Sam Dillon's original composition "New Blues" from his 2018 album Out in the Open is a medium-tempo swing blues in F that provides an open framework for extended improvisation. The 12-bar blues form at approximately 167 BPM is the most fundamental structure in jazz, and Dillon uses it here as a vehicle for two generous solos. In a notable departure from convention, pianist Peter Zak opens the solo section with an extraordinary thirteen choruses of blues piano, building a long, arcing narrative that demonstrates his deep command of the blues idiom and his ability to sustain creative momentum over an extended improvisation. Dillon follows with ten choruses of tenor saxophone, pushing the tempo slightly to 177 BPM as the energy intensifies. The extended solo lengths recall the spirit of jam session blowing, where musicians stretch out at length over familiar forms to explore the full range of their improvisational ideas. Dillon's blues phrasing reveals the depth of his connection to the jazz tradition, from Kansas City swing to modern bebop vocabulary. The composition's simplicity is its strength, providing a sturdy platform for two musicians to engage in the kind of sustained, deeply personal improvisation that defines the blues at its best.
