Simple Pleasures – David Berkman

This medium-slow song is an advanced "rhythm changes" variation. The A section's harmonic twists, especially in the last two measures, disguise the B♭ tonality and the basic B♭ "rhythm changes" framework. Though the B♭ key center is established at the beginning, the end of the A section has more of an F tonality. The melody is mostly F major pentatonic throughout with the occasional B♭. The bridge of the head is a repeated, harmonized figure over a D♭ pedal, two measures of 6/4 followed by a four-beat rest; in the solos it is four measures of D♭maj7 in 4/4.

Berkman has a knack for writing interesting dynamics in his melodies, and this song is a good example. The A section starts relatively laid-back, with swells leading into the fifth measure and returning to a softer dynamic in the sixth.

There is a coda that vamps an eight-measure phrase, four measures of alternating F major and D minor chords and four of alternating D♭ major and B♭ minor. This is used for additional soloing after the out melody. This and the main solo section based on the head give the soloist a choice between navigating a harmonically rich improvisatory section and blowing over more open modal material. On this recording, David solos on the head form and saxophonist Jimmy Greene takes the coda vamp solo.