Swing and Motive in Three Performances by Oscar Peterson Steve Larson Journal of Music Theory, ol. 43, No. 2. (Autumn, 1999), pp. 283-314. Stable URL htp:/flinks.jstor-org/sicisici=( 122-2909% 28199923%2943%3A2% 3C283%3ASAMITP%3E2,0,CO%3B2-8 Jounal of Music Theory is currently published by Yale University Department of Music, Your use of the ISTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at hup:/www,jstororglabout/terms.hml. ISTOR’s Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www jstor.orgyjoumnals/yudm html. ch copy of any part of'a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the sereen or printed page of such transmission, ISTOR is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of scholarly journals. For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact support @ jstor.org. hupulwww jstor.org/ Fri May 5 22:08:12 2006SWING AND MOTIVE IN THREE PERFORMANCES BY OSCAR PETERSON* Steve Larson Oscar Peterson really swings. Whatever their assessment of other as- pects of his playing, his fans and detractors agree about this. Martin Williams, a leading jazz critic and probably Peterson’s most articulate de- tractor, says “If there were some mechanical means for measuring swing, Peterson might get a score of 100 per cent. And there can be no question ‘but that he isa rhythmically engaging player” (1966, 178). But what does it mean to say “he swings"? This paper suggests that Schenkerian analysis, informed by a theory of expressive meaning in ‘music, can show the role of motive and structure in the experience of swing, It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing At least two apparently different things are commonly described by the term “swing.” (Iam ignoring a third use of the term, usually with capital S, to describe a style of jazz associated with the big-band era.) First, the term may be used to déscribe the ratio between beat divisions. According to this first definition, a series of durations in a jazz perfor- mance might be notated as a string of eighth notes but performed in such a way that those on the beat lat about twice as long as those off the beat, thats, as approximately J.-A second definition describes a quality that *Cole Pores pano-vocal score is reproduced on pages 338-42, 283,is more global in nature, that involves rhetoric as well as timing, that bal- ances intensity and relaxation, and that—most of all—engenders a felt physical response. The sine qua non of this second type of swing is the ‘way a swinging performance makes you want to dance. have previously argued that experienced listeners hear tonal music as purposeful action within a dynamic field of musical forces (Larson 1997, 102): ‘Three of these forces I call “gravity” (the tendency of an unstable note to descend), “magnetism” (the tendency of an unstable note to move to the nearest stable pitch, a tendency that grows stronger the closer we get to a goal), and “inertia” (the tendency of a pattern of musical motion to con- tinue in the same fashion, where what is meant by “same” depends upon. ‘what that musical patter is “heard as"). This view of expressive meaning in music as physically-grounded meta- phor finds support in recent studies of metaphor and embodiment by cog nitive linguists and music analysts (Aksnes 1996, 1997; Coker 1972; Cox 1999; Guck 1981, 1991; Fohnson 1987; Kassler 1991; Lakoff and John- son 1980, 1999). Looking at jazz performances along these lines can help us understand. something about “swing.” Indeed, a litte reflection about the physical experience of swinging can give us clues for musical analysis. Onapark swing, momentum caries _Musie swings in directly analogous sup in the air ways. In a swinging musical perfor ‘mance, musical inertia caries us “up in the ait” That feling of being “up inthe sie" may be expressed musically through the use of pitch height, tonal instability, ot rhythmic instability. Our language feflects this—we speak of “high” notes, “heightened” dissonance, and “up” beats. ‘We seem to float for a moment em- Swinging music seems 10 float at poraily fre (et sill aware) of gravity. these moments, temporarily free (yet stil aware) of musical gravity ‘Then we gather momentum as we Then we gather momentum as we ‘move though tht point where we would move through downbeats, infusing those timate come to rest, 0 thatthe max- otherwise hythmically stable point with ‘mally stable point is also infased with maximum impetus; each musical mation ‘maximum impetus; each motion flows flows smoothly into the next so that the Smoothly ino the next 0 that the end of endofone gesture becomes the beginning ‘ne motion becomes the begining ofthe of the next andthe musical inertia of one ‘next and the momentum of one motion motion carries us through possible stop- ‘earres us though possible stopping ping points points 284‘We can put our own energy into the When we swing as performers, we ‘winging motion, but we experience it can putour own energy into the swinging ‘more as something that caries us, rather musical gestures, but we also experience ‘than as something that requires energy or swing as somethin that carries us, rather control from us. than as Something that requires energy or