Here's a little background on the tunes
on our CD:
Good Citizen
Swallow
First introduced by the original Gary Burton Quartet, which featured guitarist
Larry Coryell and tune-namesake Steve Swallow on bass. On the original LP,
Gary Burton was credited as the composer. On a recent Larry Coryell CD, the
composer is listed as Coryell. So who wrote it? We'll guess Larry, since
the tune is in the "guitar key" of A (meaning that the key of A is more of a natural
key for guitar than for a keyboard). The tune has an unusual 15-bar structure.
Dienda
Beautiful waltz/ballad by the late, lamented Kenny Kirkland, heart and
soul of the Branford Marsalis Quartet until his death in 2000. Harmonically challenging, to say the least!
Bohemia After Dark
O.P.!
Scott chose this as his feature/tour de force – adapted from the original version
by composer/bassist/legend Oscar Pettiford.
Blackberry Winter
"Blackberry Winter" is a Southern term - it refers to a brief cold spell in the spring when blackberries bloom, typically early to mid May. Whether or not you have any Southern blood, Alec Wilder compositions have a way of evoking warm, nostalgic memories, no matter where home is.
Humpty Dumpty
One of the most challenging tunes we've attempted,
this Chick Corea composition was an inspiration to all of us and no doubt helped
define the musical direction of the trio. The form is 18 bars in length,
which is subdivided into 9 + 9 for the drum breaks.
Other Chick favorites of ours: Tones for Joan's
Bones and the tune Bud Powell.
Rapture
A captivating Harold Land composition with a relaxed Latin groove. From the highly-recommended album Mapenzi.
Epistrophy
By Monk, of course,
but Monk never did this in 7/4 (to our knowledge). The bridge is primarily in 4/4. Since we love experimenting
with odd time signatures, it's actually surprising that this is the only such tune
that made it onto the CD. We also enjoy playing in 5/4 (I Didn't Know What
Time It Was, Magnolia Triangle, I'll Take Romance), and
we perform a number of other tunes in 7/4 (Yes or No, Poinciana,
Conception).
Two for the Road
Who else but Henry Mancini could have written such beautiful,
yet sorrowful, music?
Hindsight
Composed by master pianist Cedar Walton.
We're currently playing a couple other Walton tunes live - Martha's Prize
and Fantasy in D - and working on a few more. (We like Cedar!)