Humph

scene outside Buckingham Palace on VE Day, where a trumpet could be heard (still can, on a BBC recording) bleating "Roll Out the Barrel" above the tumult of the revellers. This was Lyttelton, making a precarious circuit of the Victoria Memorial in a handcart, heralding the dawn of peace.

Sent from my iPad

November 28, 1997

November 28, 1997

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, 1963

We look back to a review by Brian Morton of Lush Life: A biography of Billy Strayhorn

Billy Strayhorn died on May 31, 1967, aged fifty-one. In the New York Times obituary, he was described as a "jazz composer, arranger, lyricist and pianist, who was often called Duke Ellington's alter ego". Quoting the paper's jazz critic, John S. Wilson, the obituary went on to despict Strayhorn as a "'small stately man' who observed the world with 'benign amusement' through dark-rimmed glasses. His friends emphasized his modesty, his humility and his desire to stay in the background among the Ellington contingent." Friends like Lena Horne (who would, but for one obstacle, have married him) paid lavish treatment to his benignity and generosity; almost any half-dozen bars of a Strayhorn composition bespeak the stateliness of his musical imagination. The problems lie with his "humility", his "modesty", and his "desire" to remain in Ellington's shadow.

David Hajdu's biography of Strayhorn has been the occasion of some controversy in the United States, where Duke Ellington is now considered to be an untarnishably major artist. What Lush Life addresses is the almost buried question of how even-handedly credited were their respective contributions to compositions and arrangements for the Ellington band. It is widely known that the band's signature theme "Take the 'A' Train" was Strayhorn's, but elsewhere the story is more confused. The two men met on December 2, 1938, when, at the behest of a friend, Strayhorn imitated Ellington's performance of his moody ballad "Sophisticated Lady", and then re-harmonized it, apparently pushing it out into unfamiliar keys and tempos. Accounts of collaborators' first encounters are often gilded with hindsight, but Hajdu sees no reason to doubt that Ellington and his confidant, the baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, were immediately impressed with Strayhorn's intuitive skills and recruited him as their composer/ arranger. The young man – born in 1915, and sixteen years Ellington's junior – was quickly apprised of the reality of the partnership when, in 1939, Duke's name was quietly added as co-composer to the credit for "Something to Live For".

Ellington had had to surrender royalties to the wily Irving Mills, who mysteriously appears as co-composer on some of Ellington's most significant work, and Hajdu is sufficiently alive to the realities of the music industry not to attempt to demonize Duke. Even so, behind Ellington's wry claim that it was his burden to act as frontman and flak-catcher, and that it was both a privilege and a solemn duty to "bow after a Billy Strayhorn orchestration" there lies a small uneasy question of recognition, or lack of it.

Two men could scarcely have been more different. The Washingtonian Ellington was urbane, priapic, remote, resolutely paranoid and hypochondriac, his favoured meal plain meat, a half grapefruit and hot water. Raised in Homewood, Pittsburgh, and in near-poverty, Strayhorn was shyly gregarious, passionately self-educated, absurdly open-handed and full of appetites. He was also, by the standards of the time, openly and unapologetically homosexual which is why Lena Horne married someone else, not quite on the rebound from a life-long friendship that could never blossom into erotic romance.

When Strayhorn wrote and sang of "the very gay places" in the extraordinary drinking song and prayer that gives Hajdu his title, it was probably without any awareness of the word's coterie associations, which had not yet entered mainstream language. But, though the song was begun in his teens, by the time it was finished in 1936, Strayhorn was well used to the view through the bottom of a cocktail glass.

Whether his alcohol intake hastened the onset of oesophagal cancer is open to speculation. Any suggestion that his self-sublimation and relegation as Ellington's "alter ego" was a contributory factor to his illness is beyond even Hajdu's partisanship. He does, though, produce enough anecdotal evidence to support the notion that Strayhorn suppressed his artistic, if not his sexual, frustration in drink.

Hajdu seems more secure when examining lyrics (and Strayhorn's lyrics range from heartbreaking subtlety to awkwardness: "A trough full of heart / Could only be a bore") than when analysing the harmonic structure of a song. His more purely musical commentaries, though accurate (and pointing to details like the E-natural on the word "jazz" in "Lush Life", a moment singers other than Strayhorn often ham up outrageously) have an unconvincingly feel of repeating something learnt by rote. He is, though, absolutely right in his summary of "Blood Count", Strayhorn's last composition, originally called "Blue Cloud", but transformed into a "wrenching moan, its pedal-point bass line evoking the rhythmic drip of intravenous fluid".

Strayhorn died in the arms of Bill Grove, his last companion. Some contemporary versions of his death had him cradled by Lena Horne, a typically homophobic device confounded by the fact that Horne was in Europe at the time. Like all his many friends, she was devastated, but if Ellington's autobiography, Music Is My Mistress, is to be believed, his was the most vociferous reaction. "I started sniffling and whimpering, crying, banging my head up against the wall, and talking to myself about the virtues of Billy Strayhorn. . . . Subconsciously I sat down and started writing what I was thinking, and as I got deeper and deeper into thinking about my favorite human being, I realized that I was not crying any more. It seemed that what I was doing was more important than anything." What he wrote was delivered at the funeral and Hajdu relays it without comment and without irony:

His greatest virtue, I think, was his honesty, not only to others, but to himself. His listening-hearing self was totally intolerant of his writing-playing self when, or if, any compromise was expected or considered expedient . . . . His patience was incomparable and unlimited. He had no aspirations to enter into any kind of competition, yet the legacy he leaves . . . will never be less than the ultimate on the highest plateau of culture (whether by comparison or not). God bless Billy Strayhorn.

Apart from the final benediction, bad faith underlies the rest.

The Duke

The Duke

Duke Ellington, 1958

Book Details

Terry Teachout

DUKE

A Life of Duke Ellington

483pp. Robson. £25.

978 1 84954 629 4

US: Gotham. $30.

978 1 59240 749 8

Duke Ellington – an artist of the first order and a natural born editor, not least of his own story

JOHN MOLE

A photograph, taken in London two years after Duke Ellington's celebrated "rebirth" at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, provides a telling frontispiece to this excellent, revelatory and, with eighty-one pages of source notes, copiously documented book. It shows the Duke regarding himself in a full-length dressing room mirror, adjusting his bow tie and – ever the model of sartorial theatricality – preparing to go out on stage to practise his familiar wry flattery, telling us that we are very beautiful, very sweet, very generous, very gracious and that he and all the kids in the band want us to know that they love us madly. On tour, he will open the show with Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train" or his own "Rocking in Rhythm", introduce new work, featuring his star soloists, and reprise his greatest hits in what Terry Teachout refers to more than once as "the dreaded medley", punctuated by the applause of recognition. This will be both the measure and the price of his achievement as composer and band leader. As Teachout forensically demonstrates, behind the smooth public face lay a complex, evasive personality: unquestionably one of the greatest figures in twentieth-century music, compared by André Previn to Stravinsky and Prokofiev, and admired by Aaron Copland, he was also a self-centred hedonist who "talked not to explain himself but to conceal himself". An account of his life might be summed up well by the title of Richard Aldington's study of D. H. Lawrence: Portrait of a Genius, but . . . .

As a drama critic for the Wall Street Journal, a playwright, an accomplished jazz bass player and a biographer of Louis Armstrong, Teachout is well placed to examine with equal authority Ellington's methods of composition and the individual contributions of many other great musicians who brought out the unique tone colour of his orchestration. Teachout integrates his analysis with a vivid exploration of character. "Music is my mistress", Ellington declared in the title of his own fascinating but personally elusive autobiography (published in 1973) – and his band was his musical laboratory. During his long career as a band leader, from the Cotton Club to the late Sacred Concerts, several of his top instrumentalists came, went and returned, resentful of the degree to which he took credit for melodies based on phrases from their own improvisations, but only too aware of how uniquely he brought out the best in them.

A familiar pattern was to emerge as early as 1926, when Ellington (then in his mid-twenties) was signed up for promotion by Irving Mills who, in order to make a celebrity out of his personable star, ensured that everything came "from the pen of Duke Ellington". Although, as Alex Ross puts it in his book The Rest is Noise (2009), "Ellington carved out his own brand of eminence, redefining composition as a collective art", Teachout doesn't pull his punches when quoting the complaints of Johnny Hodges, Barney Bigard and, above all, the trombonist Lawrence Brown. There are bound to be those who feel that Ellington's reputation will be harmed by what is revealed, but one only has to listen to that "command of instrumental colour that sets his work apart from every other big-band composer of the Swing Era" for faith to be restored. Teachout appends his own list of fifty key recordings at the back of the book.

In one of the illuminating comparisons he makes between Ellington and artists in other genres, Teachout records the admiration expressed by Orson Welles, who is reported to have said that Ellington was the only genius he had ever known apart from himself, and observes that, while it is not part of the vocabulary of jazz, the word "auteur" could be used as readily of Ellington as of Welles, both of them being artists of the first order who were also natural born editors, not least of their own reputations. A comparison is also made between their family backgrounds (both were spoiled children) and their "unlimited appetites for food and sex". In Ellington's case, Teachout takes considerable pains, as he puts it, to "scrub away the sugar from the candy-coated caricatures" of his parents presented in Music is My Mistress, but still shows his middle-class Washington childhood to have protected him from racial hostility, his father passing on his "smooth talking savoir-faire" and his mother instilling "'Ellington exceptionalism', a doctrine to which he would subscribe for ever after". It showed not only in his confidence and his certainty of his own worth and significance (he was furious when passed over for a Pulitzer prize, and when Benny Goodman made it to Carnegie Hall before he did), but also, more admirably, in the stands he made against prejudice. (Often there was a degree of humour, as when, hiring Pullman cars to travel in the segregated South, he declared, "That's the way the President travels".) As for the sex, his early marriage to Edna was never dissolved, and he had other partners on whom he regularly cheated. Teachout considers Ellington's "satyriasis" and whether his attitude towards women was, as his son Mercer claimed, basically contemptuous beneath the charm, or whether he liked but was wary of them. As he warned the photographer Gordon Parks, a woman "has more ways to destroy you than the Soviet Army".

Absorbing though all of this is, what matters most is the music. Teachout gives full attention to the range of Ellington's ambition and achievement, and the trajectory of his career. He examines the genesis of Ellington's first major suite, Black, Brown and Beige, his Carnegie Hall debut, and the thinking that lay behind his assertion that he didn't write jazz, but negro folk music. He is particularly interesting on the difficulties Ellington had when attempting extended works, many of which were ramshackle in construction, an assembly of brilliant miniatures. In fact, as what was almost certainly his greatest (1940–41) orchestra demonstrated, the concentrated form of the three-minute miniature was ideally suited to his gift for writing portraits and tone parallels, of creating impressionism with a beat.

Every musician Ellington hired became an integral part of his palette – from Bubber Miley, Otto Hardwick and Tricky Sam Nanton to Clark Terry and Paul Gonsalvez, via Ben Webster, Cootie Williams and Johnny Hodges, with the bedrock baritone of Harry Carney, who remained with Ellington to the last and died only five months after him in 1974, having said, "With Duke dead, I have nothing to live for". Teachout quotes illuminatingly from their accounts of working with their leader, of band discipline or more often the lack of it. He is also excellent on the intricacies of Ellington's hand-in-glove relationship, both musical and personal, with his arranger and right-hand composer Billy Strayhorn, and the seismic effect of Strayhorn's death.

The final chapter, which describes Ellington's seventieth birthday celebrations at the White House and his refusal to let up on touring, as well as his loneliness and decline, is a particularly moving last act, reminding us, as so often in this book, of Terry Teachout's ability to bring his experience of theatre to bear on the story he tells.

Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jazz Times, March 2014

Annotation summary for file: Essential Jazz_ The First 100 Y - Henry Martin.pdf

File: Essential Jazz_ The First 100 Y - Henry Martin.pdf

Annotation summary:

--- Page 27 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
Dere's No Hidin' Place Down Dere" CD 1 Track 3

Marian Anderson: "Dere's No Hidin' Place Down Dere" (traditional). New York, September 9, 1941. Marian Anderson, contralto; Franz Rupp, piano; Lawrence Brown, arranger.

