This Joker's A Smoker – Jon Davis

For a full description of the song, click on the Rhythm Section Workshop album cover.

This first version has a slightly different melody from our lead sheet. As played by guitarist Christian Havel, the F in the first measure is rearticulated with a quarter note on the fourth beat. The second measure's second F, which Jon usually plays on the third beat, is here anticipated by an eighth note. Havel plays the same figure on each four-measure phrase of the melody.

The intro begins with eight measures of drums, followed by only four measures of bass pedal point including the pickup to the head. Instead of the pedal point, a loose 2-feel is used for the first three choruses of both the guitar and piano solos, before changing to a 4-feel. The coda is an open vamp on B♭7sus with the pedal point.

Jon Davis recorded on three albums led by the Austrian guitarist Christian Havel; "Besinnung" (meaning "Reflection") is the third. All three feature the same personnel, with trumpeter Ingrid Jensen added on the first, "It's Never Too Late," from 1999. The second of these albums, "Franz, " was recorded in 2002 and includes another Davis original, Here's Jonny.

Despite being an uptempo burner, this is really a quite simple song. The form is 12 measures long, essentially a blues variation with a riff-type head. The melody begins with a pickup six beats long, forming half of the riff; the melodic action (quarter notes as opposed to half notes) is thus concentrated in the second half of each four-measure phrase, the reverse of many blues heads. The chord qualities are mostly suspended; there is no return to the tonic after the IV chord. Instead, the seventh measure goes to G♭maj7b5, moving to Emaj7♭5 in the ninth measure and thus surrounding F7sus (the V) finally on the last two measures for a cyclical form.

There is a bass pedal point on beats 2 and 4 throughout the head; the chords on the seventh and eleventh measures are anticipated by a beat to line up with the bass figure. This pedal point is also used for an intro and during the drum solo. The coda consists of a few more choruses of solo or vamp over the pedal point, with a variation of the last two measures' melody to finish.

The arrangement of this version is the same as on Jon's album "One Up Front." The drums play time for eight measures at the beginning, followed by 16 measures of vamp leading into the head. The pedal point is played for the first two choruses of the piano solo before going to a 4-feel. The coda is four more choruses of piano solo over the pedal point, with the last two measures' melody played each time.

Davis once had a girlfriend who convinced him to put on rollerblades and skate around Central Park. "The rollerblade experience lasted 15 minutes and then I broke my ankle. The hill didn't look that big, I thought it was no problem, then BOOM! I didn't feel great about that," Davis recalls. The girlfriend smoked cigarettes which Davis didn't also feel great about, hence the title, a joking reference to that time.

Exploring the Minus Bass audio track and Rhythm Section Workshop Bass part
On This Joker's A Smoker, the bass plays roots on 2 and 4 under the melody, and since some chords are anticipated on 4, it's crucial that the bass solidly locks down the root motion. When done well, this has a powerful effect. An uptempo tune like this one—with a 20-chorus piano solo—will test any bassist's endurance and is worthy of practice for that reason alone. It's been helpful for me to try to make every chorus as relaxed and consistent as the one before. The bass takes a three-chorus walking solo and accompanies a drum solo with roots on 2 and 4, as in the head.

Exploring the Minus Drums audio track and Rhythm Section Workshop Drum part
This Joker's a Smoker is a medium up-tempo piece that is great for getting your ride cymbal time together. On this recording, Steve Johns demonstrates what a lot of people call "dancing" on the ride cymbal: freely moving through different variations of ride cymbal pattern rather than sticking to and repeating "spang-a-lang." Practicing and developing this concept is a lot more fun over Daryl Jon's burning basslines than alone. If you enjoy playing along with this Minus You track, check out other pieces recorded by the "Jon Davis Trio."

