I agree, Carlos. The b13 is actually much more common than the rare #5.
Almost every time someone writes #5 on a chart they mean b13. You're right.
#5 wants to resolve up. b13 resolves down.
Two examples:
2nd chord of Someday My Prince will Come in Bb is usually written as D7#5.
The melody note is Bb, the b13. The next melody note is A.
m.17 of Stella By Starlight in Bb. The G7 chord is usually written as G7#5.
The melody note is Eb, the b13 which resolves down to D.
The mislabeling often leads to odd choices by the less experienced. What is
probably a good choice in both instances is harmonic minor.
D7b13 points to G minor (although it doesn't go there in the Someday my
prince example) so:
D Eb F# G A Bb C D
(b9) (b13)
& G7b13 points and resolves to C minor so:
G Ab B C D Eb F G
(b9) (b13)
_______________________________________
Bert Ligon
Director of Jazz Studies
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School of Music
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
Voice: (803) 777-6565
Fax: (803) 777-2151
http://www.music.sc.edu/Departments/Jazz/
bligon@mozart.sc.edu
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