Bulldog's Chicken Run – Renee Rosnes
With its hard-swinging theme, Bulldog's Chicken Run is quite a fun song—though not without plenty of that intricate detail that defines the Renee Rosnes style. Besides the lead sheets we have a Condensed Score and Bass part.
- Recording: Renee Rosnes - As We Are Now
- Recorded on: March 12-13, 1997
- Label: Blue Note (72438-56810)
- Concert Key: B-flat, No key center
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Tenor Sax - Chris Potter
- Piano - Renee Rosnes
- Bass - Christian McBride
- Drums - Jack DeJohnette
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
Renee Rosnes' compositions can be subtly complex in their harmonic and melodic detail, but often there's a memorable "hook" that holds them together. Bulldog's Chicken Run is a particularly fun example, with a swinging, slightly bluesy A section theme that winds into irregular phrase lengths. The melody form is AABCC, with the C sections being a variation of the A sections. From 4/4 swing at A, the feel switches to 3/4 Latin for the 24-measure B section. Melodically, this section continues the blues feeling from A but going slightly outside the changes. The melodic variation in the A and C sections is full of subtle detail: the beginnings of A1, A2, and C1 are all slightly different, and C2 starts the same as A1 though the end is based on that of A2.
Though much of this song has a B♭ key center, our lead sheets and parts show no key signature as the tonality gets a bit ambiguous in some places particularly in the B section.
Solos are on a 12-measure form, essentially based on the C sections of the head. Though not a blues, the solo chorus is blues-like, starting on B♭7 and landing on E♭7 in a couple of unexpected places. B can be used as an interlude between solos; on the recording, it's played between Chris Potter's tenor sax and Renee Rosnes' piano solos, with Potter continuing his solo into B and playing the melody for the last eight measures. After solos, the out melody starts from B.
About the arrangement: A quartet condensed score is available reflecting the recorded arrangement. This score is also the piano and drum part; we have a separate part for bass. In this striking arrangement, everyone plays the A section melody in octaves, with no harmonies. The piano takes the melody at B, with tenor sax and piano improvising fills together that "answer" the first two melody phrases. C adds chords, with rhythm section figures, to the A section melody.
The score indicates "light melody with light time and light fills" for the drums at A and C2. Jack DeJohnette on the recording really plays the melodic rhythm, with time around the figures and some fills to set them up.
Though much of this song has a B♭ key center, our lead sheets and parts show no key signature as the tonality gets a bit ambiguous in some places particularly in the B section.
Solos are on a 12-measure form, essentially based on the C sections of the head. Though not a blues, the solo chorus is blues-like, starting on B♭7 and landing on E♭7 in a couple of unexpected places. B can be used as an interlude between solos; on the recording, it's played between Chris Potter's tenor sax and Renee Rosnes' piano solos, with Potter continuing his solo into B and playing the melody for the last eight measures. After solos, the out melody starts from B.
About the arrangement: A quartet condensed score is available reflecting the recorded arrangement. This score is also the piano and drum part; we have a separate part for bass. In this striking arrangement, everyone plays the A section melody in octaves, with no harmonies. The piano takes the melody at B, with tenor sax and piano improvising fills together that "answer" the first two melody phrases. C adds chords, with rhythm section figures, to the A section melody.
The score indicates "light melody with light time and light fills" for the drums at A and C2. Jack DeJohnette on the recording really plays the melodic rhythm, with time around the figures and some fills to set them up.
This song's title references bassist Ray Drummond, nicknamed "Bulldog." As explained in the liner notes: "Bulldog's Chicken Run refers to bassist Ray Drummond's Thursday night ritual, whenever his group performs at the Village Vanguard, of running off between sets to bring back several trays of fried chicken." Renee played on Ray's 1995 album "Vignettes;" later in the '90s and early 2000s the two collaborated in a trio known as The Drummonds with drummer Billy Drummond (no relation to Ray).
Renee recorded big band versions of Bulldog's Chicken Run and Black Holes, both originally from "As We Are Now," with the Danish Radio Big Band in 2001.
Renee recorded big band versions of Bulldog's Chicken Run and Black Holes, both originally from "As We Are Now," with the Danish Radio Big Band in 2001.
Related Songs
Email Send Bulldog's Chicken Run to a friend
Send this page to a friend via email. Add your name or email in the first field. In the second, add one or more email addresses, separated by a comma.
Renee Rosnes
born on March 24, 1962
Few can deny that Renee Rosnes is one of the most important pianists and composers in contemporary jazz. As a child, Renee was initially attracted to classical piano, but became interested in jazz during high school. She went on to study classical piano performance at the University of Toronto but returned to Vancouver to pursue jazz. Renee quickly rose to the top of Vancouver's active jazz scene and performed as a sideman with Joe Farrell and Dave Liebman while still in her teens. Read more...
There was a problem.
...