Forgive the blantant plug, but try Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony,
Houston, Pub., dist. by Hal Leonard.
I, too, was left cold by so many jazz theorists concern with chord/scales
and little else. (I think the study of chords/scale relationships is
important, within reason, but not an end all to jazz improvisation.) I set
out searching hundreds of transcriptions looking for melodic materials and
discovered some very interesting things. Many jazz greats improvise using
what I call "linear harmony." An awareness of the linear implications of
the harmony distinct from the vertical approach to harmony taught in so
many theory classes.
In no way am I suggesting that Parker, Clifford Brown, Bill Evans or anyone
else necessarily conciously conceived of these ideas, but rather
collectively they seem drawn to very similar lines.
There is a page with further explanations.
www.music.sc.edu/Departments/Jazz/book.html
and some samples at:
www.music.sc.edu/Departments/Jazz/examples.html
_______________________________________
Bert Ligon
Director of Jazz Studies
_______________________________________
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
_______________________________________