Historical background
Tenor-saxophonist Benny Golson wrote “Are You Real” in 1958 for Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers’ album Moanin’. Conceived as a hard-bop answer to Parker’s rhythm-changes lines, the tune balances bright, singable melody with a labyrinth of turn-around II–V cadences—perfect material for Blakey’s press-rolls and the Messengers’ trademark call-and-response shout chorus. Over the decades it has remained a working-band favorite, recorded by everyone from Lee Morgan to Kenny Barron.

About this arrangement
Instrumentation – nylon-string guitar (lead & chord-melody), upright bass, brush-kit drums, and a Nord synth pad  that adds a vintage-fusion halo behind the trio. The score also lists a 2nd guitar for comp support.

Tempo & feel – a brisk ≈ 129 BPM four-to-the-bar swing keeps the bop energy intact while leaving room for single-note guitar runs. 

Key & harmony – arranged in G major, but the head pivots rapidly through circle-of-fifths II–V cells (A m7 → D 7, B m7 → E 7, etc.) and brief diminished connectors—true to Golson’s original weaving changes. 

Texture & solos – the guitar states the head in tight chord-clusters as the Nord pad swells under long tones, giving a subtle electric-jazz sheen. Bass walks buoyant quarters; brushes add snare pops and cymbal splashes. A single-chorus guitar solo dives into chromatic bebop enclosures, followed by an eight-bar synth-pad feature that hints at 1970s CTI records. Everyone reunites for a final shout-tag that lands on a crunchy G 6/9—equal parts Blue Note grit and Nord shimmer.

Why listen
Hit play and you’ll feel a hard-bop anthem refracted through warm nylon strings and a glassy synth glow—proof that Golson’s question “Are you real?” still gets a fresh answer in 2025.

Stay connected
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Are You Real - B. Golson

Ricardo Farão

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