The Creeper

Neal Hefti composed this for Harry James' 1961 album "Harry James Plays Neal Hefti," and it features trumpet soloist. The medium tempo feel of this chart is immediately established after a brief solo trumpet break and continues throughout. The entire feel of this arrangement is Basie-esque in terms of relaxation without dragging, and the volume rarely exceeds a medium level. The melody, despite its unusual 18-bar form, is exceedingly catchy and memorable. The melody is played twice, the first time through it's just the band, but the second time through features some slightly improvised interjections from the solo trumpet. Not a transcription, this has been prepared from Hefti's original score and parts used during the 1961 recording session.