Jazz Standard Audition Pieces Help!

[SevenSeas]

Hey, I was wondering if someone could help me pick two good piece. (I keep changing my mind all the time)

- 1 Swing Tune.
- 1 Ballad.

Standard Jazz repertoire.

Really need help choosing two pieces, I keep changing my mind. I want to pick a song which is easy to solo over but also easy to play the melody. I don't want to play in anything too common (for example 'Autumn Leaves').

Any advice would be appreciated!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='AndrewRichards' timestamp='1378842595' post='2205515']...Any advice would be appreciated![/quote]

- 1 Swing Tune..? Billy's Bounce

- 1 Ballad..? Misty

Hope this helps.

[SevenSeas]

They're two very good options, thanks.

[uncle psychosis]

Blue Bossa is a great audition piece. Nice and simple, great chords for soloing over, and its not a blues (everyone will play the blues!)

[lowdown]

Swing - Night and Day
Ballad - My Funny Valentine

Paul Chambers solo on Valentine. [size=4] [/size]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR37LjItCNk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR37LjItCNk[/url]

And Bill Evans Killer (Piano) solo on Night and Day. [size=4] [/size]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRCCku0CehU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRCCku0CehU[/url]


Garry

Edited September 11, 2013 by lowdown

[Bilbo]

Your options are almost infinite but the suggestions above are all perfectly credible.

Personally, if you are struggling with the massive range of options, I would recommend you find something you know already (as in 'can whistle', not that you know the chords etc). This will make it easier for you to process and improvise.

[JwK94]

Swing - Take the A Train or Satin Doll

And I'd have suggested Misty (as someone did above) for the ballad

[jackotheclown]

I second "A train", have you thought about doing a bossa as well, like "Blue Bossa", "How Insensitive" or "Corcovado" could be nice..

[Lowender]

Aren't you going to need to know more tunes to play the gig?

[dlloyd]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1379041639' post='2208062']
Aren't you going to need to know more tunes to play the gig?
[/quote]

Could be for college entrance.

[SevenSeas]

Hi everyone,

Yeah it's for college entrance, I have decided on the two pieces (finally) thanks for all your suggestions.

[alstocko]

[quote name='AndrewRichards' timestamp='1379144213' post='2209065']
Hi everyone,

Yeah it's for college entrance, I have decided on the two pieces (finally) thanks for all your suggestions.
[/quote]
Depending on the college (I've done quite a few of these auditions and so have my friends) I would pick more obscure standards than suggested below.

It's very refreshing for a judge to hear something obscure instead of the same group of 20 standards that everyone plays.

Just my 2 cents