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What consideratons go into making your set lists?

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Isle of Jazz 
#1 ·
In the past I have usually tried to have variety in sets by picking a medium swing opener, maybe followed by a bossa nova or latin, then maybe a blues or ballad etc. However, my bassist takes issue with this. He prefers songs within a set are picked by what key they are in.
His thinking is that if the audience is not already familiar with the material, after the statement of the theme, the more lengthy improv parts will end up sounding like the same song, albeit with a different rhythm. We also have some disagreement about when the song is in the same key, or is percieved to be, by the listener. For example, to me, a song in C minor is much different from one in C major, so to have them both in one set is not aurally redundant.

Anyway, I used to list by catagory, blues, bossa, swing, etc, and now I'm not so sure. I'm wondering how the rest of you do it. Of course the obvious answer is to utilize sets with songs in different keys AND stucture, (again Bossa, BLues, Standard, etc), but its surprising how much of the jazz repertoire is written in C, F, G, E flat, B flat, etc.
 
#2 ·
I try to change key at each tune, but it could very well go back and forth between the most common like Bb, F and Eb. We don't have that many in exotic keys ...
 
#3 ·
This is a great topic! I do the set lists for my band so can give my take on this. We have a 'jump blues' band (for lack of a better term), but we play a pretty wide mix of different blues styles, some funk, and some jazz (of the soul & blues variety). But I think the same principles apply regardless of genre.

I like to mix it up by style and rhythmic differences. In other words, we don't play 3 swing tunes in a row. I also like to start kind of up-tempo, then maybe drop it back a bit and build up through the set to more 'energetic' tunes. And mix in a slow blues where it feels right. I don't like more than one or two slow tunes in a set. Regarding key, I agree major and minor is very different, so it's fine to have a Cmaj tune followed by Cmin. And if the rhythmic feel is significantly different (say a rhumba, followed by a funk or jump tune), then it doesn't really matter if the key is the same. But in general, I like mixing up keys as much as possible. And I like playing in a lot of different keys. We play tunes in almost every key. The only keys we don't have any tunes in are C# & F# (concert). Only a few tunes in Eb. Lots of tunes in all the other keys.

I often put an instrumental at the top of a set (we do a lot of vocals). In some venues (restaurant/bar especially), a mellower 'dinner set' is called for first, so we do more jazzy instrumentals and mellower tunes in that set. Then kick it up in the later sets. In a late-night dive bar, we'll play more up tempo, rockin' kinds of tunes, right from the down beat.

Finally, we rarely stick 100% to the set list. You have to read the crowd to some extent and adjust accordingly. I think that is very important.
 
#4 ·
It really all depends on the venue and the crowd. Start with something peppy, slow it down and build it to something roasting at the end of the set. Be prepared to order off the menu, as you see fit. If te crowd does not respond to a particular genre, don't keep playing it. If the floor is empty until you play a ballad, get another ballad ready to go.

I don't worry too much about changing up the key. If you change up the variety, you'll most likely be changing the key as well. Besides....only musicians catch on to that kind if detail. If the crowd is dancing, that's what counts.
 
#6 ·
for me, it usually starts with a mid swing, followed by a bossa and maybe a ballad and we try to understand what the audience like. I will almost religiously start with "Days of Wine & Roses" as my first song... ...

reading the audience is as important as reading the score ... ...
 
#7 ·
I like to play them in groups of three, starting out with a comfortable blues we can feel warm into, then sprinkling standards, bop heads, latin, blues, and swing tunes into the mix for the rest of the night. I might put three "food" tunes together: "Cheesecake", "Tasty Pudding", and "Nutville" or maybe three tunes that refer to NYC, "Lullaby of Birdland", "Scrapple From the Apple", "Nostalgia in Times Square". I like to end each set and begin the next one with something up-tempo and fun, like "Topsy" , "Pent Up House", or "Cottontail". I let the keys fend for themselves although I once did a set list where every group of three tunes was a ii-V-I.
 
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