“The next progression introduces some pivotal components that shall appear throughout many of the progressions that follow. Take a gander at the chart, and you shall notice a IV7 in the 2nd bar. The injection of the IV chord at this juncture is known as the “quick four (IV)” or “quick-to-four (IV),” and it provides initial movement at the onset of the progression and sounds marvelous. Rhythmically speaking, this segment swings hard to a simple rhythm known to some as a “Charleston”. At its core, this comprises of a downbeat dotted quarter note followed by an upbeat 1/8 at beat 2 played with a heavy swing feel. You shall also note a rhythmic tag to that idea at beat 4 of bars 3, 7, and 11.

Following the first round of 12 bars, the second chorus takes advantage of the 1/8 note tag with a delectable rendition of the 6-9 slide. This subtle, yet effective embellishment to the foundational approach laid out in the first chorus is an excellent example of the slight enhancements that shall pervade throughout the journey. THAT’S the real deal when it comes to elevating a jam in many cases–modest additives like this go much further than drastic changes or random embellishments that leave the pocket in the dust.