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An Exploration of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Stylistic

Contribution to Jazz Guitar Improvisation, with
Illustrative Comparison Between Significant
Artists Over Like Forms
Amendola, Andrew F.
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Improvisation, with Illustrative Comparison Between Significant Artists Over Like Forms [University of
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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
AN EXPLORATION OF KURT ROSENWINKEL’S STYLISTIC CONTRIBUTION

TO JAZZ GUITAR IMPROVISATION, WITH ILLUSTRATIVE COMPARISON
BETWEEN SIGNIFICANT ARTISTS OVER LIKE FORMS
By
Andrew F. Amendola
A DOCTORAL ESSAY
Submitted to the Faculty

of the University of Miami
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts
Coral Gables, Florida
August 2021
©2021
Andrew F. Amendola
All Rights Reserved
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
A doctoral essay submitted in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts
AN EXPLORATION OF KURT ROSENWINKEL’S STYLISTIC CONTRIBUTION

TO JAZZ GUITAR IMPROVISATION, WITH ILLUSTRATIVE COMPARISON
BETWEEN SIGNIFICANT ARTISTS OVER LIKE FORMS
Andrew F. Amendola
Approved:
Martin Bejerano, M.M. John Hart, B.M.

Associate Professor Assistant Professor of Professional
Department of Studio Music and Jazz Practice
Department of Studio Music and Jazz
Charles Bergeron, Ph.D. Melvin Butler, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Professional Associate Professor
Practice Department of Musicology
Department of Studio Music and Jazz
Stephen James Guerra, Jr. Guillermo Prado, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor Dean of the Graduate School
Department of Jazz and Studio Music
AMENDOLA, ANDREW F. (D.M.A., Instrumental Performance)
(August 2021)
An Exploration of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Stylistic Contribution to Jazz Guitar

Improvisation, with Illustrative Comparison Between Historically Significant Artists
Over Like Forms
Abstract of a doctoral essay at the University of Miami.
Doctoral essay supervised by Professors John Hart, B.M. and Martin Bejerano, M.M.
No. of pages in text (168)
Kurt Rosenwinkel is arguably the most influential jazz guitarist of his generation.
He has inherited the honor held by visionaries such as Jim Hall, John McLaughlin, Pat
Metheny, and John Scofield. His unique approach to the instrument, individual, refined
improvisatory style, and distinctive compositional voice, have vaulted Rosenwinkel to the
status of jazz guitar icon. Of equal import may be the extensive reach of his influence,
affecting a remarkable number of contemporary guitarists in the fields of jazz, pop, and
rock music. While much attention has been directed toward the analysis of
Rosenwinkel’s compositions, an examination of his improvisatory style is particularly
warranted given the scarcity of substantial academic writings available, and the
significance of his contribution to the modern language of jazz guitar. This essay is
therefore dedicated to the presentation of Rosenwinkel’s personal, educational, and
professional background, as well as the transcription and analysis of key examples of
Rosenwinkel’s improvisations to more thoroughly identify the attributes of his
fascinating style.
In distilling Rosenwinkel’s improvisatory essence, the second part of this essay
focuses on the transcription and analysis of his improvisations on standard forms (i.e.,
common repertoire from the Great American Songbook or blues canon) which allows for
direct comparisons to be drawn from the improvisations of other key figures in the world
of jazz guitar. This collective musical backdrop helps create a more prominent
delineation between the stylistic choices of different musicians, and better elucidates
those choices made by Rosenwinkel. Improvisations in five songs were chosen for this
analysis (“How Deep Is the Ocean,” “Darn That Dream,” “Ask Me Now,” “Sandu,” and
“Inner Urge”), which will be compared against portions of improvisations contributed by
prominent preceding jazz guitarists Jimmy Raney, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, John
Scofield, Bill Frisell, and Allan Holdsworth, contemporaneous guitarists Peter Bernstein
and Jonathan Kreisberg, and postliminary guitarist Lage Lund.
Much of the biographical information provided in this study was compiled from
magazine, radio, or online/podcast interviews. Transcription sources were obtained from
artists’ albums, as well as live performance videos posted on YouTube and live
recordings of performances.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... v
Chapter
1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
Background...................................................................................................... 1
Justification...................................................................................................... 5
Research Questions ......................................................................................... 5
2 REVIEW AND RELATED LITERATURE ................................................... 6

Publications ..................................................................................................... 6
Academic Papers ............................................................................................. 6
Magazines ........................................................................................................ 7
3 METHOD ........................................................................................................ 9
Transcriptions .................................................................................................. 9
4 A BRIEF HISTORY OF GUITAR IN JAZZ ................................................. 11

1920s ............................................................................................................. 12
1930s ............................................................................................................. 12
1940s ............................................................................................................. 14
1950s ............................................................................................................. 14
1960s ............................................................................................................. 14
1970s ............................................................................................................. 15
1980s and 90s .................................................................................................. 17
5 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION .............................................................. 19
6 EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................. 41
Guitars ............................................................................................................. 41
Amplifiers ........................................................................................................ 42
Effects Processors ............................................................................................ 43
7 UNIQUE TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS ............................................ 46

Physical Characteristics ................................................................................... 46
Recurrent Motifs .............................................................................................. 48
8 SOLO TRANSCRIPTIONS AND COMPARISONS ..................................... 54

“How Deep Is the Ocean” ............................................................................... 55
“Darn That Dream” ......................................................................................... 64
iii
“Ask Me Now” ................................................................................................ 73
“Sandu”............................................................................................................ 81
“Inner Urge” .................................................................................................... 93
9 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 110
APPENDIX A – Complete Solo Transcriptions

A.1. How Deep Is the Ocean ............................................................................ 113
A.2. Darn That Dream ...................................................................................... 120
A.3. Ask Me Now ............................................................................................. 124
A.4. Sandu ........................................................................................................ 131
A.5. Inner Urge ................................................................................................. 141
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................... 157
iv
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 7.1: Picture of Rosenwinkel’s Left Hand .......................................................... 46
Figure 7.2: Picture of Rosenwinkel’s Right Hand........................................................ 47
Figure 7.3: Wide Interval Example .............................................................................. 48
Figure 7.4: Pat Metheny Example ................................................................................ 49
Figure 7.5: Rosenwinkel Recurring Pattern ................................................................. 50
Figure 7.6: Rosenwinkel Recurring Pattern 2 .............................................................. 50
Figure 7.7: Triad Pair Motif ......................................................................................... 50
Figure 7.8: Michael Brecker Example.......................................................................... 51
Figure 7.9: Triad Arpeggio Pattern .............................................................................. 52
Figure 7.10: “How Deep is the Ocean” Introduction ................................................... 52
Figure 7.11: Arpeggio phrase from “Inner Urge” ........................................................ 53
Figure 8.1: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 6. ......................................................... 56
Figure 8.2: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 60. ....................................................... 56
Figure 8.3: John Scofield “How Deep is the Ocean excerpt 1. .................................... 57
Figure 8.6: Bill Frisell “How Deep is the Ocean excerpt 1. ......................................... 58
Figure 8.7: Lage Lund “How Deep is the Ocean excerpt 1.......................................... 58
Figure 8.10: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 45. ..................................................... 59
v
Figure 8.16: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 106. ................................................... 63
Figure 8.17: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 127. ................................................... 64
Figure 8.18: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 1. ................................................................. 65
Figure 8.19: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 5. ................................................................. 66
Figure 8.20: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 19. ............................................................... 66
Figure 8.21: Bach D minor Partita, BWV 1004, mm.89–91. ....................................... 67
Figure 8.24: Wes Montgomery “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1. ................................... 69
Figure 8.27: Lage Lund “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1................................................ 70
Figure 8.28: Lage Lund “Darn That Dream” excerpt 2. ............................................... 70
Figure 8.29: Jimmy Raney “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1. .......................................... 70
Figure 8.31: Lage Lund “Darn That Dream” excerpt 3. ............................................... 72
vi
Figure 8.34: “Ask Me Now” solo m. 3. ........................................................................ 74
Figure 8.36: Peter Bernstein “Ask Me Now” excerpt 1. .............................................. 75
Figure 8.42: Jonathan Kreisberg “Ask Me Now” excerpt 1. ........................................ 77
Figure 8.46: “Ask Me Now” solo m. 12. ...................................................................... 78
Figure 8.51: “Ask Me Now” solo m. 28 (b). ................................................................ 80
Figure 8.53: “Sandu” solo m. 19. ................................................................................. 82
Figure 8.55: John Scofield “Trio Blues” excerpt 1. ..................................................... 83
vii
Figure 8.59: Jesse Van Ruller “Sandu” excerpt 1. ....................................................... 84
Figure 8.62: Adam Rogers “Cheryl” excerpt 1. ........................................................... 86
Figure 8.65: Jesse Van Ruller “Sandu” excerpt 2. ....................................................... 87
Figure 8.76: “Sandu” solo m. 102. ............................................................................... 90
viii
Figure 8.83: “Inner Urge” solo m. 1. ............................................................................ 94
Figure 8.84: “Inner Urge” solo m. 5. ............................................................................ 95
Figure 8.85: “Inner Urge” solo m. 15. .......................................................................... 95
Figure 8.86: Peter Bernstein “Inner Urge” excerpt 1. .................................................. 95
Figure 8.87: Allan Holdsworth “Inner Urge” excerpt 1. .............................................. 96
Figure 8.88: Allan Holdsworth “Inner Urge” excerpt 2. .............................................. 96
Figure 8.89: “Inner Urge” solo m. 158. ........................................................................ 96
Figure 8.100: Peter Bernstein “Inner Urge” excerpt 6. ................................................ 100
Figure 8.102: “Inner Urge” solo m. 229. ...................................................................... 100
ix
Figure 8.115: Allan Holdsworth “Inner Urge” excerpt 3. ............................................ 104
x
Figure 8.128: Peter Bernstein “Inner Urge” excerpt 10. .............................................. 108
xi
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Background
The 1990s jazz scene in which Kurt Rosenwinkel took part incorporated the
music, aesthetic, and culture of the contemporary youth. It integrated rock, pop, and hip-
hop influences, while maintaining a strong foundation in classic jazz vocabulary. It was
fresh, yet familiar, and welcomingly inclusive.
The fusion of rock music with jazz was hardly a novel concept. Numerous
musicians in the 1960s had merged rock and jazz in their music. Christened the
“Godfather of Fusion,”1 Larry Coryell stated that during that time young musicians found
themselves “in the middle of a world cultural revolution. Everybody was dropping acid
and the prevailing attitude was, ‘Let’s do something different.’ We loved Wes but we
also loved Bob Dylan. We loved Coltrane but we also dug the Beatles. We loved Miles
but we also loved the Rolling Stones.”2 Coryell’s band “Free Spirits,” featuring bassist
Chris Hills, drummer Bob Moses, rhythm guitarist Chip Baker, and tenor saxophonist
Jim Pepper, released Out of Sight and Sound3 in 1967. Frank Zappa’s 1966 album Freak
Out4 fused rock, jazz, and experimental classical elements. Other examples of the
rock/jazz fusion include the electric tenor saxophone work on Eddie Harris’s The Tender
Storm5 from 1967, Mitch Mitchell’s ride cymbal swing pattern on Jimi Hendrix’s rock
classic “Third Stone From the Sun” on the Are You Experienced?6 album, Roger
1
Bill Milkowski, “Fusion,” in The Oxford Companion to Jazz, ed. Bill Kirchner (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2000), 503. The title was bestowed upon him by guitarist Al DiMeola.
2
Ibid.
3
The Free Spirits, Out of Sight and Sound, ABC Records, ABC-S 593, Vinyl LP, 1967.
4
The Mothers of Invention, Freak Out, MGM Records Division, V6-5005-2, Vinyl LP, 1966.
5
Eddie Harris, The Tender Storm, Atlantic Records, SD 1478, Vinyl LP, 1967.
6
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced?, Reprise Records, RS 6261, Vinyl LP, 1967.
1
2
McGuinn, who cited John Coltrane’s “sheets of sound” technique as an influence on his
guitar part to the Byrds’ song “Eight Miles High,”7 and Lou Reed, who credited Ornette
Coleman as an influence on his guitar solo on “I Heard Her Call My Name”8 from the
Velvet Underground album White Light/White Heat.9 However, Miles Davis is widely
credited as the pioneer of the integration in the late 1960s and early 1970s10 with his
albums In a Silent Way11 and Bitches Brew.12 Subsequently, bands such as Weather
Report, Return to Forever, the Headhunters, and Mahavishnu Orchestra continued the
effort with great success. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s guitarists John Scofield and
Mike Stern (alums of Miles Davis’s band) also incorporated funk and modern blues into
their jazz playing. Guitarist Pat Metheny combined his prodigious skills in jazz with his
appreciation of Americana music, also to great success.13
In the 1980s, several musicians began merging the popular new synth-pop style of
music with jazz, developing a new shade of fusion. Bands like Spyro Gyra,
Yellowjackets, and Steps Ahead achieved significant success in this arena. As the
influence of jazz stretched further into unrelated musical genres, some viewed the
forthcoming iterations of fusion music (including the style that came to be known as
“smooth jazz”) as containing increasingly less of what could be construed as “jazz,” and
ultimately diluting the music. Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, a long-standing adversary of
7
The Byrds, “Eight Miles High,” recorded January 24–25, 1966, track 1, side 2, on Fifth Dimension.
Columbia, vinyl LP.
8
Velvet Underground, “I Heard Her Call My Name,” recorded September 1967, track 1, side B, on White
Light/White Heat. Verve, vinyl LP.
9
Milkowski, ‘Fusion’, 505.
10
Peter Valelly, “Miles Davis’ Brilliant, Pioneering Fusion Era,” The Current, March 1, 2013.
https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2013/03/01/miles-davis-fusion-era.
11
Miles Davis, In a Silent Way, Columbia Records, CS 9875, CD, 1969.
12
Miles Davis, Bitches Brew, Columbia Records, PG 26, CD, 1970.
13
Joachim-Ernst Berendt and Günther Huesmann, The Jazz Book: From Ragtime to the 21st Century, 7th
ed. (Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2009), 430-33.
3
jazz/rock fusion, objects to “the abandonment of the swing rhythm that is essential to
jazz…. There is no way that anyone can be a great jazz musician playing along to funk or
rock rhythms. It just ain’t gonna happen.”14
A countermeasure movement ultimately manifested, resulting in a reversion to
classic, acoustic jazz (later referred to as Neo-bop or Neotraditionalist), spearheaded by a
group of musicians dubbed the “Young Lions.” This group included Wynton Marsalis,
Roy Hargrove, Terence Blanchard, Wallace Roney, Marcus Roberts, and Mark Whitfield,
among others.15 Some of the musicians in this group rejected out of hand many of the
contributions made to jazz since the late 1960s, preferring to recognize only “traditional”
(i.e., occurring prior to the mid-1960s), acoustic jazz as authentic, relevant, and of value.
This absolutist stance toward jazz was not universally popular, however. Some musicians
saw the movement not as a refreshing reversion to a pure state of the art form, but rather
as a rehashing of a bygone era and a refusal to allow jazz to progress, essentially
relegating it to a museum exhibit.16
In the 1990s a fresh fusion sound began reemerging through artists like pianist
Brad Mehldau, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Rosenwinkel (b. 1970), a musician well versed in traditional jazz styles, interpolated into
his own music elements of rock, pop, and hip hop. His talent in composition, uniquely
modern sound, and unpretentious, understated sense of cool resonated with musicians and
14
John Lewis, “Wynton Marsalis: Jazz Fusion is Like Tabasco, It Works In Small Doses,” Metro, June 29,
2012. https://metro.co.uk/2012/06/29/wynton-marsalis-jazz-fusion-is-like-tabasco-it-works-in-small-doses-
485793/.
15
Richard Guilliatt, “JAZZ : The Young Lions’ Roar : Wynton Marsalis and the ‘Neoclassical’ Lincoln Center
Orchestra are Helping Fuel the Noisiest Debate Since Miles Went Electric,” Los Angeles Times, September 13,
1992. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-13-ca-1495-story.html.
16
Maya Jaggi, “Blowing Up a Storm,” The Guardian, January 24, 2003,
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/jan/25/artsfeatures.popandrock. Jazz legend Miles Davis once
referred to the neo-bop movement as “warmed over turkey.”
4
fans alike.17 Rosenwinkel’s popularity began to surge, and his work as a sideman with
legendary artists such as Joe Henderson, Brian Blade, and Paul Motian soon gave way to
his own projects with one of the most influential bands of the decade. This group featured
Mark Turner on saxophone (a former Berklee classmate), Jeff Ballard on drums, and Ben
Street on double bass. With this group, Rosenwinkel released the albums The Enemies of
Energy18 in 2000, and The Next Step19 in 2001. In total, Rosenwinkel has released
thirteen albums as a leader or co-leader, and has played on more than eighty albums as a
collaborator or sideman for artists ranging from Joe Henderson to Marcy Playground. He
has influenced a generation of guitarists, performed and/or recorded with a staggering
range of musicians outside of the jazz world, including blues guitar icon Eric Clapton and
hip-hop artist Q-Tip, and in the process established his legacy as the preeminent jazz
guitarist of his generation.20
This essay aspires to provide insight into Rosenwinkel’s style by comparing his
improvisations on standard form songs to those of other guitarists to help elucidate the
idiosyncrasies that make his style so compelling. The objective, therefore, is not merely
to illustrate what Rosenwinkel played in a particular musical circumstance, but also
perhaps to help the reader understand why that choice was made in comparison to choices
made by other guitarists operating within like forms and what makes Rosenwinkel’s
particular choice interesting or unique.
17
Bill Milkowski, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Discusses Sound, Technique and Approaching Jazz Guitar Like a
Pianist,” GuitarPlayer, November 19, 2020. https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/kurt-rosenwinkel-
discusses-sound-technique-and-approaching-jazz-guitar-like-a-pianist.
18
Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Enemies of Energy, Verve Records 543-042-2, CD, 2000.
19
Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Next Step, Verve Records 314-549-162-2, CD, 2001.
20
Matt Fripp, “Interview with Kurt Rosenwinkel – ‘One of the Most Influential Musicians of his
Generation!’,” Jazz Fuel, June 7, 2020. https://jazzfuel.com/interview-kurt-rosenwinkel/.
5
Justification
While Kurt Rosenwinkel’s compositional style has deservedly garnered extensive
attention throughout his career, his improvisational technique has received considerably
less analysis. I believe Rosenwinkel’s improvisations are equally brilliant, and serve as
shorter, real-time compositions, exhibiting risk-taking, emotion, beauty, and a harmonic
and rhythmic sophistication of superlative quality. As noted previously, the significant
influence Rosenwinkel has exerted on jazz guitar21 makes him an important figure in the
jazz world, one undoubtedly worthy of greater academic inquiry.
My doctoral essay will be dedicated to the transcription and analysis of key
examples of Rosenwinkel’s improvisations to more thoroughly identify the contours of
his intriguing style.
Research Questions
The research questions directly related to my stated purpose are as follows:
1. What background experiences and influences may have contributed to the
development of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s improvisatory style?
2. In what ways is Kurt Rosenwinkel’s improvisational style unique and
identifiable?
3. In what ways has Kurt Rosenwinkel diverged from the musical styles of
antecedent jazz guitarists as well as his contemporaries?
4. Is Rosenwinkel’s style wholly novel or does it represent an evolution of
preexisting musical contributions?
21
Milkowski, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Discusses Sound.”; Tom Gray, “Review: Kurt Rosenwinkel,”London
JazzNews, April 22, 2011. https://londonjazznews.com/2011/04/22/review-kurt-rosenwinkel/; Anthony
Greaves, “Abe Ovadia: Living Life as Art,” The Jerusalem Post, March 13, 2015.
https://www.jpost.com/blogs/diaspora-blues/abe-ovadia-living-life-as-art-393797.
CHAPTER 2
Review and Related Literature
Because of the dearth of scholarly writing on Kurt Rosenwinkel, much of the
background information provided in this work will be assembled from magazine, radio,
or online interviews, and the biographical sections of Rosenwinkel’s transcription books.
The transcribed illustrative examples will be extracted from Rosenwinkel’s own albums,
bootleg live recordings, and YouTube videos.
Publications
There are currently two published transcription books focusing on Rosenwinkel’s
music. The first, titled Compositions,22 was published in 2006, and offers transcriptions
of fourteen of Rosenwinkel’s own pieces. Although it does not address his
improvisations, the text nonetheless proved useful in gaining a better understanding of
Rosenwinkel’s musical preferences. Compositions also includes important biographical
information. The second source, Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio: East Coast Love Affair, Guitar
Transcriptions,23 was published in 2009. The material in this publication is derived from
an album of standard songs, so it is of value to my study and will be used as a simple
reference. Unfortunately, some rather significant transcription inaccuracies exist in both
books, limiting their utility in this project.
Academic Papers
At the time of this writing the only available scholarly paper concentrating solely
on the work of Kurt Rosenwinkel is a master’s thesis written by Jens Hoppe while at the
22
Kurt Rosenwinkel and Chuck Stevens, Compositions (Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications, Inc., 2006).
23
Matthew Warnock, Jon Bremen, and Ariel Alexander, eds., Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio: East Coast Love
Affair, Guitar Transcriptions (Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications, Inc., 2009).
6
7
University of Sydney, which focused on Rosenwinkel’s instrumental introductions, both
for his own songs, as well as standard forms.24 In “The Rosenwinkel Introductions,”
Hoppe examines ten different introductions, composed between 1996 and 2012. Hoppe
categorizes the introductions into three groups according to overall length, and to a lesser
extent, the harmonic depth and complexity of each. Hoppe’s analysis is insightful and
provides an interesting view into Rosenwinkel’s compositional inclinations. Hoppe also
discusses Rosenwinkel’s use of hexatonic scales,25 effects processors,26 and open
tunings,27 elements which additionally contribute to Rosenwinkel’s unique voice.
Magazines
Magazine articles generally fail to provide the depth of analysis necessary to
adequately serve as source material for an academic writing. They are not, however,
devoid of value to this study. Rosenwinkel’s own words, in interview situations such as
these, often provide important glimpses into Rosenwinkel’s style. Included are interviews
with Rosenwinkel that offer, for example, valuable glimpses into his technique28 musical
influences,29 as well as his distinctive signature technique of blending his guitar sound
with his own voice (most often recorded with a lavalier microphone because of its
inconspicuousness)30 to attain decidedly un-guitar-like textures.31 In these interviews
24
Jens Hoppe, “The Rosenwinkel Introductions: Stylistic Tendencies in 10 Introductions Recorded by Jazz
Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.” Master’s thesis, (Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, 2017).
25
Ibid., 63.
26
Ibid., 94.
27
Ibid.
28
Jude Gold, “Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Colorful Chords,” Guitar Player, November 2003, 88–89 (illustrating
one of the processes used by Rosenwinkel to develop new chord shapes).
29
Phil Freeman, “Back to Basics.” Jazziz, February 2010, 27–28.
30
Small, Mark. “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Jazz Guitar’s New Voice.” Berklee Today 18, No. 2 (Fall 2006).
https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-today-36.
31
Barry Cleveland, “Kurt Rosenwinkel on ‘Star of Jupiter’ and Beyond,” Guitar Player, January 29, 2014,
https://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/kurt-rosenwinkel-on-star-of-jupiter-and-beyond; Freeman.
“Back to Basics.”
8
Rosenwinkel also expounds upon his approach to the recording process,32 his unorthodox
collaborations with artists outside of the jazz world,33 his career-long quest to achieve a
unique voice on the instrument,34 as well as the influence of Brazilian music in his recent
album Caipi.35
32
Tad Hendrickson, “This is Heartcore: Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel Creates a New Kind of Fusion,” CMJ
New Music Report, August 18, 2003. https://books.google.com/books?id=B3LxC-
059_QC&pg=PA9&dq=kurt+rosenwinkel&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwix8N6178jgAhUxwVkKHXGw
DkMQ6AEINTAC#v=onepage&q=kurt%20rosenwinkel&f=false.
33
Bill Milkowski, “Brave New Guitarists,” Jazziz, March 2005, 37 (discussing Rosenwinkel’s work with
rap/hip hop producer Q-Tip).
34
Ibid.
35
David R. Adler, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: A Whole New Vista,” JazzTimes, June 21, 2017,
https://jazztimes.com/features/kurt-rosenwinkel-whole-new-vista/.
CHAPTER 3
Method
This essay aims to scrutinize the idiosyncrasies of an individual’s playing style by
comparing the subject style to others against a common backdrop. This permits a more
specific focus on the player’s individual contributions, as most jazz musicians share
experience with repertoire from the Great American Songbook or standard blues
progressions.
Transcriptions
This essay therefore seeks to elucidate Kurt Rosenwinkel’s improvisatory style
through the analysis of his solos on five standards, contrasted to improvisations of other
guitarists on those same standards (or over identically functioning blocks of chord
progressions when analyzing smaller-scale contributions). Additionally, because the
Rosenwinkel transcriptions presented are sourced from performances spanning from
1998 through 2015, the concomitant opportunity to examine the evolution and refinement
of Rosenwinkel’s playing and sound over time is present.
Chosen improvisations have been transcribed by the author and provided in full in
Appendix A of this essay. Relevant sections of transcriptions are utilized as illustrative
figures in the text, to be analyzed and compared to transcribed sections of improvisations
by other important figures in jazz guitar.
All musical examples have been transcribed by the author and notated using
Finale music notation software. When necessary, some passages were slowed down to
allow for the most accurate transcription. This process was accomplished by two
methods: first, musical samples accessed through YouTube were slowed via the
9
10
“settings” section, which has an adjustable function for “playback speed.” Second,
musical samples from MP3s (or CDs, once uploaded to a computer), were slowed down
using the Time Stretch Player, a free internet application available at
https://29a.ch/timestretch/.
Music examples were notated in accordance with the guidelines provided in
Behind Bars: The Definitive Guide to Music Notation by Elaine Gould.
Music-specific text within the essay has been formatted in accordance with the
Journal of Music Theory Style Guide published online by Duke University, available at
https://www.dukeupress.edu/Assets/Downloads/JMT_sg.pdf. Where isolated musical
terminology was not addressed in the Style Guide, adherence to the general stylistic
fundamentals and/or basic spirit of the Guide was held paramount.

