Lucia – Cecil McBee

Though more lyrical and less complex than some of the other Cecil McBee songs on "Unspoken," Lucia is no less creative. This song is based on a two-chord vamp alternating Bmaj7 and E♭maj7; the latter seems like the main key center, but with the melody slipping smoothly between the two tonalities we show no key signature. The vamp runs from A through C of the ABCD head form. As the C section melody is the same as at A (with a two-measure extension at the end), the contrasting D section that follows is more of an interlude than a bridge. This D section, with colorful changes full of major chords, leads back to the vamp to set up the solos. Solos are open on the vamp, with the D section changes on cue as an interlude leading to the next soloist.

Our Concert Condensed Score includes the entire bass line through the head, and is thus also the rhythm section part. The score and lead sheets show the intro format from the recording, which starts with a bass solo over the vamp. The bass sets up the head by playing the vamp figure for eight measures.

On the recording the horns play mostly unison, but there is one harmonization that happens twice in both the A and C sections. The alto sax has the melody notes C♯ (over the Bmaj7) going to D (over E♭maj7); these are harmonized above by the trumpet with a tied over E♭. This note is shown in the score as E♭ rather than D♯ to avoid changing enharmonically with the chords, and to make the tight interval easier to read. In the score it's written with a smaller notehead. We also have a trumpet 2nd part as recorded which includes these harmony notes.

Our audio clip starts eight bars before A.