Learn to Play the Classic Jazz Tune “After You’ve Gone”
My initial exposure to this tune was through the version by Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (included on Django Reinhardt, Volume 3: 1936–1937, Swing Guitars). As the Hot Club version is pretty blazing, I was intrigued to come across a much more relaxed and reflective two-beat arrangement by the virtuoso solo pianist Art Tatum (Classic Piano Solos: 1934–1937).
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I therefore felt pretty set up when, a minute and half into the record, Tatum paused, took a breath, and lit into a double-time version of the tune that ate the Hot Club’s tempo for pétit dejeuner. The lesson I learned, however, is that “After You’ve Gone” sounds lovely at a more moderate tempo, which is how I’ve presented it in my arrangement. An eight-bar excerpt is shown above.
Excerpted from Early Jazz and Swing Songs for Guitar
David Hamburger
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