http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEtJdquMIdA
Form/Structure
The form of this track is unconventional and does not repeat itself often, but it could be generally described as ABCA. The track begins with a piano solo which leads into a beautiful melody line led by the alto saxophone with supporting harmony from the rest of the band. This is a relatively slow section with the sound of a ballad.
Then, an dissonant, ominous theme is introduced, with a sort of call-and-response between what seems to sound like a tuba and the rest of the horn section. The (muted) trombone takes a dominant role in this section. Soon afterwards the tempo begins to gradually speed up to a fast swing tempo. The trombone and trumpet play simultaneously as to create a cacophonous effect. The drums and piano join in, adding to the confusion.
Suddenly all of the instruments drop out, leaving only the drums and the trombone to "have a conversation." Just as the trombone begins to falter, the rest of the band rejoins them, with the trombone and trumpet soloing again over a theme from the previous movement (although the tuba continues to play the ominous bass note it has been playing). This section is at a medium-swing tempo.
The tempo then slows down, revisiting the original, sweet-sounding theme to end the track.
Meter
The track begins and ends in duple compound meter (in the section(s) reminiscent of a ballad) but these sections occasionally have a duple simple feel. The middle section (including the tempo change), duple simple meter is present. After this section, the free drum/trombone solo has complex meter. Just before the main theme is revisited, the solo section with trombone and trumpet soloing has triple simple meter.
Texture
Most of the track has homophonic texture although at some points one could argue that it has polyphonic texture. The sections that clearly exhibit polyphonic texture are the free trombone/drum solo and the fast section with multiple concurrent solos just before it.
Timbre/Instrumentation
The instruments that I could find in this track were piano, bass, drums, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, trombone, tuba and trumpet. These instruments fit into the timbral categories of aerophones, chordophones, and membranophones.
Tempo
The track begins with no clear sense of tempo (during the piano solo) but when the drums come in, a slow (adagio) tempo is established. This speeds up during the middle section to presto which "cools down" to allegro (after a brief section with no clear tempo; this is the drum/trombone solo). At the end of the track, the adagio tempo is re-established.
There are many other subtle intricacies which can be found in this track which can be picked up after repeated listens that do not fit into the categories above. Overall, this track is just a small part of what is now one of my favorite jazz pieces of all time.
