PRACTICE PORTAL

With its powerful three horn front line and a several great composer/ improvisors, the configuration of the Jazz Messengers featured on the record MOSAIC was one of the finest ensembles that Art Blakey assembled. the addition of a third horn allowed for more complex voicings and an even richer sound that the band’s composers were able to exploit to fine effect. Cedar Walton’s composition, “MOSAIC” is a great example of the power and complexity that the ensemble could achieve. the song starts with a brilliant fanfare that leads into a powerful drum break by Blakey. Walton and Jymie Merritt (bass) join the groove for sixteen bars before the horns come in with the main melody. i love melodies like this: the melody comes directly out of the rhythm. during the bridge, the voices take on different tasks. the lower two horns play harmonic pads while the lead horn is free to comment from above. the piano plays something that i’ve heard called a rhythmic palindrome. for example, in 4/4 time a measure can be evenly divided by certain units (sixteenth notes, eighth notes, quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, etc.). certain units, however (dotted half notes, dotted quarter notes, etc.) won’t divide into the measure evenly. consequently, they resolve themselves over the course of several measures. so, for example, if measures in 4/4 time are evenly divided into dotted half notes, it takes three measures before a note falls in the same place as it did when the cycle began. in the diagram below, each dot, regardless of color, represents a quarter note. the top line of dots indicates the beats per measure. in this case, the measures are divided into 4 quarter notes (4/4). the bottom line indicates the unit of division which is a dotted half note (3 quarter notes). each group of like colored dots represents a unit.

Walton plays dotted quarter note units that resolve every three bars. Merritt plays a  repeating three note sequence. the beginning of the melody falls on the downbeat every three measures. Blakey, meanwhile, is incorporates ALL of these elements into his drum groove. it’s a stark contrast to the preceding section where all the elements are more overtly unified. “MOSAIC” is a great piece of music by one of jazz’s most influential composers. check out the sketch and mp3 below…

CEDAR WALTON- “MOSAIC” (mp3)

LEAD SHEET- “MOSAIC” (pdf)

LAST SESSION, a date led by Lee Morgan, features a couple of great compositions by saxophonist Billy Harper- I had the opportunity to take Harper’s ensemble class at the New School a few years back. we got a chance to work through many of his intriguing compositions. as cool as they are to play, what fascinates me most are the titles he gives to his songs. with titles like “Call Of The Wild And Peaceful Heart” and “Dance Eternal Spirits, Dance!”, it’s obvious that Harper has a bit of a poetic streak running through him. perhaps it doesn’t seem so important, but a song’s title can evoke an image in the listener and prepare him for what might follow. Harper’s titles are big and bold, they invite us into higher states of consciousness. love it! the influence of Coltrane is very apparent in Harper’s playing. you can definitely hear it in his lean sound and aggressive technique. I also hear Sonny Rollins and generous portions of Wayne Shorter. Harper solos with a composer’s sensibility. he develops his solos motivically and is conscious of balance and space. he carries on dialogues with himself, asking and then answering his questions. there’s also another strand 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…

BILLY HARPER- “CROQUET BALLET” (mp3)

TRANSCRIPTION OF “CROQUET BALLET” (pdf)

BILLY HARPER- “CAPRA BLACK” (mp3)

TRANSCRIPTION OF “CROQUET BALLET” (pdf)… COMING SOON!