White, Meredith [Composer] (2016) Everybody's Waltz. (Jazz trio). (Unpublished)

Abstract

My main aim in this piece was to further explore the metric ambiguity between 4 and 3 that I had used in an earlier piece, Waltz for Madeleine (2011). Another aim was to see how far I could go in generating melodic material from a 4-note motif that uses minimal pitch range, emphasising intervals of seconds and thirds. Melodic and rhythmic repetition forms the basis of the A section, relying on harmonic movement to provide interest. In the trio version, the bass guitar takes the melody at first, handing over to the piano for the second iteration of the melody of section A. The meandering, reflective character of this opening section is contrasted by a more restless B section, in which the melodic contour rises and falls sharply, the waltz metre disturbed now by an interjecting 5/4 bar. The two main themes are combined in section C: the 4 against 3 meandering melody of section A (now a tone higher) is unsettled by the 5/4 figure from section B. The tension built through the piece so far is released in the final section (D), which provides a complete contrast in the form of static harmony and rhythm, as well as a sparser, more open texture. Piano and bass solo on section A, while section D is opened up for the drum solo. The title pays homage to Kenny Wheeler’s waltz, Everybody’s Song But My Own (1987).

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