There are many great pieces of music that have what our textbook calls a “long

line”. What it means by this is that the piece of music has a sort of natural motion and
overall flow. The piece I have chosen to examine is a song I’ve known for a number of
years now. Because I’m a fan of jazz, and a jazz musicians myself, I decided to pick the
song “Maiden Voyage” by the great pianist and composer Herbie Hancock. The piece
starts off with a simple yet moving rhythmic motif played and accentuated by the rhythm
section of the band, which consists of Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony
Williams on drums. The horn section made up of Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and
George Coleman on tenor sax, soon enters with the theme. Played in unison the them
consists of long held out notes that swell in tone, color, and dynamics throughout the
theme. As the band plays the song and moves into the solo section. Starting first with
Coleman, then Hubbard, and lastly Hancock, the group really develops on the initial
motif they played at the beginning. A combination of Hancock’s adventurous harmonies,
Carter’s experimental basslines, and William’s explosive drumming creates a very
colorful musical tapestry for Coleman and Hubbard to play their best. Hancock’s gentle
yet dominant touch makes his piano solo something to be admired. The whole band is
contributing to that “long line” that flow that makes the piece so beautiful and enjoyable
to listen to. I know that it is a long line because of the pure interplay between all five
band members. That interplay is what created the driving force that gives the recording
it’s motion and it’s flow. I think it’s important for a composer to think about the “long line”
while writing because it is necessary for a piece of music to have flow to it. I don’t think
the “long line” should be the only thing a composer thinks about when writing because
getting to caught up in anything really hinders the compositional process. A composition
should flow out of the composer and if that’s the case then the “long line” will naturally
be there.