Love Thy Father – Justin Robinson
A lyrical ballad with colorful harmonies. Justin recorded this song on two albums, 20 years apart.
- Recording: Justin Robinson - The Challenge
- Recorded on: April 14-15, 1997
- Label: Arabesque Jazz (AJ 0137)
- Concert Key: No key center
- Style: Ballad
- Alto Sax - Justin Robinson
- Piano - Stephen Scott
- Bass - Dwayne Burno
- Drums - Dion Parson
This ballad has a colorful chord progression full of unexpected twists. There is essentially no key center, though the end of the 16-measure form is cyclical with a II-V7 back to the first chord, C♯m7. The melody is lyrical and holds the changes together, but not without some unpredictable motion of its own particularly in the second half. The melody covers a wide range of almost two octaves, descending in triadic lines in the first and fifth measures and rising dramatically from the 10th through 15th measure. Some of the melodic ideas are developed and transposed in different directions from the changes. For example, the 8th and 16th measures' melodies have the same interval shape a half step away, but while the 8th measure starts on B♭, the 3rd, over Gm7♭5, the 16th measure's starting note, A, is the flat 5th of the underlying E♭m7♭5. Because of the cyclical form, the first chord is played one more time at the end of the out head.
For a description of the differences between this and the other recording twenty years later, click on the second album cover above to the right.
For a description of the differences between this and the other recording twenty years later, click on the second album cover above to the right.
Four of the ten songs on "The Challenge" also feature tenor saxophonist Ron Blake. Pianist Stephen Scott played alongside Justin Robinson on the latter's first two recordings, in the Harper Brothers Quintet. "The Challenge" was the first recording Justin made with the late Dwayne Burno; Dwayne played on Justin's next two albums as a leader, "In The Spur Of The Moment" and "Alana's Fantasy."
- Recording: Justin Robinson - At First Light
- Recorded on: June 6, 2017
- Label: WJ3 (1022)
- Concert Key: No key center
- Style: Ballad
- Alto Sax - Justin Robinson
- Piano - Sharp Radway
- Bass - Ameen Saleem
- Drums - Jeremy "Bean" Clemons
This later version of Love Thy Father is not as subdued as the original recording. Justin takes more liberties in interpreting the melody expressively. This version has a 2-feel in the bass, as opposed to a largely whole-note bass line in the first version. Our lead sheet indicates the feel as "2-feel (or 1-feel)."
Love Thy Father is one of two original songs Justin recorded on both "The Challenge" and "At First Light"; the other is Inner Limits [coming soon]. Another song on "At First Light," Lamentations For R And D, pays tribute to Dwayne Burno, who played on "The Challenge," and pianist Ronnie Mathews who played with Justin in Roy Hargrove's group.
Justin Robinson
born on August 14, 1968
Justin Robinson is an important member of the generation of jazz musicians who began their careers in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Justin got his professional start at age 18 in the Harper Brothers Quintet, making his first recording with them in 1988. Three years later, he made his first recording with Roy Hargrove, on pianist Stephen Scott's debut album "Something To Consider." Justin would continue playing with Roy for the rest of Roy's life. Read more...