Dio Dati – Norman Simmons

This song's groove is not quite a bossa; it has the sort of funky slickness that Norman excels at. On the lead sheet it's called a slow funky samba. Simple yet subtle, this song starts in C minor but ends up in E♭ major at the end. The melody is almost entirely diatonic, with a funky rhythmic riff on the first six measures. The form is ABABC, with each section eight measures long for a 40-measure chorus.

There is no E♭ major chord in root position until the very end of the form. After establishing C minor in the A section, the B section changes begin to imply E♭ major with some slick chromatic motion; B♭7 at the end of the B section leads back to C minor for the second A, and to E♭ with B♭ in the bass at the beginning of the C section. There is an intro that also establishes C minor; the coda vamps E♭ major. The piano part for the intro is notated in the lead sheet, with the bass notes also indicated.

For more from this album, check out Midnight Creeper.

Dio Dati was first recorded by a big band led by drummer Les DeMerle in 1969. This earlier version is faster and funkier, based on a different C minor vamp. In fact the arrangement is mostly over the vamp, with the head appearing twice at the beginning with an ABC form instead of ABABC. After Arnie Lawrence's alto sax solo over the vamp, there is a shout chorus based on the B and C sections that leads to another vamp in E♭ minor.

According to Norman, Dio Dati means "God gives." Around the time this composition was written, Norman was acquainted with a young Italian woman whose family name was Diodati. Her sweet personality made the title appropriate.

Joe Cohn Transcribed Guitar Solo clip For guitarist Joe Cohn, the cool and funky samba of Norman Simmons' Dio Dati serves as the setting for a soulful and scintillating solo statement. After providing some tasteful comping interjections behind Simmons' catchy melody, Cohn transforms the performance's atmosphere by taking the first solo: a solo which rapidly builds in intensity through Cohn's crisp double-time lines; he sets the tune ablaze. With his ferociously precise technique, Cohn rips through a wide range of vocabulary, from bop language to intervallic angularity to blues flourishes, and displays the youthful fire that veteran leader Al Grey relished so much.

Cohn's performance here on Dio Dati is not only a demonstration of immaculate technique and musical command, but more significantly of the power that a skilled musician has to change an entire performance's tone with their contribution.

On Dio Dati, Joe Cohn illustrates the versatility and attentiveness that makes his playing so alluring. From his mature, supportive comping that serves to lift up the melody, to his fiery solo that follows, Cohn shows his awareness of his role in the ensemble as the performance progresses and his ability to fufill these shifting roles in an energetic and uplifting manner.

Guitarists of all skill levels will benefit not just from studying Cohn's notes on this song, but from digging into his focused, musical mindset.