Farfel – Frank Socolow

A bright-toned blues head in a classic bebop style. The melody combines phrases that smoothly outline and connect the changes with a bit of blues-scale vocabulary. A four-measure interlude or "send off" launches the first solo, going into the fifth measure of the blues form. This recording features a complex arrangement with a lot of counterpoint among both horns and rhythm section. However, this song certainly works without the arrangement as well.

About the arrangement: The full arrangement is shown in our Concert Condensed Score; our lead sheets reflects the same form but showing only the top melody line. On the first chorus of the in head (A1), the horns begin in unison accompanied by bass and drums. The piano and guitar add a countermelody starting in the fifth measure and continuing through the second chorus of the head (A2). At A1, the last two measures of melody are played by piano and guitar only; the horns play these measures in A2 while the piano/guitar countermelody continues.

The interlude before the solos features four-part counterpoint, with alto sax on top, guitar and trombone countermelodies in the middle, and a bass line doubled by the piano. This bass line descends chromatically with an over-the-barline, 3-beat repeated rhythmic pattern; it's also shown in our lead sheet. This interlude is also used on the recording to launch the drum solo.

The out head is arranged differently from the in head. It begins with the two lines switched: the piano and guitar play the first four measures of the melody, while the horns play the same line as the piano/guitar countermelody at A2. The horns return to the melody in the fifth measure, while the piano and guitar play their line from A1 but with the ending of A2. Again, our lead sheet shows only the horn line throughout the out head.