contol from us. As listeners, that feeling of being cared by swing is par of what :makes it engaging or even compelling. ‘The whole experience induces afeel- The whole experience induces a fel- ‘ng that celebrates the enjoyment of pat- ing that celebrates the enjoyment of pat temed repetition. teed repetition. AAnd—though we are largely unaware And —though we are largely unaware of it—our enjoyment of swinging relies of it—our enjoyment of musical swing in part on the sense of security we get relies in parton the sense of security we from feeling that the swing i supported get from feeling that the music is sup- by a stable structure (recall or imagine ported by both a stable voice leading swinging on a soving set whose feet do structure anda stable metic hierarchy. ‘not stay on the ground), [Notice that this analogy holds for every level of structure on which we are capable of hearing musical gestures as embodying physical connec- tions between points of stability. The first definition of swing (swung «eighth notes) applies this mapping of swing to the beat level. The second added to the bass to create the har- monies labeled A? and Gbo7 (the latter of which should perhaps be called ‘Ao7/Gb). And the Crmaj7 could be explained asthe result of “modal mix- ture.” However, the chromatic passing tones that create Abmin7 delay the 286al See +} ag com wmmqy Lev & $8 %. cs aresolution ofthe soprano suspension so that parallel perfect fifths are cre~ ated between the upper voices in a kind of “planing” of parallel chords.” ‘Schenkerian analysis combines models of voice leading and harmonic function to explain the structure of pieces of tonal music. Example 24 shows how the foregoing examples may be combined in Schenkerian terms as the underlying structure of the A section of “Night and Day.” ‘When the piece begins without an introduction (as happens in the drum- trio performance) or when the introduction does not present the tonic (as, happens inthe guitar-trio performance), the first A section presents what Schenker called an “auxiliary cadence.” But when the theme is repeated for the variations (as happens in virtually all performances), the initial tonic shown in Example 2d i literally present before all the subsequent A sections. Because the underlying structure is based on consistent embellish- ments of a simple sequence, that structure is clear. Because it is also repetitive and goal-directed, it is predictable. And because each of the structural elements is realized as a harmony that lasts for a single mea- sure, the pacing is regular. The clear, predictable, and regularly-paced structure of the “swing set” provides a secure base for Peterson’s swing- ing musical gestures * Motives Three important motivic shapes, bracketed in mm. 7-8 of Example 3, appear repeatedly in these performances. These are (1) the circling ap- proach, 2) the ascending-seventh arpeggio, and (3) the descending step- Wise resolution. The circling approach leads to a single structural tone from both above and below, so that two lines converge on that one tone. The upper line is usually diatonic The lower line almost always ap- proaches that same tone with a half step. In mm. 7-8, these two lines are F-E and D#-E. While the cireling approach is @ common jazz figure, its use in an improvisation on “Night and Day” (even to different target structural tones) creates a motivic association with the original melody. There are two versions of the circling approach, and Example 3ilus- trates both: “upper-then-lower,"F-DE-E, and “lower-then-upper,” B-D-C. ‘As shown in Example 3, almost every statement of the upper-then-lower circling approach in these three performances is followed by an ascend- ing gesture. And, asin Example 3, most statements of the lower-then- upper circling approach end a gesture. Tn Example 3 (and in many eases in these improvisations), that ges- tureis the second of our motives, the ascending. seventh arpeggio. In some cases, the ascending-seventharpeggio isthe root, third, fifth, and seventh ‘ofthe chord that support it In other cases, itis third, ith, seventh, and 288rhe 3) aie e ey, { eo Wt) LO a dg ge | TPT za Q a Ms) wy ie 3 “ i B i a P LBB | iM re t a WP RAGE tp Rs AP ml Hh, | fa |i Te tt TE ° eR i * lee wees Ne AS A By NE ee ow Example 3 (continued)‘ninth—or an even more complex collection of tones. Butin all these cases, itis a process with its own momentum. In these performances, the third of our motives, the descending step- wise resolution (D-C in m. 8 of Example 3), is almost always a descend- ing whole step. Of course, this motive is part of the circling approach, most obviously in its lower-then-upper version. But it also appears by it- self throughout these improvisations. Where it appears without the circl- ing approach, it is usually an appoggiatura—the first tone is accented. ‘Where the underlying chords that support the ascending-seventh arpeggio suggest that the following resolution will be a half step instead of a whole step, Peterson often inflects the tone of resolution or inserts a chromatic lower neighbor, so thatthe motivie shape is stil a descending whole step. Motives that swing Looking at how each of these three motives