CHAPTER 4
A Brief History of Guitar in Jazz
The purpose of this chapter is by no means intended to serve as a thorough
recitation of the guitar’s place in the history of jazz, nor should it be interpreted as an
exhaustive list of seminal guitarists in jazz and their contributions to the art form. Rather,
this chapter aims simply to provide a general historical framework within which Kurt
Rosenwinkel’s position and importance can be evaluated from a more informed position.
While banjo is often thought of as the predecessor to the guitar in jazz music, the
opposite was actually true. The guitar had been featured in string bands and other
precursors to jazz as early as 1889 in the band led by New Orleans guitarist Charlie
Galloway (a band that also featured iconic jazz pioneer cornetist Buddy Bolden, prior to
the formation of his own band in 1895).36 Bolden’s own bands often featured guitarists
(including former employer Galloway, Lorenzo Staulz, and Brock Mumford, who
appears in the only known photograph of Bolden).37 Guitarists Dominick Barocco, Joe
Guiffre, Coochie Martin, and Rene Baptiste were also popular, although they were never
recorded.38 New Orleans string bands typically consisted of guitar, bass, and either
mandolin or violin. These bands were a popular entertainment choice for dances and
parties at which a brass band would be too loud and brash.39
With the advent of recording technology, however, the guitar was denounced as
inaudible by recording engineers at the time, and thus the louder banjo was more
36
Scott Yanow, The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide (Milwaukee: Backbeat Books, 2013), xii.
37
Ibid.
38
Ibid.
39
Ibid.
11
12
frequently utilized.40 In fact, prior to 1925 Nick Lucas was practically the only jazz
guitarist to be recorded.41
1920s
The guitar effectively replaced the banjo in jazz music around 1925 because of
two developments. Firstly, advancements in electronic recording technology finally
enabled the guitar to be recorded and heard in ensemble formats. Secondly, due to the
rise in popularity of guitarist Eddie Lang.42 Lang demonstrated the guitar to be more
versatile and flexible than the banjo.43 He was featured not only as a supporting member
of large ensembles, but also as a lead instrument in solo settings and duos with pianists,
other guitarists like Carl Kress and Lonnie Johnson, and violinist Joe Venuti.44
1930s
The 1930s marked the appearance of one of the most revered and important
figures in jazz guitar, Belgium-born Manouche Romani guitarist Jean Baptiste “Django”
Reinhardt.45 Reinhardt played what at the time was referred to as “gypsy jazz.” Reinhardt
is most often remembered for playing with the use of only two fingers on his left hand
(the remaining fingers were paralyzed in an injury incurred during a home fire).46 He
played a Selmer acoustic guitar, considerably different in appearance and sound from the
archtop guitars used in American jazz.47 What makes Reinhardt’s contribution to the
40
Ibid.
41
Ibid. Lucas recorded test cylinders as early as 1912 and began making records in 1921. Notable solo
guitar tracks included “Pickin’ The Guitar” and “Teasing The Frets,” released in 1922.
42
Ibid.
43
Ibid.
44
Ibid.
45
Charles Alexander, Masters of Jazz Guitar: The Story of the Players and Their Music (London: Balfon
Books, 1999), 24.
46
Alexander, Masters of Jazz Guitar, 24–25.
47
Greg Olwell, “Django’s Favorite Guitar—Closeup,” Acousticguitar.org, January 23, 2018,
https://acousticguitar.com/djangos-favorite-guitar-closeup/.
13
development of jazz guitar most notable, aside from his broad international influence
over numerous decades, is the fact that although he came to love American jazz in his
adult years, his musical development was Euro- (particularly French- and Romani-)
centric, and not strongly indebted to American influence. Consequently, he brought an
entirely new and fresh perspective to jazz.48 Reinhardt was most commonly heard
performing with the Hot Club of France, which in addition to Reinhardt, consisted of two
rhythm guitarists, double bass, and violinist Stéphane Grappelli.49
In the big band era, the rhythm guitar style developed into an art form. Guitarists
Freddie Green (from Count Basie’s band) and Allan Reuss (from Benny Goodman’s
band) spearheaded and elevated big band rhythm guitar into a style still effectively used
today.50 Limitations were revealed, however, when big band guitarists sought to take
solos while performing in live situations. While amplified guitar had been experimented
with as early as 1931, the technology was inconsistent and largely considered inefficient.
Thus, guitarists were unable to project with the volume necessary to stand out among the
powerful horns and drums of the big band.51
In 1939, however, sufficient advancements in amplifier technology coincided
with the emergence of a guitarist who would arguably wield the greatest influence on jazz
guitar in history, Charlie Christian. Christian played his guitar through an amplifier while
performing with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. This afforded him the volume necessary
48
Alexander, Masters of Jazz Guitar, 24–26.
49
Yanow, The Great Jazz Guitarists, xii.
50
Ibid.
51
Ibid.
14
to stand out from the other big band instruments.52 Christian, in his short career, would
influence scores of musicians, and straddle the cusp of bebop.53
1940s
While the bebop era saw numerous influential guitarists including Billy Bauer and
Barney Kessel, the influence of alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy
Gillespie was far more dominant during the movement.54
1950s
The 1950s would see significant contributions from guitarists Jimmy Raney, in
the cool jazz style, Johnny Smith, Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Kenny Burrell who helped
pioneer the guitar trio (guitar, double bass, and drums), and Jim Hall who revolutionized
the instrumental roles in the guitar trio55 and influenced generations of musicians.
1960s
The 1960s saw outstanding contributions from one of the most influential
guitarists in jazz history after Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery. Montgomery was a
largely self-taught guitarist with a unique technique. Instead of using a plectrum,
Montgomery plucked the guitar strings with his right-hand thumb. He claims to have
developed this technique during practice sessions when he did not want to disturb his
neighbors with the added volume of the plectrum attack.56 The sweeping motion and
softer attack produced a fat, round tone unlike any other guitarist’s. Montgomery also
introduced the octave technique, simultaneously playing two notes an octave apart. His
52
Ibid.
53
Yanow, The Great Jazz Guitarists, xiii.
54
Ibid.
55
Ibid.
56
Alexander, Masters of Jazz Guitar, 68.
15
blues-inflected lines had an inherent sense of swing and established him as “one of the
most inventive and distinctive jazz guitarists to come along since Charlie Christian.”57
In a similar vein to Montgomery, Grant Green displayed a blues-influenced style.
Green began playing in St. Louis churches at the age of 13.58 While less technically and
harmonically adventurous than Montgomery, Green was a versatile player with a prolific
output.59
Younger than both Montgomery and Green, George Benson demonstrates some
of the best qualities of both musicians. He possesses virtuosic technique, a strong sense of
melody and swing, and has enjoyed a commercial success extraordinary for jazz
musicians. Of course, Benson’s vocal abilities contributed significantly to his commercial
rise, however his guitar playing has remained a robust feature on his albums.60
1970s
In the 1970s jazz ventured into a new realm of music. Fusion combined the
harmonic and rhythmic sophistication of jazz with the energy and tonal palette of rock
and roll music. Larry Coryell, widely considered the first guitarist to venture into this
new style, adeptly integrated rock, bebop, and acoustic styles.61 John Abercrombie was
one of the primary architects of the famous ECM sound in this decade,62 starting in 1974
with his appearance on Dave Liebman’s album Lookout Farm.63 John McLaughlin, who
57
Nancy Wilson, host, “Wes Montgomery: The Unmistakable Jazz Guitar,” NPR’s Jazz Profiles (podcast),
September 26, 2007, accessed March 26, 2021, https://www.npr.org/2007/09/26/14687657/wes-
montgomery-the-unmistakable-jazz-guitar.
58
Sharony Andrews Green, Grant Green: Rediscovering the Forgotten Genius of Jazz Guitar (San
Francisco: Backbeat Books, 1999), 8.
59
Ibid., 10.
60
Alexander, Masters of Jazz Guitar, 79, 81.
61
Yanow, The Great Jazz Guitarists, xiii.
62
David R. Adler, “John Abercrombie: Out of the Ashes,” JazzTimes. December 15, 2019,
https://jazztimes.com/features/profiles/john-abercrombie-out-of-the-ashes/.
63
Dave Liebmen, Lookout Farm, ECM Records, ECM 1039 ST, Album, 1974.
16
performed on Miles Davis’s groundbreaking albums In a Silent Way64 and Bitches
Brew,65 also explored deeply complex music with the Mahavishnu Orchestra,66 Indian
music with his band Shakti,67 and even standards from the American Songbook in some
of his later solo albums.68 Pat Martino, with his strongly chromatic language, dazzled
listeners with long streams of alternate-picked, double-time lines in organ trio and guitar
trio formats.69 Closer to the rock style, yet strongly influenced by the legato linear
language of John Coltrane, virtuoso Allan Holdsworth broke completely new ground in
guitar and fusion music in general, influencing scores of succeeding guitarists in both
jazz and rock music,70 including Kurt Rosenwinkel.71 Wunderkind Pat Metheny came to
prominence with Gary Burton’s band before striking out on a wildly successful solo
career.72 Known for his fluid legato style and round tone, Metheny has to date received
thirty-six Grammy award nominations, winning twenty of them.73 Bill Frisell attended
Berklee College of Music and studied privately with Jim Hall. Frisell’s first major
professional opportunity came when he was recommended by Pat Metheny for drummer
Paul Motian’s band. Frisell has successfully fused jazz, rock, blues, Americana, and
experimental styles. Frisell frequently plays with a highly effected tone, using distortion,
chorus, various delays, and reverb. He also frequently incorporates volume swells and
64
Miles Davis, In a Silent Way, Columbia Records, CS 9875, CD, 1969.
65
Miles Davis, Bitches Brew, Columbia Records, PG 26, CD, 1970.
66
Alexander, Masters of Jazz Guitar, 93.
67
Ibid., 95.
68
See, e.g., John McLaughlin, Time Remembered (John McLaughlin Plays Bill Evans), Verve Records, 314
519 861-4, CD, 1993.
69
Alexander, Masters of Jazz Guitar, 81, 106.
70
Ibid., 114, 117.
71
David R. Adler,“Kurt Rosenwinkel: Going Deep,” JazzTimes, July 1, 2005,
https://jazztimes.com/features/profiles/kurt-rosenwinkel-going-deep/.
72
Nick Tate, Still Soaring, South Florida Sun Sentinel, March 18, 2005, https://www.sun-
sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2005-03-18-0503160714-story,amp.html.
73
“Awards.” Pat Metheny. Accessed October 9, 2020. https://www.patmetheny.com/awards/.
17
loops, and an interesting form of chordal vibrato achieved by pushing and pulling the
neck of the guitar to alter the pitch of the strings. Frisell also recorded for the ECM label
and explored more avant-garde leanings both in some of his own work (with Kermit
Driscoll and Joey Baron) as well as with saxophonist/composer John Zorn’s Naked
City.74 Graduating from Miles Davis’s band of the late 70s/early 80s, John Scofield’s
angular, chorus- and distortion-infused lines were undoubtedly well acquainted with rock
stylings, but also brandished an undeniable sense of swing.75 Contemporaneous alumnus
of Miles Davis’s late 70s/early 80s band, Mike Stern played with style equal parts
blues/rock and bebop phrasing.76
1980s and 1990s
Fusion music in the 1980s is often maligned as having spawned two equally
distasteful progeny. The first is derided as the bland, watered-down, and overly processed
music related to smooth jazz. The second is the hyper-technical, complicated music “for
eggheads and middle-aged men who get a rush from identifying rhythms in 17/8 time.”77
While in some cases this condemnation is not completely undeserved, there were many
quality proponents of the style throughout the decade.
Scofield and Stern, along with Metheny and Frisell, were the most prominent jazz
fusion guitarists of the 80s and 90s and probably enjoyed their greatest commercial
success during that era. Parallel to the fusion movement, a more traditional cadre of
74
Evan Haga, “Bill Frisell and Jim Hall: Free Stylists,” JazzTimes, April 25, 2019,
https://jazztimes.com/archives/bill-frisell-and-jim-hall-free-stylists/.
75
Marc Myers, “Interview: John Scofield,” JazzWax, March 28, 2012,
https://www.jazzwax.com/2012/03/interview-john-scofield.html.
76
Ibid. Stern was already a member of Miles’s band when Scofield was asked to join as reinforcement and
possible replacement for Stern, who was battling drug and alcohol addiction at the time.
77
Dave Segal, “In Defense of Jazz Fusion and Specifically Herbie Hancock and Billy Cobham,” The
Stranger, February 28, 2018, https://www.thestranger.com/music/2018/02/28/25856417/in-defense-of-jazz-
fusion.
18
guitarists also expanded throughout the 80s and 90s, including Russell Malone, Peter
Bernstein, Mark Whitfield, and Emily Remler.
The 1990s also welcomed a fresh interpolation of popular styles into jazz as
musicians like pianist Brad Mehldau incorporated the contemporary pop and rock music
of Nick Drake78 and Radiohead79 into his repertoire. Pianist Rachel Z released a cover
version of pop singer Alanis Morissette’s “Head Over Feet.”80 Bill Frisell recorded a
cover of Madonna’s “Live to Tell.”81 With this musical milieu as a backdrop, Kurt
Rosenwinkel came to prominence.
78
Brad Mehldau, pianist, “River Man,” by Nick Drake, recorded May 27 and 28, 1998, track 8 on Songs:
Art of the Trio (Volume 3), Warner Bros. Records, CD.
79
Brad Mehldau, pianist, “Exit Music (For a Film),” by Radiohead, recorded May 27 and 28, 1998, track 4
on Songs: Art of the Trio (Volume 3), Warner Bros. Records, CD.
80
Rachel Z, pianist, “Head Over Feet,” by Glen Ballard and Alanis Morissette, recorded 1998, track 5 on
Love Is The Power, Tone Center Records, CD.
81
Bill Frisell, guitarist, “Live to Tell” by Patrick Ray Leonard and Madonna, recorded March 1992, track
11 on Have a Little Faith, Elektra Nonesuch, CD.
CHAPTER 5
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Born in Philadelphia on October 28, 197082 to two amateur pianists, Kurt
Rosenwinkel, like many youths growing up in the 1970s, shared a childhood rock star
fantasy. Enamored of the rock band Kiss, Rosenwinkel played in a mock-band with
neighborhood friends including his lifelong friend Gordon Townsend, who lived across
the street from Rosenwinkel’s Mount Airy neighborhood home.
Rosenwinkel recalls wanting to be a professional musician, even before taking up
an instrument.83 At the age of nine he began learning piano by ear, and immediately
started writing songs.84 Rosenwinkel was twelve years old when he took up the guitar
after hearing the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album85 (and after
learning that one of his school friends started playing guitar).86 He would shortly
thereafter start writing songs on guitar.
While jazz was not a prominent music in the two Rosenwinkel households (his
parents by this time were divorced and lived separately, although each had a piano at
their respective house),87 he was introduced to fusion music in 1984 upon hearing the
band Spyro Gyra on the radio at his father’s house.
Prior to that experience, Rosenwinkel was interested mostly in progressive rock
bands like Rush, Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and the Police, along with hard-rock bands
82
“Kurt Rosenwinkel Biography,” DL Music Media, accessed June 14, 2020,
http://dlmediamusic.com/artist/kurt-rosenwinkel/.
83
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “TPM Home Sessions Day 66: ‘Socially Distanced’ Drinks with Kurt Rosenwinkel,”
Interview by Arjun Sagar Gupta, Facebook, June 28, 2020.
84
Ibid.
85
The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Capitol Records, SMAS 2653, CD, 1967.
86
Rosenwinkel, “TPM Home Sessions Day 66.”
87
Ibid.
19
20
like Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, and AC/DC. Rosenwinkel gradually came to explore
the music of jazz guitarists John Scofield and Bill Frisell. 88
Philadelphia was host to a vibrant jazz scene and had a radio station devoted to
jazz (WRTI).89 It was through WRTI broadcasts that Rosenwinkel was introduced to the
music of Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane, and avant-garde jazz.90 Rosenwinkel exhibited a
natural inclination toward the idea of free improvisation and more conceptual approaches
to creating music.
David Brody, a school friend whose jazz-devotee father hosted jam sessions in
their home (which were frequented by legendary drummer Philly Joe Jones), introduced
Rosenwinkel to straight-ahead jazz from Wynton Marsalis, Ray Brown, and Kevin
Eubanks (who would become a major influence on Rosenwinkel’s playing).91
As a teen, Rosenwinkel attended the High School for Creative and Performing
Arts, the well-known alma mater shared by Christian McBride, Joey DeFrancesco,
members of the vocal group Boyz II Men and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of the band
The Roots.92 It was here that Rosenwinkel developed his interest in playing jazz music.93
He was not dedicated exclusively to jazz, however, and simultaneously performed in
various bands of differing styles.94 Rosenwinkel also absorbed many lessons in jazz
practicum while participating in the weekly Monday night jam sessions held at
88
Ibid.
89
John Kelman, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Latitude,” Allaboutjazz.com, June 20, 2005,
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kurt-rosenwinkel-latitude-kurt-rosenwinkel-by-john-kelman.php#2.
90
Small, Mark. “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Jazz Guitar’s New Voice.” Berklee Today 18, No. 2 (Fall 2006).
91
Rosenwinkel, “TPM Home Sessions Day 66.” More specifically, Rosenwinkel was particularly
influenced by Eubanks’s album Open Night.
92
Doctor Thunder, “Conversations.”
93
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, JLCO Hosts: Christian McBride and Kurt Rosenwinkel, accessed April
10, 2014, https://www.jazz.org/press/jlco-hosts-christian-mcbride-kurt-rosenwinkel/.
94
Matzner, “Reflections.”
21
Philadelphia clubs like the Blue Note (not affiliated with the renowned club franchise),95
Slim Coopers, Bob and Barbara’s, Ortliebs, and T & T Monroe’s,96 as well as the
abovementioned sessions held at David Brody’s home. The mentorship of older
musicians and the sense of community appealed to Rosenwinkel.97 While he knew from
an early age that he wanted to follow a career in music, by high school Rosenwinkel was
yet undecided whether he would focus on guitar or piano in college.98 After a series of
formal piano lessons with Philadelphia teachers99 Rosenwinkel concluded that because he
had advanced further on guitar he would focus on that instrument, 100 although he felt
more “natural” on the piano.101 His newly myopic focus on guitar resulted in extensive
practice sessions. In an interview with Arjun Sagar Gupta, Rosenwinkel recalled that
while his family vacationed in Disney World, he chose to remain in the hotel room every
day to practice rather than go to the amusement park.102
Upon graduating from high school in 1988 Rosenwinkel matriculated to the
Berklee School of Music. The choice of Berklee was a foregone conclusion for
Rosenwinkel, as he was able to follow friend David Brody to the Boston school after
visiting him there on multiple occasions. Rosenwinkel took quickly to the Berklee
approach, and while not particularly gifted academically, he enjoyed Ed Tomassi's
“Chord Scale Voicings for Arranging” class, and the general Berklee approach to
harmonic analysis. Most beneficial to his development though was the consistent group
95
Kelman, “Latitude.”
96
Matzner, “Reflections.”
97
98
Small, “New Voice.”
99
100
101
102
Ibid.
22
playing with other students. This practice could lead to six hours of daily playing
during the week and upwards of twelve hours per day on the weekends.103
Like many musicians before him (notably John Coltrane), Rosenwinkel delved
into Nicolas Slonimsky’s “Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns,” a methodical,
mathematically constructed collection of intervallic octave divisions. Rosenwinkel views
the collection of patterns as a “different way to look at the guitar.” Rosenwinkel also cites
John Coltrane as a strong influence during his musical development, and transcribed
many Coltrane solos.104
After two and a half years at Berklee, Rosenwinkel was recruited by Gary Burton
(the school’s dean at the time) for his band.105 Burton’s band was Rosenwinkel’s first
experience playing with major jazz artists. For their initial recording session, Burton
hired drummer Jack DeJohnette, saxophone player Bob Berg, and bassist/composer Steve
Swallow. Pat Metheny was also in attendance to aid in production duties.106
The band released Six Pack in 1992,107 which also included performances by
numerous legendary musicians such as B.B. King, John Scofield, Jim Hall, and Ralph
Towner. While Rosenwinkel only played on two tracks (“Anthem” and “Invitation”),
Burton’s reputation for identifying and fostering exceptional young musical talents
nevertheless served as a testament to Rosenwinkel’s potential. At the time of this
recording, Rosenwinkel had not yet developed his unique style. His playing still owed
much to Boston-area guitarists like Mick Goodrick, John Abercrombie, and (early) Pat
103
104
A. Ballhorn, “Von AC/DC Zum Modern Jazz: Kurt Rosenwinkels Vertrackter Kosmos,” Gitarre &
Bass, June 2000, 77.
105
Rosenwinkel and Chuck Stevens, Compositions (Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications, Inc., 2006), 79.
106
107
Gary Burton and Friends, Six Pack, GRP Records, GRD-9685, CD, 1992.
23
Metheny. Burton’s band provided Rosenwinkel with his first high-profile position as a
sideman, and his first international touring opportunity.
During this time, Rosenwinkel was also a member of the band Human Feel, a
quartet featuring Berklee alums Chris Speed on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Andrew
D’Angelo on bass clarinet and alto saxophone, and Jim Black on drums. The band has to
date has released six albums.108
In 1992 Rosenwinkel was invited to join drummer Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop
Band, succeeding acclaimed guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel. Rosenwinkel found this
group to be a stark contrast to his experience with Gary Burton. Whereas Burton’s music
was planned ahead in great detail, and performance sets were constructed with great
particularity, Motian favored a significantly looser approach. Oftentimes Motian would
not even decide on a set list prior to performances. Many arrangements consisted of little
more than the order of soloists.109 Motian’s time feel and sense of swing, however,
profoundly influenced Rosenwinkel.110 In their eponymous 1993 release111 featuring
Joshua Redman on tenor saxophone, Brad Shepik (then spelled “Schoeppach”) on electric
guitar, and Stomu Takeishi on electric bass, the band explored classic bebop songs by
Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, among others, played
in a distinctly modern style. Rosenwinkel’s playing (panned to the right speaker, with
Shepik panned left), while still reminiscent of the previously mentioned Boston guitarists
at times, began to evince pieces of what would soon become his recognizable style.
108
“Human Feel,” Chris Speed, accessed October 13, 2020, http://chrisspeed.com/human-feel-1.
109
110
Ibid.
111
Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band, Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band, JMT Records 314
514 004-2, CD, 1993.
24
Rosenwinkel’s relaxed glissandi, feathery pick attack, along with his hazy, mildly
overdriven and fluidly chorused tone (a doubling effect which would later be replaced by
his own voice in duo with the guitar)112 are irrefutably Rosenwinkel. His tenure in the
Motian band lasted ten years.
During this pivotal time of development in 1991, Rosenwinkel moved from
Boston to New York City.113 In New York Rosenwinkel indoctrinated himself into the
jazz scene, playing with fellow up-and-coming musicians like pianist Brad Mehldau,
bassists Larry Grenadier, Ben Street, and Avishai Cohen, saxophonist Mark Turner, and
drummers Jeff Ballard, and Jorge Rossy. Two years later, in 1993, Rosenwinkel left
Burton’s band and moved to Barcelona, Spain for five months.114 Upon his return,
Rosenwinkel, along with Ben Street, was enlisted by drummer Jeff Ballard to play a
weekly Tuesday night gig at the newly opened Small’s jazz club in Greenwich Village.115
The gig lasted for almost six years,116 and helped Rosenwinkel increase his exposure as a
musician and develop as a composer.117
In 1994 Rosenwinkel played on saxophonist Mark Turner’s record Yam Yam.118
Rosenwinkel and Turner have a long history together, with Rosenwinkel assuming guitar
duties on four of Turner’s albums.119 Rosenwinkel has praised Turner’s harmonic
112
For further description of Rosenwinkel’s technique of blending his voice with his guitar, see page 33-34
below.
113
114
115
Ibid.
116
Ibid.
117
118
Mark Turner, Yam Yam, Criss Cross Jazz, Criss 1094, CD, 1995.
119
In addition to Yam Yam, Rosenwinkel is credited on Turner’s albums In This World (1998), Ballad
Session (1999), and Dharma Days (2001).
25
sophistication, and credits having to learn Turner’s songs for forcing him to “come to
terms with the intricacies of my instrument and make music with the songs.”120
Small’s club would serve as the setting for his first album as a leader, East Coast
Love Affair,121 released on the Barcelonian label Fresh Sound Records in 1997. The live
album, recorded over two shows in July of 1996,122 featured six standard songs and two
Rosenwinkel originals.
Rosenwinkel’s sophomore effort, Intuit,123 was an album of standard songs.
Released on Criss Cross Records, Intuit featured a quartet with Kanan, bassist Joe Martin,
and drummer Tim Pleasant. Great American Songbook standards are an important
element in jazz music, functioning as an homage to tradition, as well as a proving ground
of sorts. Musicians have the opportunity to express themselves artistically through the
unique interpretation of canonical forms that serve not only as vehicles for improvisation
but can test the mettle of a jazz musician. In a 2005 interview Rosenwinkel disclosed “an
awareness of my own relationship to standards that has evolved over the years, and it's an
important part of being a jazz musician. It's a good backdrop to really see how your
playing is, it's almost this sort of neutral stylistic context where you can discover what
kind of player you are, what the qualities of your playing are.”124
In 1996 Rosenwinkel recorded The Enemies of Energy,125 an album that
represented a marked deviation from his previous efforts. Rosenwinkel chose to record
ten original songs with Mark Turner on saxophone, Scott Kinsey on piano and keyboards,
120
121
Kurt Rosenwinkel, East Coast Love Affair, Fresh Sound Records, FSNT-016, CD, 1996.
122
Recording took place on July 10 and 24, 1996. Kurt Rosenwinkel, East Coast Love Affair, Fresh Sound
Records FSNT-016, CD, 1996. Liner Notes.
123
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Intuit, Criss Cross Records, Jazz 1160, CD, 1999.
124
125
Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Enemies of Energy, Verve Records 543-042-2, CD, 2000.
26
Ben Street on bass, and Jeff Ballard on drums.126 The absence of standard songs is not the
only way in which this album diverges from his previous endeavors as a leader;
Rosenwinkel abandoned the typical intro-head-solos-head out formula for a more
through-composed approach. Stylistically, Enemies explores more areas of fusion than
swing. Employing numerous overdubs, effected guitar tones, synth patches, funk and
electronic-sounding grooves, and production more in line with Radiohead than Rollins,
Rosenwinkel presented a fresh, surprising project. Whether the grungy, fuzz-infused
guitar solo on “Hope and Fear,” the 80s synth solo on “Grant,” or his vocal contribution
to “The Polish Song,” (sung in falsetto, in a nonsensical language), it was clear
Rosenwinkel intended to make a statement with this album. The album’s importance is
punctuated by liner note endorsements penned by Joshua Redman, Pat Metheny, and
John Scofield.127 However, because Rosenwinkel did not have a record deal or
distribution at the time, he was unable to release the album. It would remain shelved for
four years.
Toward the end of the 1990s, Impulse! Records launched a revival, aggressively
signing and marketing new talent. Rosenwinkel, along with a few other musicians on the
New York scene were signed to record deals. With Impulse! Rosenwinkel recorded
another album, titled Under It All, with the same personnel as Enemies. Under It All was
inspired by the symbols and technical information found in architectural blueprints. The
interest, which was impressed upon a young Rosenwinkel by his architect father, carried
over into his adult life and at the time of the writing for Under It All, Rosenwinkel’s
126
David R. Adler, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: The Enemies of Energy,” Allaboutjazz.com, June 21, 2017,
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-enemies-of-energy-kurt-rosenwinkel-verve-music-group-review-by-
david-adler.php.
127
Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Enemies of Energy, Verve Records 543-042-2, CD, 2000. Liner notes.
27
bedroom walls were plastered with such blueprints. “I didn't know what any of the
symbols meant—I couldn't interpret them literally—but to me the specificity of all of the
blueprints was inspiring to me, and yet was totally abstract because I didn't know how to
interpret them; but I loved the idea of specificity and abstractness. And that, of course, is
really what's underlying music—it's very specific but at the same time totally
abstract.”128
Soon after the recording of Under It All, Impulse! merged with Universal Records
and moved Rosenwinkel to Verve Records before Under It All could be released.129
Rosenwinkel was now left with a store of two unreleased records.
While both albums focused on composition, orchestration, and production, Under
It All differed from Enemies in that it was recorded live and featured Rosenwinkel
playing guitar synthesizer on numerous tracks (which Rosenwinkel believes was a
significant factor in Verve’s decision not to release it).130 When Verve reviewed both
albums, they chose to release Enemies, even though it was not Rosenwinkel’s most recent
project, because their marketing campaign centered around Rosenwinkel as “the next big
guitar hero” and Enemies more closely conformed to that strategy.131
In 2000 Rosenwinkel was hired for The Brian Blade Fellowship’s second album,
Perceptual.132 Blade, a drummer who has played with the likes of Wayne Shorter, Chick
Corea,133 Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Joshua Redman, among many others, writes
128
129
130
131
132
Brian Blade Fellowship, Perceptual, Blue Note Records, 7243 5 23571 2 3, CD, 2000.
133
Jim Hynes, “Chick Corea Reunites With Fellow Jazz Greats Christian McBride & Brian Blade With
‘Trilogy 2’ (Album Review),” The Glide, October 3, 2019. https://glidemagazine.com/234017/chick-corea-
reunites-with-fellow-jazz-greats-christian-mcbride-brian-blade-with-trilogy-2-album-review/.
28
material that is at times rhythmically complex, but values melody as much as it does
improvisation.134
Rosenwinkel’s second album with Verve, The Next Step,135 was released in 2001.
While Verve wanted this album to feature Rosenwinkel with older, more established jazz
musicians, and profuse quantities of guitar solo pyrotechnics. Rosenwinkel, along with
his A&R representative Jason Olaine, fought for just the opposite.136 Rosenwinkel chose
to rely on the same band members as his previous album (with the exception of Scott
Kinsey). The Next Step showcased a band more cohesive, a set of originals more refined,
sophisticated, and well crafted, and a composer clearly mining for greater depth and
fluency from his craft. On Next Step Rosenwinkel experimented with alternate tunings
which helped free him from guitar clichés and the comfort of muscle memory patterns.
His risk paid off, with a body of music qualified by the New York Times as “the epitome
of sensitive, modest-tempered art, the kind that doesn't assert itself until the moment is
right.”137 In 2018, author and jazz critic Nate Chinen, in assembling his “129 Essential
Albums of the Twenty-First Century (So Far),” included The Next Step, opining that with
this album Rosenwinkel “craft[ed] a statement that has deeply informed more than one
subsequent wave of the modern mainstream.”138 Chinen noted that the ubiquity of
134
S. Victor Aaron, “Brian Blade Fellowship – Perceptual (2000),” Something Else, August 5, 2006.
http://somethingelsereviews.com/2006/08/05/brian-blade-fellowship-perceptual-2000/.
135
Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Next Step, Verve Records 314-549-162-2, CD, 2001.
136
137
Ben Ratliff, “Jazz Review; A Burst of Romanticism on the Way to the Gut,” New York Times, January
27, 2001, https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/27/arts/jazz-review-a-burst-of-romanticism-on-the-way-to-
the-gut.html.
138
Nate Chinen, “Kurt Rosenwinkel, ‘The Next Step’ (2001),” 129 Essential Albums of the Twenty-First
Century (So Far), May 25, 2018, https://www.playingchangesbook.com/essentialalbums/2018/5/25/kurt-
rosenwinkel-the-next-step-2001.
29
Rosenwinkel’s stylistic influence necessitated a reminder of how different and
groundbreaking his music was at the time of its release.139
Rosenwinkel’s third release was titled Heartcore,140 and in accord with his
precedent, the album took a precipitous detour from the expected. Coproducing with hip-
hop artist Q-Tip (from the band A Tribe Called Quest),141 Rosenwinkel once again
enlisted his trusted compatriots Mark Turner, Ben Street, and Jeff Ballard. On Heartcore,
Rosenwinkel added synth rhythm tracks (proffered by Q-Tip) that could be triggered in
real time while recording.142 Tracks were layered at different times, which was a
deviation from the historically favored jazz recording ideology of capturing the
interaction between musicians in a “live” setting.143 Heartcore took more than two years
and thousands of recording hours to complete. Rosenwinkel viewed the record as the
largest project of his career thus far:
[i]t took a long time, and it was really challenging, but it was something I had
to do, it was like my solo record, totally just a solo record. It was like making
a huge sculpture; I was sculpting every single moment of the record, and I ran
the whole spectrum of emotions every day, from bliss and excitement,
listening to what I had come up with, to absolute total dejected depression,
like, ‘Holy shit, how am I ever going to finish this?’ There were all kinds of
technical problems, all kinds of creative obstacles and challenges, and it was
a huge effort. And so for me, I did it and it's exactly how it should be. That
was my operating principle—I said, ‘I’m not going to finish until I can have
somebody come over, play them the entire record from start to finish, and not
have one thought in my head that something should be different.’144
139
Chinen, “129 Essential.”
140
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Heartcore, Verve Records 3B0000732-02, CD, 2003.
141
142
Nate Chinen, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Heartcore,” JazzTimes, October 1, 2003,
https://jazztimes.com/archives/kurt-rosenwinkel-heartcore/.
143
Chinen, “Heartcore.”
144
Ibid.
30
Additionally, on Heartcore Rosenwinkel brought to the forefront his unique
technique of blending his amplified voice with his guitar, sung simultaneously as he
played. The blending of the two tones creates otherworldly sounds, an inimitable effect.
Rosenwinkel had always sung along with his guitar in performances. Because he sang
loudly, audience members would often approach him after shows to inquire about the
strange chorus/harmonizer effect he was using. Rosenwinkel soon realized that they were
referring to the guitar/vocal combination. It was at that point Rosenwinkel discovered
that the combination was an important attribute of his musical style and began amplifying
his voice as well.145
While numerous guitarists such as George Benson and John Pizzarelli sang along
with their playing before Rosenwinkel, such examples were steeped more in the tradition
of scatting and used for different effect. Rosenwinkel uses wordless vocalizations,
foregoing standard scat syllables. The subtle deviations in pitch and phrasing between his
voice and guitar create a chorusing effect completely unlike that pursued by the
aforementioned musicians. Rosenwinkel stated that singing along with his playing “keeps
me in touch with the primary impulse of music: to sing, I imagine that’s where music
started.”146 In performance settings Rosenwinkel amplifies his vocal accompaniment via
a lapel microphone. Beyond the interesting effect created by the voice/guitar
combination, Rosenwinkel views the combination as an orchestration tool: “I can bring
145
146
Josh Ottum, “Stop Making Sense: Nonsensical Connections: Kurt Rosenwinkel’s ‘The Polish Song,’ by
Josh Ottum,” IASPM-US, May 22, 2013, https://iaspm-us.net/stop-making-sense-nonsensical-connections-
kurt-rosenwinkels-the-polish-song-by-josh-ottum/.
31
out the inner voice of a chord, and I can emphasize it even after I’ve played the chord.
With my voice I can manipulate the balance of the notes. It’s like my sixth finger.”147
In 2003, after thirteen years in New York City, Rosenwinkel moved his family to
Switzerland.148 Rosenwinkel felt that at that stage of his career he no longer needed to be
in New York, and wanted fresh inspiration.149
In 2005, Rosenwinkel released his next album Deep Song.150 This was the
opposing pendulum swing to Heartcore. Instead of the elaborately layered tracks
omnipresent in Heartcore, Deep Song was recorded in more of a live setting.
Rosenwinkel also chose different personnel, including Brad Mehldau on piano, Joshua
Redman on tenor saxophone, Larry Grenadier on bass, and the drumming contributions
of Ali Jackson and Jeff Ballard.
Another surprise on Deep Song was Rosenwinkel’s decision to rerecord three
songs from earlier albums: “The Next Step” and “Use of Light” from The Next Step, and
“Synthetics” from The Enemies of Energy.151 The choice was influenced by Verve’s
enthusiasm upon hearing the new live renditions of these songs, as well as Rosenwinkel’s
excitement over changes made to the songs since their initial recording. Rosenwinkel felt
that on previous versions his role was as the harmonic instrument, setting the stage for
Mark Turner’s melodic voice. On Deep Song, since Brad Mehldau commanded the
harmonic responsibilities, Rosenwinkel was able to explore a new expressive freedom in
the songs, now as the melodic voice.152
147
David R. Adler,“Kurt Rosenwinkel: Going Deep,” JazzTimes, July 1, 2005,
148
149
150
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Deep Song, Verve Records, B0003928-02, CD, 2005.
151
Ibid.
152
Ibid.
32
In January of 2006, Rosenwinkel recorded a performance at the famed Village
Vanguard club for a two-disc live album. While each of the performances on Thursday
through Sunday were recorded, all the material for the album was culled from just the
Thursday and Saturday shows.153 With Mark Turner on saxophone, Aaron Goldberg on
piano, Joe Martin on bass, and Eric Harland on drums, The Remedy (Live at the Village
Vanguard)154 featured seven Rosenwinkel originals and one song written by Mark Turner
(“Myron’s World”).155 What makes The Remedy particularly interesting, aside from the
music, is the story behind its release. In a move that would leave some questioning his
judgment, Rosenwinkel left Verve Records to join the artist management firm Word of
Mouth Music (which had expanded into a record label in 2006), and signed a distribution
deal with Artistshare Records to release The Remedy in 2007.156 Rosenwinkel felt that
while a major label was useful in acquiring a fan base through its media and distribution
power, he had already developed a fan base and could therefore sell directly to them.
Another change for Rosenwinkel in 2007 involved his move to Germany to
pursue a teaching position at the Jazz Institute of Berlin.157 Rosenwinkel expressed some
relief to have escaped the business-oriented, music-as-product ideology prevalent in the
U.S., feeling he could be unabashedly true to his musical self in Europe without the
deleterious influence of the American music business scene. Notwithstanding,
153
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “In Conversation with Kurt Rosenwinkel,” interview with Ted Panken, WKCR,
August 15, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20130927143732/http:/www.jazz.com/features-and-
interviews/2008/10/17/in-conversation-with-kurt-rosenwinkel.
154
Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Remedy (Live at the Village Vanguard), Wommusic ArtistShare, AS0077, CD,
2008.
155
Mark F. Turner, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Group: The Remedy: Live at the Village Vanguard,”
Allaboutjazz.com, March 19, 2008. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-remedy-live-at-the-village-vanguard-
kurt-rosenwinkel-wommusic-review-by-mark-f-turner.php.
156
Mark Small, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Jazz Guitar’s New Voice,” Berklee Today 18, No. 2 (Fall 2006).
157
Rosenwinkel, “New Infatuation.”
33
Rosenwinkel still considered himself a “New York” musician, propounding that New
York jazz is unique because of its deep roots in bebop which permeates even the modern
styles performed there.158 This also helped explain why Rosenwinkel still chose to
perform with New York musicians. Aside from the longstanding relationships he
cultivated with them, the background in bebop was a prerequisite. Rosenwinkel believes
that his musicians “need to have that foundation, because that language is part of where
we’re coming from, even though the rhythms are different, and the harmony is
different.”159
Rosenwinkel’s 2009 project marked a return to the familiar repertoire of the jazz
standard canon, and the openness and freedom presented by the trio format. With bassist
Eric Revis (a longtime member of Branford Marsalis’s quartet)160 and drummer Eric
Harland, Rosenwinkel experimented with recording numerous standards from Larry
Young, Joe Henderson, and Wayne Shorter, among others. In this series of recording
sessions the musicians were free to meld, modify, or warp standards in a very organic
process. Rosenwinkel’s idea was to record copious amounts of music and cherry pick
those songs he felt had the “most magic”161 culminating in an “intimate trio record,”
accentuating the “acoustic sound” of the band.162 Rosenwinkel credited Bud Powell as a
significant musical influence on the project, as well as the contrapuntal chordal work of
158
Rosenwinkel, “In Conversation.”
159
Rosenwinkel, “In Conversation.”
160
John Kelman, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio: Reflections,” Allaboutjazz.com, December 9, 2009.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reflections-kurt-rosenwinkel-wommusic-review-by-john-kelman.php.
161
Bill Milkowski, “Kurt Rosenwinkel,” Allaboutjazz.com, October 24, 2009.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kurt-rosenwinkel-kurt-rosenwinkel-by-bill-milkowski.php?pg=2.
162
Milkowski, “Rosenwinkel.”
34
seven-string guitarist George Van Eps. The album, titled Reflections,163 ultimately
became a record of ballads.164
In 2010 Rosenwinkel released a collaboration with the Portuguese big band
Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM). Consisting mostly of previously recorded
Rosenwinkel originals,165 the music was arranged for the big band by OJM’s Carlos
Azevedo, Pedro Guedes, and guest arranger Ohad Talmor, with Rosenwinkel acting as de
facto concertmaster.166 Titled Our Secret World,167
Also in 2010, in collaboration with the Barcelona Jazz Festival, Rosenwinkel was
invited to compose and perform live six solo instrumental pieces that would reflect his
feelings and ideas about six bottles of wine from Spanish winemakers as part of a tasting
event.168
Rosenwinkel waited two years before releasing his next record, the futuristic,
double-disc juggernaut Star of Jupiter.169 For this album, he returned to a small ensemble
format, recruiting young piano phenom Aaron Parks, Branford Marsalis alumnus Eric
Revis on bass, and another former member of Marsalis’s quartet, drummer Justin
163
Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio, Reflections, Wommusic, VACM-1398, CD, 2009.
164
Milkowski, “Rosenwinkel.”
165
With the exception of the song “Turns,” which while an older original, was not previously recorded. See
John Kelman, “Kurt Rosenwinkel And OJM: Kurt Rosenwinkel And OJM: Our Secret World,”
Allaboutjazz.com, August 31, 2010. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kurt-rosenwinkel-and-ojm-our-secret-
world-by-john-kelman.php.
166
Kelman, “Our Secret World.”
167
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Our Secret World, Wommusic, WOM003, CD, 2010.
168
Voll-Damm Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona, All About the Kurt Rosenwinkel Monvinic
Experience, accessed July 4, 2020. https://barcelonajazzfestival.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-about-kurt-
rosenwinkel-monvinic.html. Rosenwinkel composed pieces for the following wines: Taleia 2009 (Costers
del Segre) by Raül Bobet; Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas 2007 Magnum (D.O. Rias Baixas) by Gerardo
Méndez; Sot Lefriec 2006 (DO Penedès) by Irene Alemany and Laurent Corrió; Clos Mogador 2001 (DOQ
Priorat) by René Barbier; Molino Real 2001 (DO Málaga) by Telmo Rodríguez and Valdespino
Amontillado Coliseo VORS (DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry) by Eduardo Ojeda.
169
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Star of Jupiter, Wommusic WOM0004, CD, 2012.
35
Faulkner.170 Jupiter consisted of new original songs, with the exception of “A Shifting
Design,” which previously appeared on The Next Step.171 Rosenwinkel was able to
expand the common perception of group cohesion, and as one critic submitted, “the
guitarist’s audioscape has finally caught up with the utterly modern harmonic sound
world he's been honing since The Enemies of Energy.”172
Jupiter was a concept album. The title came to Rosenwinkel in a dream. It refers
not to the literal astronomical body, but rather a philosophy. Rosenwinkel explained
“[t]he Star of Jupiter was given to me as a key to transcend the cycles of form, illusion,
and fear which exist on this earthly plane of existence.”173 In expounding upon the title-
inspiring dream further, Rosenwinkel described a “sort of celestial measuring instrument
that was given to me—but it was also a metaphor for spiritual transformation.”174
In 2012, while playing at the Village Vanguard, Rosenwinkel was approached by
guitar legend Eric Clapton with an invitation to perform at Clapton’s 2013 Crossroads
Music Festival to be held at Madison Square Garden. This afforded Rosenwinkel the
unprecedented opportunity to present his music in a venue normally reserved for
professional sports teams and rock stars, to nearly 20,000 people. Rosenwinkel invited
170
John Kelman, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Kurt Rosenwinkel: Star of Jupiter,” Allaboutjazz.com, December 10,
2012. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kurt-rosenwinkel-star-of-jupiter-by-john-kelman.php.
171
Ibid.
172
Ibid.
173
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Looking Ahead, and to the Cosmos, with Guitarist and Composer Kurt
Rosenwinkel,” interview with Josh Jackson, The Checkout, WBGO, 2012.
https://www.wbgo.org/post/looking-ahead-and-cosmos-guitarist-and-composer-kurt-rosenwinkel#stream/0.
174
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Listening to the Future: Kurt Rosenwinkel on ‘Star of Jupiter’ and Beyond,”
interview with Barry Cleveland, Rising, March 26, 2013.
https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=junny0728&logNo=90169631755&proxyReferer=https:%
2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F.
36
the iconic fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth as a special guest onstage and capped the set
by playing two songs with Clapton himself.175
In 2012 Rosenwinkel also took time out to record on one of the songs on Donald
Fagen’s (of Steely Dan) solo album Sunken Condos.176 While only performing on one
song, Fagen characterized the solo as “fantastic.”177
2014 saw the release of a Rosenwinkel band project six years in the making, with
guitarist Tim Motzer, a Philadelphia guitarist known for genre crossing endeavors
ranging from jazz to electronica. Rosenwinkel met Motzer in Zurich in 2008 while
Motzer was on tour with poet Ursula Rucker. They soon added drummer Gintas
Janusonis, who was also playing with Rucker. The ensemble was dubbed “Bandit 65,”
named after Rosenwinkel’s first guitar amplifier, the Bandit 65 made by Peavey.
The later reconvened in Brooklyn to record, a session consisting of approximately
six hours of completely improvised music. Highlights of this session were released in
2014 as the band’s eponymous debut album.178 The trio uniquely does not have a bass
player, compensating for the absence of low-end frequencies through the use of various
synthesizers and effects, which can be triggered by any of the members of the band.179
175
“Kurt Rosenwinkel & Eric Clapton ‘Big Road Blues,’” Word of Mouth Music, accessed July 4, 2020,
https://www.wommusic.com/2015/06/kurt-rosenwinkel-eric-clapton-big-road-blues/.
176
Donald Fagen, Sunken Condos, Reprise Records, 532287-2, CD, 2012.
177
Mike Ragogna, “Sunken Condos: A Conversation With Donald Fagen & Michael Leonhart,” The
Huffington Post, October 15, 2012. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emsunken-condosem-a-
conve_b_1965856?fbclid=IwAR0xjXpAwM_ICRTZYFxSp5B18aq-
J6UsXBSdEhaqPHoLnz4ymtC9WmjntVs&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9sLmZhY2Vib29
rLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGz9oPVrvJDFutWJT2NqZEGq9ACW6IWdukP-
GTZ_qVeEvk4E-
h0dzVqBdWl33CmXKpnB3vP1Mc06Inxi7xAXOh2wzz3uxLo0A2fS_phMJGAHVoMburtYcqNuQJz5Grr
Wqn6PnSumrQQKc51zB4GIxBBH0w8f53Nk0-qGz0X06Xfu.
178
Bandit 65, Bandit 65, 1K Records, MP3, 2014.
179
Ibid.
37
Bandit 65 toured Europe in 2016, and performed a few select dates in the U.S.
Approximately forty shows were recorded by the band, with the best of those recordings
forming their 2019 follow up album,180 Searching the Continuum.181
In 2016 Rosenwinkel also formed his own record label, Heartcore Records, with
Michaela Bóková.182 Heartcore Records serves not only as a record label, but also a
philanthropic organization providing music and education to underprivileged children
around the world.183 Rosenwinkel’s reasoning behind starting his own label stems from
his desire to “develop my own brand and create a business that can embody my vision of
music and aesthetics, and it is a deeper mission to create strong beacons of light in the
world.”184
As he has shown himself capable of doing many times before, Rosenwinkel’s
next project took an unexpected turn. Rosenwinkel retired from his teaching position at
the Jazz Institute to focus on his creative process. He split with his manager of fourteen
years.185 Then, in 2017 Rosenwinkel released his first album on Heartcore Records,
Caipi,186 named after the Berliner nickname for the national cocktail of Brazil, the
caipirinha. Caipi, which was ten years in the making,187 was a bold, surprising foray into
the music of Brazil on which Rosenwinkel plays not only guitar, but also piano,
180
Ibid. The material for the record was curated from shows in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Stockholm,
Madrid, Berlin, and Vienna.
181
Kurt Rosenwinkel – Bandit 65, Searching the Continuum, Heartcore Records HCR07, CD, 2019.
182
Michaela Bóková, “Introducing: Heartcore Records – The Label With Heart,” interview with Will
Macmaster, Indie Republik, November 22, 2019. https://www.indierepublik.com/en/introducing-heartcore-
records-the-label-with-heart/.
183
Bóková, “Introducing.”
184
Matt Fripp, “Interview with Kurt Rosenwinkel – ‘One of the Most Influential Musicians of his
Generation!’,” Jazz Fuel, June 7, 2020. https://jazzfuel.com/interview-kurt-rosenwinkel/.
185
David R. Adler, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: A Whole New Vista,” JazzTimes, February 1, 2000.
186
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Caipi, Heartcore Records/Razdaz Recordz, SSC4618, CD, 2017.
187
Adler, “Vista.”
38
synthesizer, bass, drums, percussion, and sings.188 The album also boasts an appearance
by Eric Clapton (on the song “Little Dream”), and features Amanda Brecker (daughter of
Eliane Elias and Randy Brecker), Kyra Garéy, Antonio Loureiro, and Zola Mennenöh on
vocals, Mark Turner on saxophone, Frederika Krier on violin, Alex Kozmidi on baritone
guitar, Chris Komer on French horn, Andi Habert on drums, and Brazilian songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist Pedro Martins.189
While there was some criticism of Rosenwinkel’s vocal performance on the
album,190 with one critic comparing the music to dinner jazz, claiming it lacked melodic
punch,191 Caipi nonetheless reached number four on the Billboard Jazz Album Charts on
April 1, 2017.192
In 2019 Rosenwinkel joined jazz/rock fusion supergroup Ozmosys, featuring the
impressive lineup of Rachel Z Hakim on keyboards (veteran of Wayne Shorter’s High
Life album and tour, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White’s jazz fusion project Vertú, fusion
band Steps Ahead and pop star Peter Gabriel), drummer Omar Hakim (Z’s husband, who
has played with Miles Davis, George Benson, David Bowie, Sting, Madonna, Dire Straits
and Kate Bush), and bassist Linley Marthe (former member of The Zawinul
188
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Drops by the Checkout to Discuss a New Infatuation: The Music
of Brazil,” interview by Simon Rentner, The Checkout, WBGO, April 19, 2019.
https://www.wbgo.org/post/kurt-rosenwinkel-drops-checkout-discuss-new-infatuation-music-
brazil?fbclid=IwAR2cWcOyTrSAhhuDiYz-
SGtvnxnRPSAUWFAJpVxV21QdBsdpf_QUovqtfFQ#stream/.
189
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Caipi, Heartcore/Razdaz Recordz SSC4618, CD, 2017. Liner Notes.
190
Weber, “Caipi.”; Will Layman, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Caipi,” Pop Matters, March 14, 2017.
https://www.popmatters.com/kurt-rosenwinkel-caipi-2495398467.html.
191
John Fordham, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Caipi Review – Sincere but Dinner-Jazzy Autobiographical Songs,”
The Guardian, February 9, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/09/kurt-rosenwinkel-caipi-
review-razdaz-heartcore.
192
“Chart History: Kurt Rosenwinkel,” Billboard, accessed July 9, 2020,
https://www.billboard.com/music/kurt-rosenwinkel/chart-history/jazz-albums/song/1018276.
39
Syndicate).193 The band released the EP Eyes to the Future, Vol. 1194 in November of
2019,195 and performed numerous live dates in the U.S. and Europe. The all-instrumental
album borrowed heavily from 80s synth-rock both in its songwriting and keyboard sound
library. Although this was a musical environment foreign to Rosenwinkel, he was able to
maintain his sound and playing style much to the benefit of the album.
2019 also uncovered a Rosenwinkel fusion EP recorded twenty-seven years
earlier.196 A collaboration with keyboardist Scott Kinsey, the album Do It 1992197 is
relatively typical for early 90s fusion; rife with rigid, programmed electric drumbeats and
heavy synth pads. Kinsey, a friend of Rosenwinkel from his days at Berklee, displays
excellent technique and a sophisticated command of rhythmic concepts. Rosenwinkel
shows brief glimpses of his developing unique style, but loses himself periodically in the
Scofield-esque, heavily chorused, distorted guitar tone, as in the song “Quietly He Steps
Into Insanity.” The oddly addictive “Writer Blocks” is a strange conflation of Devo and
Thomas Dolby, redeemed and elevated by Rosenwinkel’s relaxed playing, and natural
guitar tone. Even at its early stage of development, there is more than enough evidence to
suggest Rosenwinkel’s style was exceptional, and his ability surpassed many fusion
guitarists of the day.
Rosenwinkel’s most recent offering, Angels Around,198 was released in May of
2020 on Heartcore Records. A reversion to the trio format and standard repertoire, Angels
193
Roger Farbey, “LJF 2019: Ozmosys,” Jazz Journal, November 17, 2019.
https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2019/11/17/ljf-2019-ozmosys/.
194
Ozmosys, Eyes to the Future, Vol. 1, OZmosis Records B07ZWKMZL8, CD, 2019.
195
“Music,” Ozmosys Band, accessed July 10, 2020, https://ozmosysband.com/eyes-to-the-future-vol-1.
196
“Shop,” Heartcore Records, accessed July 10, 2020, https://shop.heartcore-records.com/product/kurt-
rosenwinkelit-1992-download.
197
Kurt Rosenwinkel and Scott Kinsey, Do It 1992, Heartcore Records MOCLD-1015, CD, 2019.
198
Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio, Angels Around, Heartcore Records HCR-08, CD, 2020.
40
Around serves as an extension 2009’s Reflections. Whereas Reflections was more
conservative in its treatment of standards, Angels is more adventurous and exploratory.
For Angels Rosenwinkel recruited prominent Italian bass player Dario Deidda, and
virtuoso percussionist Gregory Hutchinson, an acquaintance from the 1990s New York
jazz scene.199 The album includes works by Thelonious Monk (“Ugly Beauty”), Bill
Evans (“Time Remembered”), Paul Chambers (“Ease It”), Charles Mingus (“Self Portrait
in Three Colors”), Antonio Carlos Jobim (“Passarim”), and Joe Henderson (“Punjab”).200
Rosenwinkel additionally contributes two originals, “Simple #2” and the title track
“Angels Around.” Rosenwinkel’s guitar tones range from traditional jazz guitar sounds to
his signature slightly distorted, flute-like tone. He modifies his technique to fit the
contours of the individual motif’s disposition, as if the music dictates the technique rather
than the instrumentalist. To Rosenwinkel this represents definite progress toward “the
way that I really hear the guitar in my mind.”201
199
Heartcore Records, Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio – Angels Around: Heartcore Records’ Newest Release
Available on May 8th 2020, accessed July 10, 2020, https://heartcore-records.com/news/kurt-
rosenwinkelio-angels-around.
200
Phillip Woolever, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio: Angels Around,” Allaboutjazz.com, May 11, 2020.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/angels-around-kurt-rosenwinkel-trio-heartcore-records.
201
J. D. Considine, “The Shifting Technique of Kurt Rosenwinkel,” Downbeat, July 22, 2020.
https://downbeat.com/news/detail/shift-kurt-
rosenwinkel?fbclid=IwAR0S3IXkc_CtVfq13u5j10cD65JFcEY2WhQ2XOhn89Cbv616CHDwi5IY03s.
Chapter 6
Equipment
Generally—and especially with regard to jazz—a guitarist’s equipment is not a
fundamental component of their style. The adage familiar to many guitarists in support of
this statement is that “tone is in the hands,”202 meaning a guitarist’s individual style will
be identifiable regardless of the guitar, amp, etc. While it cannot be said that Kurt
Rosenwinkel’s equipment is the sine qua non of his sound and style, it is nonetheless a
substantial factor in helping manifest into reality the sound he hears internally, enabling
his style to project unimpeded. Rosenwinkel’s sound has evolved over his career,
becoming less guitar-like, often emulating a voice or horn. The transition has been a
venture of trial and error, with components added or removed to suit his tastes at the time.
His guitar, amplifier, and effects have all undergone experimentation and substitution in
his tone quest. This chapter is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of every piece of
equipment Rosenwinkel has utilized throughout his career, but rather to highlight specific
pieces that exert the most influence over his tone.
Guitars
Through much of his career Rosenwinkel has relied on semi-hollow body guitars.
While at Berklee, he used a black Yamaha SA 2100 (which was also used on his East
Coast Love Affair CD). On the album Intuit he used a Gibson ES-325. Rosenwinkel
reported using a Gibson ES-325 as well as a Gretsch Tennessee Model (with after-market
pickups) on Chris Cheek’s album I Wish I Knew. For Brian Blade’s album Perception, as
202
See e.g., Ron Jackson, “Weekly Workout: Tone is in the Hands—and Here’s How to Find It,” Acoustic
Guitar, May 24, 2016. https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-tone-is-in-the-hands-and-heres-how-to-
find-it/; Pete Thorn, “Tone Tips: Hands vs. Gear?” Premier Guitar, January 13, 2016.
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/23482-tone-tips-hands-vs-gear.
41
42
well as Mark Turner’s album Ballads, Rosenwinkel chose a white Gibson ES-335 (which
he affectionately refers to as the “Albino Guitar”). On Enemies of Energy he used a
vintage red Gibson ES-335, as well as a no-name nylon string guitar purchased for him
by Ben Street while in Turkey. For a short period of time Rosenwinkel also used a black
Epiphone Emperor.203 A mainstay of his guitar arsenal is a D’Angelico NYSS-3 (the neck
pickup substituted with a Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker). For a brief time, he used a
semi-hollow guitar custom made by Italian luthier Domenico Moffa, but returned to his
D’Angelico. He has also on occasion used a Sadowsky semi-hollow as well as an Ibanez
Artcore.204 More recently, Rosenwinkel has used his signature model made by Japanese
company Westville. He has also used Yamaha solid body guitars, for example, live with
the OJM,205 with the band Ozmosys,206 and at the 45th Voll-Damm Jazz Festival in
Barcelona.207 This is the most dramatic change for him, as the feel and tone of a solid
body guitar is significantly different than that of a semi-hollow bodied guitar.
Amplifiers
Rosenwinkel’s choice in amplifiers has been less varied than that of his guitars or
effects. Traditionally, he favored Polytone amplifiers, but also used various Fender amps
(which are commonly available as backline equipment in jazz clubs).208 During the
recording of Star of Jupiter, he used a Port City Pearl amplifier, which has a substantial
203
A. Ballhorn, “Von AC/DC Zum Modern Jazz: Kurt Rosenwinkels Vertrackter Kosmos,” Gitarre &
Bass, June 2000, 75.
204
Ibid.
205
The Jazz Soloist, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Improvising on Turns with the OJM,” YouTube video, 2:46, June
22, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkpqQ6pXktY.
206
Rudy Lu, “osmosys-2674,” Nippertown, June 26, 2019.
https://www.nippertown.com/2019/06/26/ozmosys-shows-that-jazz-rock-fusion-still-flies-at-the-falcon/.
207
Victor Parreno Vidiella, “Kurt Rosenwinkel – Star of Jupiter,” VPV Foto, November 10, 2013.
http://vpvfoto.blogspot.com/2013/11/kurt-rosenwinkel-star-of-jupiter.html.
208
Ballhorn, “Von AC/DC.”
43
amount of headroom209 and responds well to effects pedals.210 More recently, he has
experimented with modeling amplifiers which are solid state, but can emulate the sound
of a tube amp, and feature built-in effects and numerous amplifier voicings. Rosenwinkel
has used the Kemper Profiler amp, which has the ability to sample and analyze the sound
of any amplifier, and recreate the tonal footprint, and the Fractal Audio Axe-FX rack
unit. The Axe-FX similarly contains numerous amplifier voicings as well as built-in
effects.211
Effects Processors
It is in the arena of effects processors that the most significant alterations to
Rosenwinkel’s tone occur, creating the most idiosyncratic attributes of his sound.
Rosenwinkel extensive use of effects processors is intended to “extend the expressive
capability of the guitar.”212 Early in his career, Rosenwinkel limited his use of effects to
reverb and delay. The addition of his voice via lavalier microphone lent a more organic
(obviously vocal-like), nebulous quality to his notes. Gradually, as Rosenwinkel sought
to create a more vocal- or horn-like texture, he added distortion which increased the
sustain of notes and minimized pick attack. This roughly simulated the soft articulation
breath creates in wind instruments, rather than the sharp click of a guitar pick. To
augment this effect further, Rosenwinkel now employs two effects pedals from the
209
Headroom refers to the maximum volume an amplifier can reach to before distortion occurs.
210
Barry Cleveland, “Listening to the Future: Kurt Rosenwinkel on ‘Star of Jupiter’ and Beyond,” Rising,
March 26, 2013.
https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=junny0728&logNo=90169631755&proxyReferer=https:%
2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F.
211
D’Angelico Guitars, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Talks Gear and Sound at NAMM 2020 | D’Angelico Guitars,”
interview by Ryan Kershaw, YouTube video, 26:16, January 30, 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5--rd1JBd48.
212
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Looking Ahead, and to the Cosmos, with Guitarist and Composer Kurt
Rosenwinkel,” interview with Josh Jackson, The Checkout, WBGO, 2012.
https://www.wbgo.org/post/looking-ahead-and-cosmos-guitarist-and-composer-kurt-rosenwinkel#stream/0.
44
company Electro-Harmonix: the Harmonic Octave Generator (also known as the
“HOG2”) and the Polyphonic Octave Generator (also known as the “POG2”).213 The
HOG2 enables Rosenwinkel to add up to ten polyphonic voices to the original note,
ranging from two octaves below the original note, to four octaves above it. The pedal also
provides a “freeze” function, a form of delay that acts much like a piano’s sostenuto
pedal.214 This allows Rosenwinkel to play a note or chord, activate the freeze function
(sustaining that note or chord), and play other material on top of the sustained note or
chord. He often uses this function to play chord-on-chord harmony, upper structures, and
superimpositions215 to achieve sophisticated, piano-like harmonic textures.216 The most
striking and most frequently used effect is the POG2. In addition to the ability to add
notes to the original tone(s) in different octaves (similar to the HOG2), the attack control
acts as an extremely rapid volume swell, which effectively cuts off the pick attack of the
note, creating a smooth, horn-like quality.217 “I always felt like the pick was interrupting
the rhythm of the lines. And I don’t really like the sound of every note having such a big
transient to it. I have a smoother sound in my head. When you sing a melody, the voice
doesn’t have any percussive element. That’s where I live in the melodies—after the
transient, or after you start easing into a note.”218 Rosenwinkel controls the mass of
213
D’Angelico Guitars, “Kurt Rosenwinkel.”
214
“HOG2 Harmonic Octave Generator,” Electro-Harmonix, accessed July 22, 2020,
https://shop.ehx.com/item/hog2/.
215
Considine, “Shifting Technique.”
216
217
“POG2 Harmonic Octave Generator,” Electro-Harmonix, accessed July 22, 2020,
https://shop.ehx.com/item/pog2/.
218
Bill Milkowski, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Discusses Sound, Technique and Approaching Jazz Guitar Like a
Pianist,” GuitarPlayer, November 19, 2020. https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/kurt-rosenwinkel-
discusses-sound-technique-and-approaching-jazz-guitar-like-a-pianist.
45
effects through a universal midi controller made by RGM Music Technology called the
Mastermind GT.219
While this agglomeration of equipment was curated gradually by Rosenwinkel in
his quest for tone, its complexity can be a focal point for fans. Rosenwinkel recollected a
fan approaching him after a performance, scanning the hodgepodge of pedals, racks, and
cables, expressing equal parts awe and confusion, to which Rosenwinkel (somewhat)
jokingly responded “all of this stuff to make it sound like a guitar.”220
219
220
Ibid.
Chapter 7
Unique Technical Characteristics
Like many great musicians, Kurt Rosenwinkel exhibits innate idiosyncrasies in
his technique that make his playing identifiable. Whether due to natural physical
characteristics, technical peculiarities or limitations, or habitual motifs based on muscle
memory, all contribute to the individuality of his overall sound.
