Uptempo blues with a bridge, with exciting rhythm section hits—a great set opener or closer! A condensed score and full set of horn parts are available for the recorded sextet arrangement.
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An exciting uptempo swinger in a classic hard-bop style, this song makes for a great opener or closer of a set. The AABC form is blues with a 16-measure bridge. The A sections in the head have some tricky rhythm section figures especially in the second and third measures—the bass notes here "bounce" off the chord hits. In the last two measures of the A section there are hits on beats 2 and 4 with a minor-third descending sequence in the melody; the harmonic motion is a cleverly substituted turnaround here and other parts of the A section are also slightly reharmonized from standard blues changes.
The bridge has no written melody; the changes here are quite a convoluted series of II-V7s, rising (again in minor thirds) before resolving in B major, G major, and later A major. Solos use more typical blues changes in the A and C sections, while the bridge changes in the solos leave out a tritone sub II-V7 at the end.
About the arrangement: The sextet arrangement is available with a condensed score and horn parts. The horns begin in octaves (trumpet above, tenor sax and trombone unison below), harmonizing in the last two measures of the A section. The tenor sax solos on the bridge, with trumpet and trombone playing the 3rd and 7th of every chord in whole and half notes. At the end of the out head, two hits are added which are voiced in stacked seconds (root, 7th, and 6th).
Our second parts show the 1st and 3rd part backgrounds behind the second part soloist on the bridge. If you'd prefer to have a different soloist play on the bridge of the head, the second part can thus cover for either part of the background. These notes in the second parts are written an octave lower to accommodate for the slashes.
The horn voicings in this song go quite high in the tenor and trombone range; unlike many sextet arrangements, we have a trumpet second part and an alto sax third part. Baritone saxophonists playing the third part can read the alto third part, transposing up an octave for the last two measures of A and C and the entire bridge.
Stay Straight is the sequel to Straight Up, the title track of Eric Alexander's debut album as a leader recorded five years earlier. It's closely based on the earlier song (though in a different key), with similar altered blues changes in the A section; the beginning of the melody is nearly the same.
The personnel on "Mode For Mabes" is the same as on "Straight Up" with the addition of Steve Davis on trombone. This album is the second Alexander-led album featuring the One For All front line (Rotondi, Davis, Alexander) with one of the master hard-bop pianists: four months earlier Eric recorded "Man With A Horn" featuring Cedar Walton, mostly a quartet but with three sextet songs adding Jim and Steve.
For another song from this album check out Mode For Mabes .
A straight-ahead jazz saxophonist, Eric Alexander is known for his sophisticated hard- and post-bop style. Born in Illinois, he began as a classical musician studying alto sax, but quickly began an obsession with the tenor saxophone at Indiana University at Bloomington. Inspired to pursue his musical pursuits further, Eric transferred to William Paterson College in New Jersey, where he studied with jazz legends like Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, Norman Simmons and Rufus Reid. After receiving his degree, he moved back to the Midwest, where he became a fixture in the Chicago club scene touring with Charles Earland. Read more...
A major straight-ahead trumpeter and flugelhornist worldwide for twenty years, Jim Rotondi has charmed the jazz world with his warm tone, versatility and soulful improvisation. Born and raised in Montana—an unlikely place for a jazz musician—Jim was inspired by his musical family to take up the piano at age eight. At twelve, he switched to the trumpet. There was very little musical community to speak of in his hometown of Butte, but like many trumpeters, early exposure to a Clifford Brown vinyl set captured Jim's imagination and kindled within him a lifelong passion for jazz. Read more...
