Here are some original compositions that I wrote which are all based on standard chord changes. This compositional approach is often called writing “contrafacts”.
It’s nice to have some tunes in the book that are easy to improvise over because the band already knows the chord changes. Many great players and composers have written contrafacts; Charlie Parker, Lennie Tristano, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Warne Marsh, Fats Navaro, Bud Powell, Lee Konitz and many others. It’s challenging to write over functional familiar chord progressions and I believe it can teach one a lot about writing melody and composition in general.
I listed the song it was based on, sometimes including key and meter, and than the title and link to the original composition.
~Enjoy!
Four – “Amane”
Cyclic Episode (Sam Rivers) “Cycle”
Blues in D – “Griff” for Johnny Griffin
There Will Never Be Another You – “Another Spring”
Blues in G – “Isolation”
Smack (Coleman Hawkins): Kcams
Beatrice in 6/4 – “River Song”
Minority in 7/4 – “Basheer”
Solar – “Sun”
Serenity – “Repose”
What is This Thing Called Love – “Metaphor”
Alone Together: Her Legato Note
Countdown (John Coltrane) 5/4: Dune Town
.
Blues In A -“Acrid Shredding” for Richard Giddens.
Old Milestones (John Lewis): Smile Notes
All Of Me 7/4: Lo Flame
Blues in Db: Ra
Satellite (John Coltrane): Moon
Like Someone In Love: I Had Wings
Nuages (Django Reinhardt): Sea Gnu
All The Things You Are: Brink of a Newborn
What Is This Thing Called Love in Concert D in 11/4: Re: Love Thing
Blues in C: One Another Blues
What Is This Thing Called Love in Concert Bb: Metaphor
I’ll Remember April: L.A. R.I.P.
Blues in F: Workers Blues
All The Things You Are: Etude for Lennie
So What – Impressions: Spartacus
.
Minor Blues in 5/8
.
Altered Blues in D:
Riff Blues in F written for Gabe Eaton (alto sax)
.
Woody and You: Woods
.
Blues in Bb – Blues for Joe (Henderson)
.
I Hear A Rhapsody – “Hear the Call”
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