Modal jazz

Modal Jazz (English modal jazz ) is a style- category ( in composition and improvisational playing style ) in modern jazz, which developed during the 1950s from the New York Cool Jazz and led to free jazz.

Development and representatives

From the Bebop incurred from 1940, developed in the early 1950s, the cool jazz, from its New York scene in the mid- 1950s, in turn, derived the modal jazz.

In the two works in New York cool jazz circles around Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis with Miles Davis and the other, to Lennie Tristano and his school ungebundenerer improvisation possibilities of soloists developed in the interest of the brand of modal jazz. It is based on the theory of the diatonic scale, the composer and arranger George Russell in 1953 in his music theory work "The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization" (in short " Theory of Modes" ), published ( see also the twelve-tone concept of the composer Arnold Schoenberg and atonality of the Second Viennese School ).

As an important pioneer of modal jazz apply in addition to the aforementioned composers, John Coltrane and Bill Evans, and later Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and McCoy Tyner. As the first record work of the modal jazz of Miles Davis applies Milestones from the year 1958. The 40 -bar theme of Milestones is based on a few to only two scales belonging chords. The album Kind of Blue, the 1959 Davis John Coltrane, Julian Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb in modal voicing ( see So What ) opened, until today, is the best-selling jazz album.

Improvisation technique

In modal jazz improvisation of the soloist runs on conventional few sustained over long distances modes (scales) rather than by default, harmonic chord progressions. In addition to conventional scales of Western music as well as the going back to the medieval church modes modal scales and non-European musical scales are used, and also chromatic passages are increasingly being used. Modern musicians who apply the modal style, also employ many other techniques such as Vorhalts and passing tones, the encirclement of tones, the Outside Playing and other techniques to enrich their improvisation. The primacy has, without a corset conventional, accompanying harmonies of the ensemble -bound, about freely improvising soloist. The accompaniment is often only a few, constantly repeated chords ( vamps ).

Characteristics and jazz historical classification

Modal Jazz can be as a result of a partial shift away from bebop to interpret, especially the solos were characteristic of the intricate chord progressions and artistic phrasing. During the Bebop with its many ornaments forced the musicians to intricate finger exercises, worked the modal jazz with its rather austere, minimalist melodies in this respect relaxed. Modal jazz is often in tempo from calm to meditative character, but has by his often unusual harmonies to sharp (not rough ) dissonances nonetheless have sufficient voltage.

The recognition of modal jazz as a distinct genre is considered to be controversial. Its importance for the stylistic transition from the chord bound improvisation of the soloist to free musical scales up to the free jazz is widely accepted.

Important Title ( pieces )

  • All Blues
  • Cantaloupe Iceland
  • Flamenco Sketches
  • Impressions
  • Little Sunflower
  • Maiden Voyage
  • Milestones
  • So What
  • Speak No Evil
  • Passion Dance

Important albums

  • The George Russell Smalltet: The RCA Victor Jazz Workshop (1956 )
  • Miles Davis: Milestones (1958 )
  • Miles Davis: Ascenseur pour l' Echafaud (1958), music for the film Elevator to the Gallows by Louis Malle
  • Bill Evans: Everybody Digs Bill Evans ( 1958)
  • Miles Davis: Kind of Blue (1959 )
  • Gil Evans: Out of the Cool (1960, for example, entitled " Stratusphunk " by George Russell)
  • John Coltrane: My Favorite Things ( 1961)
  • John Coltrane: A Love Supreme ( 1965)
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