A discussion

[bertrand]

(Before I start, I want to stress that there is no right or wrong answer to the questions raised - there is no single 'correct' way to play a Wayne Shorter composition).

During the rehearsals for this year's Thelonious Monk guitar competition, one of the semi-finalists (Scott DuBois) chose 'Pinocchio' for his preliminary program. During the run-through, Terri Lyne Carrington said she was a bit thrown off because his lead sheet showed an 18-bar head, but she was used to 20 from playing it with Wayne (not on record, alas). She said that with Wayne they played the 'fusion' version. So they rehearsed the 20-bar, but later Scott said he was more comfortable going back to 18-bars, which is what they did during his set (he did not make the finals, but I don't think that had anything to do with it).

Terri Lyne asked Wayne later, and he said 18-bars is the 'kiddie version'

However, Bob James (the pianist on the date) came much closer to what could pass for an answer. He downloaded both the Miles 'Pinocchio' and the Weather Report version into iTunes and put it on his iPod (insert hosannas for Apple here). Bob thinks that the Miles version actually fluctuates between and 18 and 20-bar structure, depending on who is soloing and which statement of the head they were on (recall that they re-state the head after EVERY solo in this version as if it were the chorus in a pop song, for a refreshing change). As we all know, this band was never chained to rigid structures. Bob said the Weather Report version was even less clear, but I can't remember how many bars he though there were.

I thought this discussion was so fascinating I brought it up to several musicians there, mainly during the many receptions. Several people mentioned 'Masqualero' as another open-ended form.

As an interesting coda, the ultimate winner, Lage Lund also chose 'Pinocchio' for his final program (and made this choice long before he knew that Scott has also used it). He had assumed 18-bars as well; I don't know if there was a debate during the rehearsals since I wasn't there.

So, the question up for debate: do you agree with Bob James that the form goes back and forth from 18 to 20 bars? And what about the other two version of 'Pinocchio' that Bob did not listen to: the completely different alternate from Miles, and the 1992 Tribute to Miles version? Discuss.

I'll check the copyright deposit next time I'm at the Library of Congress.

Bertrand.

P.S. Each contestant prepares a preliminary program of three tunes (at least one Monk song and one ballad, which can be the same) for the semi-finals (15 minute total) and two or three tunes (no restriction) for the finals (10 minutes).

Edited September 20, 2005 by bertrand

[Rosco]

Just had a quick listen to the three versions I have: Miles & the quintet (master and alternate) and Weather Report.

The slow alternate take of Miles' is pretty straightforward; 18 bars repeated.

Weather Report's also seems pretty straightforward although there it's 20 bars.

The Miles master take is a little harder to pin down; the melody is played four times; the first three are 18 bars but on the final repeat it feels as though the phrase is extended to 20. Miles solos for 38 bars and- this is the key part- brings the melody back in by playing the opening phrase (Shorter jumps in pretty quick, Hancock is slower on the uptake). The melody plays again (feeling like 20 bars); Shorter solos for 44 bars (I think, I got lost ); Another melody, again feeling like 20 bars; Hancock, sticking closer to the form, takes two 18 bar choruses. Melody with a tag vamp out.

So the form seems to be the melody is 18 bars, except when it preceeds a solo when it's extended to 20 bars. Miles and Wayne's solos are not over the form and melody is brought back in after an indeterminate number of bars by cue (something that Miles often did, as early as Flamenco Sketches and which would later become what Enrico Merlin calls the 'coded phrases' which would signal the change from one tune to the next or, in the 80s bands, the bridges to tunes).

At least that's how I'm hearing it. Feel free to disagree.

Edited September 20, 2005 by Rosco

[bertrand]

Rosco,

Thanks for the fascinating input. I thought someone else might have some ideas. Anyone?

Bertrand.