Take the A Train
(by Billy Strayhorn )
Written in 1941 for Duke Ellington's Orchestra, Take the A Train became the band's signature tune. The piece is often attributed to Duke himself but history tells us Billy Strayhorn is the actual composer. It was during an ASCAP strike. [Read more on JazzStandards.com ...]
This tune is usually played as an up tempo swing; that's the reason why it's hard to play a lot of chords on it : too fast! The chord melody arrangement presented here is very minimalist because of the tempo. Here again, you'll have to experiment and find how you like to play that song.
Have fun!
Suggested listening:
The Infamous Duke Ellington Orchestra... do I need to say more?
[ok, ok... listen to the exquisite female singer Betty Roche; I love her voice and performance on the "A" train. I heard it on "Duke Ellington's Greatest Hits" on Columbia]
The author is often available for LIVE chat (home page, right sidebar). Questions and comments welcomed. See if I'm online, we may strike a nice conversation! M-A
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