Jazz

"Blues After Dark," Feat. Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Sonny Stitt (tenor sax), Lou Levy (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Gus Johnson (drums). In Belgium, 1958

Starting with the dueling instruments, it almost sounds like two muted trumpets, because the harmonics are intense. For a few notes, it remains that way until I see that it is not two trumpets but rather, a trumpet and a saxophone. They are playing together brilliantly.

A smooth stand up bass kicks in, with background elements that respond to the lead instruments. The bass is not playing a melody like the trumpet and saxophone are; and the bass is also not playing in unison with the tenor saxophone or the trumpet. However, the bass is working in the spot it should be working in, offering a continual walking bass line that keeps the structure of the song together throughout. Sometimes, the bass does play the same...
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