the sky like a big pizza pie, that's amore) and "Mambo Italiano".
Have fun
Vanessa.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-07-19 16:49
Nessie1 wrote: (...) When the moon fills the sky like a big pizza pie, that's amore (...)
I always thought the lyrics were like, "When the moon is in the Seventh House" ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jmsa
Date: 2012-07-19 16:56
The proper opening line is as follows: When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie thats amore. Not fills the sky. CMU
jmsa
Post Edited (2012-07-19 16:58)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: seven
Date: 2012-07-19 23:07
Thank you everyone for your suggestions :-) I think that it is correct saying that I will need someone else to play with for the style the restaurant owner wants. So I think i will call him tomorrow and tell him that I won't be able to play jazz by myself and see if he will let me bring someone else in.
Also I wanted to say that i had originally went in with a set of some of the more melodic Cavallini caprices, Rose etudes, Mozart concerto, and Clementi piano sonatinas and played for about an hour and a half of that. After that he had told me that he wanted something real soft like jazz and easylistening then told me to come back friday with new music. The guestes seemed to enjoy it, so if anybody needs a classical set to play that what I did originally and i didn't find it to taxing to play(take it that i dialed down all the dynamics).
Once again thanks and i hope that if anybody is looking for something similar that this thread will help.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2012-07-19 23:52
No offense to your playing, but if I went into an Italian restaurant and the background music was a solo clarinetist playing some "Cavallini caprices, Rose etudes" I'd probably walk out.
Perhaps it's me, but my total tolerance for unaccompanied clarinet works is about 7 minutes (on a good day)
...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Nessie1
Date: 2012-07-20 11:57
Sorry if I got the lyrics wrong - but I do know the one about "When the moon is in the seventh house" is "The Age of Aquarius" (boy that dates some of us!)
Vanessa.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2012-07-21 14:07
And then.....it's possible that the owner is wrong in his conviction. Go into any real Italian restaurant and they'll be playng Sinatra. As an assistant......it should be an accordion player. And the tablecloths will be red checkered.........
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
