PRACTICE PORTAL

PRACTICE PORTAL is more or less back to normal. i’m still in the process of restoring the MP3 files. that will take some time for editing… in the switch to a new host for this site, several of the most recent posts were lost. fortunately the PDF’s were saved offsite so i will post those here. as for the commentary, if i can remember what babbled about, i’ll repost the it. for now, help yourself to the PDFs…

ABBEY LINCOLN w/ STAN GETZ- BIRD ALONE

ABBEY LINCOLN- BIRD ALONE (MELODY) (mp3)

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STAN GETZ- BIRD ALONE (SOLO) (mp3)

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JOHN COLTRANE- SATELLITE

JOHN COLTRANE- SATELLITE (mp3)

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MULGREW MILLER- ANOTHER TYPE THANG

MULGREW MILLER- ANOTHER TYPE THANG (mp3)

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MULGREW MILLER- FOR THOSE WHO DO

 

MULGREW MILLER- FOR THOSE WHO DO (mp3)

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MULGREW MILLER- FOR THOSE WHO DO SOLO (mp3)

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JOHN SCOFIELD w/ JOE LOVANO- SINCE YOU ASKED

 

JOHN SCOFIELD w/ JOE LOVANO- SINCE YOU ASKED (mp3)

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JOHN SCOFIELD- SO SUE ME

 

JOHN SCOFIELD- SO SUE ME (mp3)

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GROVER WASHINGTON JR- MESSAGE FROM THE METERS

 

GROVER WASHINGTON JR- MESSAGE FROM THE METERS (mp3)

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26-2 STUDY

 

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NARDIS STUDY

 

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CEDAR WALTON- MOSAIC

 

CEDAR WALTON- MOSAIC (mp3)

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MISCELLANEOUS PATTERNS

 

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BODY AND SOUL DIATONIC TRANSPOSITION

 

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ANDREW HILL

 

ANDREW HILL- REFUGE (mp3)

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ANDREW HILL- PUMPKIN (mp3)

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ANDREW HILL- GHETTO LIGHTS (mp3)

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ANDREW HILL- BLACK FIRE (mp3)

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While i was listening to music to find material for my last post about Mulgrew Miller, i dug out a copy of Vincent Herring’s record, Evidence which features Wallace Roney, Ira Coleman, Carl Allen and Miller. on it, they do a version of “Hindsight” by Cedar Walton- over the years, many comparisons have been made between Miller and Mcoy Tyner, perhaps because of some stylistic similarities in their improvisations- when i hear Miller- at least compositionally- one of the first people i think about is Cedar Walton. Walton has written so many great songs over the years like “Bolivia”, ” Firm Roots”, “Clockwise” and the song featured on this post. speaking as an improvising composer, i’ve always been most intrigued by his chord progressions. “Hindsight” features a nice vamp which moves between B7#9, C7#9 and A7#9 and then the melody, played over a descending 1/2 step progression that begins from C and alternates between major and dominant chords on its way down to where it finally comes to a rest on E maj. it’s a challenge to improvise melodically over those changes, to play over the whole phrase rather than from chord to chord to chord. in the hands of masters like Miller and Walton, progressions like these are material for amazing improvisations… Walton is a great example of a composer improviser. he sounds as if he’s reading/ writing a piece of music somewhere in his head as he’s improvising. i just finished pulling his right hand line off the recording and the notes on paper are really beautiful to look at. all the fat and excess carved away to leave a finely sculpted line. he has a highly developed sense of symmetry and form, undoubtedly honed during his years as a songwriter. you can see the results of many years lived with this music. wow… let me shut up. his version of “Hindsight” is from his date called Composer which features Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Vincent Herring, Ralph Moore and Victor Lewis. below are transcriptions of Miller’s and Walton’s right hand…

MULGREW MILLER- “HINDSIGHT” (mp3)

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CEDAR WALTON- “HINDSIGHT” (mp3)

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Mulgrew Miller is a pianist that every one should be aware of. but he’s one of those guys that musicians speak about with an air of reverence while general jazz listeners , who may know the name, can’t quite place the face. he’s a “musician’s musician”, a double-edged compliment reserved for guys who don’t get the attention and accolades they deserve. for quite a while now, Miller has been one of the most in demand pianists on the scene due in large part to his wide palette of harmonic shades and a highly personal melodic vocabulary. i first became aware of his playing from listening to a cd called Wingspan, which also introduced me to the ridiculous alto playing of one of his longtime associates, Kenny Garrett. i spent many an hour listening to that joint, in awe of the improvisations and the compositions. Miller has a real gift for writing catchy, singable melodies and setting them in a sophisticated harmonic framework. his melodic lines brim with elliptical patterns while his left hand evokes a harmonic mood that moves quickly between earthy and ethereal. i no longer have a copy of that record but i do have many others including With Our Own Eyes, Time and Again, The Countdown and Hand In Hand, the record that i pulled this transcription off of. another record, one on which he’s a sideman, that to this day is near the top of my playlist is Cassandra Wilson’s Blue Skies. Miller drops gem after gem in his soloing and wraps Wilson’s awesome voice in a thick haze of soul and depth. “Thinkin’ Out Loud” is loosely based on “Minority” but instead of the traditional turnaround, the song instead sits on an E major chord for four bars before a ii-V over two bars takes it back to the top. i transcribed the right hand line and when i get up the courage, i’ll try to pick out the left hand. in the meantime, check it out…

MULGREW MILLER- “THINKIN’ OUT LOUD” (mp3)

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