Back Room Blues – Brian Lynch

A medium swinger with a fun groove, Back Room Blues is a bit less complicated than some other Brian Lynch songs, and a good starting point for exploring his music. Though this song is not technically a blues, the melody uses the blues scale almost throughout. It's a relatively simple melody in a hard-bop style, with plenty of long notes to rest on while the rhythm section grooves along. The "hook" of this song is a rhythm section vamp on a repeated two-measure rhythmic figure, accenting beat 4 of the second measure. The form is a little tricky: 35 measures in total, with eight-measure A, 13-measure B, six-measure C, and eight-measure D sections. The B section is divided further into phrases of 4, 3, 4, and 2 measures. Though there are no repeated sections within the form, the rhythm section vamp runs through A, the first four measures of C, and D. The ends of B and C are the same, a two-measure pickup that leads into the next section. In all three recordings, the head is played twice in, once out.

The rhythm section vamp stays on Fm7 through the A section. The B section changes descend (and sometimes rise) in seconds and thirds, coming back to Fm7 for the vamp again at C. At D the vamp returns for four measures on a D♭ triad with B in the bass, followed by four measures back on Fm7. The rhythm section plays hits throughout the head, not just on the vamp sections; at B, most of the chords are anticipated on the "and" of beat 4. The solo form is the same as the head, but with a 4-feel throughout; the vamp figure is played on the last four measures of the last solo chorus to set up the out head. There is a coda that tags the D section two more times, with added dynamic contrast between the two melody phrases; it ends on D♭/B.

About the arrangement: This first recording has a slightly different arrangement from the other two. Our condensed score, lead sheets and second parts reflect this version, but have footnotes explaining how the others are different. The lead sheets are the first parts. Rhythm section players should read the condensed score. In this recording, the drums begin the intro with eight measures of the vamp (with a one-beat pickup); the piano and bass come in on beat 4 of the last measure and vamp for eight more measures before the head. The horns are voiced in fourths throughout the A section both times; they start the B section in octaves, but the long notes through the rest of the melody (and the entire D section) are voiced, mostly in fourths. The tenor sax catches the hits with the rhythm section in the 8th through 11th measures of B.

Because the horns on the other recordings play the A section in unison the first time, both melody and harmony lines are shown here in our second parts. Click on the "Back Room Blues" album cover for more details.

A bit faster than the original Ralph Moore recording, the slight changes to the arrangement give this version a very different sound. The horns play in unison for the first A section; they harmonize here on the repeat and out head. With Javon Jackson's tenor timbre a bit mellower than Ralph Moore's, the unison creates a more subdued mood even though the rhythm section energy is similar in both recordings. The intro begins with the whole rhythm section, vamping for eight measures before the head; they start right on the downbeat instead of anticipating with a pickup as in the first version.

The same lead sheets (which are the first parts), condensed score, and second parts can be used for both arrangements; the differences between them are explained in footnotes.

Phil Woods' recording is arranged essentially the same as Brian Lynch's "Back Room Blues" version. There is a bit more dynamic contrast here; the horns add crescendos in some of the long notes, particularly in the A and D sections. At B the horns play unison rather than octaves—easier range-wise for alto sax. Our alto sax 2nd part is written this way, with the same register as the trumpet melody in the B section instead of an octave below like the other 2nd parts.