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This simple blues head is a welcome contrast to Bill Barron's more complex and introspective compositions. It's an exclamatory riff, expressively embellished with slides and scoops; the melody of the last four measures is simply a variation of the riff from the first and second four-measure phrases. The melody is answered by stop-time hits in the rhythm section, on the "and" of beat 2 in each measure, going to a 4-feel for the last four measures.
The harmonic content of the stop-time hits is a little unusual. Each hit on the first four measures has C in the bass, and the changes here are essentially a II-V7-I over this dominant pedal. The first chord is the same as Cm(maj7), but with its pedal-point function it's written as G augmented over C. The IV chord in these hits has the same quality, B♭m(maj7).
On the recording, the trumpet and tenor sax play the melody in octaves. This is rather high for trumpet, and the melody could be played an octave lower—but the upper octave is very effective for the exclamatory quality of the melody.
For more from this album, check out Fox Hunt and Ode To An Earth Girl. Blast Off shows a funky side to Bill Barron that's not as obvious in many of his more harmonically involved compositions. This quality is especially pronounced on Bill's third album, "Hot Line." Bill's funkier, bluesier songs are somewhat reminiscent of Charles Mingus, with whom Bill recorded on the latter's big band album "Pre Bird" in 1960. Ted Curson was also on "Pre Bird"; the horn section of Barron and Curson appeared first on Cecil Taylor's "Love For Sale" in 1959 (both horn players' first recording) and later on three each of Bill's and Ted's albums.
Philadelphia-born tenor saxophonist Bill Barron was also a gifted composer. His first record date was with Cecil Taylor in 1959. In November of that year he recorded Interpretation with drummer Philly Joe Jones on the Riverside label. Barron continued to perform and record with Jones through 1960. In 1961 he started recording as a leader for Savoy records and began his association with trumpeter Ted Curson which resulted in several more recordings. Barron also had a successful career as an educator in the NY area, directing a jazz workshop at the Children's Museum in Brooklyn, and teaching at City College of New York, before leaving the city to become the chairman of the music department at Wesleyan University. He also introduced his younger brother, pianist Kenny Barron, to the jazz recording world and featured him on most of his own recordings. Read more...