Physical Characteristics
In a style akin to earlier jazz artists like Tal Farlow or Barney Kessel, as well as
blues and rock players like Buddy Guy, B. B. King, or Jimi Hendrix (especially guitarists
with large hands), Rosenwinkel often plays with his left-hand thumb bent over the
fretboard, using it to play low notes (on the E and/or A strings) of chords, while freeing
his other four fingers to play additional chord tensions or melodic lines within the chord.
In single note lines, the use of the thumb on low notes facilitates rapid wide-interval leaps
that would be difficult and potentially clumsy if limited to the four fingers.
Figure 7.1.221 Rosenwinkel’s left hand technique.
221
Kurtisrosenwinkel. “Come join me this weekend for my guitarmony masterclass! I’ll teach you how to
play the lick over every chord!” Instagram video, January 27, 2021. Accessed January 29, 2021.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKkEwuxK0Jz/.
46
47
Rosenwinkel normally holds the plectrum loosely between his thumb and first and
second fingers. While he practices single-note lines picking each note, he does so only to
ensure his technique is sufficient to accommodate such a need, should it arise: “I pick
every note so that I will be able to do that if I want to. For inflection and phrasing in my
solos, I'll do a mixture of both [picking and legato techniques].”222
Figure 7.2.223 Rosenwinkel’s right hand technique.
To compensate for the supporting role his picking hand often plays, Rosenwinkel
has developed a strong left-hand technique: “I don’t even have to pick many of the notes.
If I’m playing, I can bring them out with my left hand. And so I developed a physical
technique to just be able to play.”224 Rosenwinkel equates this technique to that of
legendary fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth “where his left hand is really playing the
notes, and maybe his right hand is just being used for articulation here and there, or just
to help interface with what you get when you only use your left hand, just to bring some
things out or to help the shape of it along.”225
Also like Holdsworth, Rosenwinkel is naturally able to execute wide stretches on
the fretboard allowing him to play large intervals quicky in succession, akin to a horn
222
223
Kurtisrosenwinkel. “Come join me this weekend.”
224
Milkowski, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Discusses Sound.”
225
Ibid.
48
player. For example, note the stretch of five frets in measure 133 his improvised solo on
Joe Henderson’s song “Inner Urge”:
Figure 7.3.226 Wide interval example.
Rosenwinkel alternates between B♭notes using his first and fourth fingers on the E and B
strings. Because the two strings have slightly different tonal characteristics when
sounding the same note, the effect is similar to a horn player using alternate fingerings of
a single note.
Rosenwinkel is also quite comfortable incorporating the fourth finger of his left
hand into his lines. The fourth finger, because it is typically weaker than the other three,
is less often utilized by some jazz guitarists including Wes Montgomery, George Benson,
and Peter Bernstein.227
Recurrent Motifs
Rosenwinkel returns to certain motifs and patterns that have become unique
melodic habits. These motifs and patterns are often more gestural in nature, and less (or
not at all) dependent upon the underlying chord progression. Their appeal is related to the
comfort and familiarity afforded the musician; muscle memory allows them to be
executed with exiguous aforethought and considerable facility, and because the motifs
226
Peter Beets, “NEW MIX! Inner Urge | Peter Beets Trio with Kurt Rosenwinkel,” YouTube video, 10:59,
May 17, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEJGn-bkbQ0.
227
It can also reasonably be argued that using only three fingers necessitates certain slides and position
shifts that more accurately execute the syncopation and off-beat slurs common in jazz horn phrasing.
However, Rosenwinkel, who is well versed in bebop phrasing, quite competently executes
characteristically jazz phrases while using four fingers.
49
and patterns have proved successful in past musical settings, the risk of failure is low for
the musician.
One well-known example of such a device is used by Pat Metheny. He frequently
employs a fast, four-note pattern, moved chromatically in both ascending and descending
directions. The notated example below comes from the Miles Davis song “Solar” on
Metheny’s 1990 album Question and Answer:
Figure 7.4.228 Pat Metheny example.
This deceptively simple motif is quite difficult for most guitarists, as each note of
the four-note pattern is played on a different string and the last note is articulated by what
is known as a “hammer-on from nowhere.” This requires the guitarist to sound the note
solely through the percussive strike of the left-hand finger—without any articulation from
the right hand. Metheny is able to make the motif sound simple through his obvious skill,
and the sheer number of times he has played it.
Rosenwinkel employs a similar device in his solo on “How Deep Is the Ocean”
from the album Intuit:
228
Pat Metheny, “Solar,” track 1 on Question and Answer, Geffen Records, 1990, CD.
50
Figure 7.5.229 Rosenwinkel recurring pattern.
The same pattern is repeated nineteen measures later:
Figure 7.6.230 Rosenwinkel recurring pattern 2.
Another example occurs in the solo section of “Darn That Dream,” also from the
Intuit album:
Figure 7.7.231 Triad pair motif.
Instances of this horn-like pattern can also be found in his solos over “All or
Nothin’ at All”232 from his album East Coast Love Affair at 4:35, as well as in the song
“A Shifting Design”233 from his album The Next Step, at 5:40. A very similar pattern can
be found in the playing of tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker. In the Joey Calderazzo
song “Midnight Voyage” Brecker employs a version of this figure (written in concert
pitch):
229
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “How Deep Is the Ocean,” track 1 on Intuit, Criss Cross Jazz, 1998, CD.
230
Ibid.
231
Ibid.
232
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “All or Nothin’ at All,” track 2 on East Coast Love Affair, Fresh Sound Records,
1996, CD.
233
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “A Shifting Design,” track 3 on The Next Step Verve Records, 2001, CD.
51
Figure 7.8.234 Michael Brecker example.
Rosenwinkel has frequently employed a fast, legato, often descending glissando-
like pattern, similar to John Coltrane’s “Sheets of Sound” concept (a term originally
coined by critic Ira Gitler), described as “multi-note hailstorms of dense textures that
sound like a simultaneous series of waterfalls.”235 Rosenwinkel’s intent is harmonic
rather than melodic in this pattern: “I might play a really fast run, but the intention of that
run is meant to be harmonic, like sheets of sound or something, in lieu of playing a
voicing. So it’s both melody and harmony. I’m implying the contour of the harmony with
lines, like what saxophone players do.”236 Examples of this device can be found in his
song “View from Moscow”237 from his live album The Remedy at 2:50, and multiple
times in in the song “Use of Light”238 from the album Deep Song at 4:41, 4:47, and 6:07.
Rosenwinkel also frequently utilizes triads in his improvisations, a concept more
commonly used by pianists and saxophonists. In a major scale, major triads can be found
starting from the first, fourth and fifth degree. Triads from the fourth and fifth degrees,
played as chords or in some succession, identify the scale/key without expressly playing
the root triad. An early example of this device can be heard in the solo of John Coltrane
234
Michael Brecker, “Midnight Voyage,” track 2 on Tales From the Hudson, Impulse!, 1996, CD
235
Douglas Groothuis, “John Coltrane and the Meaning of Life,” Allaboutjazz.com, January 22, 2015.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/john-coltrane-and-the-meaning-of-life-john-coltrane-by-douglas-
groothuis.php.
236
Milkowski, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Discusses Sound.”
237
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “View from Moscow,” track 5 on The Remedy (Live at the Village Vanguard).
Wommusic ArtistShare 2008, CD.
238
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Use of Light,” track 6 on Deep Song, Verve Records, 2005, CD.
52
over the Miles Davis classic “So What” recorded live in New York on April 2, 1959.239
At approximately 4:50, Coltrane plays F and G triads in a basic arpeggio pattern over the
Dm7 chord, indicating the key of C major (treating the Dm7 as a ii chord in the key of C
major). The triads can also be combined in sequence to form a hexatonic scale (in this
case, a major scale without the third). For example, in the key of C, the IV and V triads
(F-A-C and G-B-D) can be played in various arpeggio permutations, or combined in
sequence to form the hexatonic C-D-F-G-A-B.
The triad pair technique is illustrated in the first two measures of Rosenwinkel’s
solo over “How Deep Is the Ocean” from his record Intuit:
Figure 7.9.240 Triad pair arpeggios.
Rosenwinkel plays A♭ and B♭ triads over the C minor chord. He also incorporates major
triads in the introduction. First, A♭ and B♭ triads (from the key of E♭ major), followed by
D♭ and E♭ triads, which could be construed as the IV and V triads of the key of G♭ (a
tritone away from the first chord of the song), or as a parallel dominant of the song’s key:
Figure 7.10.241 “How Deep is the Ocean” introduction.
239
999dsfa, “Miles Davis - So What - The Robert Herridge Theater, New York - April 2, 1959,” YouTube
video, 10:29, December 2, 2012,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=4m50s&v=diHFEapOr_E&feature=youtu.be.
240
Rosenwinkel, “How Deep Is the Ocean.”
241
Ibid.
53
Another use of this triadic technique is displayed in a fast, ascending pattern
Rosenwinkel favors. Used to great effect in his Inner Urge improvisation, Rosenwinkel
plays the pattern in measure 273, then repeats the pattern a whole step down for added
effect:
Figure 7.11.242 Arpeggio phrase from “Inner Urge.”
242
Peter Beets, “NEW MIX!”
Chapter 8
Solo Transcriptions and Comparisons
The following songs were chosen due to their prevalence in the jazz world, thus
providing a broader pallet of potential comparisons, and for their chronographic interest.
Spanning Rosenwinkel’s career, the analysis in toto also brings to light Rosenwinkel’s
improvisatory development over time.
Improvisations from solo guitar performances were intentionally omitted from
consideration in this essay. As opposed to a melodic improvisation supported by
independent harmonic and rhythmic instruments, the act of maintaining a song’s
harmonic progression and tempo by oneself while additionally conceiving of and
executing a melodic improvisation demands a different set of considerations which may
affect improvisatory choices. Thus, comparisons between an improvisation harmonically
and rhythmically supported externally and an improvisation undertaken while also
simultaneously providing the aforementioned support would be unrepresentative and
ineffective.
Furthermore, these analyses focus on the melodic and harmonic content of
phrases, their compositional development, and significance within the greater scope of
the improvisation. Elements like tone, articulation, or “feel,” while no less important, can
be subjective, and are not utilized in the artist comparison. Rather, those elements of
Rosenwinkel’s style have been examined separately in previous chapters.
It should be noted that the use of accidentals in the following transcriptions
generally adhere to the standard practice in which accidentals agree with the underlying
chord symbols. However, this practice was not followed when non-diatonic material was
54
55
superimposed. In those instances, accidentals agree with the superimposition so that the
motivic function is more easily discernable for the reader. Additionally, accidentals were
altered to eliminate awkward interval leaps.
In the live transcriptions, there are limited dynamic and articulation markings.
This is due to the fact that the overall volume of the live performance remained relatively
consistent. Additionally, the compression of Rosenwinkel’s tone further limited dynamic
range. Rosenwinkel’s use of effects that clip off the articulation of his pick attack render
a majority of the articulations homogenous, and thus not warranting significant notation.
“How Deep Is the Ocean”
The first transcription is from Rosenwinkel’s second album, Intuit, released in
1998. “How Deep Is the Ocean” was written by Irving Berlin and released in 1932. A
consistently popular song for jazz artists, it has been recorded by such diverse musicians
as Paul Whiteman (1932), Charlie Parker (1947), John Coltrane (1956), and Chet Baker
(1985).243 In this instance, comparisons will be drawn from examples by John Scofield,
Bill Frisell, and Lage Lund.
In this improvisation, Rosenwinkel displays his application of triads, as well as
the use of triad pairs (see examples above). Four measures after his initial triad pair
phrase at the introduction of his solo Rosenwinkel again utilizes a triad motif over a
minor ii – V progression in G minor, outlining the triads A♭ first inversion (over Am7♭5),
B♭ first inversion with an added 9th (over D7, highlighting the root, ♯9, and ♭7), and both
a G minor triad and an A minor first inversion triad over the G minor chord. While the
243
Ted Gioia, The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012),
148–49.
56
A♭ triad could be viewed as an A♮ diminished chord or a minor-major seventh chord with
a ♭9 replacing the root, an option more in accord with the harmony, it is more likely
Rosenwinkel was thinking of the more familiar A♭ major shape as superimposed over the
Am7♭5 chord. In the next measure, Rosenwinkel uses a G♭ second inversion triad over an
Fm7 chord, sounding the ♭13/♯5, ♭9, and 11 of the chord:
Figure 8.1.244 “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 6.
Another characteristic facet of Rosenwinkel’s playing is his use of the full range
of the instrument. Much like a saxophone player, Rosenwinkel is accustomed to quickly
traversing the entire fretboard in a relatively short period of time. In this improvisation,
Rosenwinkel ascends (using a characteristic pattern described above) from A4 to D7 in
the span of five measures:
244
245
Ibid.
57
Additionally, Rosenwinkel makes unconventional note choices in some of his
single-note lines as well as his chordal playing. Over a half-diminished chord, a common
scale choice might be the locrian mode (the seventh mode of the major scale), or the
locrian ♮2 mode from the melodic minor scale.246 In the below example, John Scofield
utilizes both scales during his solo. First, he implies the locrian mode by using the ♭9 in
his minor ii – V line:
Figure 8.3.247 John Scofield “How Deep is the Ocean excerpt 1.
In a subsequent minor ii – V progression he again implies the locrian mode by alternating
between the ♭9 and the ♭3:
246
The melodic minor scale, also known as the jazz minor or ascending minor scale, is constructed with the
scale degrees 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The locrian ♮2 is the sixth mode of the melodic minor scale, identical to
the locrian mode of the major scale, but featuring a ♮2 instead of the ♭2 of the major-scale counterpart.
247
osvaldo manzanero, “How Deep - John Scofield Trio,” YouTube video, 6:11, May 12, 2012,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6tZZplo574.
248
Ibid.
58
Later, Scofield utilizes the ♮2, implying the locrian ♮2 mode:
Another alternative would be to simply feature notes from the Am7♭5 arpeggio as Bill
Frisell chose to do in his solo (with an added quartal interjection for tension):
Figure 8.6.250 Bill Frisell “How Deep is the Ocean excerpt 1.
Lage Lund also used a more conventional vocabulary over the minor ii – V
progressions in this song. In each of the examples below, Lund chooses to address the
half-diminished chord using the locrian mode:
Figure 8.7.251 Lage Lund “How Deep is the Ocean excerpt 1.
249
Ibid.
250
Paul Motian, “How Deep is the Ocean,” track 1 on On Broadway Volume 3. JMT Records, 1993, CD.
251
Lage Lund, “How Deep is the Ocean,” track 4 on Romantic Latino for Ladies. Leafage Jazz, 2006, CD.
252
Ibid.
59
In measure 45, over a Cm7♭5 chord, Rosenwinkel instead chose to use the four-note
figure D-E (enharmonically spelled as F♭)-A♭-D, which articulate the 9, ♮3, and ♭13 of
the chord, and then outline a first-inversion D major arpeggio, highlighting the 9, 13, and
♯11 of the chord. In the first note grouping, the F♭ (enharmonically E♮) is the ♮3 of the
Cm7♭5 chord, an odd choice. However, since the note occurs on an upbeat and in the
larger context of a superimposed tonality, the note choice sounds less challenging to the
underlying harmony. In the second two beats, the E♭, while not part of the D chord, rather
than functioning as a ♭9 of D, seems rather to be an upper neighbor to the D note, within
the harmony of the Cm7♭5 chord. This makes the last two notes, which while diatonic to
the D triad, stand out more because they deviate from the Cm7♭5 harmony. This results
in an interesting dichotomy for the listener; while both tonalities are grounded in a
harmonic foundation, the contrasting elements of the overlap create an intriguing
dissonance:
253
Ibid.
254
60
Over the subsequent F7 chord, Rosenwinkel plays an E♮ (the ♮7 over a dominant-
seventh chord—again, a note that challenges the underlying harmony even more so than
the previous usage of the ♮3) on beat one before outlining a G♭ minor arpeggio, lending
an altered feel to the line by including the ♭9 and ♯5:
Interestingly, in Figure 8.7 above, Lage Lund also plays a ♮7 over a dominant-seventh
chord (twice, in fact, both times on downbeats). However, since it occurs in the context
of an augmented triad motif, the dissonance does not stand out as much as in the
Rosenwinkel example. Another unconventional note choice occurs in measure 43, where
Rosenwinkel plays an E♮ over an E♭m7 chord. The E♮ is the ♭9 of the chord. Given the
fact that the note is on the strongest beat of the measure (the first beat) lasts for a quarter
note, and he rests for the remainder of the measure, the dissonance is magnified (the
preceding measure is provided for context):
In measure 44, Rosenwinkel creates an interesting harmony over an A♭7 chord.
The first four notes of the measure outline a basic A♭6 tetrachord. For the second half of
255
Ibid.
256
Ibid.
61
the measure, Rosenwinkel plays a figure using the ♯5 and ♭9, subtly morphing the
harmony from dominant-seventh to altered:
Generally, a musician might choose a dominant-seventh or altered tonality; infrequently
would they play both.
Rosenwinkel displays an interesting symmetrical chord motif over a ii – V
progression in G minor in measure 54. This pattern consists of a fixed quartal chord
voicing moved in parallel up and down the fretboard to suggest harmonic movement.
Articulated solely on the upbeats of the three measures, the pattern does not appear to
resolve during any particular chord. In fact, the last chord Rosenwinkel plays is a B♭
dominant-seventh shape, suggesting the following chord, Fm7. However, he does not
resolve the statement on beat one of the next measure. Instead, he plays a B♭7sus2258
chord on the upbeat of the second beat of the measure, anticipating the expected B♭7
chord on beat three of the song’s progression:
257
Ibid.
258
A sus chord (also known as a sus4 or suspended chord), substitutes the third of a chord with the fourth,
thus containing the root, fourth, and fifth. A related chord, called the sus2 chord, substitutes the third with
the second. A dominant 7 sus chord includes the ♭7.
259
62
In measure 97 Rosenwinkel finds an interesting way to prepare a ii – V
progression in C minor. The chord in the measure leading up to the ii – V is Cmin. In this
measure Rosenwinkel plays eighth note patterns outlining a G triad (the V of the
forthcoming Dm7♭5), followed by a Dm7 chord (anticipating the change two beats before
the Dm7♭5 appears). Then, in the measure featuring the ii – V progression, Rosenwinkel
plays a CmMaj7 arpeggio, followed by a G9 arpeggio over the V chord. Over the C
minor chord in the next measure, Rosenwinkel delays the resolution by playing a two-
beat eighth note figure outlining a D minor triad and a chromatic approach to a second
inversion C major triad over beats three and four, which he then repeats (flatting the E
this time) to outline the Am7♭5 in the first two beats of the next measure:
Additional interesting chord superimpositions occur in measure 106. Here,
Rosenwinkel uses an anticipatory second-inversion A♭ triad over both an E♭7 chord as
well as the target E♭m7. The triad sounds consonant over both contrasting chords because
the third of the two E♭ chords (G and G♭, respectively) are not present in the triad, which
only highlights the root, 6th, and 11th of E♭. Rosenwinkel then utilizes a syncopated
chordal pattern over the next five measures. Over an F7 chord Rosenwinkel covers a
broad spectrum of dominant tonalities, playing an F7♯9, F7♭9, F9, and an F9♯11. He
260
Ibid.
63
anticipates the next measure’s Fm7 by one eighth note, playing an Fm6/9 chord.
Rosenwinkel next plays an A♭13 shape into the Dm7♭5 chord, which essentially serves as
a chromatic slide-step into the G13 chord he uses over the G7 harmony. He then alters
the G chord by flatting the 5th before anticipating the upcoming C minor chord in
measure 113 by playing an E♭maj7 chord shape, the relative major, containing the same
notes as a Cm9 chord:
In the last three measures of the solo, Rosenwinkel makes use of some four-note
bebop figures to play over the chords B♭7, E♭maj7, and G7. While the contour of the
figures feels familiar, the note choices themselves make the line unique. Over the B♭7
chord, Rosenwinkel plays a common 5-4-3-5 bebop shape. Over the E♭maj7 chord, he
chooses to outline a C minor triad (the relative minor of E♭), starting on the second
degree (2-3-1-5), which could alternatively be viewed as an Emaj13 arpeggio pattern (7-1-
6-5). He then plays a 3-5-4-3 pattern over the G7 chord, sharping the 4th scale degree in
an enclosure which adds an interesting tension to the line before resolving to the root of
the C minor chord in the last measure:
261
Ibid.
64
“Darn That Dream”
The next improvisation is also from Rosenwinkel’s 1998 album Intuit. “Darn That
Dream” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen for the short-lived 1939 musical Swingin’ the
Dream, based on William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While
Swingin’ closed after only thirteen performances, “Darn That Dream” proved
significantly more enduring, a popular ballad choice having been recorded by Benny
Goodman (1939), Miles Davis (1950), Ahmad Jamal (1959), and Thelonious Monk
(1965), among many others.263
Comparisons and contrasts will be made with performances by Wes Montgomery
(playing with George Shearing), Jimmy Raney, as well as younger guitarist Lage Lund.
While each musician plays over the same form and in the same key, the tempos of the
versions vary considerably; however, those differences have not adversely affected the
material for analysis. The tempos are presumably not fast enough to hinder or somehow
limit the freedom of musical expression of the undoubtedly able artists selected, and no
such limitations are perceptible when listening to the recordings. Additionally, while
Lund’s version is considerably faster than the other renditions included and features a
marginally revamped arrangement, because the examples from his track relate more to
small-scale motivic development, scale choices, etc. (and only small portions of his
262
Ibid.
263
Gioia, The Jazz Standards, 75–76.
65
improvisation are featured), the formal differences to Rosenwinkel’s version are
inconsequential.
Rosenwinkel begins the improvisation with a line based in the key of A♭ over the
G chord. This rather intriguing choice is justified firstly by the tension it creates at the
introduction of the solo, but also by the fact that A♭ is the tritone substitute of the
dominant of the underlying chord; thus, Rosenwinkel is essentially executing a late-
resolving V – I line. The final note of the phrase, a dissonant E♭ (the ♭6/enharmonic ♯5 of
the G major harmony), skillfully anticipates the approaching B♭m7 chord occurring in the
third beat of the measure:
Figure 8.18.264 “Darn That Dream” solo m. 1.
Rosenwinkel effectively utilizes contrary motion over a descending chord
progression early in his solo. In the sixth and seventh measures, Rosenwinkel’s line
appears to divide into two voices; a repeated figure is altered slightly with each iteration.
The first note of each figure rises in stepwise motion (representing the first of the divided
voices), while the remainder of the figure descends by a half step each time (representing
the second voice). This demonstrates a rudimentary example of implied polyphony. This
compositional technique, which Johann Sebastian Bach used to great success in some of
his single line writing, involves particular note placement in a single line designed to give
264
Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Darn That Dream,” track 3 on Intuit, Criss Cross Jazz, 1998, CD.
66
the appearance of that line breaking into multiple parallel sequences.265 Rosenwinkel’s
use creates both melodic and rhythmic interest, and the repetition of the general contour
of the figure undergirds the line in spite of the fact that a majority of the notes land on the
4th of each chord (a weaker tension on which to resolve):
In measure 19, Rosenwinkel again makes use of implied polyphony. Over a descending
progression (Gm7 to F♯m7), Rosenwinkel plays two figures, which although descending
in nature, begin on successively higher notes. This fact, along with his accent on the first
note of the second iteration of the figure (D♭) emphasizes the apparent division of the line
(one ascending, the other descending):
265
For an excellent discussion of this phenomena, see Stacey Davis, “Implied Polyphony in the Solo String
Works of J. S. Bach: A Case for the Perceptual Relevance of Structural Expression,” Music Perception 23,
no. 5 (2006): 423, accessed February 15, 2021, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/mp.2006.23.5.423.
266
Rosenwinkel, “Darn That Dream.”
267
Ibid.
67
By comparison, note Bach’s use of the technique in the Chaconne of his D minor Partita:
Figure 8.21.268 Bach D minor Partita, BWV 1004, mm.89–91.
In measure 11, Rosenwinkel shows another interesting choice of notes in his line
over a descending line cliché progression. After a brief 5-4-3 pattern he arpeggiates a B
triad (the V of the underlying chord), then arpeggiates an Em6 chord (over Em/D) up to a
sustained G, which becomes the ♭7 of the next chord, a first-inversion A7. His line then
descends diatonically before anticipating the C♮ of the Cm6 chord (a distinct contrast
from the C♯ note diatonic to the previous chord). Rosenwinkel’s line continues to
descend, landing on an F♯. This is a peculiar choice as it is diatonic neither to the
immediate Cm6, nor the forthcoming Bm7♭5 chord. Rosenwinkel then rests for an eighth
note (allowing the dissonance to linger) before playing a short ascending line that ends on
A♯ (enharmonically B♭), the ♯4/♭5 of the E7 chord. Rosenwinkel resolves this dissonance
by playing the 3 and root of the chord. It is interesting that the notes of longest duration
of this line were also the most dissonant:
268
Johann Sebastian Bach, 6 Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo: Educational Edition, ed. Serge Blanc, 57,
(self-published, n.d.), retrieved from http://www.sergeblanc.com/files/bach-sonatas-partitas-en.pdf
68
In measure 24 Rosenwinkel demonstrates an intriguing way of playing over
adjacent ii – V progressions that descend by a half step, without resorting to the parallel,
transposed replication of a pattern. Here, although the progression descends, the line
appears to ascend because of the descending movement of the previous repeated arpeggio
pattern, in combination with the fact that the second note after the repeated C goes from a
B♭ to a B♮, and the successive notes, although closely following the contour of the
previous melodic pattern, are pitched higher than the previous iterations. Furthermore, the
swirling effect created by the pattern somewhat confuses the harmonic origin elevating
the overall interest of the line:
The varied rhythmic groupings which add tension and contribute to the downbeat
obfuscation may be more pragmatic in nature, a result of making use of convenient
position shifts on the guitar neck to best reach successive notes. After the initial Fm7
arpeggio shape, position shifts may be occurring at the first B♭ (over E♭7) to an E♭ triad
arpeggio shape, at the B♮ (over Am7) to an E minor triad arpeggio shape (outlining the 9,
269
270
Ibid.
69
♭7, and 5 of the underlying chord), at the A♮ (also over Am7) to a D triad arpeggio shape
(articulating the root, 13, and 11 of the chord), and at the F♮ (over E7) to a B♭ triad
arpeggio shape (with an added 6), the tritone substitute of the underlying chord.
For comparison, view Wes Montgomery’s treatment of similar half-step movement of a
tonal center in the same song. In three instances (two descending, one ascending),
Montgomery chooses parallel reiteration of a motif (or a very similar variation of the
original motif):
Figure 8.24.271 Wes Montgomery “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1.
Similarly, in his version of “Darn That Dream,” Lage Lund uses motivic variation in
areas of half-step tonal center movement, in contrary motion to the harmonic movement:
271
George Shearing, “Darn That Dream,” track 10 on George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers,
Jazzland, 1961, CD.
272
Ibid.
273
Ibid.
70
Figure 8.27.274 Lage Lund “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1.
While in this example Lund modifies the consequent phrase slightly, a later example
repeats the antecedent phrase verbatim, even in the face of a changing tonal center:
Jimmy Raney, a guitarist very closely associated with this song also utilizes the parallel
variation technique in one of his versions of the song:
Figure 8.29.276 Jimmy Raney “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1.
It should be noted that the use of parallel variation as opposed to other
improvisational devices should not imply a qualitative judgment indicating a somehow
less skillful use of improvisatory material than that which Rosenwinkel chose to employ;
theme and variation is a fundamental compositional technique, utilized to great effect at
least as early as the Renaissance era.277 Rather, the discussion of Rosenwinkel’s use of
274
Lage Lund, “Darn That Dream,” track 1 on Standards, After Beat, 2007, CD.
275
Ibid.
276
Jimmy Raney, “Darn That Dream,” track 2 on Live in Tokyo, Xanadu Records, 1976, CD.
277
Rebecca Arkenberg, “Music in the Renaissance,” in Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000), https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm.
71
alternative melodic devices is intended to illustrate the uniqueness of some of his musical
choices.
In measure 26, Rosenwinkel plays a dominant-seventh pattern over a B7 chord,
continuing even after the chord has resolved to ensuing the E minor.
This adds to the fluidity of Rosenwinkel’s line and demonstrates his facility in playing
“over the barline,” in which the beginnings and ends of his musical phrases are not
restricted to the first or last beats of the measure. Rosenwinkel’s repeated four-note
pattern does not land on a downbeat on each sequential repetition, and thus obscures the
rhythmic grid. As with the above musical phrase, not only can this rhythmic offset
smooth the transition between chords of disparate tonal centers, but it also contributes to
accentuate the arrival at the actual harmonic resolution. Lund employs a similar
technique in his solo, repeating a triad figure that is gradually altered rhythmically
(starting on different parts of the beat throughout each measure) as well as harmonically
through the repetitions. However, Lund places emphasis here on the offset rhythm of the
pattern and disjointed effect created by starting the phrase on different parts of the
measure:
278
72
In measure 28 Rosenwinkel plays an arpeggiated pattern based on B♭7 and C
augmented (triad) over an E7 chord. This pseudo-triad pair accentuates all of the altered
notes of the E7 chord, and the repetition of the G♯ to C at the end of the figure stresses
the augmented tonality, adding a modern feel to the line:
Augmented tonalities are often favored by Rosenwinkel in playing over dominant-
seventh chords. In measure 30, Rosenwinkel echoes the augmented sound, this time over
a Bm7 to B♭m7 progression, by playing a Dmaj7♯5 arpeggio into the B♭m7 chord:
In addition to its augmented quality, this arpeggio accentuates the ♭3, ♮3, root, ♮7, and 5
of the B♭m7 chord (the ♮3 appearing as a chromatic passing tone). As above, a more
279
Lund, “Darn That Dream.”
280
281
Ibid.
73
conventional melodic apparatus used over a minor-seventh chord descending by a half-
step would be to simply mimic the antecedent figure, transposed accordingly.
“Ask Me Now”
“Ask Me Now” was written by Thelonious Monk and first recorded on July 23,
1951 for Blue Note Records’ Genius of Modern Music sessions.282 Rosenwinkel’s version
analyzed herein was recorded on December 28, 2011 at The Little Bar in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. For this show, Rosenwinkel shared the stage with Mike Boone on double
bass and Anwar M. Marshall on drums.283
Rosenwinkel displays some of his most intriguing playing in this improvisation,
replete with complex rhythmic figures, a rich harmonic language, and thought-provoking
superimpositions. The tempo of Rosenwinkel’s rendition is quite slow (♩ = 54), affording
substantial time over each individual chord to develop ideas and/or twist the harmonic
implications for the listener. Comparisons in this instance will be drawn from song
versions by Peter Bernstein and Jonathan Kreisberg.
In the second half of the third measure (and into the fourth), Rosenwinkel plays
an interesting figure to adeptly transition between A♭7♭5 and B7♭5 chords. This
movement of identical chord forms by an enharmonic minor third would lead many to
play a parallel figure transposed accordingly. Much like the previous examples of
Rosenwinkel’s treatment of tonal center movement by a half step, he similarly creates a
flowing, serpentine line that camouflages the parallel movement. The grand motif is
282
Robin Kelley, Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original (India: Free Press, 2009),
569.
283
Steve B, “Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mike Boone & Anwar M. Marshall ‘Ask me now,’” January 3, 2012,
YouTube video, 11:19, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNoKuc_nCJs.
74
constructed of smaller motivic components which pique the listener’s attention in shorter
temporal intervals, leaving one nearly oblivious to the underlying harmonic change:
Figure 8.34.284 “Ask Me Now” solo m. 3.
Rosenwinkel’s consequent phrase, beginning three notes before the B7♭5 chord,
anticipates the measure and effectively mitigates the transition. This motif is repeated in
measure seven:
A similar technique, used expertly by Peter Bernstein in his masterful solo over
this same song, shows the use of a grand motif, offset from the harmonic rhythm, and
repeated. The offset nature of the phrase masks the descending tonal centers, while
repetition of the contour of the line creates a sense of familiarity for the listener. In this
example, Bernstein plays a fast, descending line followed by three long articulations
(whether single notes or chords). A variation of the phrase is then played in inversion:
284
Ibid.
285
Ibid.
75
Figure 8.36.286 Peter Bernstein “Ask Me Now” excerpt 1.
This theme is echoed later in the solo, building compositional congruity:
Later, Bernstein utilizes an interesting contrary motion motif, in which the
melodic phrase ascends while the chords descend chromatically. A subsequent, higher-
pitched, parallel variation of the phrase is played; thus making the “rising” theme
twofold. Furthermore, the wide interval leap at the end of the phrase mimics that from the
beginning of the phrase transcribed in Figure 8.37 above:
While Bernstein’s version has obvious harmonic significance, the gestural and rhythmic
aspects of the phrase appear paramount.
286
Joe Magnarelli, “Ask Me Now,” track 4 on Hoop Dreams, Criss Cross Jazz, 2006, CD.
287
Ibid.
288
Ibid.
76
In the last figure of the fourth measure, note Rosenwinkel’s use of a B♭
augmented triad to cleverly introduce the forthcoming E♭7:
The six-note figure over the E♭7 chord is then duplicated one measure later over a
D♭maj7 chord and turned into the basis for a descending pattern spanning into the
following measure:
Rosenwinkel shows his facility in smoothly transitioning between adjacent tonal
centers with a long line over an extended descending progression of F♯m7 – B7 – Fm7 –
B♭7 – Em7 – A7. As in his “Darn That Dream” examples, Rosenwinkel obscures the
half-step descent by avoiding parallel transposition of a motif:
289
Steve B, “Ask Me Now.”
290
Ibid.
77
This technique can be compared to Johnathan Kreisberg’s use of parallel patterns
over descending tonal centers in his version of “Ask Me Now:”
Figure 8.42.292 Jonathan Kreisberg “Ask Me Now” excerpt 1.
Kreisberg also makes use of rhythmically offset pattern which cleverly obfuscate the
harmonic rhythm as well as the downbeat:
Similar patterns, not offset rhythmically, but featuring contrary motion, are also used by
Kreisberg in this song:
291
Ibid.
292
Jonathan Kreisberg, “Ask Me Now,” track 7 on New For Now, Criss Cross Jazz, 2005, CD.
293
Ibid.
294
Ibid.
78
Kreisberg also utilizes a form of grand motif in which a longer, descending line is played
over a ii – V progression, then a variation in retrograde (ascending) is played over the
following ii – V progression a half-step lower:
In contrast to Rosenwinkel, the patterns in Kreisberg’s statement are the focal point of the
phrase (a gestural figure), almost like a rock guitar pattern, whereas Rosenwinkel uses
them as a unifying vehicle to proffer disparate harmonic information.
In measure 12, Rosenwinkel again demonstrates his penchant for using
augmented tonalities over dominant chords in a B♭7♯11 – E♭7 progression. He also
interestingly ends his phrase on an A♮, which is the tritone of E♭ (the underlying chord),
as well as the fifth of the upcoming D7 chord (possibly implying the dominant of the
following D7 harmony):
Measure 17 shows Rosenwinkel’s unique chordal treatment of a dominant-
seventh tonality. Rosenwinkel, as evidenced previously, favors varying the characteristics
295
Ibid.
296
Steve B, “Ask me now.”
79
of a static dominant tonality. In this example, through a brief chordal phrase Rosenwinkel
moves from a dominant sus tonality to an altered texture over an A♭7 chord, resolving to
a D♭maj7:
The first chord of the second note group (beat 4 of the measure) is an F♯maj(add 9),
which over an A♭ root creates a dominant-seventh sus 4 chord. The next chord is an
AmMaj7, which over the A♭ root suggests the altered mode298 of the melodic minor
scale.
Rosenwinkel also makes use of implied and/or superimposed harmony in his
improvisations. For example, in measure 18, over a D♭maj7 chord Rosenwinkel implies
an Fm7♭5 – B♭ major progression over the last beast of the measure (in anticipation of
the E♭m7 in the following measure) by playing an A♭ minor triad arpeggio followed by a
B♭ triad arpeggio. The line is compelling in its dichotomy of the tension imposed by the
superimposed harmony, balanced with the simple consonance of the triadic melody:
297
Ibid.
298
The altered mode, the seventh of the melodic minor scale, is also referred to as the diminished whole
tone or super locrian mode.
299
80
In measure 27 Rosenwinkel employs a rhythmic displacement figure reminiscent
of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565.300 The sharply rhythmic line,
punctuated with rests, obscures the beat for almost two measures.
Rosenwinkel rectifies the rhythmic uncertainty with a traditional bebop lick, yet resolves
to the ♭9 on beat one of the next measure:
In contrast to his apparent modus operandi in many similar harmonic situations, in
the second beat of that measure Rosenwinkel plays a repeated transposed figure over
descending dominant seventh chords:
Figure 8.51.303 “Ask Me Now” solo m. 28 (b).
This repeated figure, however, emphasizes the contrary motion to the underlying chord
progression rather than movement in parallel with the chords as in previous examples.
300
See Johann Sebastian Bach and John Philip Sousa. Toccata and Fugue in d minor. Notated Music.
https://www.loc.gov/item/sousa.200031163/.
301
302
Ibid.
303
Ibid.
81
In measure 30 Rosenwinkel makes use of an octatonic scale pattern over an
E♭7♯11 chord. While Rosenwinkel frequently favors altered or augmented tonalities over
dominant chords, and although a more conventional scale choice on this chord would be
the lydian dominant304 mode of the melodic minor scale, here he instead chooses the
whole/half diminished scale:305
“Sandu”
The song “Sandu” was written by Clifford Brown and first released on the 1955
Study in Brown album by Brown and Max Roach.307 Composed over a blues form, this
piece provides an excellent opportunity for comparison analysis, as the blues is one of the
most ubiquitous song templates in jazz. Rosenwinkel’s improvisation was taken from the
August 5, 2012 Standards Trio performance at the Ystad Jazz Festival, in Sweden.
Rosenwinkel is accompanied by Ugonna Okegwo on double bass, and Justin Faulkner on
drums.308 Because the blues form is generally uniform (and ubiquitous!) in jazz,
comparative analysis was not limited to the specific song “Sandu.” Thus, for comparison,
304
The fourth mode of the melodic minor scale, the lydian dominant is constructed with the scale degrees
1, 2, 3, ♯4, 5, 6, ♭7.
305
The diminished scale (also known as the octatonic scale) typically played over diminished chords is a
symmetrical scale made up of alternating half steps and whole steps (starting with a while step). It can also
be thought of as constructed by adding a leading tone to each note of a diminished chord. In this instance,
while the intervallic symmetry is the same, the scale starts with a half step. This accentuates the ♭5, ♭9, ♯9,
and ♮13 of the underlying chord and is an ideal choice for altered tonalities with an unaltered 13.
306
307
Clifford Brown and Max Roach, “Sandu,” track 6 on Study in Brown, EmArcy, 1955, CD.
308
Javier Spicer, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio Sandu 2013,” January 19, 2019, YouTube video,
13:12, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5TGrfItJ8A.
82
the contributions of John Scofield, Adam Rogers, and Dutch guitarist Jesse Van Ruller
were chosen.
Rosenwinkel’s improvisation on “Sandu” displays a robust repertoire of
traditional blues and bebop material, and a reverence for the type of thematic
development exemplified in blues melodies. Also conventional is Rosenwinkel’s choice
to begin the improvisation with more reserved phrasing, adhering to a harmonic language
much in line with what could be qualified as characteristically “blues.” Rosenwinkel
intersperses long sixteenth-note bebop lines among blues phrases for variation and
exciting effect. Note the bebop infused line in the turnaround of the second chorus, which
extends into the beginning of the next chorus:
Figure 8.53.309 “Sandu” solo m. 19.
After this muscular line, Rosenwinkel returns to a more restrained feel, directly quoting
the song’s melody:
309
Ibid.
310
Ibid.
83
In analyzing Rosenwinkel’s style, many similarities can be drawn from the
playing of John Scofield. In his treatment of a blues progression—in this case the song
“Trio Blues” from his album This Meets That—Scofield opens his solo with a very
simple melodic statement, and intersperses chord jabs into his improvisation, effectively
comping for himself:
Figure 8.55.311 John Scofield “Trio Blues” excerpt 1.
Like Rosenwinkel, Scofield also likes to interject traditional bebop language into
his improvisation, as in the turnaround below:
Gradually, Rosenwinkel begins to introduce more challenging harmonic language
into his improvisation. In measure 36, for example, he injects the 7, 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the E
major scale into an E♭ dominant-seventh line for added tension:
311
John Scofield, “Trio Blues,” track 9 on This Meets That, EmArcy, 2007, CD.
312
Ibid.
84
In measure 40, Rosenwinkel performs an ascending melodic line quite similar to
his Bach-like offset rhythmic phrase in “Ask Me Now” (see above) to cloud the time and
build tension before resolving to the IV chord in the following measure:
A similar offset rhythmic pattern is utilized by Jesse Van Ruller in his version of
“Sandu,” although the line does not develop an overall ascending or descending quality.
Rather, focus is dedicated to the breaking up of the rhythm of the E♭ arpeggio,
obfuscating the downbeat and carrying the pattern over the barline:
Figure 8.59.315 Jesse Van Ruller “Sandu” excerpt 1.
Rosenwinkel produces a barrage of sixteenth-note lines before returning to a
variation of the song’s melody in measure 50. This periodic return to the original melody
helps ground the solo and provides a reference for the listener. The segment of familiarity
313
Javier Spicer, “Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio.”
314
Ibid.
315
Jesse Van Ruller, “Sandu,” track 8 on Live at Murphy’s Law, Munich Records, 2005, CD.
85
allows Rosenwinkel to venture even further outside the conventional with his
improvisation than he might normally, as the listener is provided intermittent sonic
landmarks—moments of familiarity that serve as a temporary respite in the improvisatory
exploration:
Also utilizing this technique, Scofield quotes the original melody in his improvisation,
maintaining cohesion:
A similar statement and development of a simple melodic phrase is evidenced
quite skillfully by Adam Rogers318 over the Charlie Parker blues “Cheryl” from his Time
and the Infinite album. Here, Rogers develops the statement by altering the rhythmic
footprint while maintaining the pitches of the initial statement:
316
317
Scofield, “Trio Blues.”
318
Adam Rogers is a New York-based guitarist who has appeared on over 200 albums. He is best known
for his association with saxophonists Michael Brecker and Chris Potter, Christian McBride, Cassandra
Wilson, and Kenny Barron. Adam Rogers. “Home.” Accessed March 26, 2021.
https://www.adamrogersmusic.com/.
86
Figure 8.62.319 Adam Rogers “Cheryl” excerpt 1.
As mentioned previously, Rosenwinkel often favors altered or augmented
harmonies when playing over dominant-seventh chords. In some instances, however he
instead chooses diminished material as in measure 62:
To refresh the sonic texture, Rosenwinkel introduces a series of sus chords in
measure 73, which modernizes the sound of the progression and locks in with the rhythm
section, underscoring the groove of the song:
A similar technique, although one less developed in his improvisation, is
demonstrated by Van Ruller, superimposing a sus/quartal harmonic language over the
existing chords:
319
Adam Rogers, “Cheryl,” track 5 on Time and the Infinite, Criss Cross Jazz, 2007, CD.
320
321
Ibid.
87
Figure 8.65.322 Jesse Van Ruller “Sandu” excerpt 2.
In measure 76 Rosenwinkel employs a common four-note bebop phrase (5, 3,
2,1), but creates interest by modulating down a whole step with each repetition:
A similar device is used by Scofield. Over an F7 chord he repeats his phrase, transposed
down by one half step to add tension to the overall line:
Rogers also utilizes modulation of a motif during his improvisation. Here, at the end of
his second chorus he takes a three-note phrase and modulates it with each repetition:
322
Van Ruller, “Sandu.”
323
324
Scofield, “Trio Blues.”
88
Rogers displays this technique again later in his solo:
Rogers also repeats a four-note bebop cell, modulating it each time:
In the last three beats of measure 84 Rosenwinkel again makes reference to the
pickup phrase of the original melody:
In an interesting harmonic selection, at the start of the next chorus Rosenwinkel
plays an extended (two beat) A♭9 chord over the E♭7 chord. It is probable that
Rosenwinkel simply desired the ♭3/♯9 sound provided by the A♭9 chord (not that he was
325
Rogers, “Cheryl.”
326
Ibid.
327
Ibid.
328
89
mistaken about his place in the form) as his next line clearly outlines E♭ dominant-
seventh tonality:
In measure 88 Rosenwinkel executes a quasi “sheets of sound” descending
gestural phrase, similar to Bernstein’s lines notated above in his “Ask Me Now” solo:
This line also reaffirms Rosenwinkel’s penchant for implementing augmented tonalities
over dominant-seventh chords. In this case Rosenwinkel used the A augmented triad (the
tritone of the underlying E♭), repeated in three octaves. Over the E♭7 chord, this triad
articulates the ♯11/♭5, ♭7, and ♮9 tensions of the chord. Rogers also employs augmented
tonalities in his improvisation, in this case though using an ascending A♭7♯5 arpeggio
over a Dm7 chord rather than a dominant-seventh. A♭ is the tritone of D, and the
augmented arpeggio highlights the 9, ♭5, ♭7, and ♭9 of the chord (the last two notes of the
line are anticipating the following measure):
329
Ibid.
330
Ibid.
90
Throughout a song form as traditional as the blues, Rosenwinkel enjoys exploiting
the dichotomy of conventional vs. modern, consonant vs. dissonant, and expected vs.
unexpected. In measure 91 he places a very traditional-sounding bebop line over the I –
VI portion of the progression, directly adjacent to a significantly more modern line over
the ii – V portion of the turnaround:
Akin to his use of an A♭9 chord at the beginning of the chorus to elicit the ♭3/♯9
sound, in measure 102 Rosenwinkel plays an E♭ minor arpeggio over the E♭7 chord for
the same effect. He breaks from the minor tonality near the end of the line by playing a
G♮ in anticipation of the ensuing C7 chord:
331
332
333
Ibid.
91
Rogers also illustrates a similar device at the end of his third chorus, playing an
ascending Fm9 arpeggio over a B♭7 chord (essentially adding a ii before the written V
chord), ending on an E♭ that then moves to an E♮ at the beginning of the next measure,
over a C7 chord:
In measure 107 Rosenwinkel again contrasts the orthodox with the unexpected,
juxtaposing a classic, blues-inflected phrase against a dissonant chordal superimposition.
Here, over an E♭7 Rosenwinkel plays a B♭m9 chord, slides up to a D7 chord (while still
sustaining the C from the previous chord), before playing an anticipatory second-
inversion D♭ triad over the A♭7. This chord is punctuated with a pentatonic phrase that
articulates 3, ♯11, 13, and 7 of D♭ (or the 13, 7, 9, and 3 of the A♭7 chord), followed by a
second-inversion D triad:
In measure 115 Rosenwinkel plays an interesting chordal walk-up over the
beginning of the turnaround (E♭7 – C7 – Fm7), staring with a basic E♭ triad at the
334
335
92
beginning of the measure. The harmony quickly becomes more sophisticated, however,
as Rosenwinkel then plays an E♭ augmented triad (subsequently adding a low F to the
chord), which moves up by a whole step. Over the C7 chord Rosenwinkel first plays a G
triad, followed by a C7sus4 chord that moves up by a whole step. Rosenwinkel then flats
the G note (making a D7 chord without the 5th), and anticipates the Fm7 chord of the
subsequent measure by flatting the D and B notes of the chord, creating a first-inversion
B♭ minor triad:
To contrast this harmony, Rosenwinkel simplifies his phrasing, superimposing a chordal
progression reminiscent of classic soul or Motown songs. In fact, during the performance
as Rosenwinkel breaks into this progression, he immediately draws a smile and
enthusiastic utterance from bass player Ugonna Okegwo.
Interestingly, this full chorus is played by Rosenwinkel using almost entirely chordal
figures (as opposed to single-note lines). Rosenwinkel’s chordal style has an
336
Ibid.
337
Ibid.
93
unmistakably modern bent, in contrast to Van Ruller’s second (and final) chorus, which
is also chordal, and displays more traditional sounding harmony.
The next chorus begins with a shout chorus feel with Rosenwinkel alternating
between chordal patterns and single-note lines. In measure 154, amongst a substantially
diatonic harmonic palette, Rosenwinkel chooses to end a chordal phrase on an accented
♭9 of the B♭7 chord on the first beat of the measure. This sharp dissonance (magnified by
the rest thereafter) has an invigorating effect and heralds the close of the improvisation:
Adam Rogers also makes use of a similarly interesting note choice in his solo (though not
as dissonant), ending an ascending F minor arpeggio on D♭, the ♭9 of the C7 chord:
“Inner Urge”
From the 1966 album bearing the same name, Joe Henderson’s Inner Urge was
recorded two years prior to its actual release.340 The song features a 16 measure/8
measure/16 measure form with a strongly contrasting A and B section, both with
abundant energy and a brooding harmonic language. Chords in the 16-measure sections
338
Ibid.
339
340
Joe Henderson, “Inner Urge,” track 1 on Inner Urge, Blue Note Records, 1966, CD.
94
move in stepwise motion, while the chords of the 8-measure section move in minor
thirds. Henderson was quoted in the album’s liner notes stating that “Inner Urge” was
written when he was “consumed by an inner urgency which could only be satisfied
through this tune. During that period, I was coping with the anger and frustration that can
come of trying to find your way in the maze of New York and of trying to adjust to the
pace you have to set in hacking your way in that city in order to just exist.”341
This version of “Inner Urge” comes from Rosenwinkel’s live performance with
the Peter Beets Trio at the Waves at the Kurhaus club in the Scheveningen Hotel in The
Hague, Netherlands on May 1, 2015. The band features Peter Beets on piano, Frans van
Geest on double bass, and Joost Patocka on drums.342
Rosenwinkel’s improvisation will be compared this time to excerpts of solos on
the same song by Peter Bernstein from Ralph Bowen’s album Soul Proprietor, and Allan
Holdsworth from his album None Too Soon.
This improvisation is notable for Rosenwinkel’s development of a storyline in a
solo. He begins very sparsely, and gradually builds intensity over the course of the solo in
an organic and absorbing way. In fact, in the first four measures, Rosenwinkel plays just
one note, a whole note in measure two:
Figure 8.83.343 “Inner Urge” solo m. 1.
341
Nat Hentoff, liner notes for Inner Urge, Blue Note Records, 1966, CD.
342
343
Ibid.
95
Rosenwinkel then chooses a short motif and repeats it three times with minor variation:
The motif is then transposed (to coincide with the next chord in the progression), and
varied once again:
Peter Bernstein concocts a like introduction to his solo on “Inner Urge” with a basic
quote from the original melody which is then altered rhythmically for variation:
Figure 8.86.346 Peter Bernstein “Inner Urge” excerpt 1.
Allan Holdsworth, although probably best known for blisteringly fast lines and
practically inhuman stretches across the fretboard, also begins his “Inner Urge” solo
unassumingly with long, sustained notes traversing the barlines:
344
Ibid.
345
Ibid.
346
Ralph Bowen, “Inner Urge,” track 7 on Soul Proprietor, Criss Cross Jazz, 2002, CD.
96
Figure 8.87.347 Allan Holdsworth “Inner Urge” excerpt 1.
Over the second chord, this trend continues:
While both versions show restraint in their opening, Rosenwinkel also makes great use of
rests in the development of his idea and is therefore not only able to build energy by the
sheer density of notes played, but also through alterations of the sound-to-silence ratio.
Rosenwinkel later makes use of a common bebop figure modulated over
ascending scale degrees:
Rosenwinkel makes interesting use of melodic superimposition throughout this
improvisation. He often uses arpeggios in this manner, as in measure 153 where he
superimposes an F arpeggio (later adding an E♭ to reveal an F dominant-seventh tonality)
over an E♭maj7(#11) chord, accentuating the lydian sound:
347
Allan Holdsworth, “Inner Urge,” track 9 on None Too Soon, Polydor Records, 1996, CD.
348
Ibid.
349
97
He accomplishes the effect using pentatonic scales. Rosenwinkel superimposes the B
minor pentatonic scale over a Gmaj7 chord to articulate the 3, 5, 7, 9, and 13 of the
chord. He maintains the B minor pentatonic tonality into the following Fm7♭5 chord to
highlight the ♭3 and 11:
Rosenwinkel later superimposes E minor pentatonic over an Fmaj7(♯11) chord:
This creates a similar effect as Bernstein’s use of C minor/pentatonic tonalities over a
D♭maj7(♯11) chord to emphasizes a lydian tonality:
350
Ibid.
351
Ibid.
352
Ibid.
353
Bowen, “Inner Urge.”
98
In measure 27 Rosenwinkel also superimposes over the same Fm7♭5 chord an E major
tetrachord before shifting to an A minor pentatonic for the succeeding Fmaj7(♯11) chord
in measure 29:
Also significant in the above phrase is the rhythmic repetition and descending quality of
the three-note theme beginning in measure 28. In measure 65, he superimposes an A♭
minor pentatonic line over an E♭maj7(♯11) chord:
Bernstein also superimposes triads or tetrachords over existing chords to suggest
harmonies. Over an Ebmaj7(#11) he often plays an E♭ triad and an F triad to imply the
lydian tonality:
354
355
Ibid.
356
99
Measure 286 is notable in that Rosenwinkel plays an E major pentatonic over both a
Cmaj7 and an Amaj7 chord, followed by a pattern derived from the B♭ whole tone scale
over a B♭7 chord:
Another instance of Bernstein applying superimpositions in his solo involves
playing a G triad and G♯ augmented triad over a B♭7 chord:
Bernstein later utilizes a common guitar chord “grip” superimposition by playing a D13
arpeggio over Cmaj7, then a B13 arpeggio over Amaj7, followed by an F minor triad
(resolving to G, the 9 of the F minor arpeggio, and the third of the underlying chord) over
a B♭7 chord:
357
Ibid.
358
359
100
In measure 37 Rosenwinkel again makes use of an offset rhythmic pattern to
create tension. This technique has been witnessed in many of his improvisations herein:
A similar pattern occurs in measure 229:
Another commonality in Rosenwinkel’s playing as shown in the aforementioned
improvisations is his ability to craft flowing uninterrupted lines through seemingly
disparate chord changes, without rendering the harmonic shift blatant. In the section of
the song illustrated, the chord changes alternate between half-step movement and a leap
of a minor third:
360
Ibid.
361
362
Ibid.
101
An equally interesting line over the same chords can be found in measure 137 where
Rosenwinkel plays D♭ minor pentatonic over the E♭maj7(♯11) chord, a D♭maj7 line that
anticipates the upcoming D♮maj7, followed by an F♯ triad over the Bmaj7(♯11) chord.
Next, Rosenwinkel emphasizes the lydian sound over the Cmaj7 chord, followed by an
Amaj7 arpeggio over the Amaj7 chord, and (in characteristic fashion) an A♭ augmented
pattern over B♭7:
In another version of this concept, this time in measure 189, Rosenwinkel continues the
ascending movement of his line throughout the chord changes, maintaining a continuity
and fluidity of the line:
363
Ibid.
364
Ibid.
365
Ibid.
102
This can be contrasted to a completely different treatment of the same section of the form
where instead Rosenwinkel addresses each chord change individually with two four-note
patterns per chord. Over the Dmaj7 he plays a Dmaj7 arpeggio succeeded by a D♭ minor
pentatonic line, then a Bmaj13 arpeggio followed by a G♯m7 arpeggio:
The inversion of this motif is then featured in measure 173, before he begins to offset the
rhythm (another distinctive tactic):
Figure 8.107. “Inner Urge” solo m. 173.367
In measure 49 Rosenwinkel contrasts his earlier winding, dense onslaught of
notes with a simple G major line over the Gmaj7 chord with primary focus on the D note
itself as the progression changes to F♯m7♭5 (the D note becoming the enharmonically
spelled ♯5 of the chord), ending with a D major pentatonic phrase:
366
367
Ibid.
368
Ibid.
103
In measure 64, this one-note motif is repeated, this time on the note A♭:
A related repeated-note pattern occurs in measure 196:
An analogous figure is executed by Peter Bernstein as well, in two different instances:
In measure 72 Rosenwinkel introduces a rhythmic scale pattern he develops later
in his improvisation. This pattern consists of three eighth notes followed by one quarter
note. In this instance it occurs over a Gmaj7 chord, and continues through the F♯m7♭5
369
Ibid.
370
Ibid.
371
372
Ibid.
104
of the next measure:
Another scale rhythm motif recurs in measure 86 with slightly different rhythmic values:
Holdsworth plays a repeated rhythmic figure roughly akin to Rosenwinkel’s in his
improvisation, however this figure is more analogous to repeating a transposed phrase in
accord with the underlying harmonic progression as repetitions occur at the start of each
new chord:
This figure returns later in his solo:
373
374
Ibid.
375
Holdsworth, “Inner Urge.”
376
Ibid.
105
Previously this essay discussed Rosenwinkel’s efforts to cultivate a more horn- or
vocal-like guitar sound through his equipment choices, legato style, and wide interval
stretches. His playing also exhibits some very horn-like phrases. Aside from the above-
noted Brecker-esque pattern (Figure 7.8), Rosenwinkel plays phrases in “Inner Urge” that
are decidedly horn-like in their structure and feel. For example, in measure 98
Rosenwinkel bursts out a high E note followed by a quick descent. While this line might
have the tendency to sound somewhat lackluster on guitar, the distortion effect he was
using provided sustain and body to the notes, lending a very horn-like texture:
A resemblant figure occurs later in the improvisation:
Another instance occurs in measure 132 in which Rosenwinkel alternates between the
same note played on two different strings. This phrase was previously distinguished for
Rosenwinkel’s ability to stretch between two distant notes on the fretboard, but it is also
reminiscent of a saxophonist’s alternate-fingering phrase, or a common rock guitar lick:
377
Beets, “NEW MIX!”
378
Ibid.
106
In measure 123 Rosenwinkel displays a smooth transition from an F♯m7♭5 to an
Fmaj7(♯11) chord. With the alteration of only one note, he switches from C lydian to C
major (ionian) in the second figure in measure 125:
In measure 162 Rosenwinkel introduces a sus2 tonality to his line:
379
Ibid.
380
Ibid.
381
Ibid.
382
107
A similar line occurs in measure 194, this time in B:
Rosenwinkel continues this direction in measure 209, using an E♭sus4 arpeggio over
E♭maj7(♯11), an F minor arpeggio over D♭maj7(♯11), and an Esus4 arpeggio over
Dmaj7(♯11):
Then, in a pattern similar to the above notated triplet arpeggio pattern used by Lage Lund
in his version of “Darn That Dream” (Figure 8.31), Rosenwinkel executes a fast, triplet
sweep arpeggio pattern based on Asus4:
Rosenwinkel’s rhythmic offset is not accomplished through the regeneration of the
phrase after a rest, but rather implies a beat-emphasis with the crest of each arpeggio
figure.
383
Ibid.
384
Ibid.
385
Ibid.
108
Rosenwinkel again takes advantage of the suspended tonality in the introduction
to his phrase in measure 268, which ultimately concludes in an A minor tonality over an
Fmaj7(♯11) chord:
Bernstein also utilizes quartal tonality in his improvisation, although note choice (or
perhaps Bernstein’s phrasing) give the impression of a mix of quartal and pentatonic
material rather than pure quartal harmony:
Later, Bernstein plays a Csus4 arpeggio over a D♭maj7(♯11) chord:
In measure 273 Rosenwinkel plays an exceedingly fast triadic pattern (one he uses
frequently) to great climactic effect, ascending from D4 to C7:
386
Ibid.
387
388
Ibid.
109
He then follows this phrase with a nearly identical one played a whole step lower:
Holdsworth deploys an equally forceful climactic run at the end of his solo with a swift
legato run that starts with a quarter note, descends a sixth, then ascends in a wave-like
fashion to the restatement of the phrase, this time a step higher than the previous start:
Holdsworth’s ability to nimbly alternate between numerous types of rhythmic groupings
(triplets, groups of fours, fives, etc.,)—often at breakneck speeds— throughout this solo
is particularly impressive, and different from Rosenwinkel’s rhythmic choices.
389
390
Ibid.
391
Holdsworth, “Inner Urge.”
Chapter 9
Conclusion
Through decades of refinement, Kurt Rosenwinkel has cultivated a truly unique
voice in jazz guitar. His engaging style facilely blends a multitude of influences in a
cohesive fusion at once consequential to those influences, yet independent of them as
well. He is intimately conversant with the tradition and language of bebop, and
emotionally connected to the raw energy of rock music; his musical conditioning is
indebted to Kiss as well as Coltrane. Rosenwinkel’s fusion is natural, innate. It speaks to
the listener with a penetrating veracity that transcends pretensions of jazz or rock or
guitar heroics. Yet to Rosenwinkel (and possibly to his developmental benefit),
terminological nomenclature is a meaningless afterthought, the term “jazz” being
relatively pointless in light of the multitudinous interpretations of the term. “[T]he
lineage and continuum of that culture and music through all of its permutations and
incorporations of other influences from Broadway songs and the Great American
Songbook to Afro-Cuban rhythms and Brazilian music and [w]estern [c]lassical music is
what I mean when I say jazz. So, in that sense it can never only be a philosophical
concept, although to be a jazz musician means that by definition you are outside of the
mainstream of society and ways of thinking which makes it a unique ‘state of mind’.”392
This essay has illustrated and analyzed Rosenwinkel’s truly unique approach to
guitar with regard to his technique and sound. Moreover, the illustrative examples have
demonstrated that while Rosenwinkel may share certain theoretical and/or thematic
392
Michael Limnios, “Kurt Rosenwinkel: One World, One Music,” Blues.Gr, April 28. 2020.
http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/q-a-with-multi-instrumentalist-composer-and-producer-kurt-
rosenwi?fbclid=IwAR0evS1EB0TvuUd807CPUodKnVuA4lvbPOyM_KxmPSU2HnvtcmoStANM2LI.
110
111
approaches to improvisation with other jazz luminaries, his musical outturn is
nevertheless undeniably his, the product of a slightly different cognitive journey from
mind to hand. While Rosenwinkel has clearly assimilated the contributions of foregoing
jazz masters, he has recounted these lessons with his own musical accent (if not dialect).
He has stood on the shoulders of giants and broken new musical ground, influencing a
generation of guitarists.
Through my study of his work, I have come to the realization that Rosenwinkel’s
significance cannot be summarized in a single contribution made to jazz guitar. He
possesses a fluency with bebop language tempered with the influence of John Coltrane,
Joe Henderson, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, and Allan Holdsworth. His legato technique
can be reminiscent of Metheny or Holdsworth. He has an appreciation for the beauty of a
melody that recalls Jimmy Raney and Jim Hall. While his early playing often revisits
concepts like triad pairs, augmented arpeggios, and melodic minor language, as it
evolved over the past three decades Rosenwinkel has grown more comfortable with
dissonance and chromaticism in his playing; it has become less guitar-like and sounds
more vocal. He exhibits greater confidence in his musical statements. Moreover, in my
opinion, he seems to emanate more emotion in his playing, or at least is able to express
that emotion more freely through his instrument, less adulterated or hindered by the
guitar vernacular.
In the at times myopic analytical study of Rosenwinkel’s music, however, it is
important not to lose perspective of the aspects he himself values most about it, and
perhaps why it resonates so strongly with listeners: “Music has always had a power to
change lives and even to change society. Music is a powerful social force. I think it
112
always gives strength to people in difficult situations, much like we are experiencing
now. Music gives us hope, it gives our soul relief from the struggles of the world and can
be a motivator of change. I want my music to be a touchstone through which people can
feel the unity of humanity and the beauty of the cosmos.”393
393
Ibid.
Appendix A.1
“How Deep Is the Ocean”
113
114
How Deep is the Ocean

