Bitches Brew by Miles Davis

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This is the title track from Miles' groundbreaking Bitches Brew album. The letter A is tricky to notate due to its freely interpreted approach. Those quirky keyboard voicings are given merely as a point of reference, so don't stick to the chart too literally. The letter B is harmonically very loose, but it's played in strict funk groove. Focus on the tones rather than the actual tonalities and dive into the groove!

:) Ville



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"Sanctuary" by Wayne Shorter

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I transcribed the head of Wayne Shorter's "Sanctuary" as played by the Carlos Santana & Wayne Shorter Band in 1988 Montreux jazz Festival (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWstCK17yzo). The song was originally written as a slow waltz (3/4), but has been played in rubato and 4/4 time in his later executions (e.g. "Bitches Brew", "Circle in the Round" and "Footprints live!").

Also, I enclose a MIDI file of the head of the tune here. The file is thrown together rather hastily, but will give a picture of the above mentioned live version. The opening phrase in the MIDI file is played over |D D9#11 |A-11 |, but I guess it would be more close to home as |D D7b9#11|A-7b5(11) |.
All comments are welcome! :) Ville

P.S. My computer discovered a malware threat on the Free Jazz Intitute's site some time ago, but it didn't notice any harm this time. Any experiences on this discovery?



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So What ~ Tune & Miles' Solo

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Since some here found my analysis of Miles Davis's "Circle" useful, I am posting my analysis of "So What," excerpted from the same book, The Influence of Claude Debussy's and Maurice Ravel's Music on Jazz, as Seen in the Compositions of Bix Beiderbecke, Bill Evans and Miles Davis, by Ed Byrne (© Ed Byrne 1998).

Analysis of “So What,” both the exposition and Davis’s trumpet improvisation, will be drawn from my own transcriptions. “So What” is based on the dorian mode, reflecting its presence in Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand, as we shall see below.14 D and Eb, respectively, are established as priority notes by their prominent placement in the double-bass melody, and they are both approached from below by a note at the interval of a 5.

A modal transposition can be found moving up a semitone from D dorian to Eb dorian for the eight-measure B section of this AABA recurring form at measure 17 of the exposition, before returning back down a semitone to D dorian for the last eight measures, at measure 25 (Example 3a).

In addition to modal transposition, Davis, in his trumpet improvisation, creates a brief pc mixture in measures 24 and 62. In anticipating the modal transposition back to D dorian at two beats before 25, he plays a pc comprised of G, A C# and D, rather than playing the expected C of the D dorian mode (Example 3b). These examples could also be viewed as chromatic enhancements in the form of added leading-tones that help to emphasize the D and Eb priority notes.

A non-functional chord succession is present in the form of two chords that oscillate throughout the D dorian A sections, modulated up a semitone for the B sections, and back down for the last eight-measure A section (Example 3a). Similar to the frequent avoidance of resolving the leading-tone in cadences in Ravel’s Concerto, which we will examine below, avoidance of resolution of the leading-tone in Davis’s “So What” is also evident: it contains no cadences whatsoever.

A similarity between “So What” and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe is the presence of vertical quartal harmony. Beginning on beat three of measure 1 of the exposition of “So What,” pianist Evans repeatedly plays a quartal voicing that jazz musicians now call the "So What Voicing” (Example 3a). Quartal harmonies oscillate throughout “So What.”

Unresolved melodic tensions are present in Davis’s trumpet improvisation on “So What.” He sustains an E, the ninth of the D dorian mode, on beats two and three of measure 14, and in measures 33-35 (Example 3b). He plays elevenths, G’s, in measures 2, 11, 15, and elsewhere; and unresolved melodic thirteenths, C’s, can be seen in measures 24, 54 and 55 of the Eb dorian B sections.

Through his use of modes in “So What,” Davis realizes his desire to be free to concentrate on melodic improvisation. He is no longer obliged to constantly adapt his lines to chord progressions, which often contain harmonic clichés that force the improviser into playing melodic formulas. Like Evans’s “Peace Piece,” Davis’s “So What” is based on a static background of two oscillating chords. The two pieces differ, however, in that “So What” is based on the traditional AABA recurring form while remaining mostly diatonic to a dorian mode throughout.

Through modal transposition, Davis is able to give the piece periodic lifts in color and tension levels. Pc mixture and chromatic enhancement provide Davis additional pitch classes with which to add melodic interest and forward motion to his trumpet solo. The presence of parallel quartal harmony (not a commonplace in jazz in 1959) and unresolved melodic and harmonic tensions also help to endow “So What” with a sense of unhurried, thoughtful charm.

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Soulive's "Turn it Out"

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Anybody got it? Having trouble picking it out.

subjectChick Corea Live in Europe

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Has anyone transcribed anything of Chick Corea's "Live In Europe'' (w/ Roy Haynes & Miroslav Vitous-ECM 1983 ) ? Chick is at the peak of his powers on this record.

Freddy Hubbard's Red Clay: which key?

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Hello every one,
I am currently puzzled by the Red Clay's score in the Real Book that starts in the key of C-. The tune is on different versions (Freddy Hubbard original in the studio, live, with VSOP, ...) played in Db-, no idea where a C- version comes from.
Any idea?
Thanks you,
Philippe, Belgium

Sanctuary by Wayne Shorter

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Hi there!

I've been studying on Wayne Shorter's "Sanctuary", which has been performed on Miles Davis' "Circle in the Round" and "Bitches Brew" as well as Wayne Shorter's "Footprints Live!". The tune was originally composed in 3/4 meter, but Miles reworked its head into a free-tempo ballad on his "Bitches Brew" album. Due to the rubato rendition, the melody - as it's supposed to be written in Wayne's original lead sheet - is quite difficult to transcribe.

On Wayne's later performances (e.g. Footprints Live!) the song is played in 4/4 time, which gives a good picture of the structure and the phrasing of the melody. However, the "opening phrase" that can be heard on "Bitches Brew" and "Circle in the Round" is omitted on Wayne's later renditions. On "Footprints Live!" and on the concert video clip (see below) a rubato section precedes the head. The melody is played over D pedal in bass, while the static chords change from altered dominant (D7alt.) harmony to major or lydian (DMaj7) and from dorian (D-7) to lydian dominant (D7#11) harmonies in relation to the pedal note. I'm not aware how "open" the changes are and how does the original changes look like, but I made a rough assessment of the harmonic progression (see the transcription). (Also, the melodic rhythm in the transcription hints at 3/4 time.)

Now, I want you to check up on the harmony of this song and come forward with a sensible chord progression on this site. ;)

Best regards from Ville

Wayne Shorter performing Sanctuary live with his quartet
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9hh4f_wayne-shorter-sanctuary_music



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Sanctuary & Delfeayo's Dilemma

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Hey, does anyone have a lead sheet for Wayne Shorter's "Sanctuary", which is performed on Miles Davis' "Circle in the Round" and "Bitches Brew" albums? I found a rather roughly sketched transcription in the net, but I hope getting a more reliable chart.

Also, I'm looking for a lead sheet to Wynton Marsalis' "Delfeayo's Dilemma". So, please check your archives... :)

Regards, Ville

John Scofield's solo on Still Warm

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Here's Sco's guitar solo on his composition "Still Warm" from the album by the same name. Most of Sco's playing here is "inside" the changes. He begins with lyrical single note line, increasing the intensity with octaves and 16th-note bursts, which all build up to the final recapitulation of the melody. The lead sheet to this tune can be found elsewhere on the "Transcriptions" site.
:) Ville



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Sly by Herbie Hancock

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Here's another fine number from Herbie Hancock's legendary "Head Hunters" album.
:) Ville



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