Far Out East – Ernie Wilkins

This song is in a classic bebop style, reminiscent of pianist Tadd Dameron. The chord progression explores a descending series of II-V7s beginning on the ♯4, working their way to the tonic. The B section has the same changes as A but up a minor third; the C section is the bridge, and D is essentially the last A section. The melody is particularly beboppish in its use of the flat fifth, such as the B♭ on the E7 in the first measure. On the recording, the out head consists of the A and B sections going straight to the coda.

The title Far Out East is a contrast to Sonny's song and album title from the previous year, Way Out West. This album was the only collaboration between Sonny Rollins and composer/arranger Ernie Wilkins. The bass/drums combination of Henry Grimes and Roy Haynes had appeared four days earlier at the Newport Jazz Festival, in trio settings with Sonny and with Thelonious Monk. They would go on to play together on Roy's album "Out of the Afternoon" in 1962 featuring Rahsaan Roland Kirk] and later that same year on McCoy Tyner's "Reaching Fourth" album. It would be fascinating to get Henry and Roy back together.

Pianist Dick Katz and guitarist Rene Thomas are not as well-known. Katz, who died in 2009, was never tied to one particular band; he is also on the recording of another song we're releasing this week, J.J.Johnson's NWPT. Guitarist Rene Thomas, from Belgium, was just visiting New York in the late '50s; he remained based in Europe until his death in 1975.