Exclusive Minus You audio tracks and parts
Our Rhythm Section Workshop has Minus You tracks for piano, bass and drums as well as parts for each. Because the form is so short and there are so many solo choruses, there are several cues in the Minus You piano, bass, and drum parts. The bass solo on the recording is a walking solo, which means it is not as obvious to a pianist playing with the Minus Piano track where the bass solo starts. The piano part has the first bass solo chorus notated. As Jon comps throughout the drum solo, the piano part has the rhythms of the first and last drum solo choruses notated below the staff as a guide if you want to comp here. The bass and drum parts have piano cues: Jon's soloing/fills in the intro, his last solo chorus, and his comping on the last chorus of the drum solo.
CLIP Format of the track:
-- intro (eight measures of drums, followed by 16 measures of vamp)
-- melody 2 times
-- piano solo 20 choruses (2-feel for 2 choruses and then 4-feel)
-- bass solo 3 choruses
-- drum solo with piano comping and bass pedal 5 choruses
-- out melody 2 times
-- Coda: piano solo 4 choruses

mp3  minus Piano - any melody instrumentalists can also play this part for a trio setting with bass and drums
-- count off, then drums begin the intro for eight bars
-- solo or fill over the pedal point for the intro vamp
-- play the melody 2 times
-- solo 20 choruses (2-feel for 2 choruses and then 4-feel)
-- comp for the bass solo 3 choruses
-- comp for the drum solo 5 choruses
-- play the out melody 2 times
-- solo on the Coda 5 choruses

mp3  minus Bass
-- count off, then drums begin the intro
-- pedal for the intro vamp
-- pedal for the melody 2 times
-- 2-feel for 2 choruses of the piano solo
-- walk for 18 choruses of the piano solo
-- solo 3 choruses
-- pedal for the drum solo 5 choruses
-- pedal for the out melody 2 times
-- pedal for the Coda 5 choruses

mp3  minus Drums - sticks throughout
-- count off, then drums begin the intro - "time" has been left in for the first 8 bars (play along with it), then comp for the rest of the intro
-- comp for the melody 2 times
-- comp for the piano solo 20 choruses (2-feel for 2 choruses and then 4-feel)
-- comp for the bass solo 3 choruses
-- CLIP solo over the bass pedal 5 choruses (piano comps)
-- comp for the out melody 2 times
-- comp for the Coda 5 choruses

This trio recording is the same format as our "Jon Davis Trio" version. It begins with eight measures of drums, followed by 20 measures of pedal point vamp altogether before the head. Unlike our version, Jon's solo here begins right away with a 4-feel. After the drum solo, he plays another chorus over the pedal point before playing the head out. The coda is five choruses of piano solo over the pedal point, sometimes with the last two measures' melody; the final melody of the last two measures ends with B♮ instead of C as in our version.

Though he's recorded since the '80s with many notable musicians, Jon only started recording as a leader in 2010. "One Up Front" is the second Davis-led album, and the first one with a trio. Jon had previously recorded with Joris Teepe on the bassist's big band album "We Take No Prisoners" in 2008. Takahashi was also the drummer on Davis' 2015 trio album "Moving Right Along" with bassist Yasushi Nakamura.

Playing without drums at this tempo is a unique challenge; Jon and bassist Gianluca Renzi certainly take it in stride. The intro is 24 measures of pedal point vamp; the pedal continues for the first two choruses of Jon's solo before Renzi starts walking. There is a walking bass solo, followed again by one more chorus of piano solo over the pedal point. The out melody is played only once. The coda is three choruses, each with the last two measures' melody played in octaves; this ends on B♮ in the first two choruses but the last time it finishes with C as in our Rhythm Section Workshop version.

Bassist Gianluca Renzi has studied with Marc Johnson, Miroslav Vitous, Palle Danielson and John Patitucci. Since meeting Jon Davis after his move to New York in 2008, the pair has gigged there as well as throughout Renzi's native Italy. In 2016 Davis and Renzi joined forces with Philadelphia drummer Vince Ector, forming the rhythm section for vocalist Patty Lomuscio's album of jazzy Simon & Garfunkle covers entitled "Further to Fly."