Miles Davis: 'All Blues'

Miles Davis: 'All Blues'

1. Jazz

   • Originated in the southern states of America
     • Early 20th century
   • Key element: Improvisation

2. Miles Davis

   • Jazz trumpeters
   • Influenced Modal jazz in 1950s
     • Modal jazz was a reaction against the complexity of bebop
       • Bebop
         • Fast
         • Virtuosic
         • Improvised on Chord Progressions
     • Laid Back
     • Uncomplicated
     • Improvised based on modes

3. Instrumental Techniques

   • Snare drum played with wire brushes, later changes to sticks
   • Bass plays pizzicato
   • Trumpet is played with a Harmon mute for the head
   • Piano plays a tremolo (start of the piece)
     • Once the solos begin the piano starts comping (accompanying)

4. Rhythm, metre and Tempo

   • 6/4
     • described as jazz waltz because each 6/4 sounds like 3/4 time
   • swing quavers
   • frequent syncopation

5. Background

   • Album: 'Kind of Blue'
     • 1959
     • Band is a sextet (group of six players)
     • recorded with no rehearsal and no score
       • Miles Davis gave basic information instead:
         • The Overall structure
           • The basic chord sequence
             • Which mode or scale to improvise on
   • The frontline
     • 1. Miles Davis - trumpet
       • 2. Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley - alto saxaphone
         • 3. John Coltrane - tenor saxaphone
     • Plays the main melody and has prominent solos
   • Rhythm section
     • 4. Bill Evans - Piano
       • Paul Chambers - Bass
         • Jimmy Cobb - drums
     • Provides harmonic and rhythmic backing