Horace Silver's "Strollin'" Live with a Quintet

[JazzPadd]

At a street jazz festival with a quintet, this is the Horace Silver Hard Bop classic "Strollin'."

It was recorded on a smartphone by an audience member, divided into two parts, with a middle section missing. The theme and ad-lib are in part one above while fours and out are in part two below. I'm playing a 1970s Gibson Johnny Smith thru a Henriksen Blu 6.

This quintet was put together from a monthly jam session at a local "jazz kissa." Once a group was formed for this gig, we selected one tune each for the 40 or so minute set. My choice was Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar," which I'll post separately, while the trumpeter chose "Strollin'." Other members of the quintet, plus two vocalists, made choices as well.

I think I first heard "Strollin'" on an Emily Remler record. I also studied a transcript of her ad-lib and listened to the Chet Baker take with Philip Catherine, and of course the original Horace Silver cut on "Horacescope." I really like how it pops going from DbMajor with a ii-V to D Major. From listening to various takes, I noticed the Db blues scale works nicely as a kind of link, if focusing on common notes. Emily, for example, uses the Db tonic as the 3rd of the A7 that follows. Not to get too cerebral about it, but when I first started playing this tune I was outlining the changes but after a deep dive into Hard Bop, which had by then become my favorite jazz genre, I came to appreciate how Hard Bop had ported the blues and gospel back into jazz and so felt comfortable in using that Db blues scale. I'm sure there's also all sorts of ways to navigate the tune, but in any case it's a blast to play.

For those that may be curious, a "jazz kissa" is Japanese thing, basically a coffee shop focused on jazz. Initially they were listening spaces in urban areas, with a huge selection of vinyl and high end audio system. The house "masta" would act as a kind of DJ, while patrons drank coffee and engaged in "deep listening" to jazz. There were hundreds in the post-WWII era, but they waned during the 1980s with the advent of home audio and later CDs. Some closed, others morphed into "live houses." The place that hosts the monthly jam session that led to the above gig is of the latter type. The space is essentially a jazz kissa but the main activity, now that the master is semi-retired, is to hold jam sessions, mostly by invitation. I first started going to jams there several years ago, after a chance encounter at an ice cream parlor with a trumpet player I knew from another jam venue, and once I got on the mailing list I became a regular. In any case, thanks for listening.

[AllanAllen]

Very nice playing, I like your comping syncopation over the head.

[SierraTango]

Trumpet players always call Strolilin or I'll Close My Eyes.
Nice playing all around.

[JazzPadd]

Thank you both very much for listening and the kind words.

Part of what I’m playing behind the trumpet is based on how Emily Remler approached the tune in a quartet without horns.

And yes, Strollin’ and I’ll Close My Eyes are oft called at jams I frequent, especially the latter.