July 16th 2024,
We are Dolphin Dance!
Day 2 of Jazz Colony: Gone Fishing, and we are making “waves”.
Our group started learning the changes and melody to “On Green Dolphin Street” by Bronislaw Kaper, made famous by Miles Davis. It’s pretty early on, but we took a step into the world of modal jazz. We caught on pretty quick, with our horn players already creating beautiful solos… using only notes from 1st and 2nd scale degree triads!
For practice:
-Finish learning the head to On Green Dolphin Street
-Practice your triads within the major and minor scale degrees
-Using On Green Dolphin (or another Jazz Standard) apply what you learn over the change.
Suggestion by Mr.Steinke: Practice soloing over the changes OUT OF TIME, to help you hear the connections and functionality of the chords. Eventually you can start practicing the changes IN TIME, starting with simple rhythms.
CHALLENGE (for 5 dollas): come prepared next week after memorizing the names of all the modes of the major scale.
HINT: the first one we learned about was the Dorian minor scale.
RECAP: Dorian in the Key of Eb minor is the Natural Eb Minor scale with a raised 6th.
In other words, it is the Db Major scale starting and ending on the second scale degree!
Great second day! - Don Tran
Body & Sole
We started off our rehearsal with reviewing the tune Yardbird Suite. Since we had some new faces we worked through the melody together very slowly, we discussed the importance of slow down apps and transcription, download the anytune app, slowing things down is a major process in transcribing. We were hearing things differently so it was nice to clear it up in a group setting. We decided that this was one of our main tunes for the summer, and we set a goal as a combo to transcribe the first 16 bars of Charlie Parkers solo.
Next we dove into some charts that Mr. Bennett brought in, we listened to “Filosophical Flying Fish” by Grace Kelly, It is a Bb blues with a second line groove. The charts were also in concert key, so before we started playing we had the horn players transpose and write their parts out for their instrument. Then we started playing!
We got into a discussion about different types of solos, and what you can do to make your solo “better” and Mr. Bennett had brought in a page from Steve Treseler’s book “The Living Jazz Tradition: A Creative Guide to Improvisation and Harmony”, this page includes creative and expressive tools and that you can use in your improvisation, Steve learned these techniques particularly from studying with Jerry Bergonzi. These tools are essentially compositional limitations. For example, three notes per measure, all quarter notes, lyrical phrases, question & answer phrases, melodies that stay within the range of a perfect fifth, and so forth. We picked out some of these techniques and had everyone use them over a Bb blues. We started having everyone use the same choice, but eventually we made a game where you chose one and the other band members had to guess which one you were using in your solo, a simple but effective way to enhance your listening skills! - Max Bartron
7/16 - WAVE Combo
-We played Centerpiece in the correct key, starting on concert D instead of F. The way we played it last time became the harmony part! We also figured out an ascending chromatic ending, harmonized. (Eb, E, F) (G, Ab, A) (D, Eb, E) (Bb, B, C)
-We played the roots of the F blues (Centerpiece) to get a feel for the form. Then, we all took a chorus or two using the blues scale!
Break
-We sight read Brant's excellent transcription of Wave (thank you, Brant!) and played through the roots of the changes. Mabel took a solo! The form is AABA. We decided to arrange it this way:
First A: Mabel and Arden
Second A: Isabel, Brant, Alex
Bridge: Forrest
Last A: All
- Alex Weber
Good Bait Combo - submitted by Andrew Fox
July 16th
To start we went around listing some of our favourite jazz musicians. Off the top of my head, I can remember: Erroll Garner, Freddie Hubbard, Johnny Hodges, Clifford Brown, Paul Gonsalves, Michel Petrucciani, and Chet Baker.
We also had the fun of having Marina Albero join in!
We continued with a review of the melody to “Avalon”, playing through several times, then trying to solo over the changes. To reinforce the harmonic underpinning, we played through the tune a few times holding the roots of each chord. We observed that the written chords differed from those that Andrew transcribed, and discussed how earlier jazz styles used simpler chord changes, while later players added more chords to augment and intensify the harmony.
After a break, we began learning the tune “Rifftide” by ear, based on this Coleman Hawkins recording:
We had a lot of fun learning the basic steps to the Charleston and dancing along to the recording! It’s important to remember that for the first 3 decades of its existence Jazz was dance music. Having that driving beat in your heart, head, and feet is essential to staying in the groove.
We also learned the “shout chorus” at the end of the arrangement, and practiced running through the melody, shout chorus, and drum solo, working out some chords to accompany the shout.
Random takeaways:
learn a lick in all 12 keys - it doesn’t have to be a difficult one, choose something very simple
Marina taught us that the piano generally sticks to the tenor register while comping, and only sporadically ventures into the upper range, especially when a lower instrument is soloing
The piano doesn’t have to include the root in the voicing when playing with a bass
Repeat ideas in a solo. If it sounded good once, it’ll sound good again!
Earlier jazz drumming was simpler: driving, insistent, 4 beats, no ride cymbal. Simpler can often be more effective.
Assignments:
- finish memorising the melodies to Avalon and Rifftide
memorise the changes to Avalon
Learn a simple lick in all 12 keys
Some fun recordings:
Avalon by Charlie Ventura
Avalon by Jimmie Lunceford:
Rifftide by Bud Powell
| Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises Rifftide · Bud Powell · NHØP · William Schiöpffe Bouncing With Bud ℗ 1987 Storyville Records Released on: 1990-10-20 Auto-generated by YouTube.
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