Chop Talk: Bossa Crescente

I met Rene Worst (bass) and Jennifer

Scott (vocals) years ago at the Puget
Sound Guitar Workshop. Jennifer and I
performed the Tennessee Waltz JKFQ
#2 (1.2) for the staff concert. And
when Rene and I played duets, we
just clicked. I remember him saying,
We should record. We finally did.

_ _

We booked a studio and set up a

couple of house concerts... a long
weekend. Rene and I began working
out rough arrangements on Skype.
I told him about my bossa novaflavored version of House Of The
Rising Sun JKFQ #11 (3.3). I played
a little of what I remembered and
followed up with an email:

Ive diagrammed the chords

Rene and I worked from. I used a
traditional, two-measure, bossa nova
rhythm pattern. That means a chord
change in the middle of the pattern.
I also added two extra bars for an
extended turnaround. Just repeat the
last two diagrams.

_ _

3
5
5

3
5
5
0

1
3
3

C sus 4/G

A m 11

3
D (add 9)/F

341

A m 11

341

C sus 4/G

D (add 9)/F

P A G E 71 6
E

341

j
j


#

1
3
3

3
2
2

3
2
2

F M13

3
2
2

3
2
2

D m9

2134

234
F M13

B 7/F

234

j
j

3
2
2

3
2
2

C 6/ 9

G 13

1
E7(

112

F M13

134
E7(

b 5)

411

134

A m 11

E 7(

231

b 5)

411

2113

3
2
2

# 5 # 9)

3211

J O H7N K N O W L E S 9F I N G E R S T Y#7L(E#9Q
L Yb 9) P . O . B7O( #9
X ) 1 2 0 3 5 5 N A S H V I L L E , T6N 3 7 2 1 2
) U A R T E R#7(
A

1
3
3

112

341

1
3
3

D (add 9)/F #

C 7sus 4

j
j j
j
4

b
b

V 4

1
3
5
5
0

_ _

Our project is called Waltz Forever.

The CD includes Las Palmas JKFQ
#25 (7.1), Do You Know Know What
It Means To Miss New Orleans JKFQ
#28 (7.4), A Little Help From My
Friends JKFQ #8 (2.4), Amanda From
Barbados JKFQ #4 (1.4), The Tennessee
Waltz JKFQ #2 (1.2), The Nearness of
You JKFQ #36 (9.4), Maxwells Silver
Hammer JKFQ #37 (10.1), The Gorilla
Song JKFQ #8 (2.4), He Aint Heavy,
Hes My Brother JKFQ #30 (8.2) and
Sunday Morning, a new tune written
by jazz guitarist Bill Coon. And of
course, Waltz Forever JKFQ #5 (2.1).

_ _

Rene, something like this. [chords

below] In addition to the chords, we
should make an arrangement that
builds an atmosphere. Some vamping
here and there. I found these
traditional lyrics. If Jennifer could
translate a verse or two, we could
repeat as needed. John

A m 11

I wrote out a sixteen bar solo

on page 13. Its pretty close to the
solo I played on the recording. The
diagrams and the solo should give
you a head start on a live version of
your own.

Our only rehearsal was the

afternoon of our first house concert.
Rene and I played through our other
Skype arrangements while Jennifer
translated the lyrics into Portuguese
on her iPhone. We were running out
of time, so Rene talked us through an
arrangement we would play for the
audience that night.
Ill start out-of-tempo and John,
you join me when you feel it. Well
find a bossa groove and Jennifer you
come in when you feel it. Well vamp,
take turns soloing and then end it.
My email was coming to life. We
called our tune Bossa Rising until
Rene asked Jennifer to consult her
iPhone again. Bossa Rising became
Bossa Crescente.

A/E

A m /E