A sort of 14-measure blues, this uptempo hard-bop swinger works just as well in a trio, quartet, or quintet setting as in the five-horn arrangement heard on the recording.
This song could be described as a 14-measure blues. The melody is almost entirely pentatonic, repeating a bluesy riff. The IV chord appears in the sixth measure as part of a II-V, continuing in a cycle of 4ths until the turnaround. At the eleventh measure there is a sort of tag or second turnaround, going to A♭ and G7 to create a cyclical form that does not resolve to the tonic at the end.
Both the audio clip and the lead sheet begin on the head. On the recording, there is an intro with counterpoint among the five horns, building up a pyramid chord of stacked fourths for six measures followed by eight measures of drum solo. We feel that this song works equally well without an intro, or with a drum solo intro.
Morgan, Higgins, and James Spaulding all played on Mobley's rare "Third Season" album in February 1967, with Cedar Walton, guitarist Sonny Greenwich, and bassist Walter Booker.
Hank Mobley is one of the most acclaimed tenor saxophonists in modern jazz history. He is recognized by musicians and critics alike as one of the most important and eloquent jazz instrumentalists of all time. He recorded well over 100 of his own original compositions and left an indelible mark on the post-bop jazz scene. Read more...
