
October Joy
October Joy is a slip jig (Celtic dance music in 9/8) with contemporary touches. I consider it to be one of my best fusions of roots music and jazz. Recorded by Amy Leonard, violin; E. Shawn Qaissaunee, guitar; and Peter McCarthy, bass.
Besides being a blend of Celtic and jazz styles, this piece has a number of unusual features. Structurally, I think of it as AAAB. The first A is 5 bars, the second A is 3 bars (transposed up a half-step to Ab), and the third A is 3 bars (transposed back to G). The B part, 9 bars in length, has a sudden change to E for the first 3 bars. Then, the chord progression becomes harmonically vague -- including a shift from major 7th chords to V9 sus4 chords. Shifting time is used throughout the piece with single or multiple bars of 6/8 interjected into the 9/8. While it has some quirky qualities, this is music with a driving and joyful spirit.
Besides being a blend of Celtic and jazz styles, this piece has a number of unusual features. Structurally, I think of it as AAAB. The first A is 5 bars, the second A is 3 bars (transposed up a half-step to Ab), and the third A is 3 bars (transposed back to G). The B part, 9 bars in length, has a sudden change to E for the first 3 bars. Then, the chord progression becomes harmonically vague -- including a shift from major 7th chords to V9 sus4 chords. Shifting time is used throughout the piece with single or multiple bars of 6/8 interjected into the 9/8. While it has some quirky qualities, this is music with a driving and joyful spirit.