PADDY O' STEPS (3:06)
I wrote these two songs to reflect my Irish ancestry together with my love of jazz.
Maybe that makes them 'Jazz reels' or 'Celtic jazz'...
...whatever the label, they are a total blast to play on the piano.
The first one, "Puddle Splashin", is a sixteen bar song form.
The first eight bars are based entirely on the diminished scale.
The second eight bars are more akin to the demented scale.
The outtake is worth a listen.
I wrote the second song, "Paddy O' Steps" for a terrific Irish pianist/composer by the name of Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin (think Michael O' Sullivan, but just a wee bit more Irish!). I heard him jammin' on some Celtic tunes along with John Williams (accordionist extraordinaire) one night last year. He told me he thought of himself as a 'closet jazz player'. Listen to his awesome recording called "The Dolphin's Way" (Virgin Records America) and judge for yourself.
This tune is in two parts. It begins with an original, somewhat traditional sounding reel that is followed by a melody I wrote that fits on top of the changes of "Giant Steps".
It was thrilling to play and record this with John and Bruce. John's facility on the button accordion is quite astonishing and I love the combination of these three instruments.