Guitar solo performed by Kurt Rosenwinkel
As performed by Kurt Music by Irving Berlin
Rosenwinkel on Intuit Transcription by Andrew Amendola
q = 180
œ œ œ
D – 7( b5)
bb 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ. œ œ œ
C min G7 C min
At 3:01
& b 4 J Œ ‰ JŒ
f
A – 7( b5) A – 7( b5)
œ nœ œ #¿ œ œ œœ œ œœœ œœœœœœœ
D7 G min D7 G min
bb b œ œ œ Ó ‰œ œ œ œ
4
&
B b7 B b– 7 E b7 E b– 7
bb b b œ b œ œ œ n œ n œ œœŒ bœ œ œ
F– 7
‰ œ Ó Œ œ
œ bœ œ nœ
8
& œ J œ œ
œ
A b7 C – 7( b5)
bœ .
bb b œ œ œ œ
F7 F– 7
. œ bœ œ œ œ
œ Ó Œ bœ œ œ Œ ‰œœ nœ
12
&
D – 7( b5) D – 7( b5)
bb œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . j n œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ nœ bœ œ
G7 C min G7 C min
b œ Œ Ó
16
& œ
p
A – 7( b5) D7 G min A – 7( b5) D 7 G min F– 7 B b7
b ‰ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ nœ œ œ. œ Ó
&bb ˙ ˙ n˙ œ . œj Ó
20
œ J
F
115
#œ nœ œ œ œ
B b– 7
œ œ œ œ
G – 7( b5)
œ œ
F– 7
œ
C7
b œ bœ œ
&bb Ó œ
25
œ œ œ
f
D b7 E b Maj7 G 7 B b7
œ nœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœ
bb b œ œ œ
C– 7 F7 F– 7
j
Œ ‰ J œœ œ Œ
œ
˙ Œ ‰J
28
&
3
E b Maj7
.
œ -
œ œ œ
n
D – 7( b5)
œœ œ ‰ œ
bb b œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ œJ
G7 C min G7 C min
Œ ‰ œJ ‰
32
&
œ ‰ œ D 7n œ œ œ Gœminœ
A – 7( b5) A – 7( b5) D 7
œ œ
Œ b œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ
G min
b œœœœŒ
&bb ‰ ‰ Ó
36
œ œ B b7 B b– 7 E b7 E b– 7
bb b œ œ œœœ œ œ ‰ œ nœ
F– 7
œ œœœÓ b
Œ ‰J‰œ Œ Ó
40
&
A b7 C – 7( b5)
bb œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ n œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ
F7 F– 7
b nœ #œ nœ œ bœ ‰bœ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
44
&
116
D – 7( b5) G7 C min D – 7( b5) G7 C min
bb Œ ‰ #n œœœ ‰ bb œœœ ‰ œœ
œœ Ó œœ
œ # œ # œ œ b n œœ
n n # œœœ œ ‰ b n œœ
œœ œ œ œ ‰ n œ
œœ ‰ J
& b
48
œ
J œ œ œ œ
œ œ nœ œ
A – 7( b5) A – 7( b5)
œ œœ n # œœ œœ b n œœ b œœ œœ n œœ œ
bb b œ œ n œ
D7 G min D7 G min
‰ œœ ‰ # # œœ ‰ œœ ‰ n n œœ ‰ b œ
œ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ
52
&
œœ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ b œ n œ œ n œ œ
B b7 E b7
bb b Œ ‰ œœœ ‰ n œœœ ‰ b œœœ

