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This stop-time song from Steve's hard-bop bag has a bright, bluesy sound. It's a vibes-centric song with sustained melody notes in the stop-time call and response, much like some Milt Jackson compositions—though it's just as effective with other melody instruments. The melody "call" begins the song, with a rhythm section "response." The key center of C is not obvious from the beginning, as the A section begins on F7, the IV. Besides the breaks in the first four measures of the A section, there's another break in the seventh measure of the bridge.
The solo changes contain a bunch of chromatically descending and ascending II-V7s, for example on the fourth through sixth measures descending from Em7 to Dm7; these are hinted at in the head, with a similar motion in the turnaround of the first A section. A subtly distinctive progression that occurs several times in this song is IVm-V7; this very classical cadence appears twice in the bridge as well as on the second measure of the A section in the solos. It has the same function as a "minor II-V7" with the IIm7♭5 moved up one inversion for a strong stepwise root motion.
The coda adds a tag with yet another break leading to an unexpected Cm(maj7), which is however close to the beginning of the form's F7. Our lead sheets show a melodic fill Steve plays on the third and fourth measures of the bridge. In the A sections, Steve really lays back the melodic phrase on the third measure; the E♭ on the last 16th note of the second measure may sound like it's the downbeat of the third measure, but it is part of the pickup figure.
As a title, One Thin Dime brings the Great Depression of the 1930s to mind, when "more than a quarter of the work force was unemployed." The thinnest US coin, a dime had much more value than the same coin in today's society, and the phrase was used in hobo or jive talk, the slang of jazz. In many musicians' lives, without corporate benefits or government support, it was a meaningful expression to denote financial status.
Vibraphonist Steve Nelson's career began in the early 1970s. His first touring experience was with the legendary guitarist Grant Green. Steve cites Milt Jackson as his first major influence, although in later years he developed a harmonically open sound influenced by Bobby Hutcherson. While attending the State University of New Jersey at Rutgers then-new jazz program, he met pianist Kenny Barron, drummer Freddie Waits, guitarist Ted Dunbar and reedman James Spaulding, who were all faculty members. Through them, he began to perform in New York City. In 1976, at age 22, Steve recorded with James Spaulding ("Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington"), and in 1980 recorded albums with Kenny Barron and Ted Dunbar. Read more...
