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Modal jazz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Modaljazz
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Modaljazzisjazzthatusesmusicalmodesrather
thanchordprogressionsasaharmonicframework.
Modaljazz
Originatinginthelate1950sand1960s,modaljazzis
Stylistic
Jazz,cooljazz,[1]Indianmusic,
epitomizedbyMilesDavis's1958composition
origins
medievalmusic
"Milestones",1959albumKindofBlue,andJohn
Coltrane'sclassicquartetfrom196064.[2]Other
Cultural
Late1950s
importantperformersincludeWoodyShaw,Bill
origins
Evans,HerbieHancock,WayneShorter,McCoy
Typical
Piano,saxophone,trumpet,
Tyner,LarryYoung,PharoahSanders,Joe
instruments
doublebass,drums
Henderson,ChickCoreaandBobbyHutcherson.[2]
Thoughthetermcomesfromtheuseofthepitchesof
particularmodes(orscales)inthecreationofsolos,modaljazzcompositionsoraccompanimentsmay
onlyoradditionallymakeuseofthefollowingtechniques:[2]
1.slowmovingharmonicrhythm,wheresinglechordsmaylastfourtosixteenormoremeasures
2.pedalpoints[3]anddrones
3.absentorsuppressedstandardfunctionalchordprogressions
4.quartalharmoniesormelodies
5.polytonality

Contents
1 History
2 Theory
3 Compositions
4 Sources
5 Furtherreading

History
Anunderstandingofmodaljazzrequiresknowledgeofmusicalmodes.Inbebopaswellasinhardbop,
musiciansusechordstoprovidethebackgroundforsolos.Asongstartsoutwithathemethatintroduces
thechordsforthesolos.Thesechordsrepeatthroughoutthewholesong,whilethesoloistsplaynew,
improvisedthemesovertherepeatedchordprogression.Bythe1950s,improvisingoverchordshad
becomesuchadominantpartofjazz,thatsidemenatrecordingdatesweresometimesgivennothing
morethanalistofchordstoplayfrom.

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MercerEllingtonhasstatedthatJuanTizolconceivedthemelodyto"Caravan"in1936asaresultofhis
daysstudyingmusicinPuertoRico,wheretheycouldn'taffordmuchsheetmusicsotheteacherwould
turnthemusicupsidedownaftertheyhadlearnedtoplayitrightsideup.[4]This"inversion"technique
ledtoamodalsoundthroughoutTizol'swork.[4]Towardstheendofthe1950s,spurredbythe
experimentsofcomposerandbandleaderGeorgeRussell,musiciansbeganusingamodalapproach.
Theychosenottowritetheirpiecesusingconventionalchordchanges,butinsteadusingmodalscales.
MusiciansemployingthistechniqueincludeMilesDavis,FreddieHubbard,BillEvans,HerbieHancock,
andWayneShorter.

Theory
Amongthesignificantcompositionsofmodaljazzwere"SoWhat"byMilesDavisand"Impressions"
byJohnColtrane.[3]"SoWhat"and"Impressions"followthesameAABAsongformandwereinD
DorianfortheAsectionsandmodulatedahalfstepuptoEflatDorianfortheBsection.TheDorian
modeisthenaturalminorscalewitharaisedsixth.OthercompositionsincludeDavis'"Flamenco
Sketches",BillEvans'"PeacePiece",andShorter's"Footprints".[3]

