Transcript AOS 3 KIND OF BLUE MILES DAVIS

KIND OF BLUE
1959
DOCUMENTARY -MADE IN HEAVEN
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQzNsZAtCo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I21UW_hgopE
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX3K9CkORO0
• Live
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9A2bPzLHnU
• What do you notice about the recording set up.
• Which instruments are miked up?
ALL BLUES
1. Write down 4 facts about this track – the people involved and when and where it was
recorded.
2. Can you say 2 things about this particular style of Jazz.
3. Why do you think this track is still so famous and popular long after it was recorded.
Identify 3 features of the music that appeal to people. Do you like it? Give 2 musical
justifications for your own feelings about the track.
4. ALL BLUES is in some ways a simple and clear piece of music, in others sophisticated.
Identify 2 features of the music which seem simple and clear and one feature which shows
more complexity.
5. Write down 4 facts about MILES DAVIS and his life and music.
BASIC FACTS ABOUT ALL BLUES
• This track is from the ALBUM KIND OF BLUES which was
recorded in one take in NY in 1959.
• Line-up is trumpet / alto sax / tenor sax / piano / bass / drums
• Unusually for Jazz the time signature is 6/4 and is marked JAZZ
WALTZ
• This is MODAL JAZZ – this means that rather than relying on
complicated chord patterns the harmony focuses on a MODE
or scale and making it easier improvised solos.
• Each mode has a different pattern of tones and
• the C major scale C D E F G A B C starts on its KEY NOTE and
goes up using the following pattern of tones and semitones
• C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.
• The Western natural minor scale (e.g. the A natural minor
scale A B C D E F G A) does the same, but it has a different
pattern of tones and semitones
• A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone.
• The modes are easiest to see on a piano keyboard using the white notes only. The
most common modern modes are:
• Ionian (C D E F G A B C)
• Dorian (D E F G A B C D)
• Phrygian (E F G A B C D E)
• Lydian (F G A B C D E F)
• Mixolydian (G A B C D E F G)
• Aeolian (A B C D E F G A)
• Locrian (B C D E F G A B)
• The Ionian mode is the same as our major scale.
• The Dorian is rather like our natural minor scale but with a raised sixth.
• The Phrygian is like our natural minor scale but the second note of the scale is
flattened.
• The Lydian is like our major scale but the fourth note is sharpened.
• The Mixolydian is like our major scale but the seventh note is flattened.
• The Aeolian is the same as our natural minor scale.
• The Locrian sounds rather strange, and was hardly ever used in Medieval music.
It is our major scale with every note, other than the 1st and 4th, flattened.
• Modal jazz solo's, rather than basing a solo over the
changes of chords, the soloist would play over different
modes, freeing the player.
- soloists use a mixolydian mode to help improvise
The Mixolydian is like our major scale but the seventh note is flattened.
 All blues uses the key of G mode
 The white notes on the piano from G to G,
 GABCDEFG.
 'All blues' is sometimes described as modal jazz.
THE RECORDING
• MILES DAVIS gave his band for this track the minimum
• of preparation before they went into the studio in
• New York in 1959.
• They got given some scales ( MODES) and melody lines to
improvise on.
• Each track including this one on the album had only one take
and the whole album was recorded in just 2 sessions. However
all the musicians were at the height of their playing abilities
• At 9:39 WHAT SHOWS THAT IS MAYBE A LIVE RECORDING?
• The first note of the trumpet is not very strong and if it was an
overdubbed recording it would have been done again
THE BANDMILES DAVIS- TRUMPET
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY-ALTO SAX
JOHN COLTRANE-TENOR SAX
JIMMY COBB-DRUMS
BILL EVANS –PIANO
PAUL CHAMBERS -BASS
THIS IS THE CHORD PATTERN FOR ALL BLUES
4/4 G7
C7
D7#9
G7
C7
Eb7#9-D7#9
G7
G7
G7
G7
G7
G7
• Notice there are DOMINANT sevenths used and that the last line has ALTERED chords
where basically the harmony is made more interesting by adding notes
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKleyugdRX0
STRUCTURE OF ALL BLUES
• INTRO
• HEAD –
•
•
•
this is where the original tune or melody is played
IMPROVISED SOLOS -trumpet / alto sax / tenor sax / piano
HEAD - the main theme returns
OUTRO -this fades out
RIFFS – WHAT ARE THEY?
• A RIFF is a short rhythmic ostinato- very common in
Jazz, Blues & Pop.
• KIND OF BLUE uses 2 short riffs
• The first G D ED F DED is on Double Bass
• The second the alto and tenor saxes play in the intro in
3rds (in harmony)
• D/B E/C F/D E/C
THE INSTRUMENTS & THEIR ROLES
• The RHYTHM section provides the harmony and
rhythmic background- in this case it is the DRUMS /
BASS / PIANO
• The frontline instruments are TRUMPET, ALTO
SAXOPHONE & TENOR SAXOPHONE
• THE WORD COMPING means accompanying- playing
the background chords & rhythms