A blues variation which contrasts a simple, singsong riff head with an intricate set of changes. In addition to our lead sheet, Bertha Hope’s solo piano arrangement is available with an exclusive recording by Glenn Zaleski.
A well-titled song, particularly with regard to the harmonic progression. Though the melody repeats a simple, singsong blues-scale riff, it is harmonized with an intricate variant of blues changes, with two chords per measure nearly throughout. These chords include many side-slips and passing chords as well as more unpredictable movement, never returning to a tonic F chord in either the 7th or 11th measure. The last two measures repeat a rhythmic phrase on D♭7 and E♭7, with contrary motion in call and response between the bass and melody. In fact the rest of the head has a call and response format: the main melody riff is answered by a drum fill over the chords. On the recording, drummer Jimmy Cobb fills with brushes, over bass double-stops only; the piano could also join the bass here. Solos are on standard blues changes on the recording, but the head changes could be used for solos instead. There is an eight-measure intro also used as a coda, vamping on the phrase from the last two measures of the head.
Click on the second album cover for Bertha’s solo piano arrangement, recorded by Glenn Zaleski.
In the liner notes for “Between Two Kings,” Bertha Hope explains: “When I wrote it I had no idea of the complexity of what would be played over the alternate changes. We actually do eventually break into a regular twelve bar blues after playing the head twice over the substitute changes.”
This album was Bertha’s first recording with drummer Jimmy Cobb. The same trio recorded again in 1999 on her album “Nothin’ But Love”; in 2018 Bertha and Jimmy played together on guitarist Felix Lemerle’s album “Blues For The End Of Time”.
Bertha Hope’s piano arrangement consists of the intro, head twice, and coda. Though written for solo piano, this arrangement also works in a trio setting. For more details click on Piano Corner.
Check out more Bertha Hope solo piano arrangements from this Glenn Zaleski project. Glenn recorded 14 songs at this session at Van Gelder Studio, including six from Bertha’s “Between Two Kings” album.
In this Solo Piano Arrangement by Bertha Hope, all the important melody notes are harmonized in two-handed voicings. There are also voicings for the chords in the third, fourth, seventh, and eighth measures, where there are drum fills on the trio recording. Pay attention to the dynamic contrasts to keep the “call and response” format in this solo arrangement. The articulations in the melody are also detailed.
A dynamic force in improvised music, pianist Bertha Hope has been making headway in the jazz scene since the early 1960s. Raised in Los Angeles, Bertha attended Manual Arts High School. She began her jazz journey with pianists Elmo Hope and Richie Powell in her youth. Although she studied piano at Los Angeles Community College, she received her B.A. in early childhood education from Antioch College. She married Elmo in 1960; they moved to New York where Bertha worked as a telephone operator by day and performed at night. Read more...
