“Exit Only” was begun in 1988 and completed in 1989, a few years after I had the opportunity to study with Pat Martino—his influence is evident in this piece. At the time, I was living just outside of Philadelphia and performing with the band Nuage, for which this tune was composed. My compositional style during this period had evolved into a blend of modern jazz and contemporary classical music. Influences from groups like Oregon broadened my harmonic language, inspiring me to explore richer chord voicings and unconventional tensions. These harmonies often involved dissonance and resolution outside traditional tonal frameworks. Ten years later the title was used as the name of a band I formed with Mike Licari.
Original Manuscript
