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Posted By: aleck rand SUNNY - 11/17/14 01:27 PM
I'm certain that every Forum members knows the classic Sunny, originally done in the mid 60's by Bobby Hebb. But some of you may have missed the news that Bobby Hebb passed away a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to pay tribute in the form of a new, not-your-father's

.....................................SUNNY

RealTracks in the song:

RT2110 HornSectionBackground
RealDrums BossaRockFull^1
RealDrums RockEven8

The band:

Martin Jones: lead vocal
Aleck Rand: arrangement, guitar, fretless bass, keyboard
Lance and the Dark: backup vocals
Posted By: Pat Marr Re: SUNNY - 11/17/14 01:58 PM
Dean,

we have a saying here in North Carolina: "DAYum!"

OK, so that's not a saying... it's more of an exclamation... but I'm sayin' it anyway!

I wish you lived around here, because if you did I'd be pestering all the time for us to form a band and hit the vineyard jazz circuit. But, you don't. Bummer.

As always, I enjoy your interpretations of both classic jazz numbers as well as songs like Sunny that worked in the realm of pop. If it is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (and I think it *IS* true) you should be flattered to know that your playing never fails to excite my musical sensibilities in the direction of Jazz. Stay tuned to a music forum near you. You may get to hear some alarmingly inept attempts at jazz that have exactly the opposite effect on everyone else's music sensibilities.

As always, I bow to the master.. to Sensei... to the great teacher

Thanks for keeping us in the loop!
Posted By: Charlie Fogle Re: SUNNY - 11/17/14 02:29 PM
This is probably my favorite version of this song. Excellent across the board.


Charlie
Posted By: Sundance Re: SUNNY - 11/17/14 06:59 PM
Way cool the way you and Martin jazzed it up and still kept the essence of the original song. Fab guitar licks in there. Hats off to Lance and the dark too. grin


Josie
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/17/14 07:52 PM
Pat!

Up heah we say it: day-YUM!

But here is a Southerism that I wonder if they have "up" where you are: "cheah," as on a trash barrel next to a park bench that says, "Put your trash right cheah."

And you can bet my eyes are peeled in the direction of all Forums. I feel like Long John Silver with his spyglass scanning the horizon for any tell-tale signs: Ha-harr ... Marr.

Thank you my friend.

Dean
Posted By: Rafa T Re: SUNNY - 11/17/14 08:13 PM
wow, Great versión Dean. Fantastic arrengement, very sofisticated, and all the instruments you play sounds terrific...you are a monster ;-)
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/17/14 10:29 PM
Rafa, my friend,

We are both on the same team: Here's the guitar I played

http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_hb_page14.php?year=2014&cat_id=7&series_id=113&data_id=13&color=CL01

Here's the bass:

http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_eb_page14.php?year=2014&cat_id=2&series_id=51&data_id=86&color=CL01

And these are not expensive instruments either. Check my comments on your stuff on SoundCloud. You have that clean, pure sound that reminds me so much of Grant Green, but you're a man with your own ideas, your own voice. It is such a struggle to get there and you got there.

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/17/14 11:34 PM
Hi Josie,

Thank you so much. Martin Jones, along with Lance and the Dark wink , wish to communicate their appreciation as well.

Dean
Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 01:00 AM
SWEET!! Although I have a limited knowledge of standards, I know this one-always loved it. Thanks for bringing it back! Very cool rendition. Thanks again for your feedback on my tune. Take care. Greg
Posted By: gibson Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 03:27 AM
Dean,

I have always loved that song since I first heard it all those years ago and now it is running round my head again.

Great musicianship Dean as usual!

Alyn
Posted By: AudioTrack Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 06:58 AM
Dean,

We played it in the band a million times (well, nearly). A great number, and a fantastic tribute from you, and a really top arrangement. Especially loved the solo. Really nice...

Thanks for your tribute

Trev
Posted By: JoanneCooper Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 07:35 AM
Hi Dean. A great tribute. Always loved this song.
Posted By: Rafa T Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 07:41 AM
Hi again Dean

For me is a problem to write in english correctly, normaly i makit with the help of google translate.
What i was triyng to tell you with "all your instruments you play sounds terrific" is that you play exellent all the instrments.

You and me we are veterans, we know that the instruments are not so important, what make the y sound good is the player.

YOU sound terrific!!
Posted By: boehm Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 01:35 PM
Hi Dean,

what a great arrangement! Really interesting chord structure compared with the original. Your playing is stunning.
You even managed to make the rather boring HornSectionBackground sound interesting. Wonder how you did that.
My regards to Martin Jones and Lance and the Dark.

Guenter
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 03:59 PM
I well remember the song and did not
know that he had passed.

The song has a great sentiment and
this tribute more than does it justice.

Great arrangement and wonderful picking.

We both enjoyed it.

J&B
Posted By: floyd jane Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 07:41 PM
One of my favorite song. One of those that I sing "under my breath" all the time - like humming..

Y'all did a good job all around. An interesting arrangement. Nice guitar work. (and bass and keys...)

I enjoyed it.