shapes and is shaped by musical forces reveals something about what helps Peterson's playing swing. The musical forces help to explain how each of these motives swings smoothly into the next. ‘The upper-then-lower circling approach is essentially a turn figure. As . P-E. Bach observed, tum figures point upward (1753/1949, 115). In terms ofa physical, gestural metaphor, the tur is heard asa crouch (pre- pared with an upward bounce) before a leap (one can crouch down to ick up something, but when one bounces up in preparation fora crouch, itis usually to gather momentum for a more energetic upward motion), very much like a motion used to start swinging on a park swing. Thus the tum figure, like a park swing, uses inertia to overcome gravity. The iner- tia atthe end of the figure carries into the following figure, with which it iselided. This carrying over of inertia from the end of one patter into the beginning of the following (elided) pattern is one way in which Peter- son's musical gestures swing into one another. ‘The tur also uses magnetism to overcome gravity. The association of diatonic (often whole-step) upper neighbors with half-step (often chro- matic) lower neighbors is common both in jazz and common-practice music, and it may be explained by pointing out that gravity pulls upper neighbors down (whether they are half-step or whole-step neighbors) while the magnetism of the half-step lower neighbor is needed to over- come gravity and inertia (Larson 1994). The feeling of other forces aid- ing us in overcoming gravity is a central aspect of both physical and musical swing. Springing out ofthe tur, the ascending-seventh arpeggio has an ath- letie quality—it sa series of leaps, a compound motion that has its own internal inertia. This momentum gives ita sense of purpose. But since it ‘connects two notes that are @ seventh apart, one or both of those notes 292will be unstable. The usual resolution (even when the top note is not lt- erally the seventh of the chord that supports the arpeggiation) is to resolve the top note down by step. To move with such a sense of purpose to anactive tone can be heard as an expression of strength. (At the begin- ning ofthe guitar-tio performance, the arpeggiation contains tones more active than the top note, and this leads to a different affect.) ‘The metric placement ofthe ascending-seventh arpeggio also alters its expressive meaning. When an appoggiatura begins the gesture (as in Example 3, m. 7) the first of the four tones of the ascending-seventh arpeggio comes on the upbeat. Moving in equal durations allows the ges- ture to end with an echoing appoggiatura (as in Example 3, where the beginning appoggiatura D¥-E is echoed by the ending appoggiatura D- ©). This keeps the line swinging by ending with an upbeat. Just as each swing of a park swing ends up in the air (so that it has greatest momen- tum at normally stable locations and pauses only at the most unstable locations), so melodic gestures in Peterson's performances tend to pause “up inthe air” at metrically unstable moments. ‘However, in these performances, Peterson usually begins the ascend {ng-seventh arpeggo so that the first of its four tones comes on the down- beat. Hearing these motives as metaphorically embodying physical ges- ‘ures helps explain why this might be. Ifthe ascending-seventh arpegsio is to be heard as an athletic physical leap, and if we know that large ‘upward physical leaps are easiest when undertaken from a stable base, then we should expect large upward melodic leaps to take place from metrcally-stable downbeats. And they usually do. We should also expect large upward leaps to be balanced by a recovering step in the opposite direction, And they usually do. But if the ascending-seventh arpeggio started on a downbeat and re- solved down by step in equal durations the line would stop suddenly (as in Example 4a). Instead, Peterson places the resolution on the following ‘upbeat and often swings right into the next gesture (as in Example 4, from the big-band performance, m. 4). Or he lengthens the first of the four notes of the ascending-seventh arpeggio so that it can again end with an appoggiatura (as in Example 8, m. 27). Or he adds a note, creat- ing an ascending-ninth arpeggio (as in Example 8, m. 19, and Example 13,m, 72). Tn any case, the resolution follows with a seeming inevitability that may remind us of the inertia of momentum-riven physical motions that swing. The upper-then-lower circling approach swings up into the ascend ing-seventh arpeggio because it approaches the stable elided tones with ascending inertia. Atte top of the ascending-seventh arpeggio, Peterson often “floats” for a moment and usually allows gravity 0 lead into the descending stepwise resolution, so that the top of the ascending-seventh anpeggio becomes a lower-then-upper circling approach, smoothly con- 293Example 4 necting these motives. The new descending inertia is often absorbed into ‘an upper-then-lower circling approach that swings around into another ascending-seventh arpeggio. So each motive swings smoothly into the rnext—just as each motion of a park swing swings smoothly into the next. ‘The big-band performance ‘This process of repeatedly swinging through each of our motives in tum describes an important aspect of the big-band performance. But there is more to this passage than a simple motivic recycling. These motives are linked together in a dramatic process that embellishes a deeper struc- ture. Heard as a “tu” on a park swing, this process begins with slow short swings, gathers momentum for faster and faster swings, and builds to an impressive climax. The structure embellished by that process is a linear progression ofa fifth. That ffth-progression is hinted atin the open- ing, referred to throughout, and recalled at its conclusion. Example 5 provides an overview of the underlying voice-leading for ‘band performance.’ The large-scale fifth-progression embel- lished by the big-band performance (cf. Example 2d) is shown with stems down in this example. An additional line “reaches over” the basic fifth progression to introduce another fifth progression introduced by the A in m, 9. Since this second fifth-progression ends at the same time as, the fist, itis what I have elsewhere called a “confirmation” (1987a and 19876). Ifthe A in m. 9 isheard as a neighbor also tothe initial G (shown in the pick-up measure), then this second fifth-progression spans the entire passage (and is represented with stems up in Example 5).* “The use of 6 to introduce a line that descends from 5 (as A in m. 9, as ‘Abin m. 1, and in more-remote levels ofthis same passage) isa typical tonal procedure. But its use in various measures, at various octaves, and (on various hierarchical levels does give a sense of continuity and unity to the passage. ‘Example 3 shows in greater detail the motivie process of the big-band performance and provides a transcription of the piano and bass parts. The slanted lines show where lower voices reach over upper voices so that, 294s atdurexg, he aS he He ale »while individual voice-leading strands give in to gravity, the melody climbs higher and higher. Peterson begins his improvisation with the pick-up notes G-F-E-D to 1m. 1, Gravity and inertia imply that these pick-up notes will continue to . Thus the pick-up notes hint at the fifth-progression that spans this improvisation, They are immediately repeated with embellishment in m. 1, where they are broken into two statements of one of our motives, the descending whole-step resolution. Measures 3 and 4 answer with an embellished statement of the original melody’s descending third-pro- gression G-F-E. This third is the path covered by the entre four measures (ee the bracket in Example 3a) Iti also the basic structure of mm. 34 (see the bracket in Example 3b), where it occurs with the same cireling approach with Dé that appeared in the original melody. Notice that the circling approach is used to decorate the “blue” seventh (Bb, flagged in Example 3c) that reaches over the first tone of the descending third (G) and to decorate the following two notes (F-E) on two different levels of structure (see the embedded brackets in Example 3c). These four differ ent statements of this third all end with the same note even though the E cof m. 4 “belongs” on the downbeat of m. 3), forming an elegant example of hidden repetition with confirmations. Notice also thatthe use of the lowered seventh here creates another statement of two descending whole-step resolutions (C-Bb G-F) that is transposed to create the pick- notes to the next four-bar section (D-C A-G). ‘The next four measures repeatedly cycle through our motives. The A~ G at the end of measure 4 circles around the Ab that begins measure 5. ‘That Ab begins an ascending-seventh arpeggio. Its G makes a descending stepwise resolution to F. That F is placed on the offbeat and absorbed the anacrusis to measure 6, acircling approach tothe arpeggio that begins that bar, And so on. The process is not mechanical, however. As Example 3b shows, te structural pitches form a descending scale with octave dis- placements.” There, stems not only show which notes are more structural, but also (by ther direction) show that this line has a compound melodic structure. The G-F of m. 5is answered by the F-E of m. 7 (stems up). And the C-B of m. 6 is answered by the D-C of mm. 7-8 (stems down). While the stems-down line is higher than the stems-up line, the stems-up line is the primary one. They are shown in this relationship in Example 3a. Plac- ing the alto of Example 3a above the soprano (note the stem direction in Example 3b) prepares us for inversion of parts that occur inthe next four measures. nm. 9, the structural soprano and structural alto begin in their respec- tive registers. However, the placement of these notes allows us to focus easily on the continuity of either line. The alto draws attention t0 itself because it occurs first and because it occurs on a downbeat. The soprano draws attention to itself because itis higher and because it begins with 2969 aiduiexaythe tone that was the structural upper voice at the end of the preceding four bars. In m. 10, the alto “reaches over” the soprano. This is a“reach- ing over” in Schenkerian terms. And this melodic leaping may also be heard as a physical “reaching over.” The use of the appoggiatura Bb-Ab not only emphasizes