Day 213: Stride

Stride by Tom Scott

I know it may say sound like a dated funk track, but give it a chance. Tom Scott is a studio sax legend, and this track is just plain fun. In music school, my buddies and I transcribed this for our little pep band. We wrote it all out, practiced to make it sound just like the recording, but it was eventually wasted on a small crowd of bored basketball fans in a gym with a lousy acoustic. Oh well- we had a blast playing it. The bass line is tricky to play; I know because I cranked it out on the trombone. You can’t rush it or it will sound ridiculous. Finding that groove in the pocket of being “layed back” and yet moving forward is tricky, but so satisfying when done right. It’s this infections ostinato that builds and builds as each member of the band joins in for a satisfying finish.