I know, it must seem strange that I'm so into chord changes and then
seem to be so not into them when it comes to improvising.
However, that's what Bill Evans did too.
I don't like fancy chord changes when I'm soloing, just when I'm
playing the head.
For soloing, what I want are the best changes that let me play in essentially
one key for as long as possible. Of course one can't ignore the
harmony at certain points and for some more modern tunes (which
I tend not to play) you can't avoid it at all.
This is what I believe all my favourite players are doing.
I'm mostly into standards. I don't even play jazz tunes that much.
I'm in the Bill Evans school basically. Other heroes of mine are
people like Chet Baker, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Tal Farlow,
Barney Kessel, Cannonball Adderly, Stan Getz, Harold Land, .....
>>I don't think melodies revolve around chords. I think they revolve
>>around a key.
>
>Melodies do revolve around keys. So does harmony and chords. Chords are
>derived from keys. Basic theory. Both can be indicators. I perceive harmony
>as linear event, not as a vertical back dropping to something else.
>
>>
>>Of course chord tones will be in the melody but so will diatonic
>>and chromatic non chord tones.
>>
>
>
>_______________________________________
>Bert Ligon
>Director of Jazz Studies
>_______________________________________
>School of Music
>University of South Carolina
>Columbia, SC 29208
>Voice: (803) 777-6565
>Fax: (803) 777-2151
>bligon@mozart.sc.edu
>_______________________________________
>
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