In A Meditating Mood – Gigi Gryce
True to Gigi Gryce's signature style, In A Meditating Mood has an expressive, sweet melody. Our lead sheet comes from the original Gryce manuscript.
- Recording: Gigi Gryce - Gigi Gryce
- Recorded on: October 30, 1955
- Label: Signal (S1201)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Ballad
- Alto Sax - Gigi Gryce
- Trumpet - Art Farmer
- Trombone - Jimmy Cleveland
- French Horn - Gunther Schuller
- Baritone Sax - Danny Bank
- Tuba - Bill Barber
- Piano - Horace Silver
- Bass - Oscar Pettiford
- Drums - Kenny Clarke
There are audio excepts from two recordings, and both start with the melody. Our lead sheet comes from Gigi's original copyright manuscript, so you can be assured you have Gigi's correct melody and basic chord progression. We feel it's important to give you Gigi's melody and chords, so you can use them as a basis when you figure out how you want to interpret the composition. Gigi's arrangement around the trombone melody interpretation is gorgeous. It gives you an insight into his wonderful arranging vocabulary.
Each recording has a different introduction. The melody is an AABA ballad, but long form: the A sections are all 16 measures long. On Gigi's recording, the trombone plays the first A section melody, then Gigi solos for the second A section. The trombone finishes the melody from the bridge. Then they play Gigi's gorgeous interlude section that goes into 3/4 time, setting up one more trombone melody C section.
Each recording has a different introduction. The melody is an AABA ballad, but long form: the A sections are all 16 measures long. On Gigi's recording, the trombone plays the first A section melody, then Gigi solos for the second A section. The trombone finishes the melody from the bridge. Then they play Gigi's gorgeous interlude section that goes into 3/4 time, setting up one more trombone melody C section.
Don Sickler: "These two recordings took place in two consecutive months in 1955. Gigi's album project was recorded on three separate days in October in Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack studio. October 15 was a quartet session, with Thelonious Monk on piano. The next week, on October 21, Gigi was back at Rudy's, but this time playing on an Art Farmer session for Prestige (see Nica's Tempo). The next day, October 22, Art Farmer was back with Gigi, but this time there were nine musicians and a vocalist. Rudy had to find room for all of them in his parents' living room! Eddie Bert was the trombonist on this session.
"The October 30 session featured here had the same instrumentation, but minus the vocalist, and with a few different musicians. This time Jimmy Cleveland was on trombone. I had always presumed that Eddie recorded both versions of In A Meditating Mood, since he put it on his own album. In fact, I thought I must have discussed Gigi's recording with him at some time during the years we played together, but, sadly, I missed that opportunity."
Learn more about Gigi Gryce at Noal Cohen's Jazz History website. Also see Gryce's discography.
"The October 30 session featured here had the same instrumentation, but minus the vocalist, and with a few different musicians. This time Jimmy Cleveland was on trombone. I had always presumed that Eddie recorded both versions of In A Meditating Mood, since he put it on his own album. In fact, I thought I must have discussed Gigi's recording with him at some time during the years we played together, but, sadly, I missed that opportunity."
Learn more about Gigi Gryce at Noal Cohen's Jazz History website. Also see Gryce's discography.
- Recording: Eddie Bert - Let's Dig Bert (Eddie, That Is)
- Recorded on: November, 1955
- Label: Essex (ESLP-208)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Ballad
- Trombone - Eddie Bert
- Tenor Sax - Dave Schildkraut
- Guitar - Barry Galbraith
- Piano - Hank Jones
- Bass - Clyde Lombardi
- Drums - Osie Johnson
Note that Eddie Bert borrowed some things from Gigi's arrangement (see album on the left), but for his own recording of this beautiful ballad he left many decisions up to stellar accompanists Hank Jones on piano and Barry Galbraith on guitar.
The melody is an AABA ballad, but long form: the A sections are all 16 measures long. As a result, no one solos on Eddie's recording: Eddie plays the whole melody.
The melody is an AABA ballad, but long form: the A sections are all 16 measures long. As a result, no one solos on Eddie's recording: Eddie plays the whole melody.
Eddie recorded with Gigi Gryce on October 21 in Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack living room, but he didn't record this title. It was recorded a few days later in a Gryce session with trombonist Jimmy Cleveland. Somehow Eddie must have heard In A Meditating Mood and decided he would record it on his own album.
There are several notations in Rudy Van Gelder's date book for Eddie Bert in November, 1955. Saturday November 5, 4 p.m.; Monday November 7, 2:30 p.m.; Thursday Nov. 10. Could be the first date was for the recording session, the second for picking takes and assembling the tape master, and the third, when Eddie picked it up.
There are several notations in Rudy Van Gelder's date book for Eddie Bert in November, 1955. Saturday November 5, 4 p.m.; Monday November 7, 2:30 p.m.; Thursday Nov. 10. Could be the first date was for the recording session, the second for picking takes and assembling the tape master, and the third, when Eddie picked it up.
Gigi Gryce
November 28, 1925 – March 17, 1983
Gigi Gryce was a fine altoist in the 1950s, but it was his writing skills, both composing and arranging (including composing the standard Minority) that were considered most notable. After growing up in Hartford, CT, and studying at the Boston Conservatory and in Paris, Gryce worked in New York with Max Roach, Tadd Dameron, and Clifford Brown. He toured Europe in 1953 with Lionel Hampton and led several sessions in France on that trip. Read more...