“Kneel” is a song inspired by Caribbean poet Derek Walcott’s autobiography, Another Life. In one passage, Walcott describes having a pseudo-religious experience – he takes in the colorful richness of his island of St. Lucia and is moved by its beauty, but in the same glance, he sees the suffering of the St. Lucian people and is moved by the injustice they face. Processing these polar opposites together in one place, this moment brings him to his knees in revelation – or at least, in overwhelming depth of feeling.
The power of the passage and the language that Walcott uses was moving to me, and I tried to turn it into a melody. The melody I came up with is hymn-like and simple, but I harmonized it with chords that don’t quite fit the theme – notice that the D major chord is far outside of the home key of Gb. In fact, I later realized that I’d used a similar progression for my song, “A Single Moment” – listen here.
Another complexity that undergirds the A sections of “Kneel” is the phrasing. Each of the first two phrases of the melody are in 3/4 time but the third phrase stretches to 4/4. That small difference, perhaps, keeps the melody from being too saccharine and predictable. One model I had here was Fred Hersch’s “Valentine,” which seems so sweet and simple, but actually moves freely through metric variation (listen here).
The bridge is a contrast, much more harmonically rich and with longer phrases; it’s meant to be lush and beautiful. The rhythm is repetitive, but the chords change color and melody changes shape each time the rhythm returns. I later realized that some elements are similar to the phrasing of Gerald Clayton’s “When an Angel Sheds a Feather,” a song I really admire. This link will bring you directly to the part I’m talking about.
The lyric I’m most proud of in this piece is, “Hear the bugle-colored twilight blowing.” The line feels, to me, like an Escher drawing – it’s got a logic that seems like it could be followed, but each path you follow only leads to more confusion. Twilight can’t blow and just because it’s bugle-colored, that doesn’t mean it will do what a bugle does! However, there’s a certain sparkle, a certain sheen, and a certain regal-ness that all come through in that line, and I’ve always been proud of it.
In terms of form, this piece is a bit odd, as it’s a very traditional song, yet the solo section is a free improvisation, rather than a reading through the form. Interestingly, audiences seem to really enjoy this – particularly if I introduce the thematic tension at the heart of the piece (beauty v. suffering), audiences seem wholly able to accept some pretty dissonant improvisations and allow their imaginations to fill in the content. Perhaps the prettiness of the “head” contrasted with the “ugliness” of an improvisation makes both sides more stark, more interesting.
Whatever the reason, this seems to be audience’s favorite piece, despite (or because of) the avant garde elements. This recording at the Blue Whale is a little funny, as this piece seems almost too intimate for a jazz club – it’s perhaps more in tune with the house concert audience. Here, Lucas and I take chances feeling one another out and – just as our roiling improvisation wants to come to a close – we’re interrupted by a crashing sound of some sort, and Lucas decides to react with a clarinet squeak. This sends us in a whole other direction! Just as the improvisation comedian is trained to say “yes and,” as improvising musicians, we want to accept anything that comes at us. So, kudos to Lucas for such a quick-thinking reaction!
Lastly, I was really honored that Kendra Shank and Geoff Keezer recorded a version of this piece during their live album. Geoff plays amazingly on the recording and Kendra’s vocals are warm and expressive. You can actually watch their live recording here. It could be an interesting comparison!
To download the sheet music to “Kneel,” click here.
To download a free EP with music from “at_Home/at_Play,” click here.
Kneel
When the body cannot bear it,
When the pity’s too profound,
When mem’ries break like waves against your conscience,
Kneel your knees upon the ground.
Weep for emptiness and fullness,
Cry for pebbles and for clouds,
For curling smoke above forgotten houses,
Kneel your knees upon the ground.
A schoolgirl in blue and white,
Whirling in evening’s light,
A kiss by the boathouse door
Leaving you needing more,
The horns of the harbor heard
Chanting love, word by word,
To live it is raw and rare,
Like a prayer, everywhere…
Feel the soil soft beneath you,
See the hills in ochre drowned,
And hear the bugle colored twilight blowing,
Kneel your knees upon the ground.