“Hymn of Thanks” was the result of my study of Bach Chorales. One of my best experiences in college was doing an “independent study” course with Dariusz Terefenko that was focused on improvising fugues and other Bach-ian styles. As part of the study, he showed me a book which had all of the ways that Bach harmonized and reharmonized the same chorale melodies. This fascinated me and I memorized quite a few of the harmonizations.
Then I asked myself – why couldn’t I harmonize these melodies in a way totally differently than Bach would? So I started writing “jazz” harmonizations of some of these hymn melodies. The melodies are so singable and diatonic that it occurred to me that one could do almost whatever they wanted underneath and it would still sound like a coherent musical idea. One inspiration for these reharmonization was Don Byron’s “Himn.” Listen here.
It wasn’t a far step from these exercises to writing my own hymn-like melody to harmonize. Once I wrote a simple 8-measure melody, and came up with a harmonization, I decided that this technique could result in an AABA tune, and so I made a bridge in Ab (the original melody is in C) to complement the original.
I originally recorded this piece on Simple Songs (for When the World Seems Strange) as a duet with Jo Lawry, and I must credit her with helping me come up with the form (as well as polishing some lyrics! Thanks, Jo!). She realized that this was a story song and that going through the whole story once, playing a solo, and then going through the story again was too much and we’d have given the ending away! Instead, we play AAB, then do the solos, then do the bridge again and the final A. In this way, we save the ending for the very last time through.
It was my idea to make a solo section where the chords – which generally move at one per beat in a hymn – move twice as slowly in order to give the improviser a better chance at hitting them. I can’t speak for Lucas, but for me, one inspiration for the feel of the solo was the Hank Jones/Joe Lovano record “Kids.” I love the way that Hank can play stride without it seeming cheesy or old-fashioned and how Joe can dance around the changes without ever sounding like he’s playing “out.” Check out a great live performance here.
To download sheet music for “Hymn of Thanks,” click here.
To download the free “at_Home/at_Play” EP, click here.
Hymn of Thanks
Wise men recommend a prayer
Though you may be filled with angst.
Still, for the memories we love best
Let all the bless’d sing a hymn of thanks.
I’ve been told to treasure wealth
In my friends and not in banks,
We had a flowing treasure chest,
Let all the bless’d sing a hymn of thanks.
I’m thankful for the sun and shade,
The moon that lifts the sagging tides.
I’m thankful for summer love we made,
Before you left my side.
But you are gone and I abide
Solemnly resisting ranks
Of solemn choirs who suggest
That all the bless’d sing a hymn of thanks.