F– 7 G – 7( b5) C7 F– 7
œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœœ œœ
56
& J œ
œ œ bœ nœ
D b7 E b Maj7
œ œ
bb b ‰ œj œj b œ œ œ b œ œ œ n œ . œ œ b œ œ œ n œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ
G7 C– 7 F7
60
&
3 3 3 3
3
B b7 E b Maj7
œ
œ nœ œ œ √ j œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ
F– 7 G7 C min
œ
bb b œ n œ œ ‰ œ œœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ
63
&
3 3
(√)
D – 7( b5)
œ n œ #
A – 7( b5)
œ n œ
œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ #œ
G7 C min D7 G min
b œ œ œ œ
& b b #œ nœ œ bœ œ Ó
66
117
A – 7( b5) D 7 G min F– 7 B b7 B b– 7 E b7
#œ nœ œ #œ nœ œ œ œ b œ œ. œ
b ˙. ‰ J‰
J ‰œœœ
&bb Ó Œ Ó
70
E b– 7 A b7 C – 7( b5)
b bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
bœ œ œ Œ Ó ‰ j œ œ nœ
75 3
& bœ
nœ œ œ œ œ œ
3 3
D – 7( b5) D – 7( b5)
bb # œ n œ n œ œ # œ # œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ œj œ œ
œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
G7 F– 7 G7
b J ‰ Œ ‰ œj
78 3
& #œ
3 3 3
3
nœ œ œ nœ œ
D – 7( b5)
œ œ œ œœœœ
C min A7 G min
b œ œ
& b b œ nœ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ J ‰ Ó
81
3 3 3
3 3
3
B b7 A – 7( b5)
œ œ √ œ nœ bœ œ
œ. #œ œ nœ œ
F– 7 G min D7 G min
bb b b œ n œ b œ œ n œ J ‰ Œ œ œ # œ J Ó
84
&
B b7 B b– 7 G – 7( b5)
bb b (√œ ) œ œ œ œ b œ œ n œ œ
F– 7 C7 F– 7
œœ œœœœ ˙ œ Œ
œœœœœœœ œ
88
&
118
D b7 E b Maj7 B b7
(√)
G7 C– 7 F7 F– 7
b œ b œ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ œ b˙ œ nœ œ bœ œ œ
œ nœ bœ œ œ œ
j
b
œ
& b
92
œ œ
E b Maj7 D – 7( b5)
œ nœ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ
G7 C min G7 C min
j
œ nœ œ œ œ #œ œ nœ œ
#œ
b œ œ
&bb Ó
96
A – 7( b5) B b7 G min A – 7( b5) D7 G min
b œœœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ # œœœ n œœœ

