The Tommy Flanagan Trio (with bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Elvin Jones… Read Full Bio ↴The Tommy Flanagan Trio (with bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Elvin Jones) released their first album, Tommy Flanagan Trio Overseas, in 1957. As an accompanist, Flanagan worked with Ella Fitzgerald from 1963 to 1965 and 1968 to 1978. Beginning in 1975, Flanagan began once again to perform and record as a leader. He continued to work with other players, however, forming a trio with Tal Farlow and Red Mitchell, among other projects.

Flanagan's style was both modest and exceptionally musical. He embodied many of the most important qualities associated with jazz: swing, harmonic sophistication, melodic invention, bluesy feel and humour. Interestingly, he appeared on a number of highly innovative albums. (His awkward solo on the extremely fast and harmonically complex title-track of Giant Steps is a rare [if famous] instance on record of the usually unflappable pianist being caught off-guard.)[2]

Tommy Flanagan is mentioned by Japanese Author Haruki Murakami in the short story, Chance Encounter, in which he describes his experiences at a Tommy Flanagan performance.

During his career, Flanagan was nominated for four Grammy Awards — two for Best Jazz Performance (Group) and two for Best Jazz Performance (Soloist).

He died on 16 November 2001, of an arterial aneurysm.[1]

One Note Samba
Tommy Flanagan Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This is just
A little samba
Built upon
A single note
Other notes
Are sure to follow
But the root
Is still that note

Now this new note
Is the consequence
Of the one
We've just
Been through

As I'm bound to be
The unavoidable
Consequence of you
There's so many people
Who can talk
And talk and talk
And just say nothing
Or nearly nothing

I have used up
All the scale
I know
And at the end
I've come
To nothing
I mean nothing
So I come back
To my first note
As I must
Come back to you

I will pour
Into that one note
All the love
I feel for you
Anyone who wants
The whole show, show
Do-re-mi-fa
So-la-ci-do
He will
Find himself
With no show

Better play
The note you know

Overall Meaning

The song "One Note Samba" by the Tommy Flanagan Trio is a simple, yet poetic and captivating piece of music. The lyrics convey a message about the power and beauty that can be derived from a single, solitary note. The song begins by emphasizing that it is, indeed, just a little samba, built upon a single note. While other notes are sure to follow, the root is still that note. The introduction of new notes is a natural consequence of the previous one, just as in life, one experience builds upon the next, leading to growth and evolution. This idea is then related to the unavoidable consequence of two individuals meeting and bonding in a romantic relationship.

The middle section of the song reflects on the beauty of simplicity and the tendency of people to talk without really saying anything meaningful. The singer has used up all the scale that he knows and has come to find that it leads to nothing. Therefore, he comes back to the first note he began with, just as he must come back to the person he loves. He will pour all the love he feels for that person into that single note, emphasizing that it is the one note that matters the most.

Overall, "One Note Samba" is a soulful, romantic song, emphasizing the importance of simplicity, love, and the strength that can be derived from what some might consider to be the most basic and insignificant of things.

Line by Line Meaning

This is just
This is only

A little samba
A small dance originating in Brazil

Built upon
Constructed on

A single note
A sole, solitary pitch

Other notes
Additional pitches

Are sure to follow
Will definitely come about

But the root
However, the base

Is still that note
Is still made up of that sole pitch

Now this new note
Now, this fresh pitch

Is the consequence
Is the outcome

Of the one
Of the first