"Will" is an original Matt Zebley composition featured on Live at Moondog, the alto saxophonist's 1998 concert recording. Cast as a waltz with a 36-bar form in C major, the piece unfolds at a flowing 182 beats per minute, its three-quarter time creating a lilting rhythmic backdrop for the two featured soloists. Trumpeter Ron Stout takes the first three-chorus solo, his playing combining lyrical melodic sense with rhythmic buoyancy as he navigates the waltz feel. Zebley follows with three choruses of alto saxophone improvisation, his tone bright and his phrasing rhythmically inventive as he builds his solo from the ground up. The waltz form gives both soloists an opportunity to explore the less common three-quarter time framework, a rhythmic context that can reveal different aspects of an improviser's musical personality. The live recording at Moondog captures the easy interplay between the two horn players and the responsive rhythm section with natural ambiance and presence. As one of several Zebley originals on the album, "Will" demonstrates the composer's ability to craft appealing melodic vehicles that serve the improvising needs of his bandmates while maintaining a distinctive musical identity.
