Minor Dues – Jon Gordon

Like Stapleton, this song comes from the album "The Things We Need." Also in common with Stapleton, this is a relatively straight-ahead song for Gordon, though not without some rhythmic quirks. The players on this recording are particularly suited to this style of song.

from Jon: "I wrote this tune, just a simple minor blues with a bridge, for a CD recorded in 1999, called "The Things We Need." That album title is taken from a tune by pianist Barry Harris, These Are The Things We Need, which we recorded with a children's choir for that album. Barry was kind enough to come to the studio for a day and hang with us when we recorded his tune. I had Mike Le Donne, Dennis Irwin, Peter Bernstein and Kenny Washington in mind when I wrote this tune, knowing they would be on the recording. I was thinking of some similar tunes written and played by Sonny Rollins and Horace Silver when I wrote this."

Pianist Mike LeDonne first recorded with Gordon in 1993. For guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Kenny Washington, this was the only time both played on a Gordon leader session.

It's interesting to consider composer Jon Gordon's comment that he had Peter Bernstein (as well as the rest of the band) specifically in mind when writing this song and Stapleton when discussing Bernstein's performance. In light of this comment, as well as the fact that Bernstein doesn't comp on either tune, one can almost see Bernstein's presence in the same vein as those of Grant Green's myriad of sideman roles on the Blue Note label in the 1960s, wherein Bernstein's guitar fills the role of a singular, searing, horn-like voice that keeps the music connected to its blues roots. Of course, Bernstein's voice, while firmly within this lineage of melodic, hard-swinging guitarists, is completely individual, moving seamlessly between blues shouts, bursts of double-timed altered and diminished scale material, and broad swaths of pure melody.

Especially when combined with the slick and unified phrasing of the melody with Gordon, Bernstein's performance here is essential listening for any musician interested in a modern extension of the great swinging guitar lineage. Our Guitar 2nd part lets you follow along with Peter's part in the melody.