Spherical (with Spiral Dance)

Here it is, my latest jazz band arrangement!

Belmont University’s Jazz Band 1 recently premiered my arrangement of The Brecker Brothers’ composition entitled “Spherical”. (Take a listen to the original Brecker Bros. recording here.) This is the third chart I’ve written for my alma mater’s jazz band and I think it’s my favorite so far. (Check out the other two at the bottom of this post!)

For me, a good sign that I should do an arrangement of a particular tune is when I cannot get sick of it, no matter how many times I listen. That has definitely been the case for the previous charts I’ve done, and this one was no exception. It shuffled up on my iTunes last year while I was driving to my parent’s house for Thanksgiving. I honestly don’t even remember adding the tune to my collection. I never studied it, nor have I ever had to learn it for any band I’ve ever played in. It was just waiting there for me to discover, and I’m so glad that I finally did! If you’re anything like me, when you fall in love with a song, you put it on repeat and wear it out. After the first five or six listens, I knew I had to write a chart for this tune because I just couldn’t get enough. And I still can’t.

After the first few times through, I decided that Keith Jarrett’s “Spiral Dance” (from his most-excellent Belonging recording) would be a perfect complement to this tune for my arrangement, if I could somehow figure out a way to marry the two. I actually learned “Spiral Dance” in college, so I was already pretty familiar with it. It was even part of the repertoire of a jazz quintet I played in years ago. (Check out this live version from Keith’s quartet … doesn’t he have the most fantastic white-guy ‘fro EVER?! Ah, the seventies … anyhoo … )
I have always loved the one-note opening ostinato, juxtaposed with the angular melody. I decided to arrange it as a saxophone soli, using the 4-way-close, double-lead technique, while keeping the groove of “Spherical” going in the rhythm section. This approach transforms the melody (composed in the mid-70’s), giving it a “vintage” feel (with the 4-way-close, double-lead treatment, popularized by Swing-era big-bands), and all the while completely updating it with the super-hip, Brecker Bros. funk groove. I was really pleased with the results.

Outside of the ending, my arrangement follows the Brecker Bros. original recording fairly closely with two exceptions: 1) the addition of the “Spiral Dance” soli, which functions as kind of a bridge section, and 2) small, but important, changes to the harmonic structure of the 1st solo section (featuring trumpet with Harmon mute). I altered the first 4-measures of each phrase in the first half of the Harmon solo section, assigning the bass player to introduce a simple, but funky, 3-note ostinato motif that the entire band eventually plays at the end of the chart underneath the drum solo. I felt like this was a great way to add some continuity to the arrangement and an opportunity to hint at the ending without giving it away. By the time the drum solo happens at the end, that 3-note pattern introduced in the first solo section provides a great release and texture change for the band after the deep (and incredibly fun!) groove of the Tenor Sax solo, which is by far my favorite section of the chart.

Since the original Brecker Bros. recording ends with a fade-out, I had to come up with an ending for live performance. As most any writer will tell you, whether writing novels, short stories, or even essays, the ending is absolutely critical to the process. Arranging is no different. Once I figure out how I’m going to end a particular arrangement, I can go back and make adjustments to what I’ve written so far, ensuring that it builds up to the ending properly and in a way that makes sense. Not that I always start with the ending, but more times than not, I will work it out early on in the process so I know where I’m going. The very last lick of the chart is actually the standard live ending from the Brecker Bros. themselves, but adding the preceding 8-bar drum solo was my idea. It comes from witnessing the mastery of Keith Carlock on many occasions, playing with the Tom Hemby Band at 3rd & Lindsley here in Nashville. They always cover Joshua Redman’s “Greasy-G” and it ends with the band playing a funky melody line in unison, while Carlock solos his rear-end off, crossing bar lines and playing with different meters over the freight train that is the rest of the band locked-in on the main pattern. I transferred this idea to my chart by adding that simple 3-note ostinato motif for the band to play in unison while the drummer solos, crescendoing over the entire 8 measures, building toward the powerful unison lick at the end to close the piece. I love how the two instances of that little 3-note motif, first under the Harmon solo and then again at the end under the drum solo, work as subtle bookends tying this piece together to make a complete statement.

In closing, I’d like to thank Dr. Jeff Kirk, one of my musical mentors, my former arranging professor & composition instructor, and one of the finest college jazz band directors around. (That’s him and me pictured below after last week’s concert.) Jeff chose to close this particular concert with my arrangement, which was pretty cool considering the program included arrangements from Robert Lussier and the great Gordon Goodwin! He is always so generous with his time to look over my charts, answer questions and address any concerns that I might have. He always makes suggestions kindly, delivers criticism in the most constructive way possible, and his instincts are always spot-on. I am so grateful to him for giving me the invaluable opportunity to write, experiment, and hone my skills with such a talented ensemble. I never dreamed when I played in this band as an undergrad, that I would eventually be writing charts for it and it is truly an honor.

If you’re interested in the other arrangements I’ve written for this band, check them out:

Man Facing North (composed by The Yellowjackets)

Last Train Home (composed by Pat Metheny)

If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Thanks for reading and listening!