&bb œœœœœ‰ œ
100
œ #œ œ b œ
œ œœ
B b7 B b– 7 E b7 E b– 7
b b œœ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ b œœ œ œœœ œ ‰ œœœ œœ
F– 7
b œœ œ œœ ˙˙ œ œ œ Œ Ó
104
& œ ˙˙ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
A b7
b œœ œœ n œ b œœ œ œ œ F 7 œ n œœ n œœœ
bb b ‰ Jœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ
C – 7( b5)
œœ n œœ œœ # œœ b œœ œœ œœ
n œœ nœ œ œ œ bœ
108
& œ œ
D – 7( b5) D – 7( b5)
œ œ j
bb b œœœ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œœœ n œœœ œ n œœœ b œœœ ‰ b œœœ
F– 7 G7 C min G7
œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj œ œœ . œ
œœœ Œ œ .. œœ
111
& b œ b œ œ œ œ n œœ
œ
119
A – 7( b5)
œ œ # œ œ n œ œ œ
A – 7( b5)
.
œ #œ œ œ nœ nœ bœ œ œ #œ
C min D7 G min D7
b œ œ œ
&bb Ó œ œ œ
115
œœœ
F – 7 B b7 ˙˙
E b7 œœ œœ ‰ œ œ œ
G – 7( b5)
œœ
‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œœ œœ b n œœœ
œ
G min C7 F– 7
b œœœœŒ
&bb ∑ Œ
119
D7 E b Maj7 G7 C– 7 F7 F– 7 B b7
b b b b œœ .. œ œ œ ‰ œœœ Œ œ œ œ œ n œœœ ‰ n œœœ œœœ œœœ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ .. œ œ œ œ

