A Night in Tunsia

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 2:14 pm Post subject:

Alright, I need some input here. I played a jam session yesterday and 'Tunisia' got called. There ended up being a form issue, tell me what you think/experiences have been with this....

After the head (bass intro, then saxes, then AABA, then interlude) I started blowing. The way I have always played this tune was solos were on AABA, and the interlude was played the last time only on each solo, getting you back to the solo break for the next guy....

However, things didn't work out that great, since the bass player and pianist put the interlude in as a regular part of the form, ie. AABA-interlude = 1 chorus.

How do you guys do it, and how have the 'greats' done it? I used to have multiple recordings of a lot of cats, but all my CDs got ripped off, and I got nuthin... Any thoughts are MORE than welcome!

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Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 2:29 pm Post subject:

dang! I can't believe I spelled 'Tunisia' wrong in the forum heading!

Mr. Stomvi · Heavyweight Member Joined: 01 Apr 2002 Posts: 1062

Well see - there ya go. You were playin the wrong piece all along.

Problem solved

Seth Moore

PH · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 3:53 pm Post subject:

The original recording and some of Dizzy's other versions had the interlude after the AABA melody, a solo break, multiple choruses on the AABA form without the interlude, then a different interlude (based on a diminished scale sound) going into the next soloist.

These days people usually either do the interlude after the opening melody only (most common) followed by an open string of AABA choruses up to and including the melody, OR they do the interlude on cue after each soloist has played as many AABA choruses as they wish. That second interlude Dizzy wrote now languishes in obscurity. Too bad.

Of course, you can approach something like this any way you choose. However, if it is going to be something strange like you describe it should be talked about. With experienced pros the where and how you'll approach an interlude on a tune like this would be discussed verbally before starting the tune. There are other tunes that have these kinds of questions out front (i.e. In Your Own Sweet Way).

Another question about this tune is the length of the solo break. Some versions use a 4-bar break and some only use 2-bars.

Larry Smithee · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 4399

Hey, that's the way it is with jam sessions. Almost anything can happen, including strage augmentations/permutations to well-known tunes. Usually this tune is played with the interlude preceeding each new soloist, 4-bar break, then repetitions of the AABA form.
Larry Smithee

Larry Smithee · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 4399

Hey, that's the way it is with jam sessions. Almost anything can happen, including strage augmentations/permutations to well-known tunes. Usually this tune is played with the interlude preceeding each new soloist, 4-bar break, then repetitions of the AABA form.
Larry Smithee

Larry Smithee · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 4399

[quote]
On 2002-06-16 18:53, PH wrote:
That second interlude Dizzy wrote now languishes in obscurity. Too bad.

Wow PH, your post was just 2 seconds ahead of mine. I didn't know about the second interlude. What are the changes? Does it use the same rhythm as the better kown one?
Larry Smithee

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 4:03 pm Post subject:

PH · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 8:24 pm Post subject:

You can find that on "Dizzy Gillespie-The Complete RCA Victor Recordings", a 2 CD set that is the best Diz stuff from the '40s. Some of it is combo, but a ton of it is from his big band and that stuff rocks!

"Tunisia" is combo. there are 2 different takes from February 22, 1946 with Don Byas-tenor sax, Milt Jackson-vibes, Al Haig-piano, Bill DeArango-guitar, Ray Brown-bass, J.C. Heard-drums. the second interlude is used on this vesion between the trumpet and sax solos. Also, on this version the break is only 2 bars long going into Diz's solo. The incomplete take stops at the end of that second interlude (maybe the sax missed his entrance?).

The combo stuff on this set also features the original version of Anthropology. The big band features early or original versions of Two Bass Hit, Manteca, Woody 'n' You, Cuban-Be/Cubana-Bop, Good Bait, as well as such charming ephemera as "Hey Pete, Let's Eat More Meat"!

I Jazz 24 7 · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 4:54 pm Post subject:

Did you guys know Dizzy wrote Tunisia on the bottom of a garbage can, in Texas I believe. Just thought I'd throw that useless piece of trivia in there.

brad
_________________
"when it sounds good it IS good" - Duke Ellington

tryingtolivethelife · Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2002 11:24 am Post subject:

I find that with some lesser experienced groups, like the groups I get to play with... people haven't even heard the recording of a given song. Or THE recording like with Tunisia, being just an amature still getting to know jazz I'll usually stay quite and then go home and re-listen to the recording, and then if I was right I say something the next time I play the chart with those same people. The worst part I find about things like this are when the rythem section is reading a lead sheet and they don't know the tune.. they assume that there is like one chourus of solo everytime

Man I love Tunisia such a great song to solo over.

Larry Smithee · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 4399

tryingtolivethelife · Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2002 3:56 pm Post subject:

I thought that garbage can thing sounded familiar.. I found it a second ago, Here's the quote from the site it was off of,

"Propelled by the leader's fierce drumming, the group on Vol. 1 roars through three Silver originals, an improvised blues, Dizzy Gillsepie's "Night in Tunisia" (which Blakey introduces as a tune composed on "the bottom of a garbage can in Texas"), "

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/articles/blue0801.htm

Chuck

dwm1129 · Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2002 3:46 pm Post subject:

Yea its on Clifford Browns The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings on disc three thats how Art introduces the tune, by telling a little joke....a joke! it's not true

tryingtolivethelife · Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2002 11:25 pm Post subject:

So, it's a joke?? Really? How do you know? I mean it sounds unlikley but really... ? I had no idea

redface · Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2002 2:32 am Post subject:

the way i usually play it is:
head, interlude, solos on AABA with interulde at end of each solo. Last solo - straight back to head - no interlude.
However - it almost always goes wrong if people don't know what they're doing. It is written in real/fake books so many different ways - this is the reason for the variety of forms everyone encounters.

dwm1129 · Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2002 8:52 am Post subject:

Tryingtilivethelife-
It could be serious, but you had to hear the way Art Blakey delievered it before they played the song...I am almost 99% sure it was a joke....He joked around quite a bit on stage...but who knows.

dawnfrenzy · Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2002 7:46 pm Post subject:

A group of my friends recently recorded their own version of Night in Tunisia, i have to say that I was impressed.

They started with a beat box intro then went into a four bar break and then into the tunisia head, followed by a freestyle lyricist (thats right, a rapper), back into the head, into solos, a beatbox break w/ freestyle lyricist, then back into the head and ending in a coda.

And it sounded good too! I guess you could argue that this isnt even a night in tunisia anymore, but it just goes to show how form can be completely messed around with to your own advantage.

By the way, if anyone knows anyone whos rapped to tunisia before id be interested in knowing. I think this was a first.

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2002 8:07 pm Post subject:

Very cool! I have actually had a guy up on a gig one night that broke it down free-style on Tunisia. He was unbelievable! The rhythm section was right in his back pocket, actually keeping the form. I have always done this tune with my own groups as intro, AABA, interlude, then solos, with an interlude tacked on to get out of each solo. He freestyled 2 full choruses, and ended with the rhythm section on the interlude. I missed the first A of the head out, as my mind was still spinning!!!

Another cool tune that works great with this is Straight, No Chaser. Rappers generally love the way the beat is juxtaposed in the head, and play off it big time.
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Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada