Phineas – Donald Brown

Striking and dramatic in Donald Brown's distinctive style, Phineas has two contrasting sections. The A section repeats a two-measure stop-time figure four times with the whole band. There's no melody in the breaks between the hits; instead the piano solos with spare, light fills over minimal drums (hi-hat on 2 and 4, cross stick on 4). At this slow tempo, tension really builds in these breaks. The rhythm section comes in with a 2-feel for the B section: 12 measures of flowing, bluesy melody over a colorful set of changes. Though the A section chord is Em11, the key center of E♭ major is established toward the end of the B section.

Solos are on the same form as the head, with the same A section stop-time and slightly simplified B section changes. After the out head, the A section is repeated again, vamping and fading out. A bass part is available; it comes from Donald's original manuscript.

Our lead sheets include the two-horn harmonies from the recording. The A section hits are voiced in thirds, and the last measure of the B section is also harmonized.

Note that the lead sheets available under each album cover are the same, except Donald's transcribed piano solo from "The Classic Introvert" is available only under that cover.

Recorded three months after Phineas Newborn, Jr. died, "Sources Of Inspiration" was Donald Brown's third album as a leader and his first of three at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Donald recorded his tribute to the fellow Memphis-based pianist again twice in 1997: on trombonist Larry McClellan's quintet album "Movin' Up" and on his own solo piano album "The Classic Introvert"—click on the second album cover for this version. This song has also been recorded twice by alto saxophonist Vincent Herring: in 1998 on pianist Matthew Fries' album "Song For Today," and in 2017 on Vincent's own "Hard Times" with Carl Allen again on drums.