JOHN COLTRANE- SOLO FROM “SATELLITE”
Sunday, December 6th, 2009
“SATELLITE”, from the Coltrane record, COLTRANE SOUND, is conceptually similar to songs like “COUNTDOWN” and “26-2″. it demonstrates his intense scrutiny and re-imagining of jazz harmony. in Coltrane, we are blessed to have a musician who was a deep thinker and theoretician, as well as a highly skilled practitioner, a rare combination in any discipline. we’re also very fortunate that Coltrane’s development was so well documented… “SATELLITE” is more appealing to me than, say, “GIANT STEPS” because at the end of each chorus there’s an eight measure pedal point that allows the chord progression to breathe a bit and a soloist to regroup for the next pass. throughout his six chorus solo, instead of letting up, Coltrane uses those eight bars to build the momentum of his solo through the use of dissonance. as a result, the top of each successive chorus sounds like a dam breaking, unable to hold the water behind it. Trane plays a beautiful solo accompanied by Elvin Jones on drums and Steve Davis on bass…
Lately i’ve been rereading a great book, the second part of Chester Himes’ two volume autobiography entitled “My Life Of Absurdity”. Himes, an awesome writer and contemporary of James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, John A. Williams, etc., spent a large part of his adult life as an expatriate artist searching for and eventually finding a measure of success after leaving the U.S., where he was largely neglected. as the title suggests, Himes’ tale is one filled with enough adventure, humor, heartbreak and stories so bizarre that they test the limits of credulity. he speaks with gritty, bitter honesty about the lifestyle of expatriate black artists in postwar Europe. the first volume, “The Quality Of Hurt”, which deals with his life before leaving the states, is just as incredible. perhaps Himes and Mal Waldron have nothing more in common than spending the larger part of their artistic life living abroad. unlike Himes, Waldron didn’t want for work while in New York. he was busy as a leader and sideman before his departure. also, unlike Himes, he seemed to adapt to his new environment in Europe without too much difficulty… below are two of Waldron’s compositions from different points in his career. the first, “Fire Waltz”, is from the record, 
Here are some more transcriptions from one of my favorite pianists, Mulgrew Miller. as i mentioned in an earlier post, Miller’s compositions share something in common with the great Cedar Walton. they’re made up of memorable, even singable melodies, and set on top of unconventional, sophisticated progressions. they’re accessible and elusive at the same time. the two songs below are good examples of what i mean. “For Those Who Do” is from the record 
Honestly, i’ve never been a big fan of guitars drenched in electronic effects or, as i call them, affected guitars, in largely acoustic settings. but that’s never stopped me from enjoying a lot of John Scofield’s work. there’s the great record, “So Near, So Far”, led by Joe Henderson, which was featured in an earlier post. there’s also his date, 
Hat”. like “Goodbye”, “Since” is an understated, bluesy ballad with a 12/8 feel. it has an AABA form, starting out with Scofield alone on the first section. the band then joins him for the rest of the tune. the melody moves beautifully, especially during the bridge as the harmony wanders toward Amaj but never quite makes it there. then there’s Lovano, who, with his dark, woody tenor that serves a great contrast to Scofield’s ethereal soundbending, just seems never to sound bad. he delivers a quiet, lyrical chorus full of beautiful altissimo work… so, here’s a sketch of “Since You Asked” along with a transcription of Lovano’s blowing. once again, the changes? i think they’re pretty close but i’ll leave you make the call…
With its powerful three horn front line and a several great composer/ improvisors, the configuration of the Jazz Messengers featured on the record 
Powell, along with Thelonius Monk was the most influential pianist to came out of the Bebop period of the 40’s and 50’s. he was the catalyst of a significant change in the way pianists approached the instrument. though well versed in the styles of his predecessors, his unique take on improvisation was characterized by long, chromatic, mostly linear right hand lines, balanced by a sparse, syncopated left hand accompaniment full of harmonic variation. his approach was similar to that of a horn player. i took a couple of solos off of a compilation CD called “
It’s amazing to think that even in a community as small as that of jazz, there are so many musicians to discover and listen to. pianist Hod O’Brien is a musician i came across by accident. a friend of my wife, whose father was an avid record collector that had recently passed away, allowed me access to his many CDs. his first love seemed to be trio recordings so i was lucky enough to come away with great recordings by Kenny Barron, Harold Mabern, Cedar Walton, Ray Bryant, Gene Harris, Mulgrew Miller, John Hicks, Junior Mance, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Drew, Hal Galper, Mal Waldron, Richie Beirach, etc. i happened upon O’Brien’s disc 
Bobby Hutcherson’s 
fine strands of silk being woven into an intricate fabric. Monk also uses rhythm to great advantage by expanding and contracting the flow of his melodies and progressions with metric modulation, and employing syncopation to build rhythmic tension. what’s so great about his work is that he seems unafraid of allowing ugliness and abrasion to stand side by side with beauty and tenderness, as they do in the real world. there are few artist in any discipline who are able to pull that off with as much honesty as Monk did. Bartok? Coltrane? Picasso? Schoenberg? Armstrong? perhaps that’s the source of his music’s staying power… if you believe, as i do, that technique is not an end, but a means to a fuller expression, then Monk deserves the title of Piano Master. to my ear Monk’s interpretations on this two CD set are complete, self-contained statements that project a sort of brutal elegance which brings to mind the best of jazz. my only point of contention with this recording is that there isn’t enough of Monk’s own music represented. his numerous compositions are as much American standards as “Body And Soul”, “Memories Of You”, etc. still, this recording is a must have for anyone interested in a closer look at Monk’s take on music.
