Jazz Guitar Trio

Performing at MA recitals in Leeds Conservatoire.

Sonnymoon for Two by Sonny Rollins

Added an intro section to add originality through arrangement. Referenced Grant Green’s No. 1 Green Street as both tracks are jazz blues standards in the key of B-flat.

Nica’s Dream - Horace Silver

Changing up the groove and rhythm often adds variety to the set, which is why this tune was chosen. It features a longer form of 32-bar AABA with a coda at the end, and an energetic latin drum groove.

Solar - Miles Davis

Although the chord changes in this jazz standard is straight-forward within a short form of 12 bars, playing it fast in an up-tempo swing feel is challenging, especially while keeping the fluency and integrity of the improvised melody lines. Added some originality by fitting the head (starting and ending melody section) into a 3/4 waltz rhythm.

Empty Pockets - Herbie Hancock

Written by famed jazz pianist Herbie Hancock (who wrote Watermelon Man and Cantaloupe Island), this tune has a thick and fuller texture on the recording as it features two horns. Translating the piano parts into a guitar trio setting required toning the atmosphere down a little.

Darn That Dream - Jimmy Van-Heusen

Once again experimenting with playing at different tempos, Darn That Dream is usually played as a ballad. After a heavily re-harmonised solo guitar introduction, the band kicks in with a medium swing more on the slow and steady side.

Count Every Star - Sammy Gallop

A simple 16-bar form which repeats itself and originally written as a popular song with vocals and lyrics, making this into an instrumental guitar trio version required some imagination in terms of arrangement. Without changing the catchy melody too much, we were able to introduce a constant key change in our arrangement.