Three Views of a Secret

[SonofJud]

Regarding Jaco's composition as seen on Word of Mouth, what type of music is this? This is my favorite Jaco tune after Opus Pocus, and I am curious what the music is categorized as. Big band? Fusion? I haven't heard much jazz with a vocal group, harmonica, and string section...

[JamesM]

Originally Posted by SonofJud

Regarding Jaco's composition as seen on Word of Mouth, what type of music is this? This is my favorite Jaco tune after Opus Pocus, and I am curious what the music is categorized as. Big band? Fusion? I haven't heard much jazz with a vocal group, harmonica, and string section...

I'd class it as big band. And its defintly an amazing song! 1 of my favs aswell But i think i prefer the original version on Weather Reports 'night passage' album.

[WJGreer]

I checked my iPod using the "songs" view, and found as many different renditions of "Three Views of a Secret" as any other tune. I think there were six or seven on there.

Style? It's just a song. The version on "Word of Mouth" is definitely big band, because it was arranged for a big (-gish) band for that record. Weather Report was, what, a five- or six-piece on Night Passage, so there it was probably a fusion track or whatever you call what Weather Report was playing then. I think I have it on a Brian Bromberg CD where it could be called "easy listening tripe", like much of the stuff that astoundingly excellent player has recorded.

It is a great song with a haunting melody, whatever else it is.

[Bruce Lindfield]

It's in the Sher Real Book so I would call it a Jazz Standard. Although they categorise it in the fusion section and on the actual lead sheet, it is headed "Medium Jazz Waltz" .

You can easily play it with a Jazz quartet or quintet - the only reason there are big band versions, is because that's what Jaco was working with when he went solo after WR.

But it was played when he was with the quartet version of Weather Report. Horn, Keyboards Bass and drums - that's all you need.

[JimK]

Not a "Standard", IMO.
To me, a "Standard" is something you can call out on a bandstand & everybody 'knows' enough of the changes to at least fumble/bluff/play their way through it.
"Medium Jazz Waltz" is a little better.

There are 3 distinct sections; NOT New Age but "3 Views" to me almost borders on a Classical piece being played by a Jazz group.

Mike Dimin has a beautiful arrangement of "3 Views" performed on solo bass.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Well I agree - but it's almost achieved the status of "standard", just by virtue of being included in the Sher Real Book.

So - I could get together with a few friends, get out our Real Books and play it in the same way as we would any Jazz standard!

I know several Tenor Sax players who could play whatever you put in front of them and although it may not sound like any of the recordings, we would get through it at a performance!

In the same way that one of the small groups I play with, picked Harold Land's "Rapture" from the Sher Real Book and play it at all our gigs, as it is such a nice tune!

[JimK]

Sher has a "Standards" Real Book...don't think "3 Views" is in that one.

The Sher Real Books Vols 1-3 do have their share of Standards, though...I would say most of the tune-age fall under, maybe, the Jazz "Classic" umbrella.

...and, no doubt, you're rubbing elbows with more schooled players than I.
(Although in my jazzy/R&B band, I am the least schooled).
Example: One of the groups I'm with is a New Country parody band...the other day, someone asked for the changes & the pedal steel guy sez "Ab to C#"...the girl on keys laughed so I said, "You meant to say Ab to Db".
Well, the steel guy sez "No such thing as "Db"...I said "C'mon".
..& it went on from there with me, basically, looking like an ass (no assist from the hottie on keys, either!).