With "Dere's No Hidin' Place Down Dere" we hear a more conventional spiritual. The harmony and melody are in the Western tradition. The use of the piano, one of the most important instruments in the Western tradition, together with the solo vocal evokes the atmosphere of a Western art song, particularly as the singer, Marian Anderson, performs with diction and execution that show her extensive training in Western classi-cal music. In fact, Anderson sang with the New York Philharmonic in 1925, studied in Europe, and, in 1955, became the fi rst black singer to appear with New York's Metropolitan Opera. Still, elements of the African and African American traditions remain, such as the informal change to spoken text, lyrics in dialect ("dere" rather than "there"), and a reminiscence of a call-and-response pattern—all of which help impart a feeling of informality. After the piano introduction, listen to the three verses of the spiritual; each verse features the same music with different words. Compare the Westernized sound of the performance with the ring-shout spiritual "Daniel" (CD 1, track 2). For the third verse (beginning at 0:31), Anderson introduces a minor variation on the melody. A broadening of the tempo and the amusing avoidance of the word hell bring the piece to an effective close.


--- Page 34 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
Maple Leaf Rag" (excerpt) CD 1 Track 5

Scott Joplin: "Maple Leaf Rag" (Joplin). April 1916. Connorized piano roll 10265. Scott Joplin, piano.

Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" quickly became a ragtime classic. Like many of the works of the ragtime piano repertory, the music was composed and written down for publication. Its jaunty rhythms were charac-teristic of the best ragtime compositions. The form of ragtime was derived from the march, but the excerpt here includes only the fi rst AAB sections, which in rags are called strains. The recording here is from a piano roll performed by Scott Joplin himself. The opening A strain immediately displays the key stylistic quality of ragtime piano performances: the contrast between the regular left hand "keeping time" and syncopated right hand "ragging" the melody. Try to hear the difference between the hands. In the B strain (at 0:45), the left hand becomes even more regular, usually alternating a bass note with a chord. In addition, the right-hand part is more active in this section than in the previous section and is played in a higher register on the piano.


--- Page 36 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
Maple Leaf Rag" (excerpt) CD 1 Track 6

Jelly Roll Morton: "Maple Leaf Rag" (Joplin). Washington, D.C., June 1938. Library of Congress Recordings Disc 1654A ("Morton Style"). Jelly Roll Morton, piano.

A comparison of Jelly Roll Morton's version of the "Maple Leaf Rag" with Scott Joplin's piano-roll version of the same composition (CD 1, track 5) provides a fascinating glimpse into the shift from ragtime (Joplin) to early jazz (Morton). Study this shift closely by alternately listening to the two recordings: not only is Morton's early jazz version much lighter, but it also has a looser, more swinging feel characteristic of jazz. Morton also incorporates more improvisation into his performance by departing frequently from the written version of the piece, which is mostly adhered to in the Joplin piano roll. Morton's left hand is highly active, with syncopated melodic ideas that might be played by a trombone in the front line of a New Orleans band. Morton's left hand becomes even more active in the B strain, beginning at 0:33. In the C strain (or trio) Mor-ton plays in a hotter style. Listen at 1:16 for how Morton alternates bass note and chord to create drive and excitement.


--- Page 39 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
Back Water Blues" CD 1 Track 7

Bessie Smith and James P. Johnson: "Back Water Blues" (Smith). Columbia 14195-D, New York, February 17, 1927. Bessie Smith, vocal; James P. Johnson, piano.

James P. Johnson was Bessie Smith's favorite accompanist. Their performance of "Back Water Blues" is one of their outstanding joint efforts, with powerful expression throughout. The form and performance of the piece follow the typical AAB blues structure in each chorus, while Johnson's accompaniment provides a steady and beautifully wrought commentary to Smith's story. When listening to classic blues, note how the singer varies the repeated fi rst line in each chorus. For example, there may be a slightly more expressive turn of phrase on the line's repeat. It is also interesting and instructive to predict the rhyming word and direction of the phrase in the B line that concludes each chorus. "Backwater Blues" dramatically showcases the blues as a story-telling medium. We hear about a fl ood and the rescue of Smith from her destroyed home. The story, after a two-bar introduction, unfolds in seven choruses of 12-bar blues. By following the AAB structure of the lyric, you should be able to differentiate each of the seven choruses. Johnson provides a rolling introductory vamp to introduce the fi rst chorus, which sets the scene with its depiction of fi ve days of rain. By the time we reach the third chorus, we hear of a boat picking up Smith with her clothes to escape the fl ood. Listen for the wonderful moment in the fourth chorus where Johnson answers Smith's phrases with an expressive bass part at 1:34. By the time the story turns to the seventh chorus, the song reaches complete despair: Smith "can't move no more."


--- Page 53 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
"Tiger Rag" CD 1 Track 8

Original Dixieland Jazz Band: "Tiger Rag" (Nick LaRocca). Victor 18472. New York, March 25, 1918. Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca, cornet; Eddie "Daddy" Edwards, trombone; Lawrence "Larry" Shields, clarinet; Henry W. Ragas, piano; Antonio "Tony" Sbarbaro, drums.

The New Orleans style is apt to sound cluttered, even a little chaotic at fi rst, because of the thickness of the sound and the exuberance of its hot style. After several listenings, however, the front-line instrumental parts of the ensemble grow clearer, and their distinct functions within the dense texture begin to separate. When the entire New Orleans ensemble plays, the cornet carries the main melody. The trombone plays a coun-termelody below the cornets, much like a melodic bass line, while the clarinet plays an obbligato above the cornets. The obbligato, usually containing more notes than the cornet parts, is often quite virtuosic. "Tiger Rag" is probably the most famous traditional jazz composition, a piece that originated in the oral tradition of New Orleans music. (To highlight its continuity in the jazz tradition, this is the fi rst of several performances of "Tiger Rag" on the accompanying two-CD set.) The ODJB recording of 1918 is one of the most famous of the early jazz recordings and very much helped to popularize the piece. At the same time, it was one of the hit records that helped make the ODJB well known. The energy of the ODJB remains one of its most appealing characteristics. They bring the enthusiasm and rhythmic exuberance of ragtime to another level. The ODJB performance of "Tiger Rag" emphasizes many of the features we associate with Dixieland jazz. In the opening A strain, the instruments all play together, with the cornet taking the lead—an example of collective improvisation. At 0:15, the B strain features stop time, with the clarinetist offering glissandos during the breaks in the rhythm. The C strain, which begins at 0:31, features clarinet breaks throughout. The D strain begins at 1:01. Played four times, it is the most famous of the "Tiger Rag" sections. In the third time through the strain (beginning at 2:02), the trombone is featured with the famous lip glissando down to the low note that initiates the chorus lyric ("Hold That Tiger!"), which is played instrumentally by the cornet and the clarinet. For the fi nal D strain (the out-chorus or shout chorus, which begins at 2:33), the band picks up the intensity and improvises together. At its conclusion, a short tag is added.


--- Page 56 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
Dippermouth Blues" CD 1 Track 9

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band: "Dippermouth Blues" (Oliver). Richmond, Indiana, April 6, 1923. Gennett 5123. King Oliver, leader and cornet; Louis Armstrong, cornet; Johnny Dodds, clarinet; Honore Dutrey, trombone; Lil Hardin, piano; Bill Johnson, banjo and vocal break; Baby Dodds, drums.

"Dippermouth Blues," an example of New Orleans jazz, is one of King Oliver's fi nest recordings and prob-ably his most infl uential cornet solo. Many cornet and trumpet players copied this solo throughout the 1920s. It was also recorded by later jazz groups as "Sugar Foot Stomp," attesting to its continued popularity. In "Dippermouth Blues," the entire performance is structured as a series of 12-bar blues choruses arranged for various combinations of instruments. After a four-bar introduction, the main body of the piece begins, with the rhythm section initiating a driving, on-the-beat pattern. Listen to how the fi rst and second choruses are played in classic New Orleans fashion, with the horns each following their characteristic roles, accompanied by the rhythm section. At 0:36, the clarinet solo plays two choruses in stop time, the rhythm instruments and other horns playing a simple fi gure to accompany the soloist. Oliver's three-chorus solo, beginning at 1:22, is the focal point of the piece. He builds the solo slowly through the three choruses, with each chorus following logically from the preceding. His use of a mute on his cornet gives the sound a wah-wah effect. Also, the other front-line instruments, rather than not playing during Oliver's solo, continue to supply a quiet accompaniment: they complement what Oliver does without getting in the way of his solo. After Oliver's solo, the piece ends with an out-chorus and a fi nal tag. In reviewing "Dippermouth Blues," try to identify these New Orleans characteristics:

Typical instrumentation of cornet(s), clarinet, trombone, piano, banjo, and drums Improvised ensemble sections with the fi rst cornet on the lead melody and the other instruments providing countermelodies Hot style with exuberant performances by all the musicians Driving 4/4 meter with emphasis on the beat Simple rhythm-section parts with all the rhythm instruments articulating the beat

▸ ▸

▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 58 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
"Grandpa's Spells" CD 1 Track 10

Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers: "Grandpa's Spells"—Take 3 (Morton). Victor 20431. Chicago, December 16, 1926. George Mitchell, cornet; Edward "Kid" Ory, trombone; Omer Simeon, clarinet; Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, piano, arranger, leader; Johnny St. Cyr, guitar; John Lindsay, bass; Andrew Hilaire, drums.

"Grandpa's Spells" is among Morton's fi nest compositions and one of his best arrangements for the Red Hot Peppers. Earlier, we quoted Morton's insistence that for a piece to be considered jazz, it must have breaks. "Grandpa's Spells" uses breaks throughout, both to contrast solo textures with the full band and to mark off pivotal moments in the overall form. In listening to "Grandpa's Spells," focus on the amazing variety of textures that Morton works into the arrangement. Although there are only seven musicians playing, Morton creates a kaleidoscope of constantly varying sounds by combining the instruments in unpredictable and novel ways. It is also instructive to com-pare this band performance with Morton's 1923 solo piano version to see how Morton fashioned the full-band arrangement. The A strain features, fi rst, guitar breaks (followed by the full band), then, upon repeat, cornet breaks. In the B strain (0:42), Morton, as pianist, gives himself the break the fi rst time but upon repeat of the strain, omits the break. So Morton is already varying the textures to heighten interest. For the second B strain, Mor-ton varies the texture even more dramatically by featuring a clarinet solo in the lower register. Try to follow the many texture changes that continue through the remainder of the piece. In multistrain pieces, the fi nal strain is the most likely to be repeated (compare the ODJB "Tiger Rag"). "Grandpa's Spells" repeats the C strain four times. Listen especially for Morton's own piano solo at the third C strain (2:13) and the exuberant out-chorus (2:30) at the fourth C strain.


--- Page 62 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
"West End Blues" CD 1 Track 11

Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five: "West End Blues" (Williams-Oliver). OKeh 8597. Chicago, June 28, 1928. Louis Armstrong, trumpet and vocal; Fred Robinson, trombone; Jimmy Strong, clarinet; Earl Hines, piano; Mancy Carr, banjo; Zutty Singleton, drums.

