You Move, You Lose – Eli "Lucky" Thompson

Despite its fast tempo, this song is full of that warm lyricism that defines Lucky Thompson’s style. The changes are fun to blow on, starting in minor and ending in the relative major.

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Recording: Lucky Thompson - Lucky Thompson And His Orchestra
Recorded on: April 20, 1956
Label: French Columbia (FP 1083)
Concert Key: F minor
Vocal Range: , to
Style: Swing (uptempo)

Tenor Sax - Lucky Thompson
Piano - Martial Solal
Bass - Benoit Quersin
Drums - Christian Garros

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Lucky Thompson - You Move, You Lose

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That iconic Lucky Thompson elegance is on display in this song, which deserves wider recognition. It’s fast but unhurried; the melody has plenty of room to be lyrical. Many phrases focus on the “pretty notes”—the 6th and 9th (D♮ and G for the tonic F minor chord). This song starts in F minor and ends in A♭ major. The changes are in fact related to Cole Porter’s You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To, but with a few important differences. The sixth measure resolves back to E♭ minor instead of moving on to D♭, and in the second half of the B section there is a brief flash of F major. With all these subtle modulations, this song is a satisfying adventure to solo on. The ending has a solo break leading to an unexpected final G major chord.

This is the only recording of You Move, You Lose. On a TV broadcast of Lucky Thompson from 1960, one song is announced as You Move, You Lose, but it is actually a version of Why Weep? which was originally recorded on the same album in 1956.

Though Lucky sometimes wrote songs directly on the changes of standards, the chord progressions of several of his songs are similar to standards but go different directions in a few places. Besides You Move, You Lose, another example is Dancing Sunbeam—close to, but not exactly lining up with, the standard I Remember You.

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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You Move, You Lose – Eli "Lucky" Thompson

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