the leaping-up-to-resolve-down quality of “reach- ing over.” but also recalls the descending whole-step resolution in order to echo the D-C of m. 8. Measures 11-12 repeat the procedure of mm. 9-10 down a step, but witha twist Instead of resolving Ab-Gb, the Peter- son leaves the Ab hanging. The Ab does not resolve until the G of m. 13. Not only has the resolution been inflected, but itis delayed so long that itis now itself unstable, and must resolve to F (the Gi of the lower regis- ter does resolve to Fin that register, but the registral continuity of each line makes us wait for resolution in the upper register, too.) ‘That resolution of G to F begins another statement of the descending fifth-progression that spans this improvisation (but it is not the last such statement—see the final confirmation in mm. 14-15). Again, repeated cycling through our motives produces a descending scale with octave dis- placements. But this time, the octave displacements occur more rapidly, and the line is transferred up through two octaves in an apotheosis of “reaching over.” a fiting climax tothe improvisation. The triplets not only accelerate the motion, but they allow a complete uninterrupted cycling through all three of our motives. Measures 14—15 dissipate the accumu- lated energy by falling through several descending whole-step resolutions witha figure that contains a hidden repetition that encapsulates the entire A section of “Night and Day” (see Example 6) Just as a park swing might swing back and forth through ares of in- creasing length in order to swing higher and higher in physical space, Peterson's lines swing through larger and larger registral spans, in order to swing higher and higher in musical space. At the same time, the gestures become longer and longer (this is shown in Example 7, which also underscores the importance of the “sentence” or “bar form” phrase rhythm here).* ‘The guitar-trio performance ‘The guitar-trio performance (mm. 9-28 are transcribed in Example 8) has a completely different affect than the big-band performance just ana- lyzed. Instead of the hard-driving, fat-tempo, big-band performance, wwe hear the laid-back, slow-tempo—even delicate—guitar-trio perfor ‘mance. But despite the diferences, both performances swing. Again, part of this results from the similar ways in Which the motives are used. ‘After the introduction (mm. 1-8, notincluded in Example 8), we hear three gestures, each of them introduced by a similar anacrusis." That anacrusis may be described as the upper-then-lower circling approach 298sections 9 4 + 4 + 8 gestures IH(H2 442 Dad measures 1-4 58 9-16 Example 7, Phrase rhythm in the big-band performance leading into the ascending-seventh arpeggio leading into the downbeat. These two motives swing into one another in the same way that they did in the big-band performance. Yet they have a very different rhythmic effect here. In the big-band performance, the ascending-seventh arpexgio introduced a pitch that almost immediately and aggressively resolved down by step. In the gui- tartrio performance, it repeatedly floats up to a G that seems to hang in the ai. ‘The G introduced by those anacruses is played inthe hythm J.))each time. Although that rhythm isthe same as the rhythm of the pick-up notes that begin the original melody (and bear the text incipit “Night and Day”), it may not be immediately recognizable as such. One reason for this is thatthe same succession of pitches and/or durations has a different func- tion when it ends rather than begins a gesture, and the changed function changes our perception of that succession. It is thus related tothe type of hidden repetition that Schenker called “linkage technique” (Knupftech- nic, ‘While the big-band performance usually uses the ascending-seventh arpeggio to connect a lower, more stable pitch to a higher, less stable pitch (and its resolution), the guitar-trio performance uses the ascending Seventh arpeggio to lead repeatedly to @ higher static pitch. In the guita- tio performance, itis the internal members ofthe arpeggio that provide the greatest sense of resolution; the underlying voice leading is depicted in Example 9. ‘When Peterson does allow the line to descend, he uses the same lick that concluded the big-band performance (see Example 8, mm. 11-12; cf. Example 3, mm. 14-16). Yet, again, the gesture has very different ‘character in this context. In the big-band performance, Peterson moves with athletic agility and drive up to the climactic G that begins the lick; ‘what follows slowly dissipates the accumulated energy asi falls conclu sively tothe lower G. In the guitar-trio performance, Peterson has already been floating around this upper G; and what follows floats easily back up to the upper G. ‘An examination ofthe remainder ofthe guitar-trio performance shows that its underlying structure strongly resembles that of the big-band per- formance. It also continues to use the same motives even when Peterson adopts the “locked hands” texture (beginning in m. 24)—a texture that rakes it quite difficult to play these same motives.” Yet, throughout, the 299Example 8 (continued) 301Example 9 ‘same structure and motives are used to create a