Hard Groove – Paul Gonsalves

"Gettin' Together" was Gonsalves' third full album as a leader. The only other recording with Gonsalves and Nat Adderley is a Duke Ellington session from 1965. "Gettin' Together" is a fitting title for this album, as Paul and Nat's unique, exciting sounds complement each other very well. This rhythm section, differing from Miles Davis' rhythm section of the time in Sam Jones on bass instead of Paul Chambers, first recorded together on Nat's album "That's Right" from August of the same year, and were later to appear on Wynton Kelly's self-titled 1961 trio album for the Vee Jay label.

Our four-page solo transcription clip includes not only Paul Gonsalves' two choruses, but also his half of the two trading choruses. Paul and Nat trade fours for a chorus, then twos for a chorus before the out head.

This is a classic Gonsalves solo, with all his unique uptempo mannerisms. Particularly notable is an angular, descending high-register line, not unlike one of Eric Dolphy's signature patterns; it's played at the beginning of the D section in both solo choruses and the chorus of fours, as well as a variation in the second half of the B section on the chorus of twos. On the D section of this chorus Gonsalves plays a rhythmic bluesy phrase reminiscent of his famous Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue solo. Articulations are clearly shown in this transcription, so you can really get into what defines Gonsalves' style.