One of the many unsung heroes in jazz, the story of Nichols’ life is by now familiar to most so i won’t dwell on that. instead, i’ll focus on his compositions which are some of the more unique and challenging in jazz (and have great titles). his music references a number of styles: older piano players, bebop, European classical music, Caribbean music, Tin Pan Alley, etc. Nichols as a player utilizes the entire span of his instrument and anchors a quick, flowery right hand with a heavy, bomb dropping left that is reminiscent of Horace Silver at times. he swings hard! his emotional range is broad. he can move from dark, heavy themes to an unabashed, kitschy brilliance in the space of a single phrase. angular, complex lines at one moment, followed by gentle cocktail piano ticklings, block chording, stride piano- he runs the whole stylistic gamut with a flair and aggressive confidence that is infectious. the main obstacle standing in the way of taking down Nichols’ songs is trying to figure out what’s going on harmonically. i considered completely foregoing the progressions because they are very ambiguous; Nichols (and the bassists) tends to play a lot roots and fifths with no thirds or sevenths which makes classifying the chords difficult. instead, i wrote out a very general harmonic road map, mostly just the roots and sometimes, if i’m fairly sure, the chord quality. i strongly recommend that you listen to the recordings and draw your own conclusions. i chose six songs to post: “CRISP DAY“, “IT DIDN’T HAPPEN“, “TERPSICORE“, “THE GIG“, “THE THIRD WORLD” and “CRO-MAGNON NIGHTS“. they come from a fantastic three CD compilation called 
I bought a copy of Mark Turner’s eponymous CD a few months back and before long, i had his version of “327 East 32nd Street” on repeat. as a saxophonist i, am always amazed by the facility of Turner (and Joshua Redman, who also plays on this tune). there is a passage from the 20th measure of the song that moves into the altissimo register of the tenor sax and is really difficult to make sing. Turner pulls it off like he’s playing in the comfortable middle register. although they are not the first to play with fluidity in the extreme registers, guys like Turner and Redman, Joe Lovano and others have set new technical standards for contemporary saxophonists. those high G’s and A’s are no longer only used as “devices”. by that i mean they are no longer just the domain of honkers and screechers (not a diss). what i’m trying to say is that these notes are more often being seemlessly incorporated into the melodic line as opposed to serving only as emotional exclamation points. Turner is a pretty scary saxophonist, a very unique voice among the younger generation of musicians. i first heard his work on 
“Bossa De Luxe” is a song off of a record called 
after the extended intro vamp and a fanfare like section, the melody proper begins. the A section is 8 bars and is followed by an 8 bar B section. the song then returns to the fanfare section followed by blowing over A and B. the thing that defines this song, however, is the unique harmonic vision of Tyner. in his hands, any piece of music can become much more than ever can be written on a piece of paper. i enjoy listening to the opening vamp which becomes a song in itself. Tyner takes the static harmony and mines it for the hidden gems it contains… check out the lead sheets below. many thanks go out to Alan in Tokyo for the CDs!
What do you get when you throw together: fat sound, phenomenal technique, cleanly articulated lines, hardswinging 8th notes, humor, musicality and inventive melodies? you might come up with something like Christian McBride’s solo on “I’m An Old Cowhand”. the transcription below is from a date led by Billy Pierce called 
It’s been a while since i lasted posted any music. i took a nice vacation with the family and thought about nothing but putting back a few beers and eating mom and dad’s home cooking. while i was gone i got a couple of requests for lead sheets.
