All Blues Miles Davis

All Blues Miles Davis

1. INSTRUMENTATION

   • Sextet
     • Trumpet (Miles Davis)
       • Harmon mute for Head
     • Alto Sax (Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley)
     • Tenor Sax (John Coltrane)
     • Piano (Bill Evans)
       • Tremolo at start. Comping accompanying with chords and short melodies
     • Bass (Paul Chambers)
       • played PIZZICATO
     • Drums (Jimmy Cobb)
       • played with wire brushes at start
   • Frontline - main melody instruments
   • Rhythm Section - piano, bass, drums provide harmonic/rhythmic backing

2. METRE

   • 6/4

3. TEMPO

   • Jazz Waltz - each bar sounds like 3/4

4. RHYTHMS

   • Swing Quavers - each pair of quavers is played with the first one slightly longer (a bit like a dotted feel)
   • SYNCOPATION

5. TEXTURE

   • simple
   • drum plays steady beat
   • wind instruments play in 3rds and 4ths
   • simple riffs played by double bass

6. DYNAMICS

   • mf - moderately loud
   • ensemble plays quietly while the soloist is playing

7. STRUCTURE

   • 12 bar blues
   • one playthrough of the chord sequence is called a chorus
   • 4-bar riff in parallel 3rds separate each section
   • Five sections known as a 'Head arrangement'
     • Introduction
       • 4 bars - rhythm section followed by riff
     • Head 1
       • Head melody followed by riff, played twice
     • Solos
       • trumpet/alto sax/tenor sax/piano each followed by riff
     • Head 2
       • Head melody followed by riff, played twice
     • Coda
       • muted trumpet solo

8. HARMONY/TONALITY

   • G major
   • 12 bar blues
   • Chord sequence is known as changes
   • uses flattened 7th (blue notes)
   • modal jazz as G major with flattened 7th is mixolydian mode
   • chords are ectended bu using 7ths, augmented 9ths (#9)

9. MELODY

   • Head melody - simple using rising 6ths
   • 4 improvised solos
   • Ghost notes - hinted notes but not necessarily played