Long Story Short – Jack Montrose

A light-toned medium swinger with Jack Montrose’s classic “West Coast cool” sound. The melody is smooth and elegant, based on an almost classical-sounding theme. The changes of the A section are relatively diatonic, with II-V7s to B♭, C minor, and G minor before returning to B♭. The bridge has a similar melody to the A section, but starting in B♭ minor; the changes descend through G♭ major and E♭ minor key centers. The C section begins like A for the first six measures; the seventh measure begins a sequence of chromatically descending minor II-V7s starting on E♭m7♭5. When these return to the tonic there is a variation of the “Tadd Dameron” turnaround in the last four measures; the C section is 14 measures long.

The last four measures of our lead sheet come from Jack’s original manuscript; in the big band arrangement on the recording, they are replaced by a longer interlude/coda with a half-time feel. Solos in the big band arrangement are on a different form from the head, but the head form certainly works for solos in a small group setting. The phrase markings on our lead sheet also come from Jack’s manuscript.