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I was just playing stolen moments in a big band the other day and was noticing that it has a rather unexpected major 7th chord in it. If you listen closely you can hear it in the 2nd half of the 4th bar. genius
You know, I often wonder if mistakes sometimes just get left in and then become part of the song. Not saying that the maj doesn't sound good, but I really do wonder if genius was at play, or just some tired sax player was misreading his part and then Nelson going "hey! keep that in!"
I'm give them all a call and check.
It seems unlikely that he didn't know exactly what he was doing, judging by the quality and harmonic sophistication of his arrangements. The way the voicings move around in a parallel way make harmonic juxtapositions like that quite common. I think he may have got those ideas from Horace Silver. You can hear the same kind of thing in this tune … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOK-Lkxbwsg
In any case, Stolen Moments appears to be a modal tune,...
Well this is my point. A lot of minor blues tunes are really modal tunes. I don't really know why that is but a standard blues scale doesn't work on minor blues.
Minor tunes also lend themselves to quartal harmony, or even minor/major harmony.
So What can be played in such interesting ways that I didn't realize before.
For those that are interested, here's a nice discussion of the basic minor blues changes and many possible additions and substitutions: http://www.jazzguitar.be/minor_blues.html
The author does a nice job of showing the step my step process by which jazz takes something simple and makes it as complex as possible.
Interesting how he limits himself to functional harmony. The (limited) chromatic movement introduces more modal elements which he doesn't address (unless it's in the small print -- I just looked at the changes).
...which brings me to ask the question: why do I to worry about focusing on a blues scale? My teacher once told me. If you're not into blues then don't worry about it.
Why can't I just treat blues more in these terms?
I7 - IVAlt - VAlt
Then the whole chromatic scale is open instead of just thinking Blues scale. Now I can't yet hear what Pilc hears when he starts sounding out but I think this is more fun to me to explore than simple blues.
Now obviously I've played blues but I'm just not interested in taking it further the traditional way.
It seems unlikely that he didn't know exactly what he was doing, judging by the quality and harmonic sophistication of his arrangements. The way the voicings move around in a parallel way make harmonic juxtapositions like that quite common. I think he may have got those ideas from Horace Silver. You can hear the same kind of thing in this tune … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOK-Lkxbwsg
No, I have to disagree. I believe everything Oliver Nelson wrote was just a fluke really. The notes on the page being somewhat like the paint splatters of a Jackson Pollock painting in his later years. It just so happened that everything fell in place and sounded cool. He was just lucky I guess.
Just kidding, of course.
Recordings of my recent solo piano and piano/keyboard trio jazz standards.
...which brings me to ask the question: why do I to worry about focusing on a blues scale? My teacher once told me. If you're not into blues then don't worry about it.
Why can't I just treat blues more in these terms?
I7 - IVAlt - VAlt
Then the whole chromatic scale is open instead of just thinking Blues scale. Now I can't yet hear what Pilc hears when he starts sounding out but I think this is more fun to me to explore than simple blues.
Now obviously I've played blues but I'm just not interested in taking it further the traditional way.
I think everyone needs to have some real working knowledge of the blues if they are going to play jazz properly. This doesn't necessarily mean that one has to play blues scales or licks in every line (ugh), but it is a basic part of the jazz vocabulary. It's all the Anglo Saxon words in the jazz language. In the video you posted Pilc is clearly explaining that he imagines melody to be words and sentences, and that the difference between playing intervallically and melodically, in his view, is that by playing intervallically you may know where you are, but may not know where you're going. Which seems to me that it is the same as saying that someone may know how to blow over the changes, but lacks direction in their melodic content. The musical phrases lack meaning. So, in my opinion, sometimes the blues language is a good way to get yourself centered again, at least for a bar or two once you've left the tonal constraints of key, chords and melodic sense. And by the way, even in his examples he's playing blues stuff, albeit in a few different tonal centers juxtaposed over the F blues chords.
Recordings of my recent solo piano and piano/keyboard trio jazz standards.
Well this is my point. A lot of minor blues tunes are really modal tunes. I don't really know why that is but a standard blues scale doesn't work on minor blues.
Oh no no no. A minor blues is a minor blues is a minor blues. Has nothing to do with modal minor tunes.
