Simple As That – Peter Bernstein

Here this song, again in G minor, is fleshed out into a "3-horn" arrangement with trumpet, tenor sax and guitar. Much of the head is harmonized, with the guitar playing the melody alone with the rhythm section at A. In addition the rhythm section is more arranged on the head, with a 12/8 groove on the intro, the last four measures of the B section, and the D section/interlude. The coda ends with different chords.

The sextet Planet Jazz was originally founded by drummer/composer Johnny Ellis, who died in 1999 at the age of 44 and never recorded as a leader. "Live At Smalls" is the second Planet Jazz album; the first, "In Orbit," was recorded in 2006 with Grant Stewart instead of Jerry Weldon on tenor sax.

While our C lead sheet for guitar is in the key of F minor, guitarists interested in playing the tune in G minor, as recorded in 2002 and 2009, can reference our B♭ lead sheet. However, since it is written in the sounding register, guitarists will have to read it up an octave.

Suited for intermediate guitarists looking to expand their harmonic vocabulary and advanced guitarists looking for performance repertoire, Simple As That is an elegant yet soulful medium swinger.

Peter chose this recent recording as the source for our lead sheet. It's in F minor, unlike the other two versions in G minor (see "Heart's Content" and "Live At Smalls").

This song is laid-back and bluesy with a mostly pentatonic A section melody. The changes are II-V7-based—largely tonal in the head, but more chromatic on the intro. The form is irregular, with a 9-measure A section, 10-measure B, and C based on A but only seven measures long. The four-measure D section is the same as the intro and is played only after the in and out heads, with the solo form ABC. The A, B and C sections all contain a repeating II-V7 near the end, with longer melody notes. This gives the song a unique folkish quality, creating more space around the melodic theme material to let it sink in.

The trio of Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, and Bill Stewart also recorded together on Larry's 2002 album "Sweet Science" and the collaborative 2011 album "Live at Smalls."

Our C lead sheet is the perfect resource for guitarists familiar with the 2014 version of this tune—here in the key of F minor. Written in the appropriate octave for guitar, it includes the basic melody, chord changes, hits and coda. With a slower swing groove and fast-moving, sophisticated changes, Simple As That will force intermediate and advanced guitarists to address harmonic and rhythmic challenges.