Bob Zottola

Signature Series Vol. 3

This volume 3 of the Signature Series will lean towards a jazzier concept than the previous volumes and to set that tone, I chose Lullaby Of Birdland as the first song!

And who better to place in that #1 position than Mel Torme as the singer associated with George Shearing's jazz classic!

I had the pleasure of playing with the 'Velvet Fog' in a very memorable, jazzy setting. It was in the 1960s and Mel did a two week engagement at
NYC's Basin Street East with the Marty Paich Dektette Band.

Let's go forward to the 21st century to my play-along version and a few guidelines on how to approach it. There are actually three approaches. First, as the trumpet soloist, then playing the unison line with the horns and finally as a lead player on top of the 'little big band'.

Our next song When I Fall In Love was one of Nat Cole's many huge hits. It's a song I play often on my jazz gigs. Here's a very lush arrangement for you to explore the low and high register of the 'horns' meaning flugelhorn for the first chorus and trumpet for the 'out chorus'. Notice that I 'hug' the melody only adding ornaments here and there and a modest amount of embellishments. Please focus on the subtleties and nuances in
phrasing which can't be completely captured with notation. Listening with the intention of acquiring these skills is the proper mind-set!

I believe it was somewhere about 1964 when I did two stints with 'Miss Peggy Lee' as she was affectionately known. One at the Americana Hotel
and the other at Basin Street East with none other than Quincy Jones at the helm. Truly a double treat!