performance that swings in quite a different way. ‘The drum-trio performance While the big-band and guitar-trio performances were recorded in 1952, the drum-trio performance was recorded in 1959. While the earlier performances are in C major, the drum-trio performance is in Eb major. ‘And while the earlier performances are shorter excerpts, the drum-trio performance includes a complete statement ofthe original melody plus sections of improvised variations. So itis not surprising that, although the same three motives appear in the drum-trio performance, they appear in a different mix and with a somewhat diferent character. I wll explain, in & moment, how that different character involves emphasizing a new motive shape that is related to the original melody. But first I would like to point out how the drum-trio performance— like the big-band performance, but over a longer span of time—uses changes in register to create what may also be heard as a “turn” on a park swing; it begins by swinging within a small range, covers increasingly larger ranges, and then drops smoothly from the highest register through all the registers back to the “obligatory register” to conclude. (The big- band performance also uses gesture-length to contribute to this effect, but | will focus inthe drum-trio performance primarily on register. The gui- tar-trio performance also uses various factors, including register, to cre- ate a similar global shape, bu the effect, in keeping with the affect of that performance, is more subie.) ‘The new motive shape mentioned above is related to the original melody. Elsewhere (19872), Ihave suggested that its fruitful to look at different jazz performances of the same piece asif they were the result of the improviser’s variations on his or her concept of te original theme. ‘And Peterson's opening statement of the original melody emphasizes a etal that is often ignored in jazz renditions: nm. 22 (see Example 10), instead of playing the same thing he played in mim, 2,6, and 18 (as many {azz instrumentalists do), he plays the complete $-6-8 neighbor motion that appears in the published sheet musi. Furthermore, he draws our at- 302Example 10 tention to this shape by preceding it with two measures of repeated-note triplets, (Measure 22 ofboth the published sheet music and the drum: performance also includes the chromatic passing tone B, but in subse- {quent references to this “new motive,” I mean 3-6-8, not necessarily including the B.) This new motive shape plays an important role from the very begin- ning ofthe improvised variations. The opening gesture (mm, 47-48, sce Example 11) belongs to a family of gestures that combines diatonic (often whole-step) upper neighbors with hall-step (often chromatic) lower neighbors. As mentioned above, this combination may be under- 3031G : a — te Pe) SS FEE ff) PP pid SS = ye StExample 12 stood as an expression ofthe ways in which tonal melody uses magnet- ism to overcome gravity in lines propelled by inertia, In a discussion of| that family of gestures, I cited one example that may be regarded as the basis for Peterson's opening gesture (Larson 1994). That basic gesture is reproduced here as Example 12 (and transposed to Eb for ease of com- parison). As Example 11 suggests, the underlying structure of this motive 1s8-6-8-4.32-1 (and ata deeper level, itis a descending tonic triad). This pattern is a common one (Larson 1994 suggests why). But it also differs {om the fifth progressions cited above. Although the fifth progressions cited above sometimes use 6 to introduce 8, that 6 is often ina different register and not preceded by a8 belonging tothe same motive. That is, 6 usually doesn’t belong to the motive. And where it does belong to the ‘motive, itis frequently an incomplete neighbor. Here, we begin with a complete neighbor, echoing Peterson’s statement of m, 22 of the original ‘melody. And throughout the drum-trio performance, we hear the family cof patterns that begin with this complete neighbor figure 64.8, 36:5-4- 4, and 4-5-43.2-1) on a variety of levels. The following analysis ofthe drum-trio performance emphasizes this family of patterns as it reveals how this performance may be understood as “swinging” on a variety of levels: registral, diminutional, and scale- degree structural. Example 13 displays my transcription of the piano and bass parts in mm, 49-80, along with a Schenkerian sketch, Each of the first four four-bar sections stays within its own register of approximately an octave (if we regard the anacrusis to the second four bars as belonging to the second four bars rather than to the first). To- ‘gether, these first sixteen bars (mm. 49-64) swing up then down in one smooth arc, The next four bars (mm. 65-68) make a single descending sweep that now covers about two octaves. Measures 69-72 also cover bout two octaves, but they sweep first down and then up. Measures 73 76, like mm, 57-60 (both based onthe same harmonic structure), emph- size the descending stepwise resolution motive, but while the mative appears in the middle ofthe tessitura of min. 57-60, i appears at both the top and the bottom (in two diferent octaves in alternation) of the tessi- tura of mm. 73-76—so