This song, like others on the "
Circled By Hounds" album, is available as a piano trio edition which works for piano, bass, and drums, reflecting the recorded arrangement.
A flowing, lyrical song throughout despite its fast tempo,
New Stories has three contrasting sections. It begins with a 16-measure A section over a rhythmic pedal point with shifting harmonies. The B section goes to a "double whole note pulse": the basic rhythmic unit is two measures long, though the bass fills in a little within each two-measure section. B is 16 measures long, followed by eight-measure C with the same feel. D, also eight measures, picks up the pace with a 2-feel to lead back to the pedal for the next chorus.
The basic key center is F, but we show no key signature as there is quite a bit of harmonic diversity starting with the shifting chords over the F pedal. The B section is really in F minor, while the final resolution is a deceptive cadence to D♭ major. The ending vamps and fades on D♭maj7, with a Latin groove; there is a drum solo over this vamp followed by a piano solo.
Our piano trio edition shows the left-hand voicings for the chords on the pedal figure at A. The basic vamp of the coda is also shown, with the bass line.
This is the first studio recording of
New Stories. Marc Seales did another version in 2000, with bassist Henry Franklin and drummer Steve Clover on the album "Three Worlds." Another, earlier recording comes from 1988, on a live album, "The Jazz Alley Tapes," led by vocalist Jay Clayton (though this track is instrumental) and featuring saxophonist
Don Lanphere.
