Pensativa - Clare Fischer

[jaztbone]

I edited the iRealbook version to reflect Clare's changes

Pensativa (Clare's Changes) by Clare Fischer

 

[raymb1]

Pensativa - Clare Fischer
A few chords spelled out a little to better fit the melody.

 

[CyrilleB]

The chart I posted is from the composer's original version (Clare Fischer with Bud Shank in 1962). The one you posted is a different version from some other artist. I suggest you also indicate the artist name in your chart and/or a YouTu be link

 

[CyrilleB]

FYI, here's a statement from Clare Fischer about that song (from Wikipedia):

"That has been recorded by some jazz players - Freddie Hubbard is one of them. They don't understand two-beat samba, so they play it like a 4... [demonstrating], then they change the melody, then they change the chords, which are going into what we call bebop II-V. Mine go [plays mm. 9 through 13]. He recorded that with Art Blakey. Very famous. 85 percent of the people who know that song know it from that recording. Everyone who records it now plays it with the same cancer that I've had all my life with that song. I've been unable to disestablish that because I don't sell as many records as Freddie Hubbard. It gets to a point where you say, "Hey! It's my song. Yeah." Well, it doesn't make any difference."

 

[raymb1]

The reason I posted was because some of the chords won't fit the melody. i.e., The se ond chord has to be G7+11, not G7.

 

[CyrilleB]

Like I said, the chart I posted is about the original version by Clare Fischer. So there's no such thing as G7 or G7+11 in the 2nd and 4th bar of the head in that recording. However, for the intro and the solo parts, they do play a G9.
You're probably referring to the Art Blakey arrangement of the song, where they play like you said, a G7+11. That version is a pretty straight forward jazz arrangement.
In the original version by Clare Fischer (or any version where he plays), the second chord of the head is a bit more obscur. My guess is that he got the influence of classical Bach music. The voicing there is something like F# (at the bottom), D, A, B. (This is why I've notated it B-7/F#).
But actually adding the notes from the melody (C# F, G#) produces this particular dissonant Bach harmony (in other word, it's basically a F# minor chord with a D diminished chord on top of it.
Looking forward to discuss further this topic, but make sure you listen first the composer's original recording so we are on the same page

 

[CyrilleB]

This chart from Clare Fischer original version (with Bud Shank in 1962). This is NOT the Art Blakey arrangement

Pensativa - Clare Fischer (Bud Shank & Clare Fischer)

 

[raymb1]

You can even hear the bassist playing the +11 (or flat 5) on the G7 chord.

 

[CyrilleB]

1) For the first 4 bars of the head, there's no G in that version performed by Clare Fischer (except for the intro and solos)
2) The D is more important than the C# in that chord. The C# is already played in the melody. No need to add it again (but you can if you want to)
3) It's not because the bass player is playing a C# that you need to add it in the chord

 

[raymb1]

No one is playing a D in those chords either.

 

[CyrilleB]

Just to make sure we're talking about the same recording: https://youtu.be/8696ckI64Vs
There's a motion between the C# of in the first chord and the D in the second chord (of the first 4 bars of the head)

Here's a link of two samples (attached) of the second chord from that recording and also another recording by Clare Fischer. You can loop it (it's quite short):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nz91gyuyh...cher - Pensativa (2nd chord of head).wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x9epzf35z...miro - Pensativa (2nd chord of head).wav?dl=0

If you can't hear a D in that chord, well, that's too bad!