Celeste, tune by Ralph Towner as played by Kenny Wheeler
Updated: Aug 20, 2021
On the Ralph Towner album, Old Friends, New Friends, you can find this wonderful ballad Celeste. The melody is played by Kenny Wheeler, who I admire so greatly. And Ralph Towner accompanies on piano and takes a great solo. Just marvelous.
The harmony is reminiscent of jazz standards, but has got some nice little modern accents that make it contemporary.
The main cadence is Gmaj to Cm, which suggests the sound of the Harmonic Major scale. It's nicer though, that you just play Ionian over Gmaj and dorian or melodic minor over Cm. This way it is less static. Moreover, in the last bars, A major comes into play. That changes the basis tonality temporarily to a Lydian tonality. Gorgeous.
The whole tune is all melody. I am always amazed at how musicians like Ralph Towner or Kenny Wheeler can enhance a melody already so perfect. And they can. Sadly, I can't, but I don't let that stop me from playing this nice tune.;)
I made a nice Ballad style that you can find in the Ballad Pack 1.
You can find the MGU-file (bIAB-file) here.
As always, if you don't have the style, BIAB will tell you it can not find the style for the tune. Never mind, you can substitute it with any other ballad style. Will never be as good, :), but still.
Have fun.