Peterson's melodic line makes a descending sweep in every bar. The energy built up by these increasingly larger and faster swings through pitch space is released by the long steady descent of mm, 77-80. Measures 49-52 stay very close tothe original melody. But if we look 305- 4 ; “tT ¥ roe 5 i 6 SS -S505 == ea mi ; i TTT reer tar > is os re 2 od 333 7 = Soe i) i+ ae cnn EER) Fas ae recarraet 2599! =e —— — : = 40) —— g —_ = Hg(panunuos) er a1duneg 7 434 7 ys f 2 i ae = = = A ae ee ate - ae ame ad ei ae FR eee ¢ aot =a = eee! dae te 215 = a —* 4. - Ce 2 —+ + Agi" 3 — = i. > Gj eyAI) a. all 4 ae Nich A + a ay a 4 me xl] 3} 4 TH 2 Mi 4 i}closely atthe diminutions that have been added, we see that they also reflect this new motive. The structure ofthese measures as a whole may be described as 3.88-4.3, Or we could say that both descending steps in 3.4.8 have been embellished with an upper neighbor and then use the ciz- cling-approach motive to fall. Measure 52 echoes the circling approach of mm, 50-51 and prepares the following measures repistally with an ascending register transfer based on an ascending aspeggiaton. Measures 53-55 of this performance depart both from the original melody and from its original register. These measure (which are strik- ingly similar to the analogous measures, mm, 13-15, ofthe guitar-tio performance, see Example 8) also imply polymeter."? And these mea- sures contin the full descent $43.31 (the initial 8 now decorated with complete upper embellishing leaps instead of complete upper neighbors), yet they adhere to the basic outine ofthe orignal melody's structural ‘soprano (see Example 2) by returning to 3 with a gesture (m. 56) that rhymes with that of rm. 52. {AS in previous “b" sections, mm. 57-60 are based on both the struc- ‘tural soprano and structural alto of Example 2. But here, both lines con- verge on the Bb of m. 61. That Bb initiates another statement ofthe com- plete $65-432-1 motive. As that motive drives to its conclusion, each of the notes in m. 62 has the upper neighbor and circling-approach that embellished the beginning of these improvised variations (m. 50). In mm. 65-72, which are based on another complete $-6-5-43.2-4 ‘motive, ascending passages are introduced by the circling-approach mo- tive and descending passages feature the whole-step resolution motive. ‘Throughout, the descending stepwise resolution motive is increasingly ‘emphasized. This motivic process anticipates the next section, in which this motive is now prominent. Subtle motivic processes also shape this next section. The four teenth-note diminution given to both of the first wo quarter-notes of 1m, 78 is anticipated in eighth notes ofthe last half of m. 77, which them- selves absorb the descending resolutions that are sequenced in mim. 73 77. The shiftto longer durations mid-bar in m, 78 anticipates the mid-bar conclusion on G in m. 79 in a way that makes the underlying structure (unfoldings in alf notes) securely clear atthe same time that the surface of m. 79 recalls the shyming mm. 52 and 56, A Schenkerian view of motive, grounded in an understanding of how musical forces shape expressive meaning, can tell us much of interest about jazz, swing, and Peterson's playing, 310Notes on the transcriptions ‘The transcriptions are modeled on Dapogny (1982) and reflect the ‘guidelines in Larson (1993). Only the piano and string bass parts have been notated. As the clef suggests, the bass part sounds an octave lower ‘than it would if it were notated at concert pitch in the standard bass clef. Unless otherwise indicated, the notated eighth notes are swung. It is sometimes difficult to tellin which octave a note was played. Peterson uses a variety of touches in voicing his chords, and in some cases notated pitches—especially the lowest left hand notes—are played softy or do not sound. While some listeners may hear different pitches than T have indicated, I do not believe that those differences will alter the analytic remarks that I have made.'* performance measure remarks drumitio 9 F 6 aso sounds, ut is probably a mistake, rather than an imtended grace not. 2 ‘The left-hand As may not sound in that register. Soe the voicing in m. 44 B Peterson may also have intended to play the left-hand notes given i mm, 29-30. 2 ‘With the right-hand F5, GS also sounds, but was proba- bly not intended Inthe last chord ofthe measure, P6 also sounds, but was probably not intended. (On the fourth beat, Gb6 and EM6 are played sofly or do not sound, suitartio 12 Instead of the notated BH, Peterson seems to play GA. 2 ‘The lft hand inthe second half ofthis bar sems to stumble, Peterson probably intended to play an Abmj? chord in anticipation ofthe nex bar. 2 ‘While Peterson may have intended to play what's notated, the first chord inthis measure seem to consist of only C4, D4, and F4. The CS on the third quarter note ofthe bar splayed sofly or does not sound. And the ‘Abs and Fin the last chord ofthe bar are played softly ‘or do not sound 6 ‘The B4 on the second eighth-note and the BS and GS on the third eighth-note ofthe bar are played soflly or do not sound, 30 In the cordon the lst eighth-note of this bar omy the Dé and Ab sound, 38 i onthe second beat