This recording of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" comes from Chad Lefkowitz-Brown's Quartet Sessions, released in 2020. The Hancock classic is performed with a funk feel at a laid-back tempo of approximately 72 BPM in the key of F major, using a 16-bar blues form. Lefkowitz-Brown delivers three choruses on tenor saxophone, stretching the bluesy material with a mix of soulful phrasing and modern jazz vocabulary. The funk groove provides a deep, head-nodding pocket that contrasts with the swing feel of most other tracks in the Quartet Sessions series. Pianist Steven Feifke follows with two choruses at a similar tempo around 70 BPM, applying jazz-pianistic sophistication to the funky foundation. The 16-bar blues form, an extension of the traditional 12-bar structure, gives both soloists extra harmonic space to develop their ideas within each chorus. The F major tonality keeps the mood bright and earthy, true to the spirit of Hancock's original composition. This track demonstrates the versatility of Lefkowitz-Brown's quartet, proving equally convincing in a funk setting as they are in straight-ahead swing. The relaxed tempo allows both soloists to play with rhythmic subtlety, placing notes with precision against the funky backdrop.
