Style:

Introduced with a broken two-feel, it is most commonly played straight.

Form:

A-B (24 Bars) [14-10]

Coda:

At the end of the B section on the head out the harmony continues to resolve Maj7 chords up in 4ths before ending on DbMaj7.

Key:

Ab Major

Harmony/Overview:

This  composition is very unique, making extensive use of chord inversions to help seamlessly voice-lead the harmony. In practice these specific  chord inversions are typically not used for the entirety of a  performance, rather performers tend to weave in and out of the possible roots in order to harness tension and release. The changes manage to flow into each other seamlessly, and the Maj7 chords that resolve in  4ths at the end of the form help to continue the sense of forward motion which leads into each new chorus.

Recordings:

This composition has been recorded around 50 times to date. The first recording comes from Gary Burton's 1966 album The Time Machine. It has gone on to become one of Swallow's most cherished compositions and it continues to performed frequently to this day.

JGC Top Picks:

Bill Evans, Intuition, 1974

Gary Burton, Quartet Live, 2007

John Scofield, Swallow Tales, 2019