Among Armstrong's many great recordings from the middle and late 1920s, "West End Blues" has long been considered a fi rst among equals—a masterpiece of twentieth-century music. First, listen carefully to Armstrong's startling opening cadenza: it announces a new level of bravura and technical display in jazz per-formance. Armstrong's fi nal trumpet chorus bears a surprisingly close thematic relationship to the cadenza as well. After the opening cadenza, the piece is structured as fi ve 12-bar blues choruses:

First chorus (0:16): Armstrong's lead with answering and accompanying parts in the clarinet and the trombone Second chorus (0:50): Robinson's trombone solo Third chorus (1:24): call-and-response duet between the clarinet and Armstrong's scat vocal Fourth chorus (1:59): Hines's unaccompanied piano solo, in which Hines demonstrates Armstrong-like fl uidity Out-chorus (2:32): full band with Armstrong's soaring lead

The fl ashy exuberance of Armstrong's solos dramatically contrasts with the playing of the rest of the group but remains effective because of its structural and emotional affi nity with the song itself. Armstrong also avoids literal repetition, preferring instead to move forward with new variations on previous fi gures—that is, different ways of developing the material at hand. In addition to fi ne solos by the other performers, Armstrong delivers a deeply felt scat vocal as a duet with clarinetist Strong. Armstrong's general stylistic traits observable in "West End Blues" include the following features:

Exuberant, fi ery tone Use of the full range of the trumpet Blues infl ections Impetuous, emotional projection Perfectly balanced range of rhythmic values (long notes versus short notes) Ingenious motivic connections Wide vibrato, especially at the end of held notes (terminal vibrato)

We can summarize the features of "West End Blues" as follows:

Typical Dixieland instrumentation of trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano, banjo, and drums Some group improvisation in which the trumpet carries the lead, accompanied by trombone and clarinet countermelodies Horn solos accompanied by the rhythm section Use of call-and-response Frequent use of expressive blues elements: slurs, slides, blue notes, and so on Use of instrumental breaks

▸

▸ ▸ ▸

▸

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸

▸ ▸

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 67 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
Singin' the Blues" CD 1 Track 12

Frank Trumbauer and His Orchestra: "Singin' the Blues" (Robinson, Conrad). New York, February 4, 1927. OKeh 40772. Frank Trumbauer, C-melody (or alto) saxophone, leader; Bix Beiderbecke, cornet; Bill Rank, trombone; Jimmy Dorsey, clarinet; Paul Mertz, piano; Eddie Lang, guitar; Chauncey Morehouse, drums.

"Singin' the Blues" contains a famous Beiderbecke solo—in fact, one of his fi rst solos to become widely known. The ensemble for this recording, under the nominal leadership of Frank Trumbauer, was assembled from the Jean Goldkette band specifi cally for the session. Trumbauer usually solos on the now-rare C-melody saxophone, an instrument pitched between the alto and the tenor saxophones in range, but his solo on "Singin' the Blues" may have been played on alto. His solo, equally as famous as Beiderbecke's chorus at the time, greatly impressed Lester Young, who was said to have kept a copy in his saxophone case. We also hear a brief Jimmy Dorsey solo on clarinet. He and his brother Tommy, best known as a trombonist, became two important bandleaders in the 1930s. Among the other musicians, Eddie Lang was a pioneering guitarist who often recorded with violinist Joe Venuti. In the fi rst chorus, notice the sweet, unforced quality of Trumbauer's playing, which contrasts the heavi-ness of many 1920s saxophone stylings. Lang accompanies him sensitively. In the second half of his solo, we hear a particularly nice moment when Trumbauer's descending arpeggio (0:42) is answered by a descending harmonic minor scale by Lang (0:43). The second chorus (1:02) features Beiderbecke, accompanied again only by Lang. Although Beiderbecke's lyricism is a hallmark of his style, note that the actual melody he improvises has a surprising number of leaps. His improvisational style is "compositional," maintaining much form and symmetry in the melodic line. In the second half of the chorus, the three repeated on-the-beat notes at 1:33 echo the repeated on-the-beat notes heard during the break (1:27). Such connections enhance the lyrical elegance of Beiderbecke's style. Parallel-ing the interplay between Lang and Trumbauer in the saxophonist's solo, both players play diminished-chord arpeggios in the opposite direction at 1:47—a remarkable and beautiful moment in the solo that was probably spontaneous. Beiderbecke's commanding entrance at 2:28 sets up the piece's climax. "Singin' the Blues" is an excellent example of the genius of Bix Beiderbecke. His performance is both a brilliant solo on its own terms and representative of certain aspects of his general style:

Concentration on the middle register A lyrical, mellow tone Rhythmic variety Extreme subtlety of melodic continuation Restrained use of blue notes Small but compelling emotional compass Little use of vibrato Inside playing

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 76 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
Tiger Rag" CD 1 Track 13

Art Tatum: "Tiger Rag" (Nick LaRocca). Brunswick B13164-A. New York, March 21, 1933. Art Tatum, piano.

Our study of "Tiger Rag" continues with another justly famed performance. Art Tatum recorded this piece on his fi rst recording session in March 1933. His virtuosity is astounding. This recording established Tatum's supremacy in the highly competitive world of New York solo piano. While Tatum's performance can be considered an example of stride piano, its incredibly fast tempo features a variety of left-hand textures. Tatum incorporates a striding left hand from time to time but sustains this texture only toward the end of the performance. Notice how Tatum plays the introduction freely ("out of time"), with chords that are unpredictable (and reminiscent of Impressionist composers Debussy and Ravel). At the statement of the A strain (0:14) Tatum only hints at the original melody. At 0:25, the second strain—the bridge between the repeated eight-bar A strain and its return—offers a change of texture. Just as the original ODJB recording featured stop time in this section (compare CD 1, Track 8 at 0:15), Tatum imitates this procedure with stop time punctuations in his left hand. For the fi rst time in the piece, in the C strain (0:40), we hear a conventional stride texture, as the left hand drives the rhythm home after the conclusion of the breaks (right-hand runs). In the famous D strain (0:50), Tatum deconstructs the melody: The "Hold That Tiger!" tune is reduced to a syncopated chordal punctuation over continuous running eighth notes in the left hand. In the second half of the D strain, however, Tatum deviates by returning to the impressionistic chordal material that we heard in the introduction. Tatum plays four choruses of the D strain, just as the ODJB did. For the out-chorus (1:54), he repeats brilliant descending runs in his right hand over the driving left-hand stride texture. After Tatum builds strongly into the ending of the piece, a descending run brings the fi reworks to an unexpectedly quiet but effective conclusion. Tatum expanded the vocabulary of stride and swing piano in three ways that we can hear in this performance:

Runs: While many stride and swing pianists used embellished runs to connect melodic phrases, Tatum used these runs more consistently and elaborately. Rapidity: Swing and stride pianists always featured impressive dexterity and speed, but Tatum's playing was the most rapid. Harmony: While jazz piano had been slowly developing more-sophisticated harmonies, Tatum was the most harmonically advanced of any of his contemporaries.

▸

▸

▸


--- Page 82 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" CD 1 Track 14

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (Ellington, Miley). New York, December 19, 1927. Victor 21703. Duke Ellington, leader, piano, and arrangement; James "Bubber" Miley, Louis Metcalf, trumpets; Joe Nanton, trombone; Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney, Rudy Jackson, saxophones and clarinets; Fred Guy, banjo; Wellman Braud, bass; Sonny Greer, drums.

"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" is a fi ne example of the Ellington band's style in the late 1920s. The somewhat mournful quality of the piece can be attributed in part to the string bass, which, when bowed, imparts an eerie somberness to the dark chord voicings of the band. Given the underrecorded presence of the drums, the beat is often audible only in the banjo strumming the backbeats and in the occasional chords of the piano fl avoring the more lightly scored sections. The piece begins with an eight-bar introduction consisting of richly voiced chords in the saxophones, piano, and bass, an Ellington trademark. These chords form the background to Miley's trumpet solo (0:14), which captures the jungle sounds for which he and the band were famous. In the C section of the piece (1:13), baritone saxophonist Harry Carney contrasts the somber mood with an almost jaunty solo. At 1:45, "Tricky Sam" Nanton's trombone solo, although identical in form to Carney's baritone saxophone solo, features the muted growling sounds fi rst heard with trumpeter Miley. The piece ends with a return of the A section at 3:18. In contrast to many other arrangers of the time, Ellington is more inclined to employ mixed instrumental groupings, as he continually strived for distinctive timbres and a unique overall sound for his band. For this reason, his textures differ from those of most other ensembles and, as a result, his scoring is often harder to pin down on fi rst hearing. It is also important to note that "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" is conceived as a jazz composition, not an arrangement of a popular tune. To sum up the important characteristics of "East Saint Louis Toodle-Oo":

Atypical use of bowed string bass Solos that feature growling, jungle sounds Dark, muted timbres Thick chord voicings Interplay of major and minor keys

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 84 ---

Highlight (yellow), 17 Jan 2014 23:27:
"Tiger Rag" CD 1 Track 15

Django Reinhardt et le Quintette du Hot Club de France avec Stéphane Grappelli: "Tiger Rag" (LaRocca). Ultraphone AP-1423. Paris, December 1934. Stéphane Grappelli, violin; Django Reinhardt, Roger Chaput, Joseph Reinhardt, guitars; Louis Vola, bass.

This performance of "Tiger Rag" by the Quintette du Hot Club de France provides interesting points of com-parison with the original ODJB of CD 1, Track 8 and the Art Tatum recording of CD 1, Track 13. In contrast to the exciting but earthy playing of the ODJB, Reinhardt and Grappelli display deft, fl eet virtuosity that recalls Tatum. It is remarkable how thoroughly both soloists absorbed the jazz idiom, although as Europeans they did not participate in the U.S. jazz scene. This strings-only performance (without customary horns, piano, or drums) provides a remarkable textural contrast to the standard New Orleans ensemble of the ODJB "Tiger Rag." The piece begins right at the A strain for the opening eight-bar section. Grappelli has the principal melody, with Reinhardt harmonizing the dexterous melodic line in a lower register. Note how much faster the perfor-mance is compared with the ODJB's. Such virtuosity recalls the Tatum performance. The second strain (0:12) does not quite feature the stop time chorus we heard with the ODJB because the bass continues to walk. Nevertheless, the effect of the stop time is similar because the ensemble accents the measures' downbeats strongly. An interesting question for the D strain (0:43) is: do we miss the trombone glissandos leading to the "Hold That Tiger!" fi gure? The strain begins with a Reinhardt solo. His bluesy bending and held-out notes provide an effective contrast to the busy virtuosity of the C strain. For the out-chorus (2:00), the band picks up the intensity under Grappelli's exciting fi nal solo.


--- Page 97 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Mary's Idea" CD 1 Track 17

Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy: "Mary's Idea" (Williams). Decca 2326. New York, December 6, 1938. Andy Kirk, director; Harry Lawson, Clarence Trice, Earl Thomson, trumpets; Ted Donnelly, Henry Wells, trombone; John Harrington, clarinet, alto and baritone saxophones; John Williams, alto and baritone saxophones; Earl Miller, alto saxophone; Dick Wilson, tenor saxophone; Mary Lou Williams, piano, arranger; Ted Robinson, guitar; Booker Collins, bass; Ben Thigpen, drums.

"Mary's Idea" is just one of the many superb charts Mary Lou Williams wrote for the Andy Kirk band. In them she deftly combines a solid understanding of swing-era conventions with suffi cient experimental curiosity to produce works of uncommon interest and effectiveness. The introduction consists of a vamp in the saxophones, doubled by the bass and the piano. The drummer provides a clear example of a swing beat on the hi-hat cymbals: you can hear the foot pedal closing the cym-bals with a "chick" sound on the second and fourth beats of each bar. The brass enter with a theme while the saxophone vamp continues. Note how well the brass and saxo-phones combine in counterpoint; that is, the melodies are distinct, but fi t well together. Saxophones take over the lead for the fi rst four bars of the bridge (0:29), while the last four bars are a trombone solo, which provides further textural contrast and variety. After presenting the basic material in the full band, Williams features a series of solos, beginning with an improvised trumpet solo (0:51), Williams herself (1:15) on piano, and fi nally a clarinet solo (1:38). Williams's spare melodic style contrasts the busy virtuosity of the 1920s stride players. Nevertheless, you can detect a remnant of the stride left hand, which occasionally follows the march-bass pattern. Her right-hand melody is elegant, with occasional blues licks fi tted in. She fi nishes her solo with syncopated, virtuosic runs. For the clarinet solo, Williams provides a new section with its own harmonic progression. The combination of muted brass and clarinet is refi ned and quite attractive. The conclusion of the piece presents one of Williams's fi ne, experimental twists. The fi nal two bars of the clarinet solo are elided into a break that develops into an interlude (1:59) with complex syncopation. The climax (2:06) features extensive syncopation while developing material from the opening A section. A brief trombone solo (2:29) provides a satisfying release from the dislocating syncopation of the climax. A fi nal A section as out-chorus (2:40) leads into a coda. What is particularly important to hear in "Mary's Idea":

The contrast between the solos and the full band How Williams uses counterpoint in the A section How Williams develops the material of the A section with syncopation for the piece's climax

▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 100 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Shoe Shine Boy" CD 1 Track 18

Jones-Smith Incorporated: "Shoe Shine Boy" (Cahn-Chaplin). Vocalion 3441. Chicago, November 9, 1936. Carl Smith, trumpet; Lester Young, tenor saxophone; Count Basie, piano, leader; Walter Page, bass; Jo Jones, drums.