...and to further the discussion of the blues scale... at 2:50 as well as 3:05 of this clip this is what I'm talking about. KJ does all this stuff leading away from the tonal centre for long periods of time, BUT at those two places (and probably more later, but I chose to write this before listening to the whole thing), he references the blues scale-- the first time in a different tonal centre, then the second, the tritone leap, within the key. If its good enough for KJ, its good enough for me.
Recordings of my recent solo piano and piano/keyboard trio jazz standards.
Well this is my point. A lot of minor blues tunes are really modal tunes. I don't really know why that is but a standard blues scale doesn't work on minor blues.
Oh no no no. A minor blues is a minor blues is a minor blues. Has nothing to do with modal minor tunes.
A blues:
Wait a minute. This is a major blues. Are you trying to trick us, Chris?
By the way, why aren't you posting recordings anymore?
Recordings of my recent solo piano and piano/keyboard trio jazz standards.
It seems unlikely that he didn't know exactly what he was doing, judging by the quality and harmonic sophistication of his arrangements. The way the voicings move around in a parallel way make harmonic juxtapositions like that quite common. I think he may have got those ideas from Horace Silver. You can hear the same kind of thing in this tune … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOK-Lkxbwsg
No, I have to disagree. I believe everything Oliver Nelson wrote was just a fluke really. The notes on the page being somewhat like the paint splatters of a Jackson Pollock painting in his later years. It just so happened that everything fell in place and sounded cool. He was just lucky I guess.
Just kidding, of course.
It is true that SOMETIMES the mistakes are the best bits ;-)
Wait a minute. This is a major blues. Are you trying to trick us, Chris?
But of course dear chap, a minor blues is a minor blues; it's a major thing.
Originally Posted by scepticalforumguy
By the way, why aren't you posting recordings anymore?
Many reasons. Foremost; family-work. Two small kids (1.5 + 4) takes up a lot of my time, my wife has been getting a lot of gigs lately - there goes my evenings. as for work, I've been heavily involved in a cd production featuring bassist Palle Danielsson, there's been loads of last minute changes . . . apart from producing (recording/mixing) I've also designed the cover . . anyhow, it arrived from the printers today (release in Sweden the 28th Feb, end of March the rest of the Vürld) . . so my practice time has been cut short.
But fear not, I'm at it again. And will post some solo piano shortly.
...and to further the discussion of the blues scale... at 2:50 as well as 3:05 of this clip this is what I'm talking about. KJ does all this stuff leading away from the tonal centre for long periods of time, BUT at those two places (and probably more later, but I chose to write this before listening to the whole thing), he references the blues scale-- the first time in a different tonal centre, then the second, the tritone leap, within the key. If its good enough for KJ, its good enough for me.
And sometimes Jarrett vamps on a simple blues scale idea for 10 minutes at a go. I can't find any examples on youtube but almost every jarrett album has a 10 minutes bluesy vamp. One of my faves is the first track on Nude ants, awesome the way he builds the solo up from a few blues licks.
By the way, why aren't you posting recordings anymore?
Many reasons. Foremost; family-work. Two small kids (1.5 + 4) takes up a lot of my time, my wife has been getting a lot of gigs lately - there goes my evenings. as for work, I've been heavily involved in a cd production featuring bassist Palle Danielsson, there's been loads of last minute changes . . . apart from producing (recording/mixing) I've also designed the cover . . anyhow, it arrived from the printers today (release in Sweden the 28th Feb, end of March the rest of the Vürld) . . so my practice time has been cut short.
You call those reasons? You Northerners are really lazy.
Originally Posted by CB
But fear not, I'm at it again. And will post some solo piano shortly.
Looking forward to it!
Recordings of my recent solo piano and piano/keyboard trio jazz standards.
Jarrett solo at a sound check, somewhere in the South of France I believe, burning on Butch and Butch doing his Oscar Peterson imitation; walking bass et al: http://www.box.com/s/yp9jinx7z4uf8j3qcnl4
For those that are interested, here's a nice discussion of the basic minor blues changes and many possible additions and substitutions: http://www.jazzguitar.be/minor_blues.html
The author does a nice job of showing the step my step process by which jazz takes something simple and makes it as complex as possible.
Interesting how he limits himself to functional harmony. The (limited) chromatic movement introduces more modal elements which he doesn't address (unless it's in the small print -- I just looked at the changes).
I think the functional harmony is the basis for chromaticism. The chromatic ideas momentarily imply substitute changes that are functionally connected to the basic harmonic structure.
A minor blues is a minor blues is a minor blues. 