œ. J bœ œ.
124
&
J J
E b Maj7 G7 C min
b œ
&bb œ œ œ nœ œ #œ œ œ Œ Ó
128
Appendix A.2
“Darn That Dream”
120
121
Darn That Dream

As performed by Kurt Music by Jimmy Van Heusen

Rosenwinkel on Intuit Transcription by Andrew Amendola
q = 62
œ n œ b œ œ Bb –7 E b7
# 4 . rK œ b œ œ n œ œ b œ b œ
At 2:59 G6
J Œ œœ ≈ œœ ‰
& 4 ≈ œ bœ bœ œ œ
p pF pF
F π3
#œ œ
#
œ œ œ œ
j E –/D A 7/C
√
E–
#œ œ œ
C –6
# œ ≈ œœ ‰ œœ ≈ œ œ œ ®®b œ œ ≈ RÔ # Rœ ≈ œ œ bœ œ bœ œnœbœ œ
A –7 B7
J œbœ œ œ œ
& œœ œ œ Ô Œ≈
2
F
3 3 3 3 3
3
Bb –7
(√)
b
œœ œ œ œ œ.
B – 7( 5) E7 A –7 F7 B –7
# œ b œ ≈
r œ œ b œ J ‰ œœ œœ œ ‰ b œ œ œœ œ
œ œ œ œ ≈‰≈ œ œ b œ œ ‰Œ Œ‰
4 3
& J
3
bœ. nœ 6 6 3 3
f
œ œ œ bœ œbœ œ
A –7 D7 B –7 E7 A –7
œ œ
D7
# œœ ‰Œ≈®œ œ œ œ œ œ≈≈ n
œ œ œ œb œ œ œœ œ œ œ b œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ
œ
7
& RÔ b œn œ
p 3
P 6
3
3 3
Bb –7 E b7
œ œ œ œœœ œœ
# aœ ‰œ œ nœ œ bœ œ bœ ≈ œ œ bœ œ . œ
G6 A –7
n œ
B7
‰ œ œ œœbœ œœœ
9
& œ œ
œ œ œ œœ
pF 3 6
3
P
A 7/C #
œ >œ œ œ œ œ B – 7( b 5)
œ
œ œœ œ œ #œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ
E –7 E –/D C –6 E7
#
& œœœœ
# œ ‰≈ ≈ R ≈ ‰ Rœ
11
ß 3 3
p 3
P 3 3
122
Darn That Dream
b >œ œ n œ œ
Bb –7
œ œœ bœbœ œ
A –7
# œ œœœ œœ n œœ œ œ
F7 B –7
œœ b œ œ œ œœ # œœ œ œœœ b œ n >
œ œœ
slight rit.
‰œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ ≈ ≈bœ bœ œb œ œ
13 3
&
p F P
p
3
3 3 3
B b7
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ D 7j œ # œ œ G 6 œ œ b œ œ œnœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œœœ b œ œb œ ¿ œ œœ
A –7 F –7
15
# œœ Œ
#œ
≈ ≈ œ b œ
&
F3 3 3
f 3 3 3
nœ nœ #œ bœ bœ œ œ œ
B b7
E b6
œ j
œ
œ œ œ bœ
F –7
# nœ œ b œ. œ œ bœ
C –7
≈ ‰ ‰ ≈ Œ ® R® R ≈‰
17
& R
3
3 F P3 3
F# –7 B b7
√
G –7 F –7
bœ
# ‰ œ b œ œ œ œ n œ œ # œ ≈ œ œ b œ b œ œ ® œ œ œ œ œ ® œ œ œ œ b œ ®b œ œ œ b œ
3
bœ œ
19
&
f3 3 3 3 3
3
E b6
(√)
C –7 b
A – 7( 5) G –7
# œ # œ œ œj n œ
D7
j
b œ œ
œ œ œ j œ
œ œ
b œ œ J bœ œ Œ
21
& œ. œ b œœ n œ œ
3
p
3 3
3
Bb –7 b
jb œ
œ œ œ œb œn œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œn œ œ œ œn œ# œ œ œn œ œ
j
A –7 E 7 A 7 E7 –
j
D7
œ
œ
# Œ œ œ œ œ #œ
bœ ¿ œ œb œ® œ
& œ .œ œ œ œ œ œ
23
P
Bb –7 E b7
œ œ œnœ œbœ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
# œ n œ b œ # œ œ ‰‰ œ œ . œ ‰‰œj n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈®
B7
A –7 j
œ nœ
G6
œ
R
25
&
3
3
123
Darn That Dream
A 7/C #
# œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ.
E– E –/D C –6
3
œ œ œ. nœ
27
& .
π
3
3 3
b
œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ √
B – 7( 5) E7 F7
A –7
# Œ® b œ n œ n œ b œ n œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œbœœ
œ œ œ# œbœ œœ
28
& œ œ bœœ œ
œ
F
3
Bb –7
(√ )
# œ œ œ œ œ œ >
B –7
#œ #œ nœ œ
30
& œ bœ œ œj œ
œ œ #œ
A –7
j œ œ œœ œ œœ œ
D7
œ
G6 D7
# ‰R J
G6
≈ ≈ œ œ œ # œj œ œ œ œ b œj œ œ œ
#œ
3
Œ Ó
31
&
3
œ œ
3 3 3 3
π
Appendix A.3
“Ask Me Now”
124
125
Ask Me Now
Music by Thelonious Monk

Transcription by Andrew Amendola
q = 54
At 4:47
B b7 F#–7
bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ #œ œ œ
G –7 C7 B7
4
&4 Œ ≈. ® œ. ® Œ. ‰ J
F
3
B b7
bœ œ ® bœ œ œ nœ œ œ
F –7 E –7
œ œ bœ œ
A7
j
œœ œ #œ œ ® œ nœ ® œ nœ œ œ
#œ
≈ ≈
2
& œ
Eb–7 A b7 b5
#œ œ bœ œ œ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ
& #œ #œ #œ #œ #œ Œ ‰
3
B 7 b5 B b 7 #11
œ bœ bœ ® œ œ œ œ bœ bœ nœ
œ œ # œ œ # œ # œ # œ œj ‰ ≈ ® bœ
4
&
E b7
œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ nœ
D7
œ bœ ≈ œ bœ œ œ ≈ œ #œ #œ nœ nœ œ #œ œ
‰
5
&
3
126
Ask Me Now
œ bœ bœ bœ œ œ
D b Maj7 E 7 b #11
œ bœ œ bœ œ œ ® œ œœ œ œ œ œ
® ® ≈ bœ ¿ œœ
6
&
Eb–7 A b7 b 9
œ bœ œ bœ nœ œ
& bœ bœ ® œ ‰
j
‰ œ
#œ #œ. nœ bœ œ œ #œ
7
œ
B 7 b5 B b7 b5 A 7 b5 A b7 b5
b œ bœ œ bœ
bœ bœ ® ‰ n # œœ œœ # œœœ œœœ b n œœ n b œœ
& ®b œ b œ œ b œ ®
3 3
F#–7
#œ #œ œ œ œ œ nœ
G –7 C7 B7
j œ # œ œ œ # œ
b œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ®œ #œ œ nœ #œ œ œ
9
& œœ
F –7 B b7 E –7
œ # œ œ # œ œ ® b œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ. œ œ
A7
œ #œ nœ
œ ≈ œ œ
10
& œ œ #œ œ
Eb–7
œ A b7 5 #
b œ
œ bœ œ bœ bœ ® nœ ® œ œ bœ bœ œ œœ œœ bœ œ œ
‰ ≈ œ œ # œœ
11
& R
127
Ask Me Now
B 7 b5 B b 7 #11
bœ
œ œ bœ bœ nœ œ bœ bœ œ bœ nœ œ œ bœ ¿ nœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
& œœ œ
12
Ask Me Now
E b7 D7
œœ .. œœ n # œœ # œœ
& bœ œ #œ œ #œ nœ nœ œ bœ ®‰ ≈ œ
13
œ. œ #œ
œ J
P 3
E b 7 11
D b Maj7
#
œ œ bœ œ bœ nœ
b bb œœœ ≈ œ bœ œ nœ bœ œ
nœ œ œ bœ bœ œ
14
& œ
f
Eb–7 A b7 b 9
bœ œ bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ nœ
& ≈ b b œœ ≈ J
j
≈ ®‰
15
œ
J f
F
3
D b6
bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ ®œ œ ®≈
® œ ≈ œ bœ œ œ b œ œ
16
& œ
œ œ œ œ b œ b œ œj œ œ œ
Eb–7 A b7
œ œ œ œ b œœ b œ
nb œœœœ
œœ œ
œ bœ œ b b œœ œœ
& ≈ b b œœ
œœ œ b b b œœœ œœ œ
17
bœ
P f
3 3 3 3
128
Ask Me Now
D b Maj7
b >œ
œ b œœ œœ œ œ œ œ b œœ œ œ œ œ b >œ œ
& œœ bœ œ œ œ œ ≈ ® œ œ
18
bœ œ
3 3
Eb–7
b œ œ bœ bœ œ nœ bœ œ nœ œ
œ nœ nœ œ bœ œ nœ œ nœ bœ œ #œ
D9
b œ bœ œ
&‰ ≈ #œ
19
D b Maj7 œ. bœ
œ œ b œ n >œ b œ >œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ
b¿ ® ‰ ≈ œ ≈ ‰
20
&
E b7
œ œ bœ nœ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ bœ
j
œ
‰ ® bœ nœ œ œ
21
&
œ bœ œ œ œ œ
b œ b¿ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ
bœ b œ
& ‰ ≈ ® Kr b œ b œ b œ ®
22
bœ
E b – 7/A b A b7 b 9
√ >œ œ œ b œ œ
bœ œ œ b œ œ
bœ bœ ‰ bœ œ nœ œ bœ œ bœ
23
& œ bœ œ bœ œ.
129
Ask Me Now
œ œ #œ bœ œ #œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ
#
bœ #œ j œ
G 13 11
#œ œ œ œ œ
œ ®≈ œ œ œ œ œ
& œ bœ œ #œ
24
œ
6
F#–7
#œ nœ #œ œ
¿ œ œ bœ œ œ #œ
G –7
j
C7 B7
œ ® œ #œ ® ‰ .
#œ
J ‰ ≈.
25
& RÔ
ƒ
œ œ œ b œ n œ
B b7
œ n œ œ n œ œ # œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ ¿
#
b œ bœ b œ œj œ
œœœ
F –7 E 7 – A7
R ≈ ≈ ®
26
&
Eb–7 b #5
b œ œ œ b œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ
bœ bœ œ bœ œ œ
A 7
j
œ ® ® ® n œ ® ®
b ¿ ® ® ®
27
&
B 7 b5 B b 7 #11
œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ nœ œ œ œ bœ
œ
® # œ ®
® ® ® œ œ œ bœ œ
® ‰ ≈ bœ
28
&
f
E b7
bœ œ b >œ
œ œ œ nœ nœ #œ œ œ œ
D7
œ ® œ bœ b œ œ
& ®‰ ‰ œ
29
130
Ask Me Now
D b Maj7 E b 7 #11
bœ œ bœ œ nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ nœ bœ
nœ bœ nœ bœ nœ bœ
&‰ bœ bœ bœ
30
bœ
F
Eb–7 A b7 b 9
œ bœ œ œ
bœ œ œ
≈
b œ œ œ œ œ b œœœ
3 3
b œ
& bœ œ bœ nœ œ bœ œ œ œ œ Ô J
31
JR
D b6
r 3 r r r b œ b b œœ œ œœ
n œœœ œœœ
3 3 3
& ‰ b bb œœœ ‰ n b œœœ ‰

