The Jazz Sax & Improvisation Blog of Saxophonist Bobby Stern - bobbysternjazz.com

Flip 4 Real! - Using Mordents in a ii-V7-I Melodic Line

3/23/2023

Flip for Real! - Using Mordents in a ii-V7-I Melodic Line

Interjecting well placed embellishments into a static musical phrase is an oft used and effective way to "spice it up" - so as to make it more varied and interesting.

One of these common ornamentation techniques involves the use of what is known as a mordent - a single, rapid alternation from a primary note in the melodic line to a neighboring tone a half or whole tone above or below it.

Mordents first came into vogue during the Baroque period of Western classical music (early 1600´'s to mid 1700's). As their interpretations have evolved over time, their usage continues across a broad spectrum of musical styles and cultures.

Straight Ahead - Elements of an 027 Line

2/24/2023

Straight Ahead - Elements of an 027 Line

Here's a nice, neat little 4-bar melodic line made up of overlapping two, three, four and five-note cells (depending on how you look at them).

Perfect 4ths, 027 Trichords, sus2 & sus4 combinations and Pentatonic structures, are all in evidence here.

Aside from the fact that the line itself sounds and works well as an "in-out-in" option over a ii-V7-I cadence, it's worth checking out how the aforementioned elements combine and overlap.

A Whole Lotta Sole - Giant Steps 027, sus2, sus4, 125

1/13/2023

A Whole Lotta Sole!
Giant Steps 027 - sus2, sus4, 1-2-5

Sus2, sus4, 027, 1-2-5?? These are all ways of expressing the same thing; namely a 3-note, non-triadic configuration - or trichord - containing the intervals of a Major 2nd and a Perfect 4th in its prime form (root position).

Exploring these configurations and using them in your melodic lines - both improvised and composed - can help take one "out of the ordinary path", to quote John Coltrane, as he referred to his own then revolutionary use of the Descending Major 3rds Cycle (aka "Coltrane Changes"), which gave birth to a number of his challenging compositions, the best known being "Giant Steps".

Using "Giant Steps" chord changes, I composed a one-chorus (16-bar) etude, featuring the aforementioned trichord as a basis for the solo melodic line.

'Tis the Season - A "Sleigh Ride" at 250 BPM

12/17/2022

'Tis the Season
A "Sleigh Ride" at 250 BPM

'Tis once again "The Season" of hopefully fun and enjoyable times for you and yours. It´s also the season of non-stop holiday shopping music; which - thankfully, for the most part - comes but once a year.

Most of these holiday songs have been around for a while for the simple reason that they're popular and familiar to most of us - with the added and possibly unconscious realization that after New Year's Day, we likely won't be hearing them for another year.

One of those tunes was actually composed as a light orchestral piece during the heatwave of July, 1948 and makes no reference to the December holiday season.

Maj7sus4 - Chords and Tetratonic Modes

11/27/2022

N i d i a n & Her Three Sisters
Maj7sus4 - Chords & Tetratonic Modes

Exploring Sus (short for suspended) chords, and the melodic lines they can generate is a sure way for improvisers and composers to stylistically evolve elements of their sound - as can be found in much of contemporary Jazz, Gospel and Pop.

The ambiguous quality of suspended chords is designed to delay, suspend or deny resolution to a Major or minor tonality, simultaneously creating tension and exhibiting an open, airy vibe.

In this post we'll be looking at a particular 4-note sus configuration and the tetratonic scale it produces, but first - let's suss out a few "sus" basics.

On the Menu...Tasty Lines Over a Neo-Soul Vamp

10/28/2022

On the Menu...
Tasty Lines Over a Neo-Soul Vamp

As a general description, the term "Neo-Soul" is a broad designation given to a popular musical genre which combines elements of traditional R & B, Soul, Hip-Hop and Pop, as well as Jazz and Gospel harmony.

Coming to the forefront of popular culture in the mid-1990's, it was overwhelmingly a vocalist's music, represented by a younger, "urban" group of artists and their audience.