Basie recorded "Shoe Shine Boy" for Vocalion under the name Jones-Smith Incorporated rather than Count Basie and His Orchestra as a way of getting around the band's exclusive recording contract with Decca. With a group drawn from the larger Basie band, the recording became one of the most famous examples of Kansas City small-group jazz in the swing era. In its overall form "Shoe Shine Boy" is a prototype of small-group jazz, both for the swing era and in de-cades to come: introduction, a statement of thematic material (usually a song), solos, and climax (which may be a restatement of the song). In this case, the climax is a series of two-bar breaks followed by a drum solo, out-chorus, and coda rather than a restatement of the melody. Basie developed a trademark of opening his tunes with a swing vamp of four or eight bars. Here the eight-bar idea, repeated, serves as an introduction to his opening piano solo. Although the striding bass is evident in the left hand, it is not an example of stride piano because the right-hand fi guration incorporates a light swing riff, which is not a characteristic of stride. The lighter, stridelike left hand became known as swing-bass. After the introductory vamp, Basie presents the thematic material of the piece (0:14), a 32-bar structure, which is a close variant of the chord progression known as rhythm changes. In his solo, Basie alludes to the original melody of the song. Lester Young's two-chorus tenor solo (0:44) was one of the most famous of the swing era. (We discuss it in more detail below.) Smith follows Young with a one-chorus solo on muted trumpet (1:45). This third consecutive improvisation shows that the performance is simulating a jam-session atmosphere with loose, freewheeling solos rather than a complex arrangement. Beginning at 2:16, the band alternates two-bar solo breaks (trading twos) to build the piece to its climax. This is the order of the breaks: Basie (piano), Young (tenor saxophone), Smith (trumpet), Basie (piano), Young


--- Page 106 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Solo Flight" CD 1 Track 19

Benny Goodman and His Orchestra: "Solo Flight" (Christian-Mundy-Goodman). Columbia 36684 (master take). New York, March 4, 1941. Benny Goodman, clarinet, leader; Alec Fila, Jimmy Maxwell, Charles "Cootie" Williams, Irving Goodman, trumpets; Lou McGarity, Cutty Cutshall, trombones; Lloyd "Skippy" Martin, Gus Bivona, alto saxophones; George Auld, Pete Mondello, tenor saxophones; Bob Snyder, baritone saxophone; Johnny Guarnieri, piano; Charlie Christian, electric guitar; Artie Bernstein, bass; Dave Tough, drums; Jimmy Mundy, arranger.

Our selection from the superb library of Benny Goodman recordings is in a mature swing style, one that shows off to excellent advantage the band's tightness and drive. The selection also features legendary guitar-ist Charlie Christian on his most famous feature number. Goodman has a short clarinet solo as well, comple-menting Christian. "Solo Flight" is formally simple yet texturally complex in its continuous dialogue among the band's sec-tions and the soloists. Recalling the classical concerto, the piece is virtually a mini-concerto for the guitarist accompanied by the band. Arranger Mundy fashions complex textures throughout, creating a counterpoint between Christian's solo and the band's punchy chords—insertions that form a coherent whole and can be appreciated aside from Christian's improvisation. The main thematic section (0:11) is presented three times before contrasting B material appears (1:17), ushered in by aggressive brass writing. Listen to how Mundy var-ies the textures around Christian's solo. Goodman later has a solo (2:00) using the B-section format before the out-chorus (2:21) presents a fi nal A and a return of the focus on Christian. The harmonies of "Solo Flight" are straightforward, not unlike normal swing chord progressions, yet there is an important forward-looking element to the performance, which we also hear in "Vi Vigor" and "Manteca" (CD 1, Tracks 21 and 25): increasingly forceful brass writing that almost crowds the soloist. Such writing is characteristic of late swing and was to become prominent in the bebop-style big bands of the 1940s. Yet another curious feature of "Solo Flight" is that it does not have a readily singable theme. Instead it is a chord sequence for Christian's improvisation around which Mundy constructs background fi gures for the vari-ous instrumental sections. In this sense the work is also forward-looking in that the bebop players (whom we examine in Chapter 4) were often more interested in chordal structures for improvisation than in singable tunes. Christian's style, as heard in "Solo Flight," includes the following:

A relaxed sense of swing Fine voice-leading control Subtle motivic manipulation Variety of phrase length Imaginative harmonies

In addition to featuring Christian's work, "Solo Flight" allows us to glimpse Benny Goodman's clarinet style. Of all the jazz clarinet styles, Goodman's perhaps best balanced melodic control and outright swinging, with an exquisite sense of timing and a clear articulation of the chord changes. Notice how dramatically Good-man begins his solo (2:00) with a piercing high note, as if to grab attention from the brass. Perhaps inspired by the aggressive band writing in "Solo Flight," Goodman turns in a solo marked by rhythmic emphasis, a raspy tone, and much bluesy bending of sustained notes. This forthright statement allows him to hold his own against the strong interjections of the brass. Goodman's solo in "Solo Flight" demonstrates several characteristics of his playing:

Frequent arpeggiation and use of scale fragments Basic eighth-note rhythm Blues effects Note choices that emphasize the notes of the chord (inside playing) Fast vibrato on some held notes

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 111 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Sepia Panorama" CD 1 Track 20

Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra: "Sepia Panorama" (Ellington). Victor 26731. New York, July 24, 1940. Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams, trumpets; Rex Stewart, cornet; Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown, trombones; Juan Tizol, valve trombone; Barney Bigard, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Johnny Hodges, alto saxophone; Ben Webster, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone, clarinet; Duke Ellington, arrangement, piano, leader; Fred Guy, guitar; Jimmy Blanton, bass; Sonny Greer, drums.

"Sepia Panorama" is an imaginative composition typical of Ellington's three-minute recordings of the late 1930s and early 1940s. It has an "arch form"; that is, it builds to a middle section (D1D2), then ends by revers-ing the beginning: ABC–D1D2–CBA–tag. Ellington contrasts dramatic and quiet sections, thus projecting a full "panorama" of expressive devices. (Walter van de Leur, in recent research, suggests that Billy Strayhorn may have composed the C section of this piece.) The panorama of expressive devices becomes clear by listening to how the sections are varied. The fi rst section of the piece is a 12-bar blues, itself with various instrumental colors. For example, notice how the Blanton bass solo (0:11) complements the vigorous writing in the band. The B section (0:26) contrasts the A with a more tranquil eight-bar structure, while the C section (1:02) returns to an aggressive texture as accom-paniment to the baritone saxophone solo. Ellington and Blanton are featured in a sensitive duet on the fi rst D section (1:19), a return to tranquility, but this time as a 12-bar blues. For the second D section, we hear a Ben Webster tenor solo that features his sensuous tone and beguiling vibrato. The work then ends by reversing the sectional order of the beginning and closing with a fi nal tag. Ellington's varying of the textures in "Sepia Panorama" recalls Jelly Roll Morton's composition, "Grandpa's Spells" (CD 1, Track 10), which itself displayed a remarkable number of instrumental colors in a three-minute time span. "Sepia" also shows how Jimmy Blanton developed a greater role for the bass: rather than simply keeping time, his solo passages show off a dexterous technique. Among other things, we hear Blanton's facil-ity in the higher register of the instrument, which until then had been relatively neglected. The higher register of the bass projects the melody—a virtual necessity before routine amplifi cation of the instrument began in the latter half of the 1960s.


--- Page 115 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Vi Vigor" CD 1 Track 21

International Sweethearts of Rhythm: "Vi Vigor" (King). New York, October 14, 1946. Victor 40-0146-A. Rae Lee Jones, leader; Anna Mae Winburn, conductor; Johnnie Mae "Tex" Stansbery, Ernestine "Tiny" Davis, Nora Lee McGhee, Floye Dreyer, trumpets; Julia Travick, Helen Jones, Ima Belle Byrd, trombones; Violet Burnside, Colleen Murray, Myrtle Young, Willie Mae Lee, Jacqueline Dexter, saxophones; Jackie King, piano; Carlene Ray, guitar; Edna Smith, bass; Pauline Braddy, drums.

Violet Burnside (1915–1964) was a featured soloist with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. She joined the band in 1943 after working with various all-women groups, including the Dixie Rhythm Girls and the Har-lem Play-Girls. In 1949 she formed her own group, again working with all-female personnel. In the 1950s she led bands mostly in the Washington, D.C., area, where she settled. "Vi Vigor" is a swinging showcase for Burnside that is based on rhythm changes. While the scoring is in the big-band tradition, the phrasing shows hints of bebop, for example, in the forceful trumpet syncopation of the introduction. The opening A section (played twice) features the full band, while the bridge (the B section, 0:20) features Burnside. Note how she fi ts her phrases between the entrances of the brass. The brass "get-ting in the way" of the soloist recalls the aggressive feel of bebop big bands. After the opening AABA and an interlude (0:36), Burnside gets to stretch out, with the remainder of the arrangement structured as four choruses of rhythm changes, all featuring the soloist. At the beginning of her fi rst solo chorus (0:44), the brass phrases quietly in full chords. We can more easily hear Burnside at this point; her style, like that of many tenor players in the era, recalls Lester Young and Ben Webster but is uniquely hers at the same time. As Burnside continues to solo, notice how she damps the energy down in preparation for the buildup to her climactic fourth solo chorus (2:20). This out-chorus features Burnside shout-ing in the upper register with prominent blue notes, thereby providing a wonderfully passionate counterpoint to the band. The piece ends with a cadencing phrase for Burnside answered by a full chord in the band. As you listen to this piece, listen to how the arrangement effectively creates varying textures behind Burnside's solo and how she artfully follows the emotions of the arrangement to the climactic and satisfying out-chorus.


--- Page 118 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Body and Soul" CD 1 Track 22

Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra: "Body and Soul" (Green-Heyman-Sauer-Eyton). New York, October 11, 1939. Victor 20-2539. Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone and leader; Tommy Lindsay, Joe Guy, trumpets; Earl Hardy, trombone; Jackie Fields, Eustis Moore, alto saxophones; Gene Rodgers, piano; William Oscar Smith, bass; Arthur Herbert, drums.

The mature style of Coleman Hawkins can be heard on "Body and Soul," one of the best-known recordings of a jazz ballad. Its romantic, understated eloquence fl ows throughout, even in the forceful phrases at the work's climax. Hawkins departs frequently from the tune's melody by improvising "vertically," that is, basing his melodic line on the chordal harmonies. The structure of the performance couldn't be simpler: a four-bar piano introduction followed by two AABA choruses of the song. As Hawkins begins his fi rst chorus (0:09), he hints at the melody but at the same time improvises around it. Hawkins's use of vibrato at the ends of phrases enhances his gentle lyricism. As the fi rst chorus proceeds, Hawkins departs further from the melody. In the second chorus (1:31), listen for Hawkins's ability to repeat and develop melodic ideas unexpectedly so that the lengths of his phrases are supple and unpredictable. During the A sections of the second chorus, the horns play a slow-moving background behind Hawkins. In the fi nal A section of the second chorus (2:32), Hawkins's tone becomes increasingly louder and edgier, setting up an effective climax. Listen to how he builds to the highest note of the solo at 2:38. In "Body and Soul," we glimpse Hawkins's mature style. Many other players emulated his techniques, as heard in this solo. These techniques include the following:

Sensitive, smoothly articulated melodies Complex melodic connections based on motivic development and voice leading Rich, sensuous tone with substantial vibrato Loose phrasing relative to the underlying beat with irregular phrase lengths Improvised lines that are "vertical," that is, tied to or outlining the prevailing harmony Emotional expression Large variety of note values Use of the entire range of the instrument

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 123 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Body and Soul" CD 1 Track 23

Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra: "Body and Soul" (Green, Heyman, Sauer, Eyton). New York, February 29, 1940. Vocalion 5481. Billie Holiday, vocal and leader; Roy Eldridge, trumpet; Jimmy Powell, Carl Frye, alto saxophones; Kermit Scott, tenor saxophone; Sonny White, piano; Lawrence Lucie, guitar; John Williams, bass; Harold "Doc" West, drums.