However... it will now be weeks before I get it out my head...

fj
Posted By: dani48 Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 08:36 PM
Hi, Dean ol´friend !


Magic as all you do !
I do not have better words
for this than what already has
been said ! :))

Cheers
Dani
Posted By: Scott C Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 08:49 PM
I love this song and loved your arrangement of it. The bass playing was incredible. Very well done thanks for sharing it..
Posted By: cubanpete Re: SUNNY - 11/18/14 09:54 PM
Hi Dean, good version of the classic. love the playing and how the background horns worked.

Mike B.
Posted By: Guitarhacker Re: SUNNY - 11/19/14 10:03 AM
Aleck.... this is my favorite cover song I've heard you do....

From the cool jazz stuff to the very "George Benson" like guitar octave's solo.....

very well done musically.

My nit...and this is more a matter of taste.... is that the vocal sounds so far back in the room and has lots of room sound in it. I'd have preferred to hear the voice closer, more intimate, less roomy sounding. But again, it's just my personal taste.

Yeah... the best I've heard from you yet
Posted By: tommyad Re: SUNNY - 11/19/14 10:29 AM
Dean, The thing that sticks out on this one is the killer arrangement. The unison guitar and bass lines take this to another level. The guitar solo is great. I have always liked this tune. But the way you have taken this well known Jazz Pop song and dirtied it up with this arrangement is inspired and makes me like the tune even more. I agree with Herb about the vocal processing. Super job on this!! Tom
Posted By: horsthartung Re: SUNNY - 11/20/14 01:49 PM
Hello Aleck...

Nice guitar work...but would suggest less reverb on the voice...it kinda sounds like your in the next room...
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/20/14 09:58 PM
Hi Guitarhacker,

I took both of your responses seriously. I remixed and brought Martin forward, as you suggested. I think you're right about the first mix. As far as how you liked it - man, I am flattered to the limit.

Thanks from all of us.

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/20/14 10:01 PM
Hi Horst,

I took your suggestion seriously and cut the reverb on Martin's voice in a new mix. I hope you'll read this and check if it now sounds more agreeable.

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/20/14 10:10 PM
Tommy,

Wow, thank you my friend. Y'know, if you read this you're gonna have to reveal some of your mixing secrets. You and Floyd seem to be in a class by yourselves when it comes to sound production. Huge sound, perfect balance, indistinguishable from a studio recording.

My problem is that I think and work, not on DAWs and plug-ins, but on the instruments. This arrangement could never have been created with RealTracks so the amount of work that goes into nailing the parts on three instruments is ... well, sometimes I wonder if the juice ain't worth the squeeze. That feeling never lasts long when I get responses like yours. Sure it's worth it!

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/21/14 11:11 AM
Alyn,

It's been a while since we hooked up on the Forum. Yeah, this tune brings back a lot of memories for me. There is a remixed version posted with Martin's voice pushed forward with less reverb. If you read this and have time to check it out I'm curious to know if the balance now seems right.

And thank you for the kind remarks.

Dean
Posted By: SpaceDog Re: SUNNY - 11/22/14 01:18 AM
Dean,
I love the original recording of "Sunny" Sad to hear Bobby Hebb passed, but great music never dies. Your cover breathes new life into a classic. Well done and thanks.
SD
Posted By: Al-David Re: SUNNY - 11/22/14 04:19 AM
Dean ...

You and Martin tore it up!!! It's one of my favorite songs of the 60's. I was in Vietnam when this was a popular song. Love the unusual chord arrangement.

And your version is just so danged cool! Love the smooth jazz guitar on this NuJazz piece.

Martin's vocal is great, too. But I tend to agree with herb that it is back quite a ways in the mix ... not volume but reverb.

But, this thing smokes! Fabulous arrangement and performance! Loved it! best to you ...

Alan & Di
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/22/14 04:57 PM
Al and Di,

There's a new mix that solves all the problems, at least I think it does. I hope you see this and check it out.

And, of course, thank you. And I'm stilling about the right tune.

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/22/14 07:27 PM
Hi Guenter,

You've obviously experimented with the R&B horns, so I know exactly what you're talking about. The R&B horns have 8 or so subriffs. I generated dozens of these. I mean dozens of each subriff.

Then I pushed various snippets from these around to get something that would be coherent with respect to the lyrics, arrangement and singing. In other words, tedious and laborious but worth it in the end. After all, they are real horns.

Great question - thanks for asking it.

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/24/14 01:09 AM
Floyd,

I'm glad you liked it. And I took those folks' remarks seriously and created a new mix with Martin more forward and with less reverb. The time has come to share some of your secrets of sound production. I asked Tommy to do the same. If you miss this, I'll send you a PM.

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/24/14 01:12 AM
Hi Spacedog,

Thank you for that and for all the generous things you've said about my stuff. It is all much appreciated.

Dean
Posted By: aleck rand Re: SUNNY - 11/24/14 01:15 AM
Hi JosieC,

Your kind remarks are much appreciated. Thank you.

Dean
Posted By: Encore Re: SUNNY - 12/07/14 01:38 PM
Great stuff, Dean.
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