Sea Breeze (vocal) – Jon Burr

This sunny samba features a laid-back melody that evokes the pure relaxation of sun, sky and sea. The piece features a recurring horn riff (that could be played on the piano or even scatted, if preferred) that recalls a Cuban montuno, giving the piece a Pan-Latin vibe. The melody is particularly well-suited for the singer with a rich lower register.

Our audio excerpt starts with four measures of the horn introduction heading into the melody. This riff returns in different keys after each section of the melody. In Gloria Cooper's version, the tenor sax, trumpet and guitar each take a solo for a chorus. An eight-measure instrumental riff with piano fills heads back into the melody for one chorus before an instrumental ending.

Lyric Description: This simple and modest lyric perfectly mirrors the unpretentious joy of being near the ocean on a beautiful day, and in good company.

No-vocal version: The no-vocal version (accompaniment only Minus You practice track) is in Gloria's key of D-flat and is based on her recording, with an eight-bar instrumental intro, a single time through the head with an instrumental ending. This song offers particularly good practice for the vocalist in sustained notes and note-endings.

If another key would be better for you, send the key you'd like to Don and we'll post the transposition on the website for purchase. If you're not sure which key is best, send us your range and we'll work with you to figure out the best key.

This version featuring the composer himself on bass with Yaala Ballin's vocals. This recording is in F and gives a fantastic example of how the song sits on a mezzo-soprano or soprano voice. Our audio excerpt starts in the same place as Gloria Cooper's recording for an easy comparison—four bars of the instrumental introduction, leading into the A section. The form on this recording is very similar to Gloria's version; it, too, starts with an instrumental introduction featuring the recurring riff, although it is played on piano and the tenor saxophone improvises over it for four bars. This riff is actually slightly different from the one on Gloria's recording—it has the same contour and rhythm, but is more consonant than the slightly dissonant riff in the other arrangement. After one time through the head, Anat Cohen takes a breezy, laid-back solo on the tenor saxophone for one chorus. Then composer Jon Burr takes a melodic bass solo for a half chorus. Yaala comes in on the second A and sings it out, also ending with an instrumental coda.

Lyric Description: This simple and modest lyric perfectly mirrors the unpretentious joy of being near the ocean on a beautiful day, and in good company.

If another key would be better for you, send the key you'd like to Don and we'll post the transposition on the website for purchase. If you're not sure which key is best, send us your range and we'll work with you to figure out the best key.