Holiday interprets the classic "Body and Soul" beautifully, with stylish phrasing and endearing emotion. The song itself, since its introduction in 1930, has become one of the most enduring of jazz ballads. A particularly nice feature of this recording is the presence of trumpeter Roy Eldridge, whom we discussed earlier in this chapter. For the introduction, the saxophones hold chords as a "cushion" behind Eldridge's trumpet solo. As Holi-day enters, she remains faithful to the melody but consistently back phrases; that is, she delays her entrances a bit behind the beat. Note how this heightens the expressivity and intimacy of her performance. The second chorus (1:45) begins with an Eldridge trumpet solo, muted. At fi rst he quotes the melody but, in contrast to Holiday, continues with an original solo line. Holiday returns for the bridge (2:08). In the fi nal A section (2:32), Eldridge joins the saxophone section in providing backup chords for Holiday. Holiday's performance should be compared with the Coleman Hawkins version (CD 1, Track 22). Their overall form is roughly the same: four-bar introduction followed by two choruses of the song. However, Holiday's second chorus is in ABA form rather than AABA. The repeat of the A section is probably omitted to fi t the performance into the standard three-minute recording time. Hawkins only hints at the melody, while Holiday provides a more literal version, but both seem to inhabit the song fully, projecting strong, heartfelt interpretations.


--- Page 141 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Salt Peanuts" CD 1 Track 24

Dizzy Gillespie and His All Stars: "Salt Peanuts" (Gillespie-Clarke). New York, May 11, 1945. Guild 1003. Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet and vocal; Charlie Parker, alto saxophone; Al Haig, piano; Curley Russell, bass; Sidney Catlett, drums.

"Salt Peanuts" may be the best-known bebop tune, perhaps because its humorous motivic idea is unforget-table. The tune is a crowd pleaser, less often adopted for performance by Parker, who generally refused to play up to his listeners. Yet there are instances of Parker performing—and singing—"Salt Peanuts" in live versions! This classic recording, an early example of Parker and Gillespie together on record, has a remarkably complex layout for an early bebop tune. Compare it with the modern version by Steve Coleman (CD 2, Track 15). After a two-part introduction, with both drum solo and ensemble, the band launches into the head (0:12), a 32-bar AABA form whose harmony is closely related to rhythm changes. The melody consists of two licks, the second of which is the "salt peanuts" (SP) motive. Parker and Gillespie divide the SP motive, with Parker on the lower note and Gillespie on the upper. The bridge (0:26) features Parker and Gillespie in octaves. Some of the melodic leaps are diminished fi fths (called "tritones" or "fl at fi ves" by jazz musicians), a characteristic interval of bebop melodies. After the return of the A and an 8-bar interlude (0:39), the entire 32-bar head is repeated with Gillespie singing the SP motive. Parker solos on the bridge (0:58). A second interlude follows (1:11), this one sixteen bars, which introduces the solos: Haig's one-chorus piano solo (1:24), then Parker's one-chorus alto solo (1:50). An 8-bar interlude (2:16) introduces Gillespie's bril-liant solo break and one-chorus solo (2:23). Rather than returning to the head for an out-chorus, a drum solo follows (2:50), which leads into the intro-duction as a coda (3:09), with the full band singing the fi nal SP motive. In listening to "Salt Peanuts," note in particular the frenetic pace of the recording, its attempt to take the excitement of up-tempo swing and add another notch of velocity. The improvised lines of the soloists "run" consistently; that is, there is not much space between phrases. As the lines dart around, they sometimes move in unexpected, even surprising directions. These features are hallmarks of classic bebop style. Some-what more unusual is the fairly elaborate arrangement, with worked-out introduction, interludes, and coda. From "Salt Peanuts" we can summarize these characteristic features of Parker's up-tempo style:

Disjointed, irregularly accented melodic lines, mostly comprising eighth notes with occasional arpeggiations Little space between phrases Melodic connections based on subtle motivic interrelations and voice leading A commanding, insistent tone quality Use of melodic chord extensions Intense, powerful expression Frequent blues infl ections Concentration on middle and upper range of instrument Scale-chord relationships generated from the use of altered and extended chord harmonies

Gillespie's style echoes Parker's, and bop melodic playing in general, in its use of the following elements:

Angular melodic lines made up largely of eighth notes Less rhythmic variety because of the eighth-note emphasis Phrases of irregular length Long phrases that may complete a section or more of a chorus The use of extended and chromatic extended chord tones A lack of vibrato in up-tempo playing Emotional though virtuosic playing An emphasis on the middle and upper range of the instrument Melodic continuity based on voice leading and large-scale phrasing De-emphasis of motivic structure in up-tempo playing Few blues infl ections in up-tempo playing Adventurous chord-scale associations

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 146 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Manteca" CD 1 Track 25

Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra, with Chano Pozo: "Manteca" (Pozo-Gillespie-Fuller). New York, December 30, 1947. Victor 20-3023-A. Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet, leader; Dave Burns, Elmon Wright Jr., Benny Bailey, trumpets; William Shepperd, Ted Kelly, trombones; John Brown, Howard Johnson, alto saxophones; Joe Gayles, George "Bick Nick" Nicholas, tenor saxophones; Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone; John Lewis, piano; Al McKibbon, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums; Chano Pozo, conga.

In much Afro-Cuban music, the groove, projected by the rhythm section, is an essential part of the composi-tion. In the introduction to "Manteca," we hear a groove that builds through the addition of instruments and leads to a solo statement by Gillespie. The collected forces culminate in chords for the full band (0:31) with a "fall-off" on the last chord, leaving just the bass, drums, and conga. The groove, continuing from the introduction, leads into the head (0:38), a 40-bar AABA structure (8-bar A sections; a 16-bar bridge). In the bridge, we hear Gillespie soloing over the chordal cushion provided by the saxophones (1:11) before the return of the A section. The groove of the introduction returns as an Interlude (1:33) and leads to entries of intense brass fi gures. These fi gures build to a restatement of the basic AABA form of the tune, but with the AA as a tenor solo (1:47). The full band returns for the bridge (2:08) with Gillespie again soloing (2:18). Afterward, the call-and-re-sponse fi gure of the head returns (2:30). The piece concludes by returning to the introduction as a coda (2:42); it grows quieter until a sudden surge in the drums ends the piece. While listening to "Manteca," try to feel:

The groove of the rhythm section and how the piece fi ts into it The difference between the Afro-Cuban feel of the head and the swing feel heard at the start of the tenor solo The difference between the vamping one-chord feel of the head and the chord progression of the bridge (which is outlined by chords in the saxophone section)

▸ ▸

▸


--- Page 149 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Four in One" CD 1 Track 26

Thelonious Monk Quintet: "Four in One" (Monk). Blue Note 1589. New York, July 23, 1951. Thelonious Monk, piano; Sahib Shihab, alto saxophone; Milt Jackson, vibraphone; Al McKibbon, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

"Four in One" is a characteristic Monk composition. This piece also shows off to excellent advantage Monk's idiosyncratic piano playing in a group setting. During the Introduction, note Monk's syncopated runs, which are based on the whole-tone scale, a scale used frequently by Monk. The whole-tone runs return during the AABA head (beginning at 0:12). The eight-bar A section ends humorously with a "bebop" rhythmic fi gure (0:20). In the eight-bar bridge (beginning 0:37), listen for the Monk-style witty "wrong-note" chords for measures 6–7. The downbeat chord of measure 6 is especially sharp:

Monk's solo (beginning 1:02), refers consistently to the head's melodic motives. Monk plays a full chorus, whereas the Shihab alto solo (beginning 1:51) includes the AA of an AABA chorus. Shahib projects a Parker-like quality in his tone, lines, and bebop phrasing. Entering at the bridge of the form (2:15), Jackson completes the chorus with a fi nal BA. The head repeats almost exactly (2:39) as we heard it at the beginning. In contrast to the fairly elaborate arrangement heard on the Parker-Gillespie "Salt Peanuts" (CD 1, Track 24), this Monk performance of "Four in One" is straightforward: 8-bar introduction followed by a 32-bar head, then two solo choruses, then a reprise of the head. The tempo of "Four in One" is more moderate than "Salt Peanuts," too, making it somewhat easier to follow the form of the tune. Monk's trademarks, heard in such pieces as "Four in One," include the following:

Unusual rhythmic irregularities in the melodic line Use of the whole-tone scale A conventional large-scale form (AABA with eight-bar sections) From time to time, intriguing harmonies that break the conventional "rules" of jazz harmony A whimsical effect created by the contrast between Monk's personal idioms and bebop norms

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 157 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Jeru" CD 1 Track 27

Miles Davis and His Orchestra: "Jeru" (Mulligan). Capitol M-11026. New York, January 21, 1949. Miles Davis, trumpet and leader; Kai Winding, trombone; Junior Collins, French horn; Bill Barber, tuba; Lee Konitz, alto saxophone; Gerry Mulligan, baritone saxophone, composer-arranger; Al Haig, piano; Joe Schulman, bass; Max Roach, drums.

Gerry Mulligan's "Jeru" is a fi ne example of the Birth of the Cool recordings. Notice the smooth blend of the horns at the beginning, while the group states the melody of the composition. Also note that the baritone saxophone has the lead for the last bars of the bridge (0:30). Davis's trumpet solo begins (0:48), at fi rst accompanied by the horns in a lush and smooth manner. Listen for his use of space between his phrases and his concentration in the midrange of the instrument. Gerry Mulligan's baritone saxophone solo begins by alternating with the band (1:31) and shows how the arranger sought to blend the written portions with improvised sections. Notice how when the band enters, it plays a section in stop time with a different meter. The fi nal section dramatically recomposes the melody, creating a climactic out-chorus (beginning at 2:13, and again at 2:50). Even though performing intensely, the band still plays relatively quietly—coolly—in this fi nal section. Davis's Birth of the Cool recordings were extremely infl uential for the cool jazz players of the 1950s for the following reasons: Nine-piece ensemble featuring balance between written and improvised sections Quiet dynamics and unhurried pace Smooth blend of the horns, which include instruments more characteristic of European classical music (such as French horn) Complex formal structure that anticipates third-stream practice

▸ ▸ ▸

▸


--- Page 165 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Th ey Can't Take Th at Away from Me" CD 1 Track 28

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (George Gershwin– Ira Gershwin), from Ella and Louis; reissued on Best of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Verve 314 537 909-2. Hollywood, August 16, 1956. Ella Fitzgerald, vocals; Louis Armstrong, vocals and trumpet; Oscar Peterson, piano; Herb Ellis, guitar; Ray Brown, bass; Buddy Rich, drums.

Fitzgerald and Armstrong recorded three albums together from 1956 to 1957. These recordings show two consummate jazz musicians performing classic interpretations of American popular songs. Many of these songs were from the so-called golden era of American popular song, which reached its apex in the music of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, and the songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart. Even today jazz and cabaret singers continue to explore these songs. Additionally, pop and coun-try singers as diverse as Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson, and Linda Ronstadt have crossed over to make entire recordings devoted to this repertory. After the rhythm section states a four-bar introduction, Fitzgerald sings the melody. In the fi rst chorus she sings the lines in a smooth and connected fashion with vibrato on the longer notes at the ends of phrases. Listen to how she approaches the phrase-ending notes: she subtly slides up to the pitch on the word "hat," slides down to the pitch on the word "tea," and up again on the word "that." In addition, Armstrong plays phrases on the trumpet behind Fitzgerald, often coming in on the last note of her lines and continuing to play between the vocal phrases. Armstrong sets up the second chorus by scat singing before singing the melody (1:32). Armstrong inter-prets the melody with loose phrasing. Like Fitzgerald, Armstrong often uses vibrato at the ends of phrases (a technique frequently heard in his trumpet playing). During Armstrong's trumpet solo (3:04), listen to how Peterson's effective piano comping seems to create a dialogue with the trumpet lines. After Fitzgerald sings the bridge (3:40), Fitzgerald and Armstrong split the fi nal A section (3:58). They sing the four-bar tag lines together twice at the end.


