Let's Try – Tom McIntosh

A medium swinger in Tom McIntosh's signature lyrical style. The first recording was Maynard Ferguson's big band version, but this song certainly works in a combo setting. This song combines major and minor tonalities; the first A section begins with a G major sound and resolves in G minor, only arriving in G major at the end of the second A. The form is an even 32-measure AABC, though the two A sections are a bit different. The bridge changes start to resolve toward B♭ major, but never touch down on a B♭chord. On both the Maynard Ferguson and James Moody recordings, the solo changes are slightly different from the head: the second half of the second A is essentially the same as the first A but ending on G major.

Our lead sheet has features of all three recordings. The tempo marking reflects Maynard Ferguson's recording with its laid-back 2-feel groove, but the intro comes from the James Moody version; click on the second album cover for more details. We indicate a vamp of the last two measures as an optional ending; all recordings have a little of this, but only Jodie Christian's (third album cover) ends here without an arranged final phrase.

James Moody's recording is a bit faster than the original Maynard Ferguson version. The intro in our lead sheet reflects this version: a repeated rhythmic figure with bass solo fills, alternating Gm7 and A♭7. We include this intro as it works more easily in a combo context than the arranged intro from the Ferguson big band recording.

Another medium-tempo recording like the original Maynard Ferguson arrangement, this time in a quintet setting. Pianist Jodie Christian plays the melody, accompanied by horn background lines. The intro is a vamp similar to our written intro from the James Moody version, but with horns and piano improvising fills together. The ending vamps the last two measures, without an arranged final chord as in the other recordings.