Back in December 2017, I posted a blog entry about “Little Church,” a composition by Hermeto Pascoal, which Miles Davis recorded on the album Live-Evil. At the time, I was transcribing the melody and bass lines, reflecting on the harmonies, and considering how I would approach performing the piece solo on the flute. My interest in the tune and the band’s ethereal rendering of it endures.
Since that blog posting, I revisited my “Little Church” project on various occasions. I continued to find myself drawn to the melody as Miles delivered it, so when playing the line on the flute, I followed his lead. That said, I chose to add a note that Miles does not play on the trumpet in the recording. Specifically, after the final trumpet pitch, which is an F-sharp, there follows a swirling block of sustained material, atop of which, toward the very end, is a C-sharp in a rather high register. To my ears, this C-sharp is a continuation of the final three-note ascent of the trumpet, and it makes a profound contribution to the otherworldly atmosphere of the performance. I also opted to transpose the melody and final C-sharp to a key in which I thought these materials would sit more nicely on the flute.
In addition to performing “Little Church” alone, I had the good fortune to play the tune with pianist Julius Tucker. I share here my favorite recording from one of our rehearsals. Julius’s approach to the piece is wonderfully original, yet it also captures the radiance of the Miles/Hermeto track. I hope you enjoy it.
PS: Here is an additional recording of me and Julius, this time performing an excerpt from Hermeto’s composition “Tamancos e Pilões.”