There’s a music riff/figure going thru my mind that I’m sure is from a years-ago hard-bop instrumental, possibly someone like Art Blakey or Horace Silver.
I’m not a musician so bear with me in this explanation–
It’s only three different notes; each note is held the same length, sort of staccato; on the “flashpiano” linked below, it’s:
C4-D4-E4-D4, [slight pause then repeat]
C4-D4-E4-D4, [slight pause then…]
C4-D4-E4-C4-D4 [D4 is held longer], then repeat sequence–
Here’s the keyboard:
I didn’t recognize the tune when I played it on that website, but I wanna know what it is too.
Milestones by Miles Davis?
Probably shouldn’t have the question mark at the end there. It’s gotta be Milestones. Classic tune.
Yes, that’s it!–the song is Milestones, from the album of same title.
A million thanks–
good tune
I’m impressed the OP could describe the tune so well, but also impressed that pulykamell got it so quickly!
For whatever reason, I just know that tune really well. I think our jam band in college may have played around with it a bit, but definitely the cafe I worked at had Miles and Coltrane playing all the time. I also remember it from my jazz fakebook, as the whole song was notated in maybe 3 or 4 rows and only had two chords: C11 for the staccato part and Am7 for the legato bridge or B section. As a modal jazz piece, it just stuck out for its simplicity versus the sea of chords on the other lead sheets. Great solos there with distinct personalities by Adderly, Miles, and Coltrane (in that order, IIRC).
There was also another Milestones by Miles Davis (well, written by John Lewis for him, as I understand it) from 1947, not to be confused with this one.
I used to get it confused with Joshua, another very melodic bop tune. It’s on 7 Steps to Heaven and was written by Victor Feldman. It sounds like a sideways take.