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Added by drleroyhenry 4979d ago

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Transcribed by Dr. LeRoy...(more) Henry
This album was an album that stirred a lot of controversy in the Jazz world. One would think that from the
title of the album that it would have been an entirely live set but much of the album was recorded at Rudy
van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The 1965 album features the same rhythm as is
featured on Miles Davis' famous Kind of Blue record; bassist Paul Chambers, pianist Wynton Kelly and
drummer Jimmy Cobb. Only two of the original LP's five tracks were recorded at the Half Note ("No Blues"
and "If You Could See Me Now.") At the behest of producer Creed Taylor, the other three were re-recorded
three months later at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey. An album called "Willow Weep for Me" was
posthumously released from the remaining live tracks. Thisrecord included string and brass arrangements by
Claus Ogerman on "Willow Weep for Me", "Portrait of Jennie," "Oh! You Crazy Moon," and "Misty" that were
obviously not a part of the original live sessionat the Half Note and these arrangements were panned by the
critics. Later the album was rereleased with the first five tracks are from the original Verve LP. Tracks six
through eleven are from the Willow Weep for Me album without that album's string and brass arrangements.
Impressions is what is known as a “derivative work”, a work based upon one or more pre-existing works. Its
chord sequence is identical to that of Miles Davis' "So What" (16 bars of Dm7, 8 bars of Ebm7, and 8 bars of
Dm7). The song is a variant of Davis' song that Coltrane had long explored as a member of the Miles Davis
quintet. The original recording of the song is an up tempo tenor onslaught, a blistering, sustained exploration
in which Coltrane and drummer Elvin Jones established new parameters for intensity and sheer physicality.
Both songs originate in Ahmad Jamal's 1955 cover of Morton Gould's "Pavanne" which makes Impressions
a double derivative. The quartet sets the D and Eb dorian changes of "Impressions" on fire. En fuego!!
Montgomery's solo is chalked full of superior melodic expression. He epitomizes power and assurance with
his note selections. On the other hand, Kelly is no slouch either. He's kind of like the Vice President, you know
he's there waiting and when it's his turn to take the driver's seat, he'll get the job done. His interaction with
Montgomery during his solo shows just how close these two musical minds were. During several moments of
Montgomery's solo, he and Kelly accent right on time with each other. You can hear Wes laughing in joy on the
track in the background. This was by far one of Montgomery's tour de force songs. This song is the very
definition of what we know as swing and an excellent example of modal playing on guitar.