INTRO The compositions in this book span the last 36 years. I’ve always been a sporadic writer. Tunes come in fits and starts, sometimes frequent, sometimes with years in between. My most recent tunes were done in 1992. I hope many more will come, but I’ve never tried to force their production. The earliest tunes were done in New York City, shortly before my first wife and I relocated to the West Coast. I was studying ‘Keyboard Harmony’ with Hall Overton. Hall taught composition at Julliard and recorded as a Jazz pianist. I was fortunate to have his teaching at the beginning of my career. I didn’t realize it then, but he was a pioneer in the field of Jazz education. I was with him in 1958 and 1959. At that time John Mehegan’s books, Berklee School in Boston, Stan Kenton’s clinics and a few scattered teachers like Hall were responsible for developing the organized presentation of the elements of Jazz improvisation. I wrote several ‘student’ tunes at that time that are not included in this collection. The two tunes from the late 50’s that are included, Sara’s Gone (1959) and Thanks, Bud (late ’59 or early ’60) were inspired by life’s events, and were strong enough (especially Thanks, Bud ) to become part of my repertoire on gigs. Sara’s Gone was written in response to realizing that my wife-to-be, Sara Goren, was afflicted with a serious illness, bronchial asthma. She was being treated at a hospital and I was feeling the frustration and pain of that situation. It still fascinates me that a tune which took me into new harmonic territory, and which sounds smooth, swinging, and slightly mysterious, could spring from such emotions. Thanks, Bud is literally thanking Bud Powell, not only for his powerful influence on my playing, but for that particular tune. I had the opening 2 measures of that melody running through my brain and I knew it was something I had heard, not made up. But I wrote the tune out of that idea without knowing where the initial melody came from. Shortly after that I heard it in the opening to a Bud Powell solo on ’Round Midnight, almost note for note and in the same key! So, “Thanks, Bud”. At various points in this book I will add further biographical and musical anecdotes and comments. The music, of course, must stand or fall on it’s own merits as perceived by each person who explores it. But I hope these additional comments will give a sense of context. It’s a marvelous gift to live the life of a Jazz musician in this time and society. That is the context from which this music has emerged.

Interlude BOP CITY ---- INTRO AMAZING SPACE INTERLUDE Bop City INTERLUDE Thelonious Monk INTERLUDE Changes CODA Si's Tunes

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