Horn Lines pt 2 (Moanin’ & Summertime)

Class length: 27 minutes, notes included

Harmonica keys: Bb, A

In 1958, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenger recorded Moanin on the Blue Note label which was released in 1959. In this class, we will be learning the melody lines played by the horn section, also played on the piano, which translate beautifully to 2nd position on a Bb harmonica. There will be tablature for this class and everything will be recorded for playback and download. This song features Art Blakey, band leader, on drums, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Benny Golson on saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano and Jymie Marrett on bass. We will be covering all of the melody lines and discussing ways to grab pieces of the solos that easily translate to the harmonica and working them into our own improvisation.

The last melody that I’ll cover is Louis Armstrong’s interpretation of Summertime. We’ll learn Louis’ approach and then I’ll discuss the way I bring in hand technique and octaves to fill out the sound without losing the sincerity of the melody.