Cantaloupe Island

[Lionel Mandrake]

This is one of my favorite tunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqwmDNPegnM

Here it is played by Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Lionel Mandrake!

Oh, I love this song!

My husband plays it on the piano, and I dance around, lol!

Herbie Hancock does great stuff...

Thanks for the link!

:hi:

[Lionel Mandrake]

3. Herbie always enjoys himself.

And of course he owns this tune.

[zanne]

2. It makes me move every time I hear it.

One of my favorites, also.

[Lionel Mandrake]

4. It has that effect on a lot of people,

but not on me. I don't dance. I just listen to the music. I have heard several versions of Cantaloupe Island. The versions I like best all have Herbie Hancock on piano, and the late, great Freddie Hubbard on trumpet.

[mikeytherat]

5. Here's my band doing Canteloupe live:

http://www.myspace.com/soulercoasterdotcom

(look down on the left of the page where the tunes are listed)

mikey_the_rat

[Lionel Mandrake]

6. Funk is where it's at IMO.

Have you considered adding a vocal part, as Grant Green, Donald Byrd et al. did?

http://www.imeem.com/wrai76/music/Sfks8wFP/grant_green_and_donald_byrd_cantaloupe_island/

[mikeytherat]

7. We feature vox on that one from time to time.

mikey_the_rat

[Lionel Mandrake]

8. Technicalities

Cantaloupe Island has three chords.

The first 4 bars are in F minor 7 and consist of an obligato, which audiences will instantly recognize.

The next 4 bars are also in F minor 7 and introduce the melody.

The next 4 bars repeat the same melody but are in D flat 7, which creates a problem: the C note (the highest note in this part of the melody) doesn't belong to the new chord. Some musicians shift the C down a half tone to B, which arguably sounds better.

The last 4 bars are in some sort of D chord, but exactly what is that chord? Some say D minor 7, but the way it's usually voiced it sounds to me more like D sus. Does the chord have a leading tone, i.e., an E in it? I don't think so, but the chord sounds kind of muddy and it is hard to tell.

I notice your band leaves out the first and last 4-bar sections except for the intro and the last chorus. This is just an observation, not a criticism.

The tune is notoriously difficult to end. Herbie usually opts for some kind of fade-out, which IMO is not the best solution. Your version ends more explosively.

Comments?