At the same time and with some of the same roots, its instrumental cousin - labeled "Smooth Jazz", for lack of a better term - was being dressed up, watered down and marketed to an older demographic, with its own radio format, etc.

What could be argued as being a rough cross-pollination of these two genres has, over time, yielded something definable as "instrumental Neo-Soul", or "Neo-Soul Jazz", with its own unique harmonic vibe.

"Coming on the Hudson" - A Johnny Griffin Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription

9/28/2022

"Coming on the Hudson" - A Johnny Griffin Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription

This month's post features a transcription / analysis of Johnny Griffin's tenor saxophone solo on Thelonious Monk's "Coming on the Hudson", recorded live at the legendary Five Spot Cafe in NYC on August 7, 1958. It was released as one of the tracks on the album "Thelonious in Action!". In addition to Monk and Griffin, the quartet was rounded out by bassist Ahmed Abdul Malik and the great Roy Haynes, on drums.

I've been wanting to do a transcription of Griffin's tenor solo on "Coming on the Hudson" for a long time. The tune - which is perhaps one of Monk's most "Monkish" - seemed somewhat challenging to grasp, as far as its form, rhythms and resolutions were concerned. At the same time, it ebbs and flows steadily - kind of like the Hudson River itself - whirlpools and all!

More...SUPER 4!

8/27/2022

More...SUPER 4!

More SUPER 4? OK, You got it!

Since the release last month of "The SUPER 4" Shortbook™ and blogpost, I've subsequently come across a few additional interesting and potentially useful musical relationships between aspects of this "super" 4-note grouping, known technically as a tetratonic.

Specifically, I've been checking out the effect of expressing them in intervals of a minor 3rd, which divides the octave into four equal parts - forming the diminished cycle.

As mentioned, the results proved to be quite interesting - and musically useful to boot.

The SUPER 4 - A 4-Note Swiss Army Knife

7/27/2022

New Shortbook™ : "The SUPER 4"
A 4-Note Swiss Army Knife For Improvisers

The “Super 4” is a collection of four tetratonic (4-note) structures, bound together by a consistent set of intervals and their inversions, resulting in a handy, streamlined tool with which to create colorful melodic lines over multiple chord types, while at the same time avoiding some of the more time-worn cliches.

Originating from a set of well known piano voicings, these structures form a quartet of unique 4-note “scales”. Due in large part to the presence of the intervals of a minor 2nd and tritone, they offer a good deal of “bite”.

This harmonic and melodic tension was first fully appreciated by such innovators as Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, et al in the early 1960s and beyond.

"Nutville" - Joe Henderson's Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcribed

6/25/2022

"Nutville"
Joe Henderson's Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcribed

© Maurice Stern. All Rights Reserved

Drawing courtesy of mauricestern.org. Click pic for more info.

Horace Silver's classic, "Nutville" was recorded on Oct. 22nd, 1965 and released as part of his Blue Note album, "The Cape Verdean Blues".

Along with Silver on piano, the hall-of-fame lineup included Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Woody Shaw - trumpet, J. J. Johnson - trombone, with Bob Cranshaw and Roger Humphries - bass and drums, respectively.

While the solos by Shaw and Johnson have often been the subject of study, Henderson's brief 4-chorus improvisation is the focus here. Being a tenor player myself, I guess I've always been a little nuts on the subject of Joe.

Vamp Like a Champ! - ii-V-iii-VI Arpeggiated Sequence

5/26/2022

Vamp Like a Champ!
ii-V-iii-VI Arpeggiated Sequence

Let's talk about vamps... and no, I don't mean those nocturnal, pointy-tooth bloodsucker types from Transylvania.

In musical terms, a vamp can be defined as a repeating harmonic or rhythmic sequence, of usually two, four or eight bars. It can be based on a single harmony, a bass riff, or on a series of chord changes.

