Notes from Michael “Kite” written and arranged by Michael League transcribed by Chris McQueen recorded on We Like It Here, GroundUP Music / Ropeadope Records 2014
As can be seen on the DVD’s behind-the-scenes footage, We Like It Here consists of three songs that the band had been playing for about 8 months (Shofukan, Lingus, and What About Me?) and 5 songs that were written at the extreme last minute. Kite is the most extreme example of the extreme last-minuteness. I showed up to Kytopia Studios 24 2 4 hours before the other guys, just so I could prep the room and the staff for the inevitable circus that was to ensue. I walked into the main tracking room, which is massive and high-ceilinged, a nd Colin “Kyteman” Benders’ baby grand Speck piano was sitting in the middle of it. I sat down, played an F major chord, played a Db major chord, then heard a melody in my head. I ended up sitting there for about an hour with my backpack on, working out the intro and verse to Kite. I want to be clear in saying that I didn’t plan on writing any new songs upon arriving. I was hoping to finish a bunch of half-written demos that were laying around on my computer… none of which I even touched. I got there and suddenly wanted to write new music. Not smart, but it was fun! The big question is this song was what to do with Nate and Larnell. The demo I sent everyone in the middle of the night on Friday had no percussive sounds as I recall, so when we finally got into rehearsal as a band on Monday, I told them both to play a steady stream of eighth notes on metallic objects… cymbal ed ges, drum rims, whatever. I think going to a regular groove right away would take a lot of the mystery out of the composition. My favorite section of the song (letter F in the chart) was something I pulled from my IPhone voice memo vault. I believe it was actually the first thing I sat down and played on my Fender Rhodes after a fter buying it from a guy in upstate u pstate New York York and carrying it up 4 flights of stairs to my apartment a partment with Chris Bullock. Serendipitously Se rendipitously,, it matched the tempo, vibe, and key of Kite perfectly. Letter G is obviously a hat tip to one of my favorite composers, the late/great Argentinian bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla. The bass line over this solo section is identical to the bass line in the verses (letters C and E), just transposed transposed down to Fm. Throughout the tune (and somewhat accidentally), things are constantly shifting back and forth between the
keys of Am and Fm. This thread, as well as the bass line re-usage, he lps to tie things together in what could easily have become a disparate, scattered piece of music. Jay Jennings’ flugelhorn solo is beautiful. Check out the alternate takes on the DVD to see and hear some other solos of o f his during different sets. There is one other section in this song that was pulled from a previous demo- the bridge. Letter J, as it’s notated in the chart, was originally written as an interlude for a song I was working on with my friend, Japanese vocalist vo calist Hiromi Suda. I liked the interlude so much that I kept it in the back of my brain for years, waiting for the right tune to slip it in. It was the perfect ramp down into the outro after a somewhat intense solo section. I think Hiromi may even have kept the interlude in a recording of her song Sou. Check it out. I used a melodic motif from the bridge as a link (letter D) between a broken down first verse and a more full second verse. It gave a nice excuse to bring in the bass drum and a larger orchestration in the rhythm section. The outro vamp (letter K) was also taken from the Sou demo, and happens to use Fm and Am (this time, very close together) as the chang es under Bill Laurance’s piano solo. [Coincidentally, [Coincidentally, these are also the changes to Herbie Hancock’s Butterfly, Butterfly, one of my favorite Headhunters songs.] The outro continues the alternation between the keys of Fm and Am, this time incorporating the piano pian o motif used at letter A and in bars 42-49. All in all, this tune is all about reusing ideas. Key centers, bass lines, melodic motifs and contours… I try to do this as a rule in every song I write, but I think it’s it’s most apparent in the slower songs, where there is no obvious obv ious groove to use as a crutch for listener interest. This was the last song I named on the record. I had lots of trouble coming up with it, and then was struck by the idea that kites blow around according to the wind, seemingly whimsically, whimsically, but always tethered to the one holding the string. It’s also a nice opportunity to shout out Colin, or “Kyteman” as he’s known, co-owner of the studio and a beautiful flugelhorn player himself. Off-the-page stuff to try: 1) Use really really bizarre, bizarre, metalli metallicc sounds (not (not found on on a drum kits) kits) as the basis basis for for your groove. Try pots and pans, trash can lids, etc. We would have done this if we had more time! 2) Try Try a completely completely different different groove groove under letter letter F, F, and under the solo solo section. section. These sections have lots of different possibilities. 3) Play the intro intro with horns horns instead instead of strings… strings… that’ that’s what we do live. Two Two trumpets works nicely, or trumpet and tenor. 4) Really Really open up that piano piano solo solo at the end. It It can go on forever forever and still still feel feel good.
keys of Am and Fm. This thread, as well as the bass line re-usage, he lps to tie things together in what could easily have become a disparate, scattered piece of music. Jay Jennings’ flugelhorn solo is beautiful. Check out the alternate takes on the DVD to see and hear some other solos of o f his during different sets. There is one other section in this song that was pulled from a previous demo- the bridge. Letter J, as it’s notated in the chart, was originally written as an interlude for a song I was working on with my friend, Japanese vocalist vo calist Hiromi Suda. I liked the interlude so much that I kept it in the back of my brain for years, waiting for the right tune to slip it in. It was the perfect ramp down into the outro after a somewhat intense solo section. I think Hiromi may even have kept the interlude in a recording of her song Sou. Check it out. I used a melodic motif from the bridge as a link (letter D) between a broken down first verse and a more full second verse. It gave a nice excuse to bring in the bass drum and a larger orchestration in the rhythm section. The outro vamp (letter K) was also taken from the Sou demo, and happens to use Fm and Am (this time, very close together) as the chang es under Bill Laurance’s piano solo. [Coincidentally, [Coincidentally, these are also the changes to Herbie Hancock’s Butterfly, Butterfly, one of my favorite Headhunters songs.] The outro continues the alternation between the keys of Fm and Am, this time incorporating the piano pian o motif used at letter A and in bars 42-49. All in all, this tune is all about reusing ideas. Key centers, bass lines, melodic motifs and contours… I try to do this as a rule in every song I write, but I think it’s it’s most apparent in the slower songs, where there is no obvious obv ious groove to use as a crutch for listener interest. This was the last song I named on the record. I had lots of trouble coming up with it, and then was struck by the idea that kites blow around according to the wind, seemingly whimsically, whimsically, but always tethered to the one holding the string. It’s also a nice opportunity to shout out Colin, or “Kyteman” as he’s known, co-owner of the studio and a beautiful flugelhorn player himself. Off-the-page stuff to try: 1) Use really really bizarre, bizarre, metalli metallicc sounds (not (not found on on a drum kits) kits) as the basis basis for for your groove. Try pots and pans, trash can lids, etc. We would have done this if we had more time! 2) Try Try a completely completely different different groove groove under letter letter F, F, and under the solo solo section. section. These sections have lots of different possibilities. 3) Play the intro intro with horns horns instead instead of strings… strings… that’ that’s what we do live. Two Two trumpets works nicely, or trumpet and tenor. 4) Really Really open up that piano piano solo solo at the end. It It can go on forever forever and still still feel feel good.
KITE
C Melody
Michael League
q = 64
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11
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C Melody
Michael League
q = 64
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11
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Copyright © 2014 Mikalimu, SESAC
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