Midnight Blue – Freddie Redd
With its long form, this song's melody really tells a story. Our exclusive "Freddie Redd Project" recording is the only commercially available recording of this song; we have Minus You tracks for all instruments.
- Recording: Don Sickler - Freddie Redd Project
- Recorded on: January 4, 2015
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1021)
- Concert Key: G
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Tenor Sax - Elijah Shiffer
- Piano - Julius Rodriguez
- Bass - Nick Dunston
- Drums - Jeff Brillinger
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
Freddie Redd's Midnight Blue is more subtly nocturnal than the Kenny Burrell song of the same title. It is similar in harmonic progression and mood to Clare Fisher's classic Pensativa. Like that song, this one has a long form with a singing melody that tells a story in its rises and falls, development and modulations. Its form begins with two 16-measure A sections and a 16-measure bridge; C begins like A but is extended by eight more measures with some modulations, followed by D, an eight-measure vamp with a Latin groove. The vamp is not played on the head out, which ends at the first measure of this section. The chord progression is also intriguingly similar to Pensativa, beginning with chromatic alternating root movement (in this case below as well as above) and modulating down a major third in the ninth measure (E♭ in the key of G). The bridge explores major third relationships further, with modulations to B as well as E♭.
As you'll hear from the audio clip, Freddie is a master of great long form melodies. Minus the introduction, this composition has 80 measures of melody and solo form.
Minus You tracks are available for all instruments; these lead sheets can be used as is, with your own group, or with our Minus You audio tracks. Click on the Minus You tab for details. Unlike some other Freddie Redd Project songs, this one's Minus You tracks are all from the same take.
As you'll hear from the audio clip, Freddie is a master of great long form melodies. Minus the introduction, this composition has 80 measures of melody and solo form.
Minus You tracks are available for all instruments; these lead sheets can be used as is, with your own group, or with our Minus You audio tracks. Click on the Minus You tab for details. Unlike some other Freddie Redd Project songs, this one's Minus You tracks are all from the same take.
"The Freddie Redd Project" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
Freddie Redd spent a few weeks in the now-jazzleadsheets.com studio, after his car caught fire when Freddie, his companion Val and his cat were driving from Washington D.C, to New York. During that time Don Sickler and Freddie went over many of Freddie's compositions, notating and refining lead sheets. Although Midnight Blue wasn't included in the recording session for Uptown Records that brought Freddie north, Don used the manuscript in creating his arrangement for the "Freddie Redd Project" recording.
Freddie Redd spent a few weeks in the now-jazzleadsheets.com studio, after his car caught fire when Freddie, his companion Val and his cat were driving from Washington D.C, to New York. During that time Don Sickler and Freddie went over many of Freddie's compositions, notating and refining lead sheets. Although Midnight Blue wasn't included in the recording session for Uptown Records that brought Freddie north, Don used the manuscript in creating his arrangement for the "Freddie Redd Project" recording.
Our Minus You tracks all come from the quintet recording. Because of the long form, the Minus Melody track has only one solo chorus.
[clip] Form of the quintet recording:
-- intro
-- melody
-- tenor sax solo 1 chorus
-- piano solo 1 chorus
-- out melody
[clip] minus melody - Minus You for all melody instruments
-- no count off; wait for the intro
-- play the melody
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play the out melody
[clip] minus piano (quintet) - there is a separate Piano part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- comp for the melody
-- comp for the tenor sax solo 1 chorus
-- solo 1 chorus
-- comp for the out melody
[clip] minus bass (quintet) - there is a separate Bass part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play figures for the intro
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated for the melody
-- walk for the tenor sax and piano solos, Latin on D (1 chorus each)
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated for the out melody
[clip] minus drums (quintet) - sticks throughout - there is separate Drum part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- comp for the intro and melody, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated (Latin on D)
-- comp for the tenor sax and piano solos, Latin on D (1 chorus each)
-- comp for the out melody, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated
[clip] bass and drums only - to feature piano, guitar, vibes, or any melodic instrument that likes to play without harmonic accompaniment. The pianist can get the quintet Piano part with all the second part cues notated or use the C treble clef part. The C treble clef part indicates only one solo chorus, which is correct.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play the out melody and coda
[clip] Form of the quintet recording:
-- intro
-- melody
-- tenor sax solo 1 chorus
-- piano solo 1 chorus
-- out melody
[clip] minus melody - Minus You for all melody instruments
-- no count off; wait for the intro
-- play the melody
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play the out melody
[clip] minus piano (quintet) - there is a separate Piano part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- comp for the melody
-- comp for the tenor sax solo 1 chorus
-- solo 1 chorus
-- comp for the out melody
[clip] minus bass (quintet) - there is a separate Bass part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play figures for the intro
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated for the melody
-- walk for the tenor sax and piano solos, Latin on D (1 chorus each)
-- play figures, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated for the out melody
[clip] minus drums (quintet) - sticks throughout - there is separate Drum part
-- count off sets up the intro
-- comp for the intro and melody, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated (Latin on D)
-- comp for the tenor sax and piano solos, Latin on D (1 chorus each)
-- comp for the out melody, 2-feel and 4-feel as indicated
[clip] bass and drums only - to feature piano, guitar, vibes, or any melodic instrument that likes to play without harmonic accompaniment. The pianist can get the quintet Piano part with all the second part cues notated or use the C treble clef part. The C treble clef part indicates only one solo chorus, which is correct.
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro and melody
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play the out melody and coda
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Freddie Redd
May 29, 1928 – March 17, 2021
Pianist Freddie Redd, best known for his role as composer and actor in the play and movie "The Connection," started playing the piano when he was in the Army. Mostly self-taught, he learned while performing in clubs with other musicians. According to Nat Hentoff's liner notes to "Shades Of Redd," Freddie says he's "been influenced by many things I've heard on a lot of instruments. What I do is try to piece together what stimulates me into my own way of feeling things musically." Redd's music is simultaneously optimistic and knowing—it makes you want to play along with it, to join in the experience. Read more...
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