Vamps are everywhere these days, and have been for a good while. Listen to any contemporary charted pop tune and chances are the bulk of the tune is based on a vamp of some sort. Traditionally, a vamp might function as a song's intro. In our case, it functions as an improvisational vehicle often found at the end of a solo, or at the end of a standard tune, as well.

Check Your Connections! - Three Multi-Pentatonic Sequences in min 3rds

4/23/2022

Check Your Connections!
Three Multi-Pentatonic Sequences in Minor 3rds

As an improviser, the ability to create and smoothly resolve a melodic line between shifting harmonies is about knowing where to "connect the dots".

One off the smoothest and most common of these "dot connectors" is the melodic resolution by a half or whole-step between harmonies.

This can be especially effective when dealing with a harmonic progression which doesn't resolve up or down in Perfect 4ths or 5ths (as does a ii-V7-I); moving instead in Major or minor 3rds, for example.

The Daily BoopaDoop - LuLu's Back in Town

3/26/2022

The Daily BoopaDoop...
"LuLu's Back in Town"!

“LuLu's Back in Town” (words and music by Al Dubin and Harry Warren) is yet another classic 32-bar AABA 20th Century American Popular Song that has, over time, become a Jazz Standard. Originally performed as part of the 1935 movie “Broadway Gondolier”, it was popularized by Fats Waller, who had a modest hit with it that same year.

The diversity of artists who've paid musical homage to this femme fatale character stretches from Art Tatum to Leon Redbone to Booker T. It was part of Thelonious Monk's regular repertoire. I first became familiar with the tune from an episode of “Sanford and Son”, an American TV comedy, where it was performed by Redd Foxx and Timmie Rogers, two legendary comedians (see vid below). Unlike many songs of the era, the lyrics here are actually pretty slick. If you already knew what a "boutonniere" was (rhymes with "hair), please raise your hand!

Get an Angle on "The Eternal Triangle" Bridge

2/24/2022

Take it to the Bridge...
Getting an Angle on "The Eternal Triangle"

Ok, folks! Are you ready to take it to the bridge? Brooklyn? GW? Golden Gate? London Bridge?

Nope. I'm talking about the "The Eternal Triangle" bridge - from the classic Dizzy Gillespie album "Sonny Side Up" - featuring both Theodore "Sonny" Rollins and Edward "Sonny" Stitt (the tune's composer). Two Samurai swordsmen battling it out on the bridge (the whole tune actually) with tenor saxophones as their musical swords of choice. And then, of course - there's Dizzy! Not to be forsaken!

Despite the high winds created by the tune's rapid tempo, crossing this bridge might not be as treacherous as it might initially seem.

Some Fresh Air for Your Practice Routine!

1/19/2022

Some Fresh Air for Your Practice Routine!
Rhythmically Displaced Intervallic Pentatonics (say wha...?!)

Practicing exercises can sometimes be a tedious task. Most often, the end goal is to reach a degree of technical fluency in the areas covered by the particular exercise. However, there's more to it than that.

The real reason we practice in the first place, as improvising musicians especially, is to ultimately obtain the split-second facility to make musical choices - and to make them musically. This requires not only the ability to hear and execute the "right" notes at the right time (melody), but also the innate feel for creating balanced and coherent rhythmic statements (phrasing).

Let's take a look at a few simple ways we can turn a potentially monotonous exercise into something more listenable.

Stuff This One in Your Stocking!

12/17/2021

Stuff This One in Your Stocking!

Just the other day, I received an unsolicited parcel from person unknown, going by the name of S. Nikolas Klausz. The return address read simply "N. Pol". I assumed this might be shorthand for "Northern Poland".

I was, at first, understandably hesitant to open the small package - examining it from all angles. Curiosity, however, got the better of me; so open it I did .

The first thing to hit me out of the box was the fresh scent of Woolite, as the contents revealed an enormous, clean woolen sock! "Might this be from Big Foot himself?", I mused.

