Peacemaker – Cecil McBee
A lyrical song in a reflective mood, Peacemaker has been played in a quite variety of settings and arrangements. Our lead sheet is especially based on Cecil McBee's recording with The Cookers; we also have a solo piano edition from Cecil's manuscript.
- Recording: Leaders Trio - Heaven Dance
- Recorded on: May 28-29, 1988
- Label: Sunnyside (SSC 1034)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Style: Even 8ths (medium)
- Piano - Kirk Lightsey
- Bass - Cecil McBee
- Drums - Famoudou Don Moye
With its lyrical melody and impressionistic harmonies, Peacemaker presents a pensive, reflective mood. The floating melody leaves plenty of space for the rhythm section. There is a bass line that complements the melody by filling in around the longer notes; this is an essential part of the song and is written on a separate staff on our condensed score (which is also the rhythm section part). In the fifth through eighth measures there is a drum fill; on the solos the rhythm section usually plays "broken time" here. The form is ABABC: 16-measure A and eight-measure B, followed by a four-measure C section that starts the same as A but with a rising unison line with the bass at the end.
The changes include several unusual chord qualities—often angular, but barely sounding dissonant in this song's subdued mood. These include Dm7♭5(♭9) in the 13th measure of A, a chord from D Locrian mode (one step above C Aeolian or natural minor). Bm(maj7♯11) at the beginning of the B section can be interpreted as a Bb major triad on top of a B minor triad; a scale that contains this chord is F♯ harmonic major starting on the fourth (B).
The many recordings of Peacemaker differ with regards to the groove, phrasing and form. This trio version is a bit faster than some of the others, but with a subdued half-time feel especially in the B section. The bass plays more simply at B than in later versions. The melody is slightly different from our lead sheet; notably, beat 4 of the fourth measure is played short rather than being held out into the drum fill. The melody notes that we show on beat 4 of the 15th measure of A and 3rd measure of B are delayed into the next measure as pickups to the following phrases. The ABABC form is used for the solo choruses; later recordings use the C section as an interlude between solos. After C of the out melody, the first phrase of A is played one more time as an ending.
A solo piano arrangement is available based on Cecil's manuscript; click on Piano Corner for details on how it relates to the lead sheet and to this recording.
The changes include several unusual chord qualities—often angular, but barely sounding dissonant in this song's subdued mood. These include Dm7♭5(♭9) in the 13th measure of A, a chord from D Locrian mode (one step above C Aeolian or natural minor). Bm(maj7♯11) at the beginning of the B section can be interpreted as a Bb major triad on top of a B minor triad; a scale that contains this chord is F♯ harmonic major starting on the fourth (B).
The many recordings of Peacemaker differ with regards to the groove, phrasing and form. This trio version is a bit faster than some of the others, but with a subdued half-time feel especially in the B section. The bass plays more simply at B than in later versions. The melody is slightly different from our lead sheet; notably, beat 4 of the fourth measure is played short rather than being held out into the drum fill. The melody notes that we show on beat 4 of the 15th measure of A and 3rd measure of B are delayed into the next measure as pickups to the following phrases. The ABABC form is used for the solo choruses; later recordings use the C section as an interlude between solos. After C of the out melody, the first phrase of A is played one more time as an ending.
A solo piano arrangement is available based on Cecil's manuscript; click on Piano Corner for details on how it relates to the lead sheet and to this recording.
"Heaven Dance" was the only recording of the Leaders Trio, between the second and third albums by the original Leaders sextet. Click on the second album cover for this song for a version from the following Leaders album. Cecil McBee's next recording after "Heaven Dance" was "Crescendo," a live trio album by pianist Yosuke Yamashita, with Pheeroan ak Laff on drums. Yamashita recorded Peacemaker with the same lineup on another live album, "Sakura Live," in 1991.
Our Solo Piano Arrangement comes from Cecil McBee's manuscript. It is written at half the tempo relative to our lead sheet: the A section is eight measures, B is four measures, and C is two measures. We have decided to make our lead sheet long-meter particularly so the bass line can be read more easily.
The longer notes of the melody have three- or four-note right-hand voicings. In the original trio recording, pianist Kirk Lightsey plays essentially this arrangement, besides the differences of phrasing mentioned in the Description. For the written arrangement, Cecil added a more active bass line at B, which gives definition to the tempo within the longer melody notes.
The longer notes of the melody have three- or four-note right-hand voicings. In the original trio recording, pianist Kirk Lightsey plays essentially this arrangement, besides the differences of phrasing mentioned in the Description. For the written arrangement, Cecil added a more active bass line at B, which gives definition to the tempo within the longer melody notes.