œœ ‰ œœ ‰ œ œ
32
œ œ J
R 3
f
3
3
Appendix A.4
“Sandu”
131
132
Sandu
Music by Clifford Brown
q = 124
E b7 A b7
bœ œ œ
E b7
At 1:14
j j
œœ ‰ ‰ œj œ b œœ œœ b œ b œ œ œœ ‰ ‰ œj
j
b œ
& b b 44 b ˙˙˙ œ # œœ œœ œ œ # œœ œ œœ
p P f P
A b7 A b7
œ j j œ j œ œ
bb b œ Jœ œ œ bœ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ # œ ‰ ‰ n œ œ œ
4 3 3
& œœ b œ œœ n n œœ b b œœ œœ J
f P f
3
E b7
bœ œ œ # œj œ
C7 F– 7
b bb œ œ Œ b œ . œ Œ œ Jœ œ J œ bœ œ œ Œ
7
& J œœ .. œœ J J
3 P f 3
3 3 3
B b7 E b7
bb b œ œ œJ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ bœ œ œ
œ œ Œ ≈ nœ œ ‰
10
&
3
3
E b7 A b7 E b7
bb b œ œ œ œ n œ# œ# œn œ b œ œ# œn œn œn œ œn œ œ œ œ≈ œ ≈ b œ œ Jœ b Jœ ‰ Œ‰œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
13
& œ J
3
3 3
133
Sandu
A b7
bœ œ œ bœ œ œ ‰ œ bœ ‰ œ œ ‰ ¿ œ
bbb
j
œ
n œ j Œ ‰ œ œ b œ
bœ œ
16 3
& J Jœ œ œ œ b œ œ œ
3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
E b7
œ œ œ œ Cœ 7 œ n œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œb œ œ œ œ
F 7
œ
–
bb b Ó . œ œ≈n œ œb œ œ≈œ n œ œb œ n œ
19
&
B b7 E b7
œ œ œb œ œ œ≈œ# œn œœn œb œb œ œœœœœœœb œœ œ œn œ . œœ œœœ œœb œœb œ œ œ≈‰
bbb
22
& œœ œ R
E b7 A b 7œ E b7
œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œœ
bb b ‰ œ œ j
Œ Œ J
#œ
Œ ‰œœ œ œ b œ œ œ œ
25
& J
3 3 3 3 3 3
3
œ œ #œ nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ bœ œ nœ bœ œ œ
A b7
b bb œ œ ‰ nœ Nœ œ J œ Œ≈
28
& J
Pf 3 3
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ≈œ œ œ bœ œ ≈
E b7 C7 F– 7
b œœ œ œ œ ≈œœ œœŒ Œ . œ b œ œ œ n œ
3
&bb ≈
31
œ œ bœ J
134
Sandu
B b7 E b7
œ œ œb œ œ œ
b b œ œ j œj j n œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œn œ# œ# œ ≈ R ‰ nœ
b ‰ œb œ œ œn œ œ ≈
34 3 3
& œ # œ œ œ œb œ
p f
œ œ b œ n
E b7
œ A b7
œ œ œ
E b7
œ œ nœ œ œ œ
b œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ
J ‰œ J œ Jœ Œ ‰œ b œ n œ œ≈
&bb
37
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
5
œ b œ œ
A b7 œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ ¿
n œ œ
b œ nœ œ œ ‰ œ b œ œ ‰n œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ
& b b œ nœ ≈ J J J J ‰Œ‰
40
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
E b7
œ œ œ bœ œ œ nœ œ œ bœ œ≈
œ œœœ j œœ
C7 F– 7
bbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .œ œ Œ ≈œœœœ # n œœ
43
r
& J œ
E b7
œ œ œ œœœœœ
E7
bb b Œ . œ œ œ œœ œ œb œ œ œ œ
# œ œ> œ>œ œ œœœ œ œœœb œœn œ# œn œ œ A œœ‰ œœ
SL.
46
&
E b7
œ œ œ œ n œj œ¿ œ A b7œ œ œ
E b7
œ œ œ bœ. œ œ
b œJ œ
J‰ œ ¿ b œ
≈ b œœ œœ ‰ ‰ b œœ
œ
&bb
49
3 3 3
J 3
135
Sandu
A b7
b œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ bœ œ
b œ b œ œ œ œ ‰ b œ œ œ J ‰ œœ œœ JJ‰
& b b œJ ‰
52
J J J J
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
œ
E b7
œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ nœ œ
bb b œœ œJ œ ¿ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
C7 F 7 –
J œ JŒ
55
& bœ J J J J 3
3 3
3 3 3
B b7 E b7
bb b œ œœ œœn œœ œœ œ œ‰ ‰œœ œ≈œ œœœb œœ œ œ œ n œ œn œœœœœœn œ# œ# œ œb œn œn ¿

58 3
& œ œJ œ
E b7
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b b
b œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ
bb b ®œ . ‰‰ œ n¿ œ#œ ¿ œœ œ œ œœ
A7 E7
J ‰ œ
ŒŒ≈
61
& R
3
œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ A b7 œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ n œ œ œ bœ œ œœœ œ œ
bb b b œ œ œ œ œnœ œ
64
&
E b7
œœœœ √
b œ œ œ œ œ œ œR œn œb œ œœ œœ œ >œ > œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œn œœœ
C7
b
&bb ‰Œ ≈ œ œ ≈œ‰
66
3
R
136
Sandu
B b7 E b7
œ # œ ¿ n œ œ# œn œ # œ œ .œ œ œ œ# œœ œ
F– 7
œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œn œ œn œ # œ œ # œœœ œ œ
b œ‰ Œ‰≈
&bb ≈ ‰ ≈
69
3 3
E b7 A b7
bb b œ œ b œ ≈ œ œ n œœ œ œ œ œ n œœJ ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ b œœœ œœœ œœœ ‰ œœœ œœœ

j j
b œœ b œœ
72
& J J J
3 3 3 3
œ œ œ œ œb œ œ
E b7
œ b œ A b7
bb b ‰ .œ œ n œ œb œ n œb œb œn œn œ# œn œn œn œœ œb œ œ œ œ . j
œ œœ b œœœ
œœ # œœ œœ ‰
Sl.
75 Sl.
&
Sl. Sl.
E b7 F– 7 œ œ œ
œœ œ œ œ b œ œ œ nœ
C7
œ
bb b ‰≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J ‰ ‰ œ œ œœ b œ œ Œ J n œ J œ b œ Œ ‰ J
78
& œ bœ
Sl.
R 3 J 3 3 3
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
B b7 E b7
œ œ jœ œ œ
bb b b œœ # œœ J J œ
J J œ œ œ œœ Œ J œ # œ JJ‰
82
& œ œ 3 3 J
3 3
pf 3
3 3
E b7
˙ œ b œ œ œ ¿ œ n Aœ bb7œ n œ b œ j
E b7
j œ b œ œ œ œœ
bb b b ˙˙˙ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ
J Œ œœ œœ ‰ J J J
3
85
&
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
137
Sandu
œ bœ œ
A b7
œ œ. œ. b œ. œ. œ b ¿ œ œ œ
b nœ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
J J J
&bb nœ œ bœ œ Œ J
88
3
3
3
nœ œ 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
E b7
n œœ œ n œ œ œ œj œ #œ nœ #œnœ #œ œ œ œnœ œ
C7 F– 7
b œ œ J œ nœ Œ ≈
b œœ
#œnœ
& b b Jœ ‰
91
3
J
3 3
B b7 E b7
œ œ œ œ œœœ œ
b b œ œ œ œ œ . n œ. # œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰≈ œ œ ≈ œ œ n œ ≈ œ œ œ ≈ ≈
Sl.
b J ‰Œ
94
& J
E b7 A b7 E b7
√œ bœ œ
bb b ‰ # œ œA œ œ ≈ œ œ ≈ œ b œ œ œ. œ. b œ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ ≈ œ œ œ Ó ≈ ≈ œ œ œ œ
R≈
97
& œœ
π f
(√ ) A b7
bb b n œ œ b œ œ b œ b œ œ n œ b œ n œ
n œ b œ b œ ≈ # œ n œ # œ # œ n œ œ ≈ œ œ # œ œJ ‰ Œ
100
&
p
œ œ œ œb œ # œj n œ Cœ 7b œœ œ
E b7
œ œœœœ
œ j
F– 7
œ œ œ œ œ œ
b b b ≈b œ ≈≈n œœœœœœœ œœ n œ ‰ J œ œ J n œ¿ J J J
J Œ
102 *
&
F 3 3 3 3 3
(inadvertent sounding of open
E string)
138
Sandu
B b7 œ œ œ E b 7œ
œ ‰ œ œ œ œj n œ
b œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œœ n œœ œœ
&bb Œ Œ J J ŒJ J J œ J ≈ b œœ
106
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
J 3
3
œœ .... n œ
E b7 A b7 E b7
˙ œ œ #˙
bb b ˙˙
˙ n n # œœœ ... b b n œœœ œœœ ‰ œ œ n n ˙˙ b ˙˙˙ #
n # œœ .... b b œœ
109
&
Sl.
J R
p P F P p
3
3
A b7
. œ
b b œœœ ≈ ‰ œœ œ œ j
# œ n œ ˙ # œ .. n œ œ
n œœ b œœ b œœ ˙˙ # n œœ .... n b œœ œœ ≈ ‰ œ œ b œ œ œ
3
b
œ
112
& bœ
œ
œ J R
F P F
3 3
3 3
jE b7
. . . œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
bb b œœ ‰‰ n œœœ ≈ œœœ œœ b n œœœ n œ œœœ b œœ œœœ b œœœ b n œœœ
n
C7 F– 7
œœ ≈ œ ≈ œ œ ‰‰ œ ≈ œ ≈‰ J ‰≈ n œ
115
& œœ J œ R R
P F3 3
B b7
œ œ . œ
œ E b7
b b œœ ¿ jœ jœ
œœJ Jœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b JJ œ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ
#œ
118
&
3 3 3 3 3 J J
3
3
œœ a a œœ nn œœj
E b7 A b7 E b7
œœ .. œœ œœ n œ bœ œ
bb b ˙˙˙ ˙˙
3
œœ ‰ ‰ b n b œœœ b œœ ‰ œœ
j
œœ . œœ #œ
˙˙ œœ N œ b œ
121
& ˙ . œ œ # n œœ
œ bœ
J J J J œ
P
139
Sandu
r bœ œ bœ œ œ œ A b7
œœ .. œœ
b b b œœœ ≈‰ œ b œ œ œ œ œœ b œœ
≈ nœ Œbœ œ œœ ‰ b ˙˙˙ ‰ . n n œœœ œœ . b œœ
124 Sl.
& œ œ ¿ #œ .
F J J R
P
3
# œœ.
E b7
bb b œœ .. b œœ œœ # œ Œ œœœ œœœ
œ . œ œ œœ n n œœ œœ œœ œœ. œœ œœ œœ.
C7 F– 7
œœ œœ œœ ≈ ‰ ‰ ≈ œ œ ‰ ‰ ≈ nœ œ ≈ ‰bœ
127
& œ. œ œ ¿ œœ
R R J R R
B b7 E b7
.
bb b n œœœ Œ b œœœœ ‰ œœœœ ‰ b œœœœ ‰ b œœœ œœ œœ œ
œœ b œœ n œœ b b œœ n œœœ b œœœ b œœœ œœœ ... n œœœ
130
& œ
J J œ nœ œ.
3 3 3
E b7 A b7 E b7
bb b œœ. ‰ œœ b œœœ Œ b œ
b œœ œœ œœœ œœ œ œ ‰ Œ œj ‰ 3 n œ œ œ
œ j j
133 3
& œ œ œ œ œ œœ
J 3 3
œ A b7 √
œ œ # œ . œ œ bœ œ bœnœ œ
bb b b œ b œ œ n œ n œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ
œœ Œ ‰ ¿ # œ œ
œ œœœ
136
&
3 3 3 3
F
E b7
œ œ œ œ
C7
œn œ œb œ œb œj
F– 7
b b b œ¿ œœb œn œb œ œ ‰ b œ œ œ œ J œœ
œ œ œ n œ ≈
139 3
& b œ n œ œ b œ œ œb œ n œn œ œ œ
3
140
Sandu
B b7 E b7
bb b œ b œ œ œ œ œ n œ ≈ b œ ≈‰œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
142 6
#œ
j œ Jœ œ œJ œ Jœ œ
& œ œ J J 3 3 3 3
3
3
˙
E b7 A b7
œœ œœ n œœ œœ ..
E b7
œ
bb b b ˙˙ œœœ œœœ b œœ ˙˙ œ œœ œœ œœ ..
‰ œœ œœ b œœ
145
& ˙ œ ˙ J
J J
f F 3
3
f
3
œœ œ b œ œ ¿ n œ b œ n œ œ œ b œ >Aœ 7œ. b œ .
b
œ œ œ . œ œ . ≈ œœ œ œ . œ b œ œ.
bb b œ ‰ œ œ œ. œ œ œ
148
& J
3
E b7
.
bb b Œ b œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œ œ.
b œœœ n b n œœœ ... b b œœœ Œ œœœ Œ 3 j œœ œj œœ œœ .. œœ
C7 F– 7
œœœ œ.
151
& œ œ
*
J J ¿ œ
3 3 p
(inadvertent
sounding of open
D string)
f P
>Bœ 7 œ.
b E b7
b n œ j œ œœœ b œ œ # œ œ Jœ œ
Œ œ œ œ œœœ ‰ œ . ≈ œœ œ œ œ
3
&bb n œœ œœ J
154
ß J P p
P F3 f
3
3
Appendix A.5
“Inner Urge”
141
142
Inner Urge
Guitar Solo by Kurt Rosenwinkel
Music by Joe Henderson
q = 232
F # –7( b 5) j w
At 0:59
œ
& 44 ∑ ∑ ∑
œœœœ œ‰œœ œ œœœœœ‰œœ

F Maj7( # 11)
&Ó ‰JŒ ∑
5
E b Maj7( # 11)
œ œœœœœ‰œœ œ œœœœœœœ¿
&‰JŒ Ó ‰JŒ Ó
9
D b Maj7( # 11)
œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ b œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ ‰ œ
bœ bœ J ‰ ∑ œbœ b œ ‰
13
&
E b Maj7( # 11) D b Maj7( # 11) D Maj7( # 11) B Maj7( # 11)

œ bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ
‰ ‰ œ bœ bœ Ó ∑ ∑
17
&
143
Inner Urge
B b7
œ œ œœœœœœœ
b œ ‰
C Maj7 A Maj7 G Maj7
j œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ
Œ ‰ œ œ
21
& œœ
F # –7( b 5)
˙ œ œœ œ #œ #œ œ ‰#œ #œ œ ‰ œ œ nœ
‰ Jœ Œ Ó Ó
25
&
F Maj7( # 11)
œœœœ ¿œœ œ œ œœ j
‰ ‰J œ ‰ Ó # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œJ ‰ Œ
29
&
E b Maj7( # 11)
œ bœ œ
0
œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ Œ Ó œ œ
&Ó œ œ bœ
33
œ œ
D b Maj7( # 11)
œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ
‰ œ ‰ # œ ‰ ‰ b œ ‰ bœ œ œ b¿ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ Œ
37
&
144
Inner Urge
# œ œ #œ œ #œ #œ #œ #œ œ nœ ¿
∑ Œ œ bœ œ b œ b œ n œ œ œ #œ œ
41
&
œ#œ œ ¿ œ œ#œ
B b7
œ œ # œ œ œ # œnœ œ
œ bœ œ ‰ Œ Œ œ œ œ œ
45
& œ œœ#œ
F # –7( b 5)
& œ Jœ ‰ Œ œ Œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Ó. ‰ œj
49
F Maj7( # 11)
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& œœœ ‰œ œ œ ‰
53
E b Maj7( # 11)
œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œbœ bœ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ
‰ ‰ œ bœ Œ
57
&
145
Inner Urge
D b Maj7( # 11)
œ b œ b œ œœ bœ œ œ œ
61
∑ ‰bœ œ bœ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ ‰JŒ
&
E b Maj7( # 11) b (# ) D Maj7( # 11) B Maj7( # 11)

b œD Maj7b œ11b œ œ b œ
bœ bœ œ bœ bœbœ # œ œ # œ
65
Œ Œ # œ œ œ œ# œ # œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ
& #œ
C Maj7 A Maj7 B b7 G Maj7
œœŒ œœœ œœ œ ‰Œ ∑ œ œœ
69
& œ œ œj œ œ # œ œ œ
F # –7( b 5)
œ œ ˙ œœ
j œ bœ œ bœ œ ‰bœ
œ œ # œ œ œ œ
& œ Œ ∑
73
F Maj7( # 11)
œ bœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ∑
77
&
146
Inner Urge
E b Maj7( # 11)
œ œ b œ œ # œ œ œ b œ b œ ‰œ b œ œ n œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
‰ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ
81
&
D b Maj7( # 11)
b œ œ œ .b œ b œ œ œ
œ b œ b œ œ .œ œ œ œ
œb œ J ‰ bœ bœ œ œ Œ
85
& œb œ œ b œ œ
œ œ œ 3
b œ œ b œ n œ b œ œ # œ œ œ # œ œ œ œj
‰ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ #œ ‰ Œ Ó
b œ œ J
89
&
œ
œ œ œ œ.œ B b7
œ œ # œ# œ œ œ œnœ# œ œbœ bœ œ œ
œœbœ œ#œ œ œ œ #œ œ ¿
&‰ œ
93
œ œ
F # –7( b 5)
œ
j œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œœ
#œ œ ‰ J œ
‰J J‰Ó
‰ Ó Ó Œ
97
&
147
Inner Urge
F Maj7( # 11)
œœœœœ‰‰ œ œœ œœœœ œ œ œ œœ
œ œ JŒ Ó œ
j
Ó
101
&
3
E b Maj7( # 11)
b œ œ œnœbœ œ bœ
œ œ b œb œ œ œb œ b œ n œb œn œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ bœ bœ¿ bœ œ œ œ
105
&
œ
bœ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
D b Maj7( # 11)
Ó ∑
109
&
E b Maj7( # 11)
b œ œ
b # # #
b œ œ b œ œ bœ œ œ bœ bœ # œ# œ œ œ œ# œ # ¿ # œ .# œ œ œ
D Maj7( 11) D Maj7( 11) B Maj7( 11)
‰b œn œ bœ J Œ
113
&
œ œ
b
œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ # œ# œ œ
#œœ œ
C Maj7 A Maj7 B 7 G Maj7
‰ ‰œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
117
&
148
Inner Urge
F # –7( b 5)
œ œ œ #œ œ œ Œ ∑ Ó œ œ œ #œ œ œ ‰#œ œ œ œ ‰
121
& J
F Maj7( # 11)
œœœœ œ œœœ œœ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ
&Ó œ œ Œ ‰ œ œ
125
E b Maj7( # 11)
b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j œb œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ
œ b œn œ œ b œ œ œ n œ b œ œ
II I
& œb œ œ
# œ
129
D b Maj7( # 11)
b œII œI b œj œIIœ Iœ œII œ œ œ œb œ b œ œ b œ œ œ b œ b œ œ œ œ b œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

II I II I II
bœ bœ
133
&

b œ œ b œb œ œ œ œb œ b œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ # œ# œ
137
#œ œ
œ# œ œ# œ # œ œ# œ œn œ œ
&
149
Inner Urge
B b7
#œ œ œ
bœ œ œ
C Maj7 A Maj7 G Maj7j
œ
œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ J
œ œ b œ œ Ó
141
& #œ œ
3
F # –7( b 5)
œ j œ µœ n œ œ œ œ œ
œ œœ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
Œ Ó ‰ Ó ‰
145
&
œ œ œ œSl.œ œ œ œSl. œ œ # œ œ Sl.œ œ n œ

F Maj7( # 11)
b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œSl. œ œ œ œSl.œ œ
Sl.
‰ Œ
149
&
E b Maj7( # 11)
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
œœ œ œ ‰ œ œœ
&Ó ‰ J ‰ œ œ bœ œ œ œ Œ
153
D b Maj7( # 11)
b œ b œ œ œ œ b œ œ bœ œ
∑ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ JŒ
157
&
3
150
Inner Urge

j b˙ √
bœ
bœ bœ bœ #œ ‰ œ #œ œ #œ #œ œ #œ œ
&Ó Œ ‰ J bœ n¿ ‰Ó ‰
161
B b7
(√œ ) œ œ œ
œ bœ œ œ œ
œ œ ‰JŒ ∑ ‰ œ œ œ œ. œ œ # œ œ ¿ œ
165
& J
3
Inadvertent sounding
of open B string
F # –7( b 5)
(√) œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ‰œ œ‰ œ œ œ
œ œœ œ # œ œ
& J œ Œ Œ ‰J ‰ ‰J
169
œ œ œœ
F Maj7( # 11)
œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ b œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ
œ œ œœ œ œ œ
‰J
173
&
E b Maj7( # 11)
œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ
Œ Ó bœ œ œ. bœ œ ‰ œ bœ œ
177
& œ J J
3 5
3
151
Inner Urge
D b Maj7( # 11)
œ œœ œ
& ˙ Ó Ó Œ ‰ j œ bœ bœ bœ œ J‰Œ Ó
181
œ bœ
b œ b œ œ b œ b œ D bMaj7(#11)
E b Maj7( # 11) D Maj7( # 11) B Maj7( # 11)
œ #œ nœ #œ
œœ #œ œ # œ #œ #œ #œ œ œ
&Œ Œ Ó Œ Œ
185
B b7
œ œ œ œ √
œ
œ # œ œ # œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ # œ œ œœœ œ
œ œ
&Ó
189
F # –7( b 5)
(√)
w œ œ. œ #œ ‰ œ œ œ Ó œœœœœ
Œ ‰J Œ ‰J
193
&
3
F Maj7( # 11)
(√)
œœ œ œ œœ œœœœœœœ œœ
Jœ ‰Œ Ó œ ‰ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
197
&
152
Inner Urge
E b Maj7( # 11)
(√) bœ
bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œbœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ ‰ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ
201
& J œ
D b Maj7( # 11)
b œ bœ bœ b œ bœ œ œ œ œ b œ bœ
bœ œ bœ bœ bœ œ bœ J J ‰Œb œJ b œ
&Ó Œ Ó
205
3 3 3

b œb œb œ œ œ œ b œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b œb œ ¿ œb œ œ œ # œ œ # œ# œ œ œ# œ jœ œ
#œ
209
&
5 3
B b7
œ œ œœœ
œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
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An Exploration of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Stylistic

Amendola, A. F. (2021). An Exploration of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Stylistic Contribution to Jazz Guitar

Please do not remove this page

AN EXPLORATION OF KURT ROSENWINKEL’S STYLISTIC CONTRIBUTION

Submitted to the Faculty

Coral Gables, Florida

A doctoral essay submitted in partial fulfillment of

AN EXPLORATION OF KURT ROSENWINKEL’S STYLISTIC CONTRIBUTION

Martin Bejerano, M.M. John Hart, B.M.

Charles Bergeron, Ph.D. Melvin Butler, Ph.D.

Stephen James Guerra, Jr. Guillermo Prado, Ph.D.

An Exploration of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Stylistic Contribution to Jazz Guitar

Abstract of a doctoral essay at the University of Miami.

Rosenwinkel’s compositions, an examination of his improvisatory style is particularly

therefore dedicated to the presentation of Rosenwinkel’s personal, educational, and

professional background, as well as the transcription and analysis of key examples of

Rosenwinkel’s improvisations to more thoroughly identify the attributes of his

In distilling Rosenwinkel’s improvisatory essence, the second part of this essay

“Inner Urge”), which will be compared against portions of improvisations contributed by

and Jonathan Kreisberg, and postliminary guitarist Lage Lund.

magazine, radio, or online/podcast interviews. Transcription sources were obtained from

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... v

2 REVIEW AND RELATED LITERATURE ................................................... 6

4 A BRIEF HISTORY OF GUITAR IN JAZZ ................................................. 11

5 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION .............................................................. 19

7 UNIQUE TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS ............................................ 46

8 SOLO TRANSCRIPTIONS AND COMPARISONS ..................................... 54

9 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 110

APPENDIX A – Complete Solo Transcriptions

Figure 7.1: Picture of Rosenwinkel’s Left Hand .......................................................... 46

Figure 7.2: Picture of Rosenwinkel’s Right Hand........................................................ 47

Figure 7.3: Wide Interval Example .............................................................................. 48

Figure 7.4: Pat Metheny Example ................................................................................ 49

Figure 7.5: Rosenwinkel Recurring Pattern ................................................................. 50

Figure 7.6: Rosenwinkel Recurring Pattern 2 .............................................................. 50

Figure 7.7: Triad Pair Motif ......................................................................................... 50

Figure 7.8: Michael Brecker Example.......................................................................... 51

Figure 7.9: Triad Arpeggio Pattern .............................................................................. 52

Figure 7.10: “How Deep is the Ocean” Introduction ................................................... 52

Figure 7.11: Arpeggio phrase from “Inner Urge” ........................................................ 53

Figure 8.1: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 6. ......................................................... 56

Figure 8.2: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 60. ....................................................... 56

Figure 8.10: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 45. ..................................................... 59

Figure 8.12: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 43. ..................................................... 60

Figure 8.13: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 44. ..................................................... 61

Figure 8.14: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 54. ..................................................... 61

Figure 8.15: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 97. ..................................................... 62

Figure 8.16: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 106. ................................................... 63

Figure 8.17: “How Deep is the Ocean” solo m. 127. ................................................... 64

Figure 8.18: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 1. ................................................................. 65

Figure 8.19: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 5. ................................................................. 66

Figure 8.20: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 19. ............................................................... 66

Figure 8.21: Bach D minor Partita, BWV 1004, mm.89–91. ....................................... 67

Figure 8.22: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 11. ............................................................... 68

Figure 8.23: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 24. ............................................................... 68

Figure 8.24: Wes Montgomery “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1. ................................... 69

Figure 8.25: Wes Montgomery “Darn That Dream” excerpt 2. ................................... 69

Figure 8.26: Wes Montgomery “Darn That Dream” excerpt 3. ................................... 69

Figure 8.27: Lage Lund “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1................................................ 70

Figure 8.28: Lage Lund “Darn That Dream” excerpt 2. ............................................... 70

Figure 8.29: Jimmy Raney “Darn That Dream” excerpt 1. .......................................... 70

Figure 8.30: “Darn That Dream” solo m. 26. ............................................................... 71