Shaking the sock upside down several times revealed a single, self-burned CD, with the words "Comin' Soon" nonchalantly scribbled on the facing with a marker. I again had reservations about placing it in my computer's disk drive, but my nose reminded me that at least the sock was clean.

Joe Henderson's Tenor Solo on "You Know I Care" - A Transcription

11/25/2021

Joe Henderson's Tenor Solo
"You Know I Care" - A Jazz Ballad Transcription

"You Know I Care", is a masterpiece of a composition by the prolific composer / pianist / arranger, Columbus Calvin "Duke" Pearson, jr and is possibly the most representative original ballad of the 1960s Blue Note period.

As the ballad feature on Joe Henderson's classic "Inner Urge" album, it was recorded on November 30, 1964 - nine days before John Coltrane recorded "A Love Supreme" - with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones (each a member of Coltrane's classic quartet and icons themselves) on both sessions.

Almost six months later, Pearson recorded his own version of "You Know I Care" as a 6-horn arrangement, but Henderson's quartet recording is the definitive version, as his tenor solo as well as the rhythm section, breathes additional life, dimension and drama into an already singular ballad composition.

Hey! You've Got an ACE up Your Sleeve!

10/21/2021

Hey! You've Got an ACE up Your Sleeve!

Bet you haven't checked your sleeve in a minute!

As an improviser, there are numerous devices that help one to get from points A to B in any particular tune - whether it's a ii-V7 cadence or any other type of harmonic sequence.

In this post, we'll revisit the ACE concept, which can utilize up to 4 different Melodic Minor tonal areas over a common ii-V7-I, resolving to either Major or minor - or both.

By using melodic material derived from several Melodic Minor "keys" you'll introduce tension and dimension to your ii-V7 lines - adding to that of the basic, more vanilla sounding Major Scale modes - which we all still know and love.

Playin' the Numbers - A Pentatonic Shape in 12/8

9/24/2021

Playin' the Numbers - A Pentatonic Shape in 12/8

As the oft quoted Thelonious Sphere Monk once remarked, "All musicians are subconsciously mathematicians!"

It's no secret that in the known universe, the relationship between music and numbers is intrinsically woven.

In order to make sense of it all - pitches, intervals, chords, scales (modes) and cadences - have all been organized by number into groups, sets, etc. For example, Major Scale steps 1-3-5 might represent a Major triad in traditional harmony, whereas in Set Class Theory, 037 might be designated as a Major or minor triad; while 013, 026 & 027 all represent non-triadic 3-note "pitch collections".

Rhythms are grouped into repeating cycles - 4/4, 6/8, 7/4, etc. in various ways, across many different cultures.

"Come Rain or Come Shine" - An All-Weather Etude

8/19/2021

"Come Rain or Come Shine" - An All-Weather Etude

As an improviser, one of the most effective ways to learn and study any tune is to compose an Etude over its chord changes.

This can get you up close and personal with the tune's harmonic structure, as well as its harmonic and melodic resolution points.

It will also reveal where you are in terms of your own aural understanding in relation to where you might want to be (this never stops - it's a continuous process!).

One particular tune I personally wanted to delve deeper into was "Come Rain or Come Shine" - music and lyrics by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer. It debuted as part of the 1946 Broadway musical "St. Louis Woman", and has since been performed and / or recorded by just about everyone and anyone. It's enshrined as part of the "Great American Songbook".

A Jug Full of Ammons - Gene Ammons' "Exactly Like You" Tenor Saxophone Transcription

7/20/2021

A Jug Full of Ammons - Gene Ammons' "Exactly Like You"
Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription

Tenor saxophone giant Gene Ammons, aka "Jug", was one of the seminal figures at the crossroads between the earlier tenor saxophone styles of Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster - and the BeBop evolution / revolution of the mid to late 1940s, sparked by the innovative genius of Charlie Parker.

Add to that the blues influences of his native Chicago - as well as that of his celebrated pianist father, "Boogie Woogie" innovator Albert Ammons - and you've got one of the "phatest", most distinct, expressive and soulful tenor saxophone sounds ever heard.

