Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? – Shelley Carrol

A hard-bop swinger in an Art Blakey Jazz Messengers vein, Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? is subtly unusual in its form and chord structure. The melody starts with a simple, catchy theme utilizing “scoop” articulations—repeated notes with a pitch bend down in between. This theme is three measures instead of the expected four, resulting in a seven-measure repeated A section; this is followed by a 12-measure B section. The key center is slightly open-ended: either the beginning G minor or ending C minor of the A section could be the tonic, and we show no key signature. The B section resolves to four measures of C7sus, with a Latin 12/8 feel on the in head but continuing swing on the solos.

On the recording, Bobby Watson (alto sax) and Shelley Carrol (tenor sax) play fills together through these four measures below the trumpet melody note. For the coda, these four measures are replaced with an open vamp, swinging as in the solo choruses, alternating two measures each of B♭maj7/C (same as C7sus) and B♭m(maj7); this fades out on the recording, again with the alto and tenor improvising together.

For most of the melody on the recording, the horns play in octaves—trumpet and alto in unison above and tenor below. The melody certainly works in unison or octaves throughout, or with a single melody instrument. The only harmony in the recorded arrangement is on the first three measures. We have alto 2nd and tenor 3rd parts as recorded, with these harmony notes.