SwingDJs

I don't have many versions of this in my book, but I'm looking for a slower version of "Take the A Train" than the one played by Duke Ellington (which sits, generally around 160-170 bpms, it seems). Anyone got any suggestions? I suppose I could take the one I have and slow it down myself...

The only slower version I am familiar with is the one on Yoko Noge's album Struttin' With Yoko. It comes in at 136 bpm and is definitely a "looser" version that Duke's. I personally dig the relaxed feel. Great album overall. Highly recommended for anyone who doesn't have it.

Jesse

Thanks. I just went through a few other CDs and found a really slow one at 78 bpm, by Glenn Miller. Doesn't swing really hard, but it's for a tap class purely to get used to doing a set of steps to music.

Two great slower versions:

Jazz-Trio stuff

Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington(1952 Verve) (about 127-37 BPM, if I remember correctly)


for Big Band:

Digital Duke (post-humous Duke Ellington Orch conducted by Mercer Ellington, with brandford Marsalis playing sax--lame melody but great sax solo) (about 130)

There's a 110ish version on the Basie Orchestra Ellington tribute disc from a couple years ago.. it's not too bad.

There's an Oscar Peterson Cd called "Plays the Duke Ellington songbook" that features both the 1952 session mentioned above as well as another session recorded in 1959. I like the '59 stuff much better and the version of take the A-train is excellent; I get asked about it all the time...I played it at the first Ithaca exchange during a band break and the band started their next set by joining in for the last half the song. It was great because Peterson keeps the soloing very accessable and the band could easily "jam" with the recording.

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&ui ... kqikvhbbo9

Glenn Miller does a version on The Spirit Is Willing that clocks in at 77bpm.

Grrrr...well if nobody else is gonna post about Gene Harris, then I guess I will

Beautiful, slow version from Ray Brown's "Soular Energy"
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... 6xlfkegcqo

I love the entire cd...highly recommend it.

No train is going to get anywhere "in a hurry" at 77 bpm.

Heh.

Kalman

Shorty Dave wrote:Grrrr...well if nobody else is gonna post about Gene Harris, then I guess I will

Beautiful, slow version from Ray Brown's "Soular Energy"

I love the entire cd...highly recommend it.

Great track indeed.. but too bad that version is like.. 64bpm.

As much as I like Gene and Ray, that version of Take The A Train isn't very dancable..

Now, there is a version from Gene Harris - The Best of the Concord Years that cooks at 205, but doesn't fit the bill for tap.