- Recording: Leaders - Unforseen Blessings
- Recorded on: December 19-20, 1988
- Label: Black Saint (120129-1)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Style: Even 8ths (medium)
- Trumpet - Lester Bowie
- Soprano Sax - Chico Freeman
- Alto Sax - Arthur Blythe
- Piano - Kirk Lightsey
- Bass - Cecil McBee
- Drums - Famoudou Don Moye
The Leaders sextet version is slower than the trio version, but the melody phrasing and rhythm section feel are similar. The piano plays the melody the first time through A and B, and the horns come in (harmonized) on the repeat, with soprano sax on the melody. Pianist Kirk Lightsey and soprano saxophonist Chico Freeman each solo for one ABABC chorus, with the C section melody played both times as an interlude. The out melody has the same format as the in melody, ending on the last measure of C. Our audio excerpt starts where the horns come in on the repeat of A.
"Unforeseen Blessings" was the third of four albums by the original lineup of The Leaders, and their second on the Black Saint label. Cecil McBee's next recording with saxophonist Chico Freeman was "Freeman/Freeman," a live album also featuring Chico's father, fellow saxophonist Von Freeman.
- Recording: Arthur Bluthe - Retroflection
- Recorded on: June 25-26, 1993
- Label: Enja (ENJ 8046)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Style: Ballad
- Alto Sax - Arthur Blythe
- Piano - John Hicks
Another side of Peacemaker: this recording shows that the song works just as well in a rubato ballad setting. Pianist John Hicks plays the bass figures as in other versions, despite the lack of a steady tempo. This version is two ABABC choruses in length: saxophonist Arthur Blythe plays the melody, and then solos on ABAB returning to the out melody for C.
Cecil McBee plays on the rest of this album, but here he steps back to let Arthur Blythe and John Hicks interpret his composition in a duo setting. Arthur Blythe made a studio recording of Peacemaker in 1994 on his album "Focus," with a quintet including bassist Santi Debriano as well as pianist George Cables, who would go on to play this song with Cecil as a member of The Cookers. A live recording is also available from 1993 of Arthur playing Peacemaker, in a different quintet with Curtis Lundy on bass.
- Recording: Cookers - Cast The First Stone
- Recorded on: April 5 & 6, 2010
- Label: Plus Loin Music ((F)PL 4536)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Style: Even 8ths (medium)
- Trumpet - Eddie Henderson, David Weiss
- Alto Sax - Craig Handy
- Tenor Sax - Billy Harper
- Piano - George Cables
- Bass - Cecil McBee
- Drums - Billy Hart
Video
- Cecil plays his PEACEMAKER along with fellow Cookers Eddie Henderson - trumpet; David Weiss - trumpet; Donald Harrison - alto saxophone; Craig Handy - tenor saxophone; George Cables - piano; Cecil McBee - bass; Billy Hart - drums. At the KNKX Studios, February 20, 2024.
- The Cookers at the New Morning, Paris. Billy Hart (drums), George Cables (piano), Cecil McBee (bass), Eddie Henderson (trumpet), David Weiss (trumpet), Billy Harper (tenor saxophone) , Donald Harrison (alto saxophone). April 5, 2022.
Our Concert Condensed Score and lead sheet are based on the Cookers recording. Intermediate in tempo between the Leaders trio and sextet versions, this one has a somewhat more animated groove with a rhythmic bass pattern at B. As with the sextet arrangement, the piano plays the melody the first time through A and B for both in and out heads, with horns added on the repeat. As indicated on the lead sheet, C is used as an interlude outside of the solo form: the soloists stretch out on a repeating 24-measure AB chorus, with C as an interlude after each solo (including leading back to A for the out melody). Our audio excerpt starts where the horns come in on the repeat of A.
Recorded only three months after their debut album "Warriors," "Cast The First Stone" was the second of three albums by the original lineup of The Cookers with Craig Handy on alto sax. For a few songs on this album Handy is replaced by tenor saxophonist Azar Lawrence. All of the Cookers albums so far have included at least one Cecil McBee composition.
Cecil McBee
born on May 19, 1935
From the time he first arrived in New York City in 1964, Cecil McBee has remained one of the most in-demand bassists in jazz, appearing on hundreds of influential recordings as well as in clubs and concert halls throughout the world. During this same span of five decades, McBee has also become a celebrated composer and teacher, leading his own ensembles and earning a distinguished professorship at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he has taught for over 25 years. Read more...