Another Herbie solo for you, this one from the Miles Davis record, THE SORCERER, on the song “Prince Of Darkness”. another cut that had me saying to myself, “more, more!”
HERBIE HANCOCK
This post came about because of a request from A.S., who has written me a couple of times expressing his support (thanks). i was only vaguely familiar with “Happy Times”, a tune by Hubbard featured on the record THE ARTISTRY OF FREDDIE HUBBARD. there are more recent versions of the song that have a short vamp at the end of the form but i pulled this from the above record. the changes are pretty close, probably not exact. enjoy…
FREDDIE HUBBARD
HAPPY TIMES (mp3)
Freddie… the picture pretty much says it all. he played his solo over “Birdlike” just like he looks here: confident, virile and slick. he spins out chorus after seemingly effortless chorus filled with great ideas, swing and that awesome SOUND…
FREDDIE HUBBARD
SOLO FROM BIRDLIKE (mp3)
Here’s a transcription of Herbie Hancock’s solo on the song “Delores” from the Miles Davis record, MILES SMILES, which along with his other recordings from middle and late 60’s, set a standard for post bop jazz that few have matched. the rhythms in the music are similar to styles that preceded these recordings, but most everything else- the group’s approach to melody, harmony, ensemble playing, improvising, etc. has been sublimated. the connections are there but they’re expertly disguised. not quite in but not totally out, this group successfully walked the fine line between order and the void. because of this, these recordings, 50 years later, still taste fresh and creamy. my only gripe about these records is that the horns, almost without fail, step on Herbie’s right hand forays to bring back the melody. i always find myself mumbling, “let him blow, Miles, let him blow…”
HERBIE HANCOCK
SOLO FROM DELORES (mp3)
I’ve been listening to lots of classical music lately while following along with the scores, concentrating mostly on small ensemble and solo music. i’m especially drawn to a cycle of preludes and fugues by composer Dmitri Shostakovich. preludes (sometimes called toccatas or fantasies) are usually paired with fugues, the prelude often being used to set the mood of the fugue which follows it. preludes were utilized as a way for performers to “warm up” as well as to alert the audience that a performance was to begin but they are, in a sense, self-contained compositions, at times appearing without an accompanying fugue. they are formally less constrained than fugues, which adhere to a general but more rigorous set of rules in regards to presenting the material. Shostakovich is said to have composed his set of preludes and fugues after being inspired by a young pianists’ rendering of music from Bach’s Well- Tempered Clavier at a competition. as he wrote the music, he asked this same pianist, Tatiana Nikolayeva, to listen in as he played through it. upon finishing the music, he dedicated it to her. Nikolayeva premiered the music in 1952. the set moves around the cycle of 5ths, starting from C major. each major key is 
followed by its relative minor key giving 24 pairs. this set of music is so full of ideas- it’s something one could listen to for years and continually discover something to ponder and learn from. right now, i’m focusing on Prelude no. 1 in C major, which starts diatonically and modulates through a beautiful and complex progression. i included two versions of the music, one by Nikolayeva and another by Keith Jarrett. they are very different readings: the Nikolayeva version is slower, more measured and contemplative while Jarrett’s is faster and more literal. Another composer that i’ve been listening to a lot is Alexander Scriabin. he wrote almost 90 standalone preludes throughout his career and they chronicle the development of his highly personal sensibilities. like Shostakovich, Scriabin provides a wealth of material to deal with. the two preludes presented here, No. 2 in Bb Major and No. 3 in C major, are from his set Three Preludes, Op. 35, from 1903. they are performed by Evgeny Zarafiants.
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH- PRELUDE NO. 1 IN C MAJOR (PERFORMED BY NIKOLAYEVA) (mp3)
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH- PRELUDE NO. 1 IN C MAJOR (PERFORMED BY JARRETT) (mp3)
PRELUDE NO. 1 IN C MAJOR SCORE PAGES 1-2 (pdf)
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN- PRELUDE NO. 2 IN B FLAT MAJOR OP. 35 (PERFORMED BY ZARAFIANTS) (mp3)
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN- PRELUDE NO. 3 IN C MAJOR OP. 35 (PERFORMED BY ZARAFIANTS) (mp3)
PRELUDES NO. 2 AND 3 SCORE PAGES 66-71 (pdf)
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