Ammons recorded for several record labels from the late 1940s until his passing in 1974, but the bulk of his recorded output was for Bob Weinstock's Prestige Records label.

It's from one of these Prestige recordings that the subject of this post - a transcription of Jug's solo on the popular show tune "Exactly Like You" - is taken.

The Andalusian Cadence, Triad Pairs & "Song for my Father"

6/18/2021

The Andalusian Cadence, Triad Pairs & "Song for my Father"

Something that caught my attention recently was the familiar chord progression, i - bVII - bVI - V (Cmin-Bb7-Ab7-G7, in C), known as the "Andalusian Cadence".

This progression is reported to have its origins in the Flamenco music of Andalucia, the region of southern Spain where Flamenco culture was born.

The Andalusian Cadence has long become a staple in many forms of music around the world, including Pop & Jazz.

One obvious example that quickly comes to mind is the Ray Charles classic "Hit the Road, Jack!", and there are literally thousands more.

Another popular example from the Jazz repertoire is pianist Horace Silver's classic "Song for my Father", which is the focus of this post.

'Tranein' with Triads - Alternating Major & Minor

5/19/2021

'Tranein' with Triads - "Coltrane Changes"
Alternating Major & Minor Triads

Cycle drawing by John Coltrane gifted to Yusef Lateef.

Here's a trio of groovy "Trane Changes" sequence exercises, featuring alternating Major & minor triads, descending in whole steps.

This can be a useful device in simplifying what is thought to be a challenging set of chord changes.

As you may know, one of John Coltrane's legacies is his exploration of the Descending Major 3rds Cycle, which resulted in his iconic classic "Giant Steps", as well as a number of reharmonizations of then contemporary Pop and Jazz Standards - such as "How High the Moon" ("Satellite") and Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" ("26-2"), among others.

Since the Major 3rds Cycle divides the octave into three equal tonal areas (C-Ab-E), Coltrane interposed a diatonc dominant before each (C Eb7-Ab B7-E G7), resulting in a strong dominant to tonic (V7 - I) harmonic resolution to each subsequent tonal center.

Kalimbaphone? - Try These Pentatonic Scale Spreads!

4/21/2021

Kalimbaphone? - Try These Pentatonic Scale Spreads!

The idea for this post came from something I saw online recently, pertaining to a series of "spread out" piano voicings for the Major Pentatonic Scale (in C: C-D-E-G-A).

Being the "curious" person that I am (I've been called worse), I imagined how these Pentatonic "spreads" might sound as single-note arpeggios and sequences.

As it turns out, approaching the Major Pentatonic Scale from this angle produces a somewhat novel, intervallic, Kalimba-like effect.

By itself, this perspective can function as an excellent warm-up exercise, building technique as well as creating another look as to how one imagines and expresses the Major (or any other) Pentatonic Scale.

'Ning's the Thing! Monk's "Rhythm-a-Ning: Self-Transcription

3/26/2021

Toot My Own Horn Dept.
'Ning's the Thing! Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-a-Ning" :
Another Self-Transcription

The vehicle featured in is month's forage into musical self-discovery is none other than Thelonious Monk's “Rhythm-a-Ning”.

As with the two most recent posts (“Bemsha Swing” & “Bye-Ya”), the play-along used here is from Hal Leonard Jazz Play-Along Vol. 91, “Thelonious Monk Favorites – 10 Classic Tunes”, which features the heavyweight rhythm section of (the late, great) pianist Ronnie Mathews, bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa, as well as Monk's former drummer (the great, late), Ben Riley. You can't get closer to the real deal than this.

As you might know, “Rhythm-a-Ning” is Monk's best known “Rhythm Changes” composition - the chord progression of which is based on George Gershwin's 1930 32-bar, AABA standard “I Got Rhythm”, from which countless tunes have been derived and recorded by countless artists of countless genres.