One Day Wonder #178 (Goodbye to Leon)

For 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.

True, Leon was just a goldfish. But he was a very good and friendly goldfish. He wasn’t very smart, but he liked to swim and chew on gravel. I put together this little understated minor-key swing number in his honor. Unlike most of my other jazz tunes, this has no shout chorus – just a short quasi-solo section that follows the original chord changes (which are very elementary) and a reprise. This results in one of the finest pieces of this entire project. I like nearly everything about this tune. Yes, there are some balance issues; the trombones are a bit too loud, but that doesn't detract from my good feelings about what's going on here. Let me just say this once again: real players will make this sound ten times better.

Wherever Leon is now, I hope he realizes that I miss him.