Romantic and subtly sophisticated, Velvet Rain is a Lucky Thompson classic that deserves to be better known. This song starts with a Latin groove and goes to swing in the seventh and eighth measures and at the bridge; the solos swing throughout. All four eight-measure sections are different, though the first two start out the same. The A section has simple changes with an up-and-down melody that arpeggiates the chords; the second half of B modulates up to G minor. C starts in A♭ major and visits G major, F major, and back to G major before returning to the tonic for the D section, a variation of A ending in a solo break.
There is an intro which begins with four measures of groove in the drums, followed by four measures adding a rhythmic bass figure. This bass line doesn’t continue into the head but appears again as a tag ending.
For another Latin song that Lucky Thompson recorded in Paris in 1956, check out One Cool Night. Many of the songs from Lucky’s trip have not yet been recorded again; all are ready for wider recognition.
All of the other songs recorded on "Lucky Thompson And His Orchestra" are available on jazzleadsheets.com—there’s a lot to explore! Despite its name, this album consists of quartet and quintet tracks. However, Lucky did record with larger bands in Paris such as on the Transition album "Lucky Strikes."
Saxophonist Lucky Thompson is one of the great treasures of jazz. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina, but was raised in Detroit, Michigan. He played in local groups with Hank Jones, Sonny Stitt and others. In August, 1943, when he was 19, he left Detroit with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra, eventually arriving in New York City. Still a teenager, his first recording date was with Hot Lips Page on March 18, 1944. Later in 1944 he started recording with both Lucky Millinder and Count Basie. Read more...
