Style:

Swing, usually played at a comfortable medium tempo.

Form:

14 Bars

Arrangements:

The head is played twice on the way in and out, and also features many orchestrated shots throughout.

Key:

Eb Major

Harmony/Overview:

While the harmony of this composition features many functional elements, it is rather unconventional. The harmony begins with a minor II - V of IVmi  which instead resolves to AbMaj7#11 before descending a whole-step to GbMaj7#11. A chromatic II - V from below is then used to set up a II - V which resolves to the tonic, before a minor II - V finally resolves to VImi. The bassline then continues downward with Cmi7 - Cmi7/Bb before a II - V of bIII (Abmi7 - Db7) leads to the descending Dominant chords of G7 - Gb7 - F7. The climax is then reached when the harmony stays on  bIIMaj7#11 momentarily, and a II - V returns back once again to the tonic before another II - V of the relative minor bookends the form.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 30 times to date. It was first introduced on Joe Henderson's album In n' Out in 1964. He would also record it on several other albums such as An Evening With Joe Henderson, alongside Roy Hargrove on Tenors of Our Time, and even on his late album Big Band. It continues to be performed to this day and remains as one of Joe Henderson's most cherished compositions.

JGC Top Picks:

Pepper Adams, Encounter!, 1968

Roy Hargrove Quintet, With the Tenors of Our Time, 1994

Marcus Strickland, At Last, 2001