[phillysoulman]

Originally Posted by bgrotto

Changing the voicing around will make a difference. Try dropping the fifth.

You can also add some tensions; I happen to like 13ths, but it's always dependent on the melody.

You can also get all Herbie Hancock and use some 7sus4 chords. Basically, you just bump the third up a half-step. Check out the tune Maiden Voyage; HH does some really cool stuff with sus4 chords on that tune.

Also, there's other ways to resolve to I. For example, instead of the standard ii V7 I progression, you can substitute a flat-ii-diminished for the V chord, which makes a nice chromatic effect and offers up some really cool melodic possibilities.

Go buy a Fake Book (also sometimes called a Real Book) and study the progressions and listen to the voicings the composers use. That'll be the best way to open your ears.

Maybe he should drop a fifth of Henny??