SFJAZZ COllective on sly and miles:
In Their Own Words

February 8, 2021 | by SFJAZZ

SFJAZZ Collective (photo: Jay Blakesberg)

This week’s Fridays at Five looks back to the SFJAZZ Collective’s November 2019 performance celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Sly and the Family Stone’s Stand! and Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way — both groundbreaking releases that defined their turbulent times. For this post, we dig deeper into these arrangements with words from the arrangers themselves.

“In a Silent Way / It’s About That Time” (Joe Zawinul, Miles Davis) — Arranged by Edward Simon
“I chose to arrange ‘In A Silent Way’ because it reflects many of the qualities I associate with Miles such as mystique, economy, space and groove. The piece begins with a serene and expansive electric bass introduction utilizing pedals and loops, setting the tone for Zawinul's ephemeral melody, first stated by guitar and later trumpet. Then, as if out of nowhere, the minimal bass line to Miles’ ‘It's About That Time’ is introduced, creating a mysterious space for exploration. As the bass switches to a more bluesy, funky line, the groove consolidates and gives way to an exchange between keys and guitar, punctuated by the horns, and gradually building into the finale.”

“You Can Make It If You Try” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Adam Rogers
“’You Can Make It If You Try’ is one of my favorite pieces of music ever! Of the veritable musical feast that is the collection of songs on Stand!, I chose to arrange it because, among other reasons, it seems to sit somewhere brilliantly between the elaborate harmonies of ‘Everyday People’ and ‘Stand!’ and the raw, scintillating funk of ‘Sing a Simple Song’ and ‘I Want to Take You Higher’ as well as having a truly uplifting lyrical message. I spent a great deal of time trying to discover a groove and overall tone that I thought would be even remotely commensurate with the original, which was incredibly challenging! I've been listening to the version from the record for as long as I can remember and it is such a perfectly realized and conceived piece of music. After MUCH experimentation I arrived at something that I think honors the feeling of the song, incorporates the incredible talents of the members of the collective and provided a structure that allowed to meaningfully express my musical ideas in the interpretation of Sly's extraordinary work!!”

“Everyday People” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Martin Luther McCoy
“On ‘Everyday People,’ I wanted to tell a story that involves every one. Some like the funk dance element, others might be drawn to the fusion of jazzy parts or the approach to the arrangement itself but we wanted to take you on a journey. Lifting melodies from the original work as a bed to introduce the song in a very childlike manner, the horns announce our arrival. From there its party time. The band also helped fill in gaps or add value to parts of the song in subtle but giant ways which helps me also realize further how many ways a statement can be made. I asked Obed to create a space for himself before lift off and he catapulted the journey out to inner space which allowed us to feel ourselves groove through the universe. Everyone naturally found their way to a free space and then found themselves back home.”

“Sing a Simple Song” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Etienne Charles
“For ‘Sing a Simple Song.’ Sly’s bassline is everything. I couldn’t mess with that. I wrote the whole arrangement off of it. I wanted to show how something as simple as a scale can be applied to make something that seems complex but is really not. Martin has a funky way of phrasing so I knew he would be a good fit with this tempo. Hope you enjoy!”

“Shhh/Peaceful” (Miles Davis) — Arranged by Warren Wolf
“I decided to take the ‘New Mix’ version of this Miles tune and let the band open up as much as possible. Matt Brewer switches over to upright bass for this track to show how much of an influence Dave Holland has on his playing. This is the only tune Matt plays upright for the entire project. Towards the end of the solos, Etienne and David play a motif that Miles hinted at on the original version.”

“Stand!” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Matt Brewer
“Thanks to my parents, I’ve been listening to the album Stand! for as long as I can remember. The title track has always stood out to me. It has everything! A beautiful melody, an incredible groove, and a sense of harmony that is so imaginative. Sly’s unconventional use of chord changes was the inspiration for the beginning of my arrangement. After an open bass intro, it starts with some slightly dissonant chord voicings that gradually become less jarring, then slowly make their way into the original harmony of the song. Then the groove comes in and we pretty much play the tune down.”

“Somebody’s Watching You” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Warren Wolf
“I decided to slow this piece down, from a faster version on the original record, and make it like an MTV Unplugged performance so that the listener can truly hear the beauty in acoustic instruments. Martin Luther does an excellent job singing and playing guitar on this piece.”

“Somebody’s Watching You” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Martin Luther McCoy
“I have tremendous respect for the members of this collective and when Warren suggested a duet I was game for the experience of it all. We also wanted to have a moment where I get to touch the audience with my voice and this arrangement lent itself to us very magically. I had a great time working on and performing this song.”

“Sex Machine” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Warren Wolf
“I decided to add some extra chords in this arrangement that I thought fits the title of the song. Most of the members in the band get a chance showcase their beautiful playing before segueing into the hard driven blues that Adam & Matt deliver. Martin Luther then comes in with a quick story about Betty Davis which concludes the piece.”

“Don’t Call Me N*****, Whitey” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by Obed Calvaire
“Choosing to do ‘Don't Call Me N*****, Whitey’ was the easiest decision in terms of picking a song. Unfortunately, the same message sly was trying to convey 50 years ago still applies today. Aside from the obvious message, which is, let's all respect each other regardless of our "differences." Picture this: same food, same living environment, same books, same teachers/education... we as a nation WOULD BE UNSTOPPABLE!”

“I Want to Take You Higher” (Sly Stone) — Arranged by David Sánchez
“I have always been taken by this composition because of Sly's amazing ability to create so much with a simple melody and a very short form. The beat and the groove provides the foundation for the sense of freedom I feel every time I hear this piece.”

The SFJAZZ Collective appears on Fridays at Five on February 12th (5 p.m. Pacific Time). Details here. To become an SFJAZZ Member, click here.