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-3-

He moved only at the final bars, still staring at the couple or another new one in its place. His horn came up slowly, waiting and shining now in the yellow light, confident as he was but thrilled too, although it showed it no more than he. As if knowing where the tenor would stop to let him continue he joined it and left it, continuing the idea, but now in a different medium of sound. The sound was clear and louder, but the style seemed almost a part of all that had gone before. He felt it, knew and played one idea after another, based on the familiar harmony, making some small effort to rise above the middle register where he had picked up the tune from the tenor, then dropping it to the low notes of the original tune again. He watched the couple all the time, seeing them respond to his changes of mood, gathering force as he did, and dying again when his trumpet died.

He was aware of the piano and drum behind him only as a part of what he felt, never hearing them but always depending on them to follow his turns and stay close to his rhythm. They never held him, but when he returned they were there, keeping the basis for his ideas, giving relationship and unity. The floor in front of him became a background, its dancers moving it around, looking up at him now and then, expressionless in the dark room, but controlled by his phrasing, under his power.

He came suddenly to the change in harmony that proceeded the bridge, gave it emphasis and quickening violence. Behind him, anticipating his feeling for the change, the rums [[runs]] doubled the tempo, softly still, but sure and hard. He gave his horn a twist, landed on and left a high note, and then came part way back, all the time intensifying and elaborating. The beat was strong now, giving irresistible stimulus and tearing at the dancers, who followed less surely at first, then quickly and smoothly. He smiled to himself, for he liked to see his mood change the room, drag its attention back to him, bring his music back from subconscience to quick realization.

Transcription Notes:
First sentence the writer typed iniits. It looks like they tried to erase the double i. I typed "in its" instead of iniits. Third paragraph typed rums think it should be "drums".