A 2021 performance of Gigi Gryce's Minority by the LA Jazz Connection, featuring Josh Mellicker on electric guitar, Danny Janklow on alto saxophone, and Michael Gurrola on acoustic bass. Taken at 212-218 BPM in F minor with a swing feel, the 16-bar form cycles rapidly, demanding sustained creativity from the soloists. Mellicker opens with a seven-chorus guitar solo, followed by Janklow's eight-chorus alto saxophone statement and Gurrola's seven-chorus bass solo. The extended solo lengths across all three players give this performance the character of a thorough blowing session. Gryce's composition, written in the mid-1950s, features a memorable minor-key melody and a compact form that generates considerable harmonic momentum. The 16-bar structure means each chorus passes quickly at this tempo, encouraging soloists to think in longer phrases and develop ideas across multiple choruses. The electric guitar lead contrasts with the traditional saxophone-led versions of this hard bop classic, and Gurrola's extended bass solo reflects the open, democratic approach to solo distribution that characterizes the LA Jazz Connection.
