SwingJournal #7

Cool Struttin':: This is a medium slow blues composition in the key of F. Trumpeter, Art Farmer and alto saxophonist Jakie McLean play the first four bars in unison. The pick up of the fifth bar is also in unison, so we think the entire 5-9th bar are in unison as well. But Farmer and McLean split away with a nice harmony with rhythmically unison notes on the middle ofthe 5th bar to the end of the melody. A nice one quarter beat II-V turn around can be heard on the 11th bar.

The solos starts with the leader of this recording, pianist Sonny Clark. He plays very clean triplets with an old school layed -back feel. He also has the ability of executing astonishingly long 16th note phrases. Trumpet solo : Art Farmer starts playing his solo after Sonny Clark's solo. He starts with a very low and husky tone. He searches for his notes carefully as Miles Davis always does. When he hits high notes, his tone is as crispy as Clifford Brown. However he doesn't show off, and calms down and end of his solo.

The alto saxophonist starts in the lower register. Jackie McLean also starts in a lower key. His lower registered notes remind me of the tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley. Throughtout the whole recording, especially behind Jackie McLean's solo, Sonny Clark's comping is an eye-opener for pianists if they are learning to comp.

You can often hear a second piano solo on this recording. Clark might have wanted to emphasize his appearance as a leader. You can also hear Paul Chambers play an arc solo. Clark's second piano solo might be a prelude for Chambers' spooky arc sound. After one chorus, Chambers puts his bow away and starts playing a walking solo. It might be just walking bass, but he can swing so hard and this part is also an important essence of this composition.

Blue Minor: This composition is in AABA form in the key of Fm and the bridge has a rumba blend rhythm on the melody only. The stop motion with Philly Joe Jones' fill in phrases is remarkable. Up to this point, you might hear busy fill-in phrases like Max Roach or Art Blakey play on many hard-bop albums. Their fill ins affect the whole composition's dynamics. However this type of Philly Joe's fill in is quite modern for 1958. You might be able to hear similar fill ins in Lee Morgan's recordings with Billy Higgins and Heath Brothers recordings with Albert Tootie Heath.

A very melancholy flavored MacLean's solo can be heard next. It is as funky as also saxophonist Lou Donaldson. The bridge II-V-I on key of Ab Maj, contains some killer phrases. Art Farmer has a little happier feel than McLean, but it becomes hotter when he starts his response to Philly Joe's convincing rim shot fill ins. Sonny Clark's comping is influenced by Horace Silver on this composition.

Clark switches to his Horace Silver-like comping in his solo. Some of you might notice that he uses many Bud Powell phrases in this solo. Clark's solo style might be closer to Bud's brother Richie Powell here. Clark is the one of the greatest improvisors who can control wonderful passing notes. Behind Chamber's solo, Clark kicks the figures with Philly Joe.

Sippin' at Belle Audio File

Download Sheet Music for Miles Davis's Sippin' at Bells

Solo Puerto Rican Cuatro Arrangement/Performance by Hideaki Tokunaga

Deep Night: If you want to enjoy Sonny Clark's piano trio track on this recording for just two minutes, this is the take for you. Many people think this is the piano track that works up to the end of Clark's solo. If he kept this piece just as the trio setting, this track might have been most well-known piano trio performance in the 1950's to current days. In my opinion, the best examples of a piano trio might be Duke Ellington- Max Roach - Charles Mingus "African Flower", Bill Evans "Waltz for Debby", Ahmad Jamal "Poinciana" and Red Garland's "Billy Boy".

Sonny Clark's left hand counter melody-like comping is very subtle but it is very powerful. I see many great young pianists whose style is established by similar ideas of Chick Corea and Oscar Peterson. I respect these two pianists and they are also my favorite ones. I want young pianists to listen to this track and take notice of the subtle left hand's comping.

Art Farmer comes in right after Clark's solo, and Philly Joe switches from brushes to sticks. Even though the ride cymbal creates a swinging drive effect, at Jackie McLean's solo it becomes almost a cliche of Art Farmer's solo.

Royal Flush : This composition is one of the many Benny Golson- Art Farmer Jazztet inspired compositions. We can hear the dominant motion with Gb as a call and hear the Ab as a resolution note. It is beautifully composed and this band is swinging very hard.

Royal Flash has an interesting bridge. The first half is played by the horn players. It is a Jazz Messegers' -like unison staccato melody and the rhythm section plays simple chords with descending figures. The second half is also played by the horn players with the same figure, but the rhythm section plays church- like ascending chords.

Because of Jackie McLean's appearance, the concept of this composition is reminiscent of McLean's composition "Dig". On McLeans solo, I could hear his voice when he hits wrong notes. Even though he is a Charlie Parker-influenced alto saxophonist, I also hear ideas from many tenor saxophonists such as Dexter Gordon, Charlie Rouse and again Monk Mobley.

Art Farmer can fluently speak in half step descending and ascending phrases. Maybe he got used to doing this, after his challenges with his long time partner Benny Golson. A good example of Benny's composition is the bridge of Stablemates.

Sonny Clak plays an idiomatic solo. Compared to the other solos on this recording, he plays a more willing solo. The bass solo and drums solo can be heard after Sonny Clarks solo. Unfortunately you can not hear the four/eight bars trade with the drummer.

Lover : Philly Joe Jones opens this composition with a snare drum solo with a marching band feel. As soon as he mixed the tom-toms in, he switches to the high hat like Max Roach or Kenny Clarke would. Many musicologists give credit to Ringo Star for being the first time hi hat rhythm keeper. You will notice many jazz drummers had been established as doing this, way before the Beatles.

With the strong support of fast tempo rhythm keepers, Art Farmer and Jackie McLean play a unison melody with a relaxing feel. McLean has a lower counter melody line. On the bridge, the horn players lay out, and Sonny Clark takes the melody. It feels like the tempo changes suddenly. The matter-of- fact beat changes within the same tempo. The piano trio plays the melody in a strong half-time waltz beat after that.

Jackie McLean starts to solo first. It is easy for us to tell he is a big fan of Charlie Parker when we listen to this solo. It feels like he is still having trouble becoming an independent player in the early bebop era. However the tone of his saxophone is quite unique and much darker than his early 1950's work.

Art Farmer's solo on this track is also hard to find his individual identity. I believe many trumpeters and/or trumpet lovers can not tell the difference between Art Farmer and Donald Byrd on this track. I think Art Farmer's uniqueness is much clearer on his leader album, "Modern Art" which is also recorded in 1958.

Philly Joe Jones' open solo can be heard again before the head-out melody. This time he uses all his tools including snare drums and hi hat. Unfortunately the leader Sonny Clark's solo cannot be heard on this track.