Old Reliable – Eli "Lucky" Thompson
Another classic blues variant from the Lucky Thompson/Oscar Pettiford sessions, this one is a bit simpler than some of the others but just as harmonically elegant. The stop-time intro has a two-measure bass break.
- Recording: Lucky Thompson - Featuring Oscar Pettiford, Vol. 1
- Recorded on: January 30, 1956
- Label: ABC-Paramount (ABC 111)
- Concert Key: B-flat
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trombone - Jimmy Cleveland
- Tenor Sax - Lucky Thompson
- Piano - Hank Jones
- Bass - Oscar Pettiford
- Drums - Osie Johnson
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
One more blues head from the Lucky Thompson/Oscar Pettiford sessions [volume 1, volume 2], Old Reliable has a rather simpler melody than some of Lucky's other blues. It's a riff head, based on a descending blues scale in repeated eighth notes. The second phrase lands on C instead of the tonic B♭ in the seventh measure, and the melody ascends in the turnaround before resolving on F. Beneath this simple melody the changes are quite busy with Lucky's signature elegance, full of chromatic passing chords through the descending riff figures. A circle of fifths starting in the seventh measure resolves in D♭ in the ninth, followed by a tritone substitute II-V7 to get back to the tonic.
Like the other Thompson/Pettiford blues, this one has an intro—in this case a melodic eight measures over rhythm section stop-time, followed by a two-measure bass solo break. The ending extends the melody also in a break, with rising quarter-note triplets leading to a C7(♯11) chord; this chord is in brackets in our lead sheets and parts as the piano doesn't play the full chord on the recording.
About the arrangement: The horns play unison for the beginning of the intro and most of the head. They split into harmony, with trombone above tenor sax, on the fourth measure of the intro; for the rest of the intro the tenor mostly hits with the rhythm section. The tenor adds a countermelody below the trombone in the tenth measure of the head. The horns are again harmonized in the ending, but here the tenor is on the melody above.
Our second parts show all the lower harmony notes. We also have trombone and tenor parts as recorded, showing what Lucky and Jimmy Cleveland played. The as-recorded trombone first part is written an octave lower, with a footnote indicating to play an octave above where it's written; the melody especially in the intro is very high for trombone and would be difficult to read in bass clef. Our regular bass clef lead sheet is also written in the lower octave, but our trombone second part, with the harmony notes for the intro, is in the upper octave where it works better with another horn on the first part/melody.
Like the other Thompson/Pettiford blues, this one has an intro—in this case a melodic eight measures over rhythm section stop-time, followed by a two-measure bass solo break. The ending extends the melody also in a break, with rising quarter-note triplets leading to a C7(♯11) chord; this chord is in brackets in our lead sheets and parts as the piano doesn't play the full chord on the recording.
About the arrangement: The horns play unison for the beginning of the intro and most of the head. They split into harmony, with trombone above tenor sax, on the fourth measure of the intro; for the rest of the intro the tenor mostly hits with the rhythm section. The tenor adds a countermelody below the trombone in the tenth measure of the head. The horns are again harmonized in the ending, but here the tenor is on the melody above.
Our second parts show all the lower harmony notes. We also have trombone and tenor parts as recorded, showing what Lucky and Jimmy Cleveland played. The as-recorded trombone first part is written an octave lower, with a footnote indicating to play an octave above where it's written; the melody especially in the intro is very high for trombone and would be difficult to read in bass clef. Our regular bass clef lead sheet is also written in the lower octave, but our trombone second part, with the harmony notes for the intro, is in the upper octave where it works better with another horn on the first part/melody.
Gigi Gryce wrote a septet arrangement of Old Reliable for Jimmy Cleveland's 1959 album "Rhythm Crazy." This version CLIP has a different intro and ending; the second chorus of the in head adds a countermelody based on the main riff a measure later. Hank Jones and Osie Johnson are also on this recording as well as trumpeter Art Farmer. Old Reliable is one of two blues heads on "Lucky Thompson Featuring Oscar Pettiford, Volume 1"; the other is Bo-Bi My Boy. All other Lucky Thompson originals from this album are available on jazzleadsheets.com; the others from this session are Deep Passion, Tom-Kattin' , and Translation.
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Eli "Lucky" Thompson
June 16, 1923 – July 30, 2005
Saxophonist Lucky Thompson is one of the great treasures of jazz. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina, but was raised in Detroit, Michigan. He played in local groups with Hank Jones, Sonny Stitt and others. In August, 1943, when he was 19, he left Detroit with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra, eventually arriving in New York City. Still a teenager, his first recording date was with Hot Lips Page on March 18, 1944. Later in 1944 he started recording with both Lucky Millinder and Count Basie. Read more...
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