Chuck's Groove – Bill Pierce
A tuneful, motivic melody by composer Bill Pierce.
- Recording: Billy Pierce - One For Chuck
- Recorded on: April 6 & 7, 1991
- Label: Sunnyside (SSC 1053)
- Concert Key: E-flat
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Trumpet - Bill Mobley
- Tenor Sax - Billy Pierce
- Piano - Mulgrew Miller
- Bass - Ira Coleman
- Drums - Alan Dawson
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Chuck's Groove is a winner for musicians and listeners alike. Bill Pierce has a knack for writing tuneful, memorable melodies, and this one is no exception. The quirky (but not overly complex or fussy) changes make it pure fun to solo over. Our audio excerpt starts with the melody (a 16-measure AB form) which is played the first time with only bass and drums as accompaniment. The piano comping comes in on the repeat of the melody. The recording sets up the melody with one chorus of walking bass and drums as indicated in all our lead sheet editions.
Chuck's Groove is from the album "One For Chuck," which was dedicated to the memory of a particularly avid fan of Billy's. Bassist Ira Coleman said, "Chuck wasn't a musician, just a fan. A very nice guy who loved the music and would come out and give his support."
There's also a great quintet arrangement of another composition by Pierce, Patchouli, available in a print edition fromMusicDispatch.com.
There's also a great quintet arrangement of another composition by Pierce, Patchouli, available in a print edition fromMusicDispatch.com.
Bill Pierce
born on September 25, 1948
Bill Pierce is known in the jazz world for both his innovative hard bop playing and his distinguished career as an educator. He hails from a musical family in Florida, with parents both educators who emphasized the value of music; he took up the saxophone early. Read more...