--- Page 170 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Moanin'" (excerpt) CD 2 Track 1

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: "Moanin'" (Timmons), from Moanin'. Blue Note Reissue CDP 7 46516 2. New York, October 30, 1958. Lee Morgan, trumpet; Benny Golson, tenor saxophone; Bobby Timmons, composer, piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

"Moanin'" is a fi ne example of gospel jazz. The melody features a written-out call-and-response that can be heard as an "Amen" or "Yes, Lord." (In Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross's arrangement, the "Yes, Lord" was sung.) With its expressive blues infl ections and considerable passion, Morgan's solo is especially memorable. This excerpt fades after Golson's tenor saxophone solo. Note that at the opening of the excerpt, pianist Timmons states the head, and the band answers with the two-note "Amen" (or "Yes, Lord") motive. The second time through the A section (0:15), the trumpet and the tenor state the call and the pianist, bass, and drums take over the response. The bridge (0:31) goes into straight time with the trumpet and the tenor on the melody: the straight time and elegant chord progression of the bridge unleash the tension built up in the repetitive A section. Lee Morgan's trumpet solo begins (1:00) with half-valve infl ections and catchy funky riffs. The half-valve infl ections are the almost "squeaky," "bent" sounds that are produced by depressing the trumpet's valves partway. Blakey's drumming keeps a constant back beat, emphasizing beats 2 and 4. In the second A section of the fi rst chorus (1:15), Morgan incorporates "double-tonguing," a technique that allows him to repeat the same note rapidly. The double-tonguing idea returns twice. Listen for how saxophonist Benny Golson begins his solo (3:04) by repeating the melodic idea that ended Morgan's trumpet solo. This emphasizes a type of spontaneous communication as one soloist "hands off" to another. The beginning of Golson's second chorus (4:03) displays a move to the higher register that signals greater activity to come. The solo in fact becomes quite modernist in its second chorus: the bluesy runs and the use of the high register sometimes seem to run outside the chord changes in ways that sound like the work of John Coltrane. The excerpt of "Moanin'" exemplifi es funky/soul jazz (and gospel jazz) by the following:

Use of bluesy fi gures and call and response (the "Amen" fi gure) Driving shuffl e rhythm in the drums ("Blakey Shuffl e") Driving energetic solos that make use of blues riffs

▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 173 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Powell's Prances" CD 2 Track 2

Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet: "Powell's Prances" (Powell). EmArcy 36070. New York, January 4, 1956. Clifford Brown, trumpet; Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Richie Powell, piano, composer-arranger; George Morrow, bass; Max Roach, drums.

"Powell's Prances" is a fi ne example of the Brown-Roach quintet. This engaging, swinging number with an unusual structure typifi es the hard bop sound of the band. The bluesy piece is a minor mode composition in the tradition of earlier bop works such as Bud Powell's "Tempus Fugit." After a short drum-fi ll introduction, the head begins with an up-tempo, driving sound. The trumpet and the tenor play the melody in octaves. The unusual form of the head is ABA, with each section having eight bars. The middle eight bars are in stop time. During Brown's trumpet solo (beginning at 0:22) the variety of articu-lations is evident. The clarity of each note derives from Brown's ability to tongue at a rapid tempo. Brown begins his second chorus by emphasizing and repeating a single note. Saxophonist Sonny Rollins contrasts his solo (beginning at 1:00) with Brown's by including passages of longer note values. His solo closes with a blues-based idea. Richie Powell's piano solo (1:38) concentrates on developing simple blues-like riffs in the piano's midrange, prior to the drum solo. Note that drummer Roach begins his solo by echoing and developing the rhythm played by Powell at the end of his solo. Roach maintains the energy and drive of the preceding solos, and he avoids playing the cymbals during his solo, concentrating instead on the snare drum, bass drum, and tom-toms. After the solos, the head returns (2:48) but is not literally restated. A new section (C) replaces the fi nal A section, with the piano and horns playing a unison passage that almost sounds like an exercise. The piece concludes with a coda (3:08) consisting of a dramatic series of out-of-time chords prolonged over drum fi lls. These unusually dissonant chords provide a dramatic conclusion to the piece. We can summarize the hard bop features heard in "Powell's Prances" by the following:

Standard quintet instrumentation of two horns and rhythm section Fast driving tempo Energetic improvisations that effortlessly negotiate the fast tempo Occasional use of blues-based ideas

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 176 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Hora Decubitus" CD 2 Track 3

Charles Mingus and His Orchestra: "Hora Decubitus" (Mingus), from Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus. Impulse AS-9234-2. New York, September 20, 1963. Charles Mingus, bass, director; Eddie Preston, Richard Williams, trumpets; Britt Woodman, trombone; Don Butterfi eld, tuba; Eric Dolphy, Dick Haffer, Booker Ervin, Jerome Richardson, woodwinds; Jaki Byard, piano; Walter Perkins, drums.

"Hora Decubitus" is a hybrid work, adroitly straddling traditional and free jazz. Throughout the performance, Mingus maintains control of the ensemble through forceful, interesting bass lines. The fundamental idea of the piece is a mixture of various lines in counterpoint in a 12-bar blues format. These lines are introduced grad-ually, slowly building a complex group sound. (This group sound anticipates some of the stylistic attributes of free jazz described more fully in Chapter 6.) Mingus opens the work. This introduction sets the tempo, harmony, and mood for the blues choruses that follow. The head consists of fi ve 12-bar blues choruses. The fi rst chorus (0:12) consists of a riffl ike blues tune played on the baritone saxophone. During the second chorus (0:24) the baritone continues to play the theme, joined now by the other saxophones; a trombone is added for the third chorus (0:37), playing a different riff that often seems to clash with the saxophones. Now added is the alto saxophone (fourth chorus, 0:50). Finally, the fi fth chorus begins when the trumpet joins the others (1:02) with still another riff in counterpoint with the ongoing parts. Listen for how this set of contrasting and competing lines supports the marvelous cacophony of everyone playing together. Saxophonist Booker Ervin plays four choruses during his improvisation (1:15). At fi rst reminiscent of gospel jazz, Ervin's solo fi nishes with the fl eet, atonal runs that are somewhat more typical of free jazz. As accompa-niment, the orchestra enters from time to time with background fi gures derived from the opening riffs of the head. Likewise, Eric Dolphy plays four choruses on alto saxophone (2:03). Note how his solo begins with the more "outside" melodic lines of free jazz. The other instruments freely enter with riffs and sharp punctuations as if to comment on Dolphy's solo. On Richard Williams's solo (2:56) a few bebop licks can still be heard from time to time. The passionate cries Williams injects into the solo are both expressive and appropriate. The head returns for three choruses (3:40). At 4:16 the piece winds down, and here are two chords that may be heard as echoing the "Amen" cadence heard in church music. On the fi rst of these chords, the instru-ments freely interpolate runs and fi lls. The second chord is not so heavily scored, and as it dies out Mingus plays the last few notes himself, thus recalling his solo introduction.


--- Page 180 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"So What" (excerpt) CD 2 Track 4

Miles Davis Sextet: "So What" (Davis). Kind of Blue. Columbia CS 1355. New York, March 2, 1959. Miles Davis, trumpet, leader; John Coltrane, tenor saxophone; Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, alto saxophone; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums.

Arguably, Miles Davis reached the apex of his improvisational ability in the 1950s and 1960s with a stream of brilliant albums and solos. Among his many fi ne small groups, a classic sextet was established in the 1950s with John Coltrane, alto saxophone player Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, and pianist Bill Evans. Kind of Blue, which contains the classic recording of "So What," is one of this sextet's fi nest albums and remains one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. Miles Davis's trumpet solo on "So What" is masterly, combining ele-ments of cool jazz with the emerging modal style. Although "So What" is a normal 32-bar AABA composition, each of the 8-bar A sections is based on a single chord and scale (or mode), while the 8-bar B section transposes the original chord and scale up a half-step. The slow-moving harmony (one chord per eight measures) and the use of a single scale over that chord are important characteristics of modal jazz. The excerpt here contains the Miles Davis trumpet solo and the John Coltrane tenor saxophone solo. "So What" begins out of tempo with the bass and the piano laying down a moody introduction. The left hand of the piano doubles the melodic line played by the bassist. For the fi rst A section (0:32), the bass plays the melody and the piano answers with the two-chord ("So What") fi gure. The two instruments establish a call-and-response idea, with the drums playing softly on the cymbals. At the return of the A section (0:47), the alto and tenor saxophones and the trumpet join the piano on the two-chord answering fi gure, while the drummer continues keeping time on the cymbal. A cymbal crash announces the change to a walking bass and the two-chorus trumpet solo (1:31). Davis's solo begins with his characteristically lyrical and wistful sound that relies on the use of space between phrases. Notice how pianist Bill Evans's comping creates a type of dialogue with the trumpet solo (1:46). During the fi rst A section of Davis's second chorus (2:28), bassist Paul Chambers continues to keep time but plays only a few different notes. This gives a static quality to the pulse of this section that contrasts with the following A section. He returns to walking bass during the second A section (2:43). John Coltrane's tenor saxophone solo (3:25) maintains an urgent tone. Notice how it contrasts with the restrained lyricism of Davis's trumpet solo. As Coltrane's solo develops, he begins to play faster note values that display his celebrated technical ability on the instrument. During the second A section (3:39) Evans's comping is unusual: he plays quick, short notes in the right hand while playing longer-held chords in the left hand. As Coltrane begins his second chorus (4:20), bassist Paul Chambers uses only a few different notes, set-ting up a feeling of stasis that will be released in the following section (at 4:34). The following list summarizes Davis's modal jazz playing:

Sensitive melodic lines with frequent blues infl ections Irregular phrase lengths Wide range of note values Use of space between phrases Concentration on the midrange of the trumpet Full but wistful tone (especially obvious in his playing with the harmon mute) Melodic connections based on motives and large-scale gestures Sensitive and cool expression Little reliance on previously composed licks "Inside" playing, using conservative chord-scale associations

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 188 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Street Woman" CD 2 Track 5

Ornette Coleman: "Street Woman" (Coleman), from Science Fiction. Original issue Columbia KC31061. Reissued on Sony SRCS 9372. New York, September 9–13, 1971. Don Cherry, pocket trumpet; Ornette Coleman, alto saxophone; Charlie Haden, bass; Billy Higgins, drums.

"Street Woman" shows the joyful, up-tempo sound of Coleman's best-known quartet. Like so many of Coleman's pieces, "Street Woman" avoids standard chord progressions. While the performance is character-istic of Ornette Coleman's free jazz playing, the bass and drums usually fulfi ll standard timekeeping roles. The group does keep a consistent tempo, and maintains the standard jazz strategy of stating the head of the tune, followed by improvisations, and closing with another statement of the head. The head is stated twice (0:00 and 0:15) and uses a number of different melodic fi gures. Notice that Haden's bass accompaniment consists largely of rapid alternations of notes. Coleman's solo (beginning at 0:31) uses many short, melodic ideas. The absence of a chording instrument such as piano helps the group convey its celebrated open sound. The drums keep time, and bassist Haden assumes a walking bass accom-paniment. Haden's bass solo (2:07) works with the idea of keeping one pitch constant and moving the other. Later (2:46) he moves into a freer statement that ushers in Cherry's trumpet solo. Cherry's solo begins en-ergetically (3:11) with a fl urry of notes. Eventually his melodic lines become more lyrical and tonal (3:35). The head is played twice (4:07). The performance ends with the opening melodic fi gure played three times (4:41). The excerpt is representative of Coleman's quartet output in the following ways:

Head-solos-melody, but without harmonic instrument (such as guitar or piano) Lack of standard harmonic progression, and freer improvisational style

These features summarize Coleman's alto saxophone style:

Fragmented, angular melodies instead of the long, spun-out eighth-note phrases of bebop Little if any use of conventional harmony and voice leading but solos that often establish loose, shifting tonal centers Variety of melodic rhythm but avoidance of even-note phrases Nasal, insistent tone Rhythm at times loosely connected to background pulse Concentration on the middle and upper ranges of the instrument Passionate expression Deviations from standard intonation

▸ ▸

▸ ▸

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 194 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Acknowledgement" CD 2 Track 6

John Coltrane: "Acknowledgement," from A Love Supreme (Coltrane), from the album of the same name. Impulse A-77. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, December 9, 1964. John Coltrane, tenor saxophone; McCoy Tyner, piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass; Elvin Jones, drums.

