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Song Of Her – Cecil McBee
A gorgeous, subtle, wistful ballad with a colorful chord progression. First recorded in the 1960s by Charles Lloyd’s famous quartet, it also appears on several albums from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
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- Recording: Charles Lloyd - Forest Flower
- Recorded on: September 8, 1966
- Label: Atlantic (SD 1473)
- Concert Key: F, No key center
- Style: Ballad
- Tenor Sax - Charles Lloyd
- Piano - Keith Jarrett
- Bass - Cecil McBee
- Drums - Jack DeJohnette
A beautiful ballad with a wistful, longing feeling. This mood is established by the lack of an obvious key center in either melody or harmony. The A sections are dominated by a bass ostinato in descending fifths—not quite a pedal point, with chords establishing an undefined mode of E major. The rest of the changes are rather unpredictable, with quite a few sus chords and winding root motions in seconds and thirds; though there are resolutions in F major at the end of the second A and G major in the bridge, neither really feels like the song’s key, though the out head also resolves in F major.
Much of the melody is based on a single motif: a descending minor third. This theme doesn’t show up right at the beginning of the song, but is introduced gradually, leading into the second and fourth measures of the first A section. The second A section melody is different; it accentuates the same interval without changing many notes. The bridge is a further development of the same motif; the last two measures of the bridge are a shortened version of the last three measures of the first A. C is the same as the first A.
Our lead sheets show the piano and bass parts on the intro, which establishes the same ostinato that continues into the A section. After the Charles Lloyd recording, Cecil started hearing the harmonic cadence at the end of the first and 3rd A section differently. Our lead sheets reflect that change, which you'll hear in the Clifford Jordan recording.
The three-page Condensed Score is the C treble clef lead sheet with all of the A section Piano chord voicings and the Bass line. All lead sheets available for sale for both recordings are identical.
Verena McBee wrote and recorded a lyric, also available: Thoughts Of Her
Much of the melody is based on a single motif: a descending minor third. This theme doesn’t show up right at the beginning of the song, but is introduced gradually, leading into the second and fourth measures of the first A section. The second A section melody is different; it accentuates the same interval without changing many notes. The bridge is a further development of the same motif; the last two measures of the bridge are a shortened version of the last three measures of the first A. C is the same as the first A.
Our lead sheets show the piano and bass parts on the intro, which establishes the same ostinato that continues into the A section. After the Charles Lloyd recording, Cecil started hearing the harmonic cadence at the end of the first and 3rd A section differently. Our lead sheets reflect that change, which you'll hear in the Clifford Jordan recording.
The three-page Condensed Score is the C treble clef lead sheet with all of the A section Piano chord voicings and the Bass line. All lead sheets available for sale for both recordings are identical.
Verena McBee wrote and recorded a lyric, also available: Thoughts Of Her
This lineup of Charles Lloyd’s quartet first recorded in March 1966, on the album “Dream Weaver.” The landmark "Forest Flower" album was recorded next. Another version of Song Of Her by the same quartet was recorded at the concert in Oslo, Norway, in October 1966 which produced the album “Charles Lloyd In Europe,” but that song was never issued. Charles Lloyd recorded Song Of Her again in 1999, without McBee, on the album “The Water Is Wide.”
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- Recording: Clifford Jordan - Two Tenor Winner
- Recorded on: October 1, 1984
- Label: Criss Cross (1011)
- Concert Key: F, No key center
- Style: Ballad
- Tenor Sax - Clifford Jordan
- Piano - Kirk Lightsey
- Bass - Cecil McBee
- Drums - Eddie Gladden
Clifford Jordan’s version of Song Of Her is about the same tempo as Charles Lloyd’s, but more delicate and subdued. Drummer Eddie Gladden plays quietly with brushes on the snare, without the cymbal washes with which Jack DeJohnette colors the original recording. Clifford Jordan plays the melody without embellishments or fills, highlighting his beautiful clear tone and distinctive vibrato. The changes are the same as on our lead sheets, with D♭maj7 at the beginning of the last measure in the first A, B, and C sections, a permanent change Cecil made to the chord progression after Lloyd's recording.
The three-page Condensed Score is the C treble clef lead sheet with all of the A section Piano chord voicings and the Bass line. All lead sheets available for sale for both recordings are identical.
The three-page Condensed Score is the C treble clef lead sheet with all of the A section Piano chord voicings and the Bass line. All lead sheets available for sale for both recordings are identical.
Song Of Her features Clifford with the rhythm section.
Other songs on “Two Tenor Winner" pit Clifford Jordan against fellow tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, who replaced Jordan in Horace Silver’s quintet in 1958. Clifford Jordan first recorded with Cecil McBee on trumpeter Charles Tolliver’s “Music Inc. Big Band” album in 1970. The two also played together on pianist Mal Waldron’s 1981 album “What It Is,” with drummer Dannie Richmond, Jordan’s bandmate with Charles Mingus in the ‘60s.
Don Sickler: When reminding Cecil of this recording, I told him that this was perfect song for Clifford to record, with his unique saxophone voice. Cecil agreed, and we had a nice conversation about Clifford being one of the true tenor saxophone giants!
Other songs on “Two Tenor Winner" pit Clifford Jordan against fellow tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, who replaced Jordan in Horace Silver’s quintet in 1958. Clifford Jordan first recorded with Cecil McBee on trumpeter Charles Tolliver’s “Music Inc. Big Band” album in 1970. The two also played together on pianist Mal Waldron’s 1981 album “What It Is,” with drummer Dannie Richmond, Jordan’s bandmate with Charles Mingus in the ‘60s.
Don Sickler: When reminding Cecil of this recording, I told him that this was perfect song for Clifford to record, with his unique saxophone voice. Cecil agreed, and we had a nice conversation about Clifford being one of the true tenor saxophone giants!
Cecil McBee
born on May 19, 1935
From the time he first arrived in New York City in 1964, Cecil McBee has remained one of the most in-demand bassists in jazz, appearing on hundreds of influential recordings as well as in clubs and concert halls throughout the world. During this same span of five decades, McBee has also become a celebrated composer and teacher, leading his own ensembles and earning a distinguished professorship at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he has taught for over 25 years. Read more...