Inside Out – Cecil McBee

Like most of the songs on this Cecil McBee "Unspoken"album, Inside Out is an exciting challenge for any instrument. It's an abstract composition with no key center and irregular phrase lengths throughout. There are meter changes within each section of the head: the basic 4/4 is broken up with single measures of 6/4, 5/4, 3/4 and 2/4. The rhythm section interacts with the melody in many ways, switching between 4-feel time, hits that follow or fill in the melody, and a few breaks.

Besides the rhythm, the melody and harmony are also highly advanced. Each melody phrase is full of snaky winding 8th-note lines that really establish the lack of a key center. There are just a few chords that punctuate the melody; many of these are dissonant and tense, stacked over roots or entire chords a step above or below. The A section has no specific chords; the melody here is accompanied only by freely walking bass and drums, with the piano coming in for a punctuating chord at B.

Our audio excerpt begins at the intro, which is based on the last phrase of the melody followed by a four-measure drum solo leading into the head. The intro is also used to set up the out head. Solos are entirely free, out of tempo; on the recording the piano and drums first improvise together, followed by the two horns and bass.

Besides our lead sheets, we have piano, bass, and drum parts and a concert score. Much of the melody rhythms are cued below the staff on the rhythm section parts; in a piece with such an advanced rhythmic structure it's very important to know how the rhythm section relates to the melody.