Compositions
MilesDavisrecordedoneofthebestsellingjazzalbumsofalltimeinthismodalframework.Kindof
Blueisanexplorationofthepossibilitiesofmodaljazz.[1][3]Includedonthesesessionswastenor
saxophonistJohnColtranewho,throughoutthe1960s,wouldexplorethepossibilitiesofmodal
improvisationmoredeeplythananyotherjazzartist.Therestofthemusiciansonthealbumwerealto
saxophonistCannonballAdderley,pianistsBillEvansandWyntonKelly(thoughneveronthesame
piece),bassistPaulChambers,anddrummerJimmyCobb.(Kelly,Chambers,andCobbwould
eventuallyformtheWyntonKellyTrio.)Thisrecordisconsideredakindoftestalbuminmany
conservatoriesfocusingonjazzimprovisation.Thecompositions"SoWhat"and"AllBlues"fromKind
ofBlueareconsideredcontemporaryjazzstandards.Davishasacknowledgedthecrucialroleplayedby
BillEvans,aformermemberofGeorgeRussell'sensembles,inhistransitionfromhardboptomodal
playing.
WhileDavis'explorationsofmodaljazzweresporadicthroughoutthe1960shewouldincludeseveral
ofthetunesfromKindofBlueintherepertoireofhis"SecondGreatQuintet"Coltranewouldtakethe
leadinextensivelyexploringthelimitsofmodalimprovisationandcompositionwithhisownclassic
quartet,featuringElvinJones(drums),McCoyTyner(piano),andReggieWorkmanandJimmy
Garrison(bass).SeveralofColtrane'salbumsfromtheperiodarerecognizedasseminalalbumsinjazz
morebroadly,butespeciallymodaljazz:GiantSteps,[3]Live!attheVillageVanguard(1961),Crescent
(1964),ALoveSupreme(1964),[3]andMeditations(1965).Coltrane'scompositionsfromthisperiod
suchas"India,""Chasin'theTrane,""Crescent,"and"Impressions"haveenteredthejazzrepertoire,
alongwithhisinterpretationsofstandardslikeRichardRodgers'"MyFavoriteThings",andthe
traditional"Greensleeves".
Coltrane'smodalexplorationsgaverisetoanentiregenerationofsaxophonists(mostlyplayingtenor
saxophone)thatwouldthengoontofurtherexploremodaljazz(oftenincombinationwithjazzfusion),
suchasMichaelBrecker,DavidLiebman,SteveGrossman,andBobBerg.
AnothergreatinnovatorinthefieldofmodaljazzispianistHerbieHancock.Heiswellknownfor
workinginMilesDavis's"SecondGreatQuintet",HerbieHancockrecordedanumberofsoloalbums,
thefifthofwhichwasMaidenVoyage(1965),[1]twoyearsafterjoiningMiles'band.Onthetitlesongof
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thisalbumHancockusessolelysuspendedchordsthatareplayed
throughouttheentirepieceandplayedwithaveryopensound
duetoHancock'suseoffourthsinvoicingthechords.Thepiece's
hauntingrepeatingvampsintherhythmsectionandthe
searchingfeelingoftheentirepiecehasmade"MaidenVoyage"
oneofthemostfamousmodalpieces.
Atrueprecursortomodaljazzwasfoundinthehandsofvirtuoso
jazzpianist,composerandtrioinnovatorAhmadJamalwhose
earlyuseofextendedvamps(freezingtheadvanceofthesongat
somepointforrepetitionorinterjectingnewsongfragments)
allowedhimtosoloforlongperiodsinfusingthatsectionofthe
songwithfreshideasandpercussiveeffectsoverarepetitive
drumandbassfiguration.MilesDaviswaseffusiveinhispraise
forJamal'sinfluenceonhim,hisplaying,andhismusic:aperfect
setupforthemodalworkthatlayinDavis'sfuture.

Openingchordto"MaidenVoyage":
minoreleventhchord(Am7/D).[5]
PlayUsingDDorian.[6]

Sources
1.Miller,Michael(2008).TheCompleteIdiot'sGuidetoMusicHistory,.ISBN9781592577514.
2.HenryMartin,KeithWaters(2008).EssentialJazz:TheFirst100Years,p.17879.ISBN978049550525
9.
3.Sutro,Dirk(2011).JazzForDummies,.ISBN9781118068526.
4.Ellington,Mercer(24April2011)[1994].MercerEllingtonOnPianoJazz.InterviewwithMarian
McPartland.13:50.PianoJazz.Retrieved20131203."WellTizoldidthemelody,andhesaidthat,you
know,heusedtohearthoseunusualmelodies,becauseinPuertoRicowherehestudied,theywereverypoor
andtheycouldn'taffordtoomuchmusic.Soinordertomakethemgetmorepracticeandgetvaried
compositions,they'dturnthemusicupsidedown.Andtheresult,yougetthatmodalsoundthatcomesfrom
mostofthethingsTizol'sinvolvedin."
5.Kernfeld,Barry(1997).WhattoListenforinJazz,p.68.ISBN9780300072594.
6.Herder,Ronald(1987).1000KeyboardIdeas,p.75.ISBN9780943748481.

Furtherreading
Kernfeld,Barry."Adderley,Coltrane,andDavisattheTwilightofBebop:TheSearchforMelodic
Coherence".Ph.D.diss.,CornellUniversity,1981.
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