The following schema illustrates the sections of "Acknowledgement."

Intro I II III IV V

Cadenza Add bass Tenor solo Transposed Vocal Drop vocals Add drums motives Drop piano Add piano Drop drums Bass solo ending

The piece begins with a sparsely accompanied, out-of-tempo cadenza. The bass begins a four-note osti-nato (0:32) that establishes the tempo, beat, and mood. This ostinato provides the thematic material, that is, its motivic cell. The drummer joins the bass, playing a relatively simple beat that grows more complex and insistent as the piece intensifi es. Tyner on piano follows with chords that reinforce the modal center, complet-ing the rhythmic backdrop. Coltrane's solo (1:04) is an immediate improvisation rather than a head statement. The solo gradually be-comes more elaborate and intense (1:44) as Coltrane varies and explores the numerous rhythms and patterns he can make with the fi rst few notes. At 3:52 the solo achieves its greatest intensity, highlighting Coltrane's preference for the high notes of the tenor, as if he were reaching for unplayable notes to express the inexpressible. He begins to develop a four-note idea (4:14). Tyner and Garrison sometimes follow Coltrane's harmonic excursions, but just as often react freely to them, as if to illuminate rather than track his musical path. Coltrane plays the four-note motive in different keys (4:56), revealing how his solo makes use of the mo-tivic cell approach. Coltrane chants "a love supreme" (6:07) along with the four-note bass motive. (According to recent research by Lewis Porter, the added voice you hear is Coltrane overdubbing himself.) One by one, the vocals, the piano, and the drums drop out, disassembling the background texture erected at the beginning of the piece, to leave the bass to fi nish alone. The following points summarize Coltrane's mature modal jazz style:

Free melody, usually not formed into square phrases Melodic connections based on development of motivic cells rather than voice leading, which was more prominent in his bop-oriented work Widely varying melodic rhythm, from long emotion-charged pitches to fast sheets of sound Concentration on the upper range and the extreme upper range of the instrument Passionate expression Full, rich tone with raspy edge Outside playing, often featuring free chord-scale relationships

▸ ▸

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 201 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Ghosts: First Variation" (excerpt) CD 2 Track 7

Albert Ayler Trio: "Ghosts: First Variation" (Ayler), from Spiritual Unity. ESP 1002. New York, July 10, 1964. Albert Ayler, tenor saxophone; Gary Peacock, bass; Sunny Murray, drums.

Like many avant-garde recordings, the improvisation in "Ghosts" makes listening particularly challenging. What is unusual, however, is the simplicity of its melody. Drawn to this simplicity, Ayler recorded at least fi ve different versions of "Ghosts." "I'd like to play something—like the beginning of 'Ghosts'—that people can hum," he acknowledged. "And I want to play songs that I used to sing when I was real small. Folk melodies that all people would understand." 19

The group follows the traditional head-solos-head format, but following the statement of the melody, mem-bers engage in free collective improvisation. The players abandon a regular pulse, an underlying tonal center or harmonic progression, and a predetermined formal structure. (Contrast the freer bass and drums accompa-niment here with that on Ornette Coleman's "Street Woman"—CD 2, Track 5. On the Coleman recording, the bass and drums fulfi ll more typical timekeeping roles.) Ayler plays extremely freely, developing a repertory of extended tenor saxophone techniques, overblow-ing notes and distorting pitches. During the head, Peacock provides bass notes that imply a conventional harmonic progression. Murray's earlier work with Cecil Taylor contributes to the "arrhythmic" approach to the drums heard here. Murray often played with a stripped-down drum set, using only cymbal, snare drum, and bass drum. In the excerpt here, we fade during the Ayler solo. After Ayler plays an introductory melody alone, bass and drums enter (0:11), accompanying Ayler beneath the melody. This melody is very lyrical, similar to Sonny Rollins's tuneful calypso melody "St. Thomas." In the fi rst twenty seconds of the solo (beginning at 0:44), Ayler vaguely recalls the melody: the pitches are often indeterminate, but the phrasing seems to echo the starting and stopping places of the melody. The bass and drums accompaniment play very freely. The excerpt characterizes Ayler's playing, and free jazz in general, in the following ways:

Use of extended saxophone sounds, including nontempered intonation and multiphonics Free collective improvisation: bass and drums do not fulfi ll typical timekeeping roles Absence of steady pulse and meter, absence of predetermined harmonic structure, and absence of har-monic instrument (such as piano or guitar)

▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 210 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Autumn Leaves" (excerpt) CD 2 Track 8

Bill Evans Trio: "Autumn Leaves" (Prevert-Mercer-Kosma), from Portrait in Jazz. Riverside RLP-1162. New York, December 28, 1959. Bill Evans, piano; Scott LaFaro, bass; Paul Motian, drums.

"Autumn Leaves" provides an excellent example of Bill Evans's groundbreaking trio. Whereas conventional piano trios of the 1950s and 1960s often relegated the bass and the drums to accompanimental roles, Evans's trio featured a high degree of interaction among all three members. This resulted in a conversational approach among pianist, bassist, and drummer—particularly during LaFaro's bass solo, during which the meter is implied but not overtly stated. The performance begins with an eight-measure introduction. Evans states the melody to "Autumn Leaves" (0:08): initially Evans plays a single-line melody with chordal accompaniment. Note that LaFaro avoids playing on the downbeats of most of the measures of both A sections, thus avoiding a standard timekeeping role. Drummer Motian plays brushes. In the B section (0:28) the bass begins to walk, playing each beat. Evans eventually moves to two-handed dense chords, suggesting a locked-hands effect, before returning to a single-line melody with accompaniment in the last four bars. Bassist Scott LaFaro begins his solo unaccompanied (0:45). He is then joined by Evans (0:56), who plays melodic lines along with the bass solo, creating an improvisational conversation by trading short melodic ideas that are punctuated by rests. With both bass and piano improvising, neither instrument fulfi lls a customary timekeeping role. The drums join the dialogue (1:06), also participating in the conversational interaction, some-times echoing the rhythm of Evans's melodic lines. With Evans's piano solo (2:02), LaFaro walks the bass, clearly establishing the 4/4 meter. Evans begins to develop longer ideas, and throughout his solo Evans continues to repeat and develop individual ideas. "Autumn Leaves" characterizes Bill Evans's landmark trio by the following:

Conversational style of improvisation: during the bass solo the piano also improvises melodic lines. This implies rather than overtly states the meter. LaFaro's fl eet virtuosic improvisation Evans's use of long melodic lines, some of which elasticize the underlying meter

▸

▸ ▸


--- Page 227 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"It's About Th at Time/In a Silent Way" (excerpt) CD 2 Track 9

Miles Davis: "It's About That Time" (Davis)/"In a Silent Way" (Zawinul), from In a Silent Way. Sony C3K 65362. New York, February 1969. Miles Davis, trumpet and leader; Wayne Shorter, soprano saxophone; Chick Corea, electric piano; Herbie Hancock, electric piano; Josef Zawinul, organ; John McLaughlin, electric guitar; Dave Holland, acoustic bass; Tony Williams, drums.

The original album side consisted of a medley, beginning with "In a Silent Way" (lasting about four minutes), followed by "It's About That Time" (eleven minutes), and concluding with the four-minute "In a Silent Way," spliced in again to create an overall ABA structure. The excerpt here, beginning about fi ve minutes into "It's About That Time," consists of the soprano saxophone solo and the trumpet solo and concludes with the fi rst statement of the melody to "In a Silent Way." "It's About That Time" includes two repeated sections for the improvisations. The fi rst (Part I) is a repeated three-note bass riff; the second (Part II) is a two-bar groove riff. The excerpt begins with the group playing Part 1, setting up the three-note bass riff that repeats every bar. Above the riff the electric piano repeats a six-chord pattern. Drummer Williams plays in a subdued man-ner, keeping time by playing a rock beat that articulates all four beats of the measure. Although the use of rock rhythms in a jazz context was fairly new, a single repeated bass riff beneath shifting harmonies in the piano had already been used in modal jazz, and it is instructive to compare this excerpt with John Coltrane's " Acknowledgement" from A Love Supreme (CD 2, Track 6). Shorter's soprano saxophone solo (0:22) and Davis's trumpet solo (2:42) both move between Parts I and II. Over the groove riff of Part II (3:32), Davis uses a generous amount of space between his phrases. Drummer Williams then begins playing in a high-energy rock style (4:01), drumming loudly and energetically. Despite the intensity, Davis still plays with characteristic restraint, although in his fi rst phrase he briefl y moves to the higher register. At 6:29, the recording is spliced to merge with "In a Silent Way," a haunting, dreamy composition written by Zawinul. (Zawinul described the composition as a "tone poem" that recalled his boyhood in Austria.) Gui-tarist McLaughlin plays the melody, accompanied by bowed bass and keyboards. Although Zawinul's original version of the composition was faster and had far more harmonic changes, the musicians played this version out of tempo and adhered to a single harmonic center. In A Silent Way (and Davis's next studio recording, Bitches Brew) were infl uential for fusion of the 1970s for the following reasons:

Use of rock-based rhythms and simpler harmonic structures based on ostinato fi gures Use of electric keyboards and electric guitar Use of musicians (Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Josef Zawinul) who were to become the signifi cant fusion artists during the 1970s Dense percussion textures and Davis's use of electric effects

▸ ▸ ▸

▸


--- Page 233 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Chameleon" (excerpt) CD 2 Track 10

The Herbie Hancock Group: "Chameleon" (Hancock), from Headhunters. Columbia KC 32731. San Francisco, 1973. Herbie Hancock, keyboards; Bennie Maupin, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, saxello, bass clarinet, alto fl ute; Paul Jackson, electric bass and marimbula; Harvey Mason, drums; Bill Summers, percussion.

Because of its infectious funk groove, "Chameleon" was an enormously successful hit for Hancock, earning him a huge crossover audience. Most of the composition is based on a simple riff in the bass texture, played by the synthesizer. This excerpt omits the head so as to include the full synthesizer solo. The piece begins with a repeated funk riff played on the synthesizer. This riff forms the backbone of the entire composition. The riff is played twice by itself, then the other instruments are gradually added to the texture, one by one, beginning with the drums. You'll hear Hancock playing a funky rhythmic accompaniment on the clavinet (0:51), a percussive keyboard instrument, when it is added to the texture. The piece fades (beginning at 1:11) and returns for the synthesizer solo (1:53). The solo reveals how Han-cock explored the creative possibilities for the instrument. The solo is so effective partly because of the beau-tiful balance among three distinct elements: free blues lines, repeated funky riffs, and nonpitched sounds. In particular, listen for the addition of noise or unpitched sound (2:35 and 3:30). At 3:44 you can hear Hancock playing a repeated riff during the solo. The tenor saxophone/synthesizer melody returns (4:54), now stated along with Hancock's synthesizer solo. "Chameleon" captures effectively the fusion of the 1970s by its:


--- Page 235 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" CD 2 Track 11

Chick Corea and Return to Forever: "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" (Corea), from Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. Polydor 825 336-2. Hollywood, August 1973. Chick Corea, electric piano and organ; Stanley Clarke, electric bass; Bill Connors, electric guitar; Lenny White, drums and percussion.

Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy refl ects the fi rst wave of popular jazz-rock fusion of the early seventies. The fi rst electric Return to Forever album features not only rock rhythms and high-energy improvising but also sophisticated writing and ensemble playing. In fact, much of "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" is given over to composition, with the guitar improvisation inserted between the composed passages. Although the com-position loosely follows the head-solos-head format, some of the returns to the head sections are rewritten dramatically. Moreover, rather than relying on a repeated chorus structure, the guitar solo consists of several different sections. By moving away from the chorus structure of the jazz tradition, the work shows an attempt to develop more-elaborate and ambitious compositional structures in a small-group format. The composition begins with synthesized sound, which brings in the introduction played by the organ and the guitar (0:08). The fi rst part of the head (0:14) consists of short, rock-based melodic ideas played in unison by the organ, guitar, and bass. These melodic ideas are punctuated by White's energetic drum fi lls and Corea's electric piano chords. The second part of the head (0:42) initiates a new idea, stated by the bass and the organ. The group then reprises both parts (0:50 and 1:18). Launched by repeated chords in the electric piano, the guitar solo (1:43) relies on the sustained notes and the cutting texture of rock guitar. Rather than keep time, drummer White initially fi lls by playing rolls on the cymbals and the drums, then begins to keep time while guitarist Connors continues to solo (2:07). The head returns with a reprise of its second section (2:40). Listen for how Connors both states the melodic idea of the head and continues to solo between statements of that melodic idea. With this the group links aspects of composition and improvisation. The group then continues the head, now without the guitar soloing (2:58). The coda, played in unison (3:09) sets up a self-consciously dramatic ending, and the composi-tion concludes with the synthesized sound heard at the beginning. "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" represents Chick Corea's jazz-rock fusion by the following:

Ambitious compositional structure with tight ensemble playing Use of rock rhythms (compare with the funk-based rhythms of "Chameleon," CD 1 Track 10) Use of electric keyboards, electric bass, and rock guitar sound Well-conceived blend of composition and improvisation

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸

rhythm section. Th e prominent Brazilian rhythms and the lively character of the


--- Page 249 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Express Crossing" CD 2 Track 12

Jazz at Lincoln Center: "Express Crossing" (Marsalis), from Jazz: Six Syncopated Movements (1993), They Came to Swing. Columbia CK 66379, New York, January 14, 1993. Wynton Marsalis, composer and trumpet; Marcus Printup, trumpet; Wycliffe Gordon, Ronald Westray, trombones; Todd Williams, tenor saxophone; Wes Anderson, alto saxophone; Kent Jordan, piccolo; Victor Goines, baritone saxophone; Eric Reed, piano; Reginald Veal, bass; Herlin Riley, drums; Robert Sadin, conductor.

"Express Crossing" is from the larger dance work Jazz: Six Syncopated Movements, written for the New York City Ballet. The live performance analyzed here is highly spirited and reveals a composer with a fertile imagi-nation that blends infl uences ranging from early jazz to Ellington to contemporary modernism. The piece can be compared, for example, with Ellington's "Daybreak Express" (1933), a well-known jazz depiction of a train. Though Marsalis is at heart a traditionalist, this piece can be called postmodern in its blending of disparate styles. The piece begins with three dissonant chords serving to "start the train." After this the rhythm begins in a rhythmically complex fi rst section. For the last part of the fi rst A, the alto and tenor saxophones trade rapid notes followed by a "train whistle" honk in the tenor to end the part. The following section (0:27) maintains the up-tempo drive of section I, with a brief change of tempo (0:40). Marsalis offers a virtuosic muted trumpet solo (1:33). The chords here are based on the Dixieland classic "Tiger Rag." (Compare earlier selections: CD 1, Track 8; CD 1, Track 13; and CD 1, Track 15.) The ensemble backs Marsalis with punctuated chords. The solo includes a break for Marsalis (1:52–1:54), and a break for the ensemble to introduce the next section (2:14–2:16). Listen for the piano runs (3:01) that introduce the next section, which is largely a duet featuring counter-point between Marsalis's muted trumpet and the fl ute. In the following section (3:46) the mood completely changes and features new material in a slower 4/4 swing tempo. The piece concludes with a reprise of the opening (4:45). The piece ends abruptly. Marsalis goes beyond traditionalism in works such as "Express Crossing." This piece represents quintes-sential postmodernism, an imaginative collage of elements that spans twentieth-century jazz and concert music. These elements include the following:

Modernist dissonance Modernist irregular time signatures Modernist tempo changes Dixieland harmonic progressions Train simulations that recall early jazz and boogie-woogie blues Bebop-style improvisation

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 258 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Soft ly, As in a Morning Sunrise" CD 2 Track 13

George Benson: "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" (Romberg-Hammerstein), from Irreplaceable. GRP B0000599-02. Sherman Oaks, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and New York, 2004. George Benson, guitar; Herman Jackson, keyboards; Roberto Vally, bass; Paulinho Da Costa, percussion; Paul Brown, drum programming.

"Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" shows a smooth-jazz treatment of a 32-bar jazz standard. Benson adheres to jazz tradition by playing the melody, improvising, and returning to the melody. The accompaniment is not driving and is relatively understated but sumptuous in its sonic feel. Critics of smooth jazz might argue that because the drums are programmed, the accompaniment is predictable and lacks spontaneous musical interaction between the soloist and the rhythm section. Nevertheless, the recording shows to fi ne advantage Benson's superb playing. His use of octaves, chordal textures, and dazzling runs reveals the infl uence of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. During the introduction the bass drum, percussion, and keyboards set the tempo and establish the groove. After the bass enters (0:08), Benson plays the melody in octaves on the guitar. During his fi rst solo chorus (1:07), Benson moves from playing octaves into improvisation on chordal textures. Listen for his dazzling sixteenth-note run in the bridge's two-bar extension (1:54). Benson returns to the melody (1:56), again playing the A section in octaves. The piece concludes with an extended coda (2:30), during which Benson solos over repeated statements of a two-bar chord progression. He begins soloing in octaves, then returns to chordal textures. At 2:57 he begins playing single lines. The selection fades following a call-and-response idea that alternates a brief blues lick with a sharp chord. Smooth jazz remains controversial for many jazz fans. While "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" shows Benson's excellent improvisational skills, the work exemplifi es smooth jazz for the following reasons:

Mellow, smooth ambience Use of programmed drums provides regulated rhythmic accompaniment, lending an overall cool feeling of detachment between the soloist and the backing tracks and precluding spontaneous interaction with soloist

▸ ▸


--- Page 262 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"One Note Samba" CD 2 Track 14

Eliane Elias: "One Note Samba" (Jobim), from Eliane Elias Plays Jobim. Blue Note CDP 7 93089 9. New York, December 1989. Eliane Elias, piano, leader; Eddie Gomez, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums; Nana Vasconcelos, percussion.

Eliane Elias, a gifted Brazilian pianist, displays a fi ne sensibility for adapting Brazilian music to the demands of the American jazz world. Born in 1960, Elias studied classical piano as a child but quickly developed an inter-est in jazz. After settling in the United States in the 1980s, she continues to pursue projects that combine jazz with Brazilian music. In "One Note Samba," Elias interprets the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, a Brazilian composer who wrote many of the most enduring bossa nova hits, including "Desifi nado" and "Girl from Ipanema." Interestingly, ac-cording to the liner notes of the original CD, Elias did not meet Jobim in Brazil but was later introduced to him in New York after she had become established as a rising star in the jazz world. Elias and the trio begin with a vamp. The harmonic and melodic feel of the vamp recalls the blues in contrast to the song itself, which is not blues-oriented. The vamp fl ows directly into a statement of the head (0:20). The melody to the A section of the composition relies on repeated pitches (the "one note" of the title). The B section (0:39) contrasts the repeating one-note idea of the A section with a running passage moving up and down. This melodic line vividly contrasts the melodic minimalism of the A section (which returns at 0:48). Elias's fi rst improvised chorus (1:08) continues the sparse texture of her statement of the head. The em-phasis is on right-hand melody with the left hand largely inactive. At the beginning of her second improvised chorus (1:56) she gets bluesier, and the left hand is brought in to provide a fuller texture at times. The piece closes with a return to the introductory vamp (3:32) and its bluesy melodic and harmonic feel. The left hand gets much busier to help add intensity to the texture. The selection fades during this vamp. The work offers the following:

Standard piano trio format of piano, bass, and drums (compare with Bill Evans Trio on CD 2, Track 8) Use of Brazilian jazz standard composition with Brazilian rhythms Use of blues-based ideas in the vamp and second improvised chorus

▸ ▸ ▸


--- Page 267 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
Salt Peanuts" CD 2 Track 15

Steve Coleman and Five Elements: "Salt Peanuts" (Gillespie-clarke), from Def Trance Beat (Modalities of Rhythm). RCA-BMG 63181-2. Brooklyn, New York, 1994. Steve Coleman, alto saxophone, leader; Andy Milne, piano; Reggie Washington, electric bass; Gene Lake, drums and percussion.

A prime example of Coleman's crossover approach is found in his version of "Salt Peanuts," recorded in 1994. Coleman's reinterpretation of the classic Gillespie-Clarke tune pays homage to the bebop tradition. Yet a com-parison with the Gillespie-Parker version (CD 1, Track 24) reveals startling differences, particularly in rhythm. Coleman's 1994 version imbues the composition with driving rock rhythms played by the drums; the use of electric bass further removes it from the bebop tradition. Most notably, Coleman alters the meter of the composition, pushing the overall metric feel somewhat off-kilter. This metric reinterpretation poses signifi cant challenges for the improviser. In the recording, the group sounds tightly rehearsed, with predetermined ensemble passages as well as improvised sections. The piece begins with Coleman playing the introductory riff on saxophone alone. Note the driving rhythm on drums and the electric bass when the group plays the melody of the entire AABA form (0:06). Coleman plays the written-ensemble passage of the tune (0:27), and the drummer follows with a 16-bar drum solo. The group plays a stop-time version of the melody (0:38): two bars of the melody are followed by two bars of silence. The "Salt Peanuts" (SP) motive is omitted. Milne's piano solo (1:09) develops motives over two choruses, alternating between short rhythmic ideas and longer linear runs. Listen for the drum break that takes place between the fi rst and second choruses (1:28–1:30). The beginning of Coleman's aggressive and energetic solo (1:48) overlaps with the end of the piano solo. Listen to the drummer's active accompaniment. During the end of his second chorus (2:29), Cole-man begins a repeated fi gure (from the original arrangement) as if to announce the end of his solo. He plays the fi gure fi ve times, follows with the B section of the composition, then plays the fi gure two more times. After the group returns to the melody of "Salt Peanuts" (2:51), they play the brief coda to the tune (3:11), again taken from the original arrangement. The piece is an effective modern crossover work, for some of the following reasons:

Combination of a 1940s bebop composition (which uses many sections taken from Gillespie's original arrangement) with driving rock-based drum accompaniment Use of irregular meter Use of electric bass (while using acoustic piano)

▸

▸ ▸


--- Page 269 ---

Highlight (yellow), 18 Jan 2014 18:28:
"Far West" (excerpt) CD 2 Track 16

Tim Hagans: "Far West" (Hays), from Animation • Imagination. Blue Note 7243 4 95198 2 4. New York, May 6, 1998. Tim Hagans, trumpet; Kevin Hays, composer, Fender Rhodes electric piano, programming; Scott Kinsey, synthesizers; Ira Coleman, bass; Billy Kilson, drums; Alfred Lion, narration.

"Far West" is a typically interesting track from Animation • Imagination. It combines synthesized textures, sampled sounds, and live improvisation. A hip-hop groove begins the track with tabla samples added to the drum texture. An acoustic bass line with additional synthesizer textures is added (0:09). The North Indian vocal sample (0:26) defi nes what might be called the head. The electric piano employs wah-wah pedal textures. For his trumpet solo, Hagans enters with sustained notes in the high register over swirling electronic textures for eight bars (1:05). The vocal sample returns twice during Hagans's solo (1:19 and 2:30). After the second return, his solo becomes more active, and drum work on the snare increasingly answers the solo's re-peated fi gures. The electric piano is in the forefront of the texture (3:48), and the vocal sample returns (4:14). Hagans returns for the climactic electronic breakdown of the rhythm sounds (4:24). The vocal sample is also treated electronically. Hagans continues to solo over the thick textures. The backbeat rhythm returns (5:05) as the textures blend together for a climax with a fade-out. Alfred Lion, the original founder of Blue Note Records, is sampled for a short vocal tag. (The clipped ending of the sample occurs in the original.) The work offers directions for crossover jazz by its:

Use of hip-hop grooves Use of sampling that incorporates non-Western elements (tabla, North Indian vocals) Use of synthesized textures and electric piano Improvisational fi nesse

▸ ▸ ▸ ▸


(report generated by GoodReader)



Sent from my iPad