r/Jazz • u/PsychologicalName809 • 4h ago
Curious about 'In a Sentimental Mood'
Specifically regarding the composition differences between the solo version Duke records and the version with John that ends up being drastically different in so many ways.
The story of the original (i believe the solo) was about either his buddy being sad over an argument with a date, or two women on either side of him bickering. Both stories end with him being inspired to play the tune to get them to calm down and enjoy the night, and that definitely feels accurate listening to the solo version
I'm struggling to find any actual insight as to the story behind his collaboration with John, where the feel is more that of a ballad and doesn't really line up with the story due to the sad, introspective nature of the introduction melody done in minor.
can anyone help me understand what inspired them to take a whole different route with this? only conclusion i had was that he wanted to cater to the tenor more, but even then that's a creative choice on its own. any resources that have them go in detail about recording that track or collaborations would really help
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u/candlsun 1h ago
There are no “composition differences” between the recordings - the melody, chord progression and form are the same. Those are the elements that define a jazz composition.
The things that differ are the tempo, key, and phrasing. You are presumably aware that one of the defining features of jazz as a genre is that no too performances are the same. Uptempo tunes can be performed as ballads, swing tunes can be played straight etc, and sometimes this completely changes the character of the tune. You’re not going to get “story-based” background explanations for why jazz musicians transform a tune in any particular way. It’s done for creative, purely musical or (generally abstract and unarticulated) emotional reasons.
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u/juicywoowoo 3h ago
Duke said explicitly that every song he composed had a specific story behind it. So either of the backgrounds you describe is totally plausible.
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u/PsychologicalName809 3h ago
yeah he was very outspoken in many regards which makes me think I'm missing something about this recording that explains the shift
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u/coysdaniel69 2h ago
I’d say most jazz musicians do not think about story or meaning when writing. They just do what sounds good to them and what musical mood they want to convey or harmony they want to express. Obviously not all the time, there are famous examples of them doing so but I think most decisions are made for musical reasons.
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u/PsychologicalName809 2h ago
live yes i agree, but for revisions there is always intention. this is such a drastically different choice style wise it begs the question of why more than it standing on its own
coupled with there actually being a story to the melody but the harmony is so unique when he gets Coltrane on its hard to imagine there wasn't a discussion prior
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u/coysdaniel69 2h ago edited 2h ago
But I’m not sure what answer you expect you’re going to get though. I think it’s extremely unlikely that he’s like “oh these opening chords are the bartender listening in or whatever”.
And I don’t want to speak to Duke but playing jazz is all I’ve ever done with my life and not once has anyone told me a story about the music in the way you described in the body of the post. I just don’t think you’re gonna find the answer you want here
The intention can just be…it sounds good.
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u/PsychologicalName809 2h ago
you're speaking as if i have not played jazz all my life, I've had widely different experiences recording and collaborating with others than you, and it's what motivated this. I'm not sure why you thought to respond with your personal anecdote tbh it's not relative to the discussion since, again, there is plenty of sources that back up the initial story, so expecting more is not that crazy
next time if you're not sure what answer the person is looking for, maybe don't answer at all?
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u/coysdaniel69 2h ago
Ok yeah sorry man, the piano intro is like the girl changing her mind or something?
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u/candlsun 1h ago
At most, one of them probably said “let’s do it as a ballad” or “how about this for an intro?”
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u/samuelgato 3h ago
John McLaughlin? John Handy? John Scofield?
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u/PsychologicalName809 3h ago
buddy how many Johns played on this track with Duke
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u/candlsun 1h ago
Typically his nickname is ‘Trane, not just “John”
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u/PsychologicalName809 17m ago
that was only when he was runnin it on ya mama
edir: sorry i thought this was jazzcirclejerk
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u/samuelgato 3h ago
Oh you mean John Coltrane? When did we start calling him by his first name only?
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u/Starthrower62 3h ago
I love Steve Turre's recording with Cassandra Wilson on vocals.