Wayne Shorter is arguably the most influential composer in modern jazz. his conception played a huge part in shaping the sound of the Miles Davis quintet of the 60’s. listening to his classic recording dates on Blue Note, we get a glimpse of his unique take on composition and improvisation. his music of that period, like his improvisations seem to be an intense refinement of things he’d learned from his influences. everything feels essential and inevitable, nothing seems wasted. like many of his songs, Shorter’s “DANCE CADAVEROUS”, which comes from his seminal recording, 
in his conception that links him to the honkers and the shouters, gospel music and r+b. it’s the same thing I hear in guys like Oliver Lake and Aurthur Blythe. there’s a gutbucket sensibility bubbling just underneath his lines. it gives even his most oblique statements a very rooted blues feeling. his biting sound has a vocal, human quality to it. it’s very emotional and unabashed. just listen to him on “Croquet Ballet” when he takes the melody from the trumpet and flute halfway through. he just sings. even when he’s playing background lines (check him out behind Morgan’s melody on “Capra Black”) the leading edge of his sound surges through everything else. “Croquet Ballet” is waltz that moves back and forth between swing and Afro Cuban feels. the Afro Cuban sections are really loose and danceable. “Capra Black” starts with a huge, dark fanfare by the horns, and then into the melody, played by Morgan. the band is pretty big, at times featuring two bass players and four horns, horn doubles and occasional percussion. the song is a definite nod harmonically in the direction of Shorter. it reminds me of a caravan slowly moving through a vast desert. the droning bass figures evokes images of ancient civilizations. i let the mp3 clips run long so you can hear some of Harper’s solos. he’s a very talented composer and saxophonist that more people should be aware of…
“Straight Ahead” is the title song from an album by 
Waldron
MIRROR MIRROR
although MIRROR MIRROR isn’t usually considered among the strongest material by Joe Henderson, the song “Keystone” is pretty incredible and the CD is well worth the price on the strength of it alone. it’s a 24 bar blues head with a repeating riff, played by Henderson and Corea, that is answered by Carter and Higgins. the song is straightforward and the solos are great but the really fantastic thing about this piece is the dynamic interaction between the drums and the bass. Carter maintains a two feel throughout the blowing, playing very melodically and functioning kind of like a second soloist (and playing great lines), while Higgins plays with a lively, very danceable four feel. this creates a rhythmic dissonance that a listener assumes will be resolved by the bass eventually walking a four feel. but Carter never does. Higgins, for his part, implies a regular ride pattern and constantly peppers his rhythms with fills on the toms and snare. the feel is pulled in two directions at once, the result being a friction that permeates the improvisations. i imagine a kite flying in a stiff wind; Carter’s earthy, funky groove is like a tether that keeps Higgins’ darting, jabbing rhythm from floating off into the atmosphere. i let the mp3 clip run past the melody a bit to give you a little taste. great music. check ‘em out below…
If a tree falls in the forest but no one’s there to hear it… It’s really great to hear from folks who’ve taken a look at PRACTICE PORTAL. i post transcriptions and other stuff for myself as much as for anyone else. it’s a form of self-motivation, it keeps me focused on practicing and learning new things about music. still, receiving feedback from other people is a definite shot in the arm. i really appreciate any comments, good, bad and ugly, about the site. let me know what you want to see more or less of and i’ll see what i can do about it. With that said, many thanks go out to TJ for adding a link to PRACTICE PORTAL at 
As the U.S. and the world awaits the new stimulus package from Obama and the legislature, i thought i would consult the wisdom of another head of state to see what he had to say. Lester Young’s thoughts might not do much for the economy but they will most definitely stimulate the mind of anyone who cares to listen. these three sides are all variations on rhythm changes, and on them, Young displays his control, finesse, incredible rhythmic sense and that SOUND. each of these sides feature an overt, bouncing beat with a really prominent 4 feel. it’s too bad that jazz isn’t much considered as dance music anymore. playing for dancers profoundly effects how a band and a soloist feels the beat, and seeing music expressed physically in dance, its artistic sibling, is a sensation that musicians should endeavor to experience as often as possible. the musicians on these sides: Count Basie, Jo Jones, Walter Page, Freddie Green and Dickie Wells, to name a few, collaborate towards evoking an infectious and elegant swing.