is played sol or doesnot sound, 31NOTES ‘The “big-band performance” is Compact Jaze: Charlie Parker (Verve 833 288.2), recorded March 25, 1952 Ray Brown, bass; Don Lamond, drums): the “guitar tro performance” is Jazz Piano: A Smithsonian Collection (Smithsonian RD 039 ‘Ad 21010), recorded December 1952 (Ray Brown, bass; Herb Ellis, guitar; and the “drum-rio performance” is Oscar Peterson plays the Cole Porter Songbook (Verve 821 987-2), recorded July-August 1959 (Ray Brown, bass: Ed Thigpen, drums), 2. Inother jazz pices, a circle-of-fifths bas line might convert these 7-6 suspensions into a linear intervallic pattem of interlocking tenths and seventh. Strunk (1996) provides an in-depth discussion of linear intervalic pattems in modern jazz 3. Some analysts might be tempted to look at these parallels as evidence that Schenkerian analysis is not applicable to jazz. But a beter explanation might be stated in a different way, Schenkerian analysis reveals that parallel its occur in ‘idaleground and foreground levels of both common-practice and jazz music. In both it may turn out that parallels at more-remote levels are broken up at more- surface levels, In both it may turnout tat parallels on or nea the surface ofthe music occur between tones of clearly omamental function and are thus more “apparent” than “structural” *Movat ifs” and ths planing seem tobe instances ofthe later, 4, Of course, many jazz performances are based on such clear, predictable, and reg- larly-paced structures. 5. The voice-leading analyses of Peterson's performances given in this article follow guidelines fr “strict ue" of analytic notation listed in Larson (1996): all notes of| the surface ae represented (except repeated notes and the most obvious omamen- tal neighbor notes); only noteheads, stems, and slurs are used; ll and only the notcheads that are stemmed on a given analytic are represented onthe next more remote level lags are used for self-evident exceptions); and slurs unambiguously indicate embellishment funtion and noting ele 6, Both fifth progressions play important role in this performance, As David Neu- meyer (1987) suggests, there are pieces that may productively be viewed as hav- ing fundamental strcture with more than two structural upper voices, and in which iis difficult to decide which ofthe two is strctrallySuperioe. This may be one of those cases (however, unlike Neumeyer’s examples, both upper voices here begin on the same scale degree), While I stil fel that itis good methodology for the analyst to express such contradictory readings in separate analyses (Larson 1987), it may be useful for an improviser to have an internal representation of [Night and Day in which both ofthe upper voices in Example 6b are considered ually availabe improvisational pathway. 7. Thomas Owens (1974) finds many such lines in the improvisations of Charlie Parker 8, While these longer gestures may contradict what we know about pendular motion (a park swing should take the same amount of ime to sing back and forth egard- Jess of how far it swings; they swing faster when they swing faher, because the period of oscillation depends only on the length ofthe pendulum) it reflects our experience of swinging higher and higher 3129, Apparently, Martin Wiliams felt that one of Peerson’s performances was an exception to Williams's general ritcisms of Peterson’s playing (1989): ‘To some, his solo style depends on an almost inexhaustible store of ideas and ‘phrases, One to the next. But his casually performed gem has im showing an admirable capacity fr mosialstcture and continuity. Every phase in each of his solos here isa fanciful development or distillation of the litle sx-note [sc] ‘motive with which he begins. Notte rhythmically, that moive eyo ‘The performance he is discussing inthis quote isthe gutartrio performance of Night and Day. Wiliams chose that performance to represent Peterson inthe Smithsonian collection ented Jazz Piano. 10.The guitartio performance begins with an atemation between Abmaj7 and ‘Gaj7. The essential bss line ofthis introduction (APG) is, ofcourse, te same 35 that ofthe frst two measures of Night and Day. But the chord qualities differ (the frst two chords of Night and Day are Abmaj7 and G7). Because ofthis dif- ference in chord quality. the top voice of the introduction altemates between G and FI. The Ft is thus pled (by the more-intese pull of halstep magnetism) back upto the G (an F would have been pulled more strongly downward by inertia and aravty, The result is thatthe outer voices together provide an expanded version ofthe circling approach to G, the pitch that is both the first structural tone ofthe crginal melody and the starting point ofthis improvised variation on it This is the motive mentioned by Willams, see note 9 (hough the motive he men- tions never oceurs in the htm he notated) 12. The particular notes inthe pick-up chord that begins this texture in m. 24, G-Ab- CC-EF-G, reading from the botom up, are the same as the noes of the ascending- Seventh arpoggio pick-up notes that Peterson begins with—an intresting rela tionship even if its unlikely to be head by listeners. 13. 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