Another Level – Roy Hargrove

This medium bossa has a short form with two contrasting sections, one with a floating feeling and the other more rhythmic. There is no key center; the open-ended, often unpredictable harmonies somewhat recall the '60s harmonic vocabulary of Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. The 12-measure A section has a soaring melody over a loose 2-feel; the rhythm section comes together on a few figures that line up with the melody, notably beat 1 and the "and" of beat 2 in the first, third, and seventh measures. The ninth measure has a different rhythmic figure on a colorful D/E♭ chord. The B section is eight measures, with a more rhythmic melody supported by rhythm section figures. This section repeats and develops a two-measure phrase alternating A♭m9 and Bm9; the melody focuses on the ninths, especially in the fourth and eighth measures where these chords are moved around in whole steps. The rhythm section hits are not played in the solos.

There is a four-measure intro which begins with a rising figure in fourths, developed into a simpler, more lyrical phrase; it is also used as a coda. In this arrangement, the tenor sax and bass play this intro line, with the piano harmonizing a third above.

Second parts are available for the two-horn arrangement, which on the head combines unison, octaves, and wide-interval harmonies (sixths and sevenths). The B section is harmonized mostly in sevenths, with the tenor on the third of each chord where the trumpet melody has the ninth.

Click on the Bass Corner tab for information about the bass part.