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Conceptual Jazz
Conceptual Jazz
Date Posted: November 02 2011
Written By: Frank Caruso
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In several past articles I have dealt with harmonic and rhythmic factors. In those articles I exposed some of the devices learned from listening to my jazz heroes and from my peers, along with some of my own creations. But I have not dealt with the fundamental factor of weaving melodic lines into solos. Herewith are my thoughts on this topic. I have not included any written examples, because I believe that this is a subject learned by “osmosis.”
I have found that one of the greatest tools in learning to become an intuitive player is to learn as many tunes as possible. Word has it that at one time some college jazz studies programs required students to learn three tunes a day. That work ethic is virtually non-existent today, but that attitude is still prevalent in musicians/students I meet who are really sincere about mastering the jazz language.
Learning a new tune is comparable to meeting a new person. People all have common traits, but each of us also has a uniqueness that cannot be ignored. The melody of a tune, in my opinion, represents a similar uniqueness. So, then, why not strive to develop a strong melodic element in the playing of solos?
We are all guilty of overlooking this aspect for reasons such as wanting to “show off” our chops or making sure that we certify ourselves in the “arena of harmonic complexity” etc. When I stop to think about the most memorable solo performances, I almost always come back to the most melodically structured solos.
Case in point, Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane’s collaboration, which consists completely of slightly embellished melodies. A recording which I always love listening to. Every time I revisit the Wes Montgomery recordings I find myself becoming lost in the simplicity of the melodic lines and ease of articulation. Same with the beautiful melodic lines of Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins and Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Paul Desmond and Johnny Hodges along with the great vocalists like Sarah Vaughan, Ella and Johnny Hartman, to name a few.
In the present jazz climate it takes courage to play simple melodic lines, because it takes the attention off the player and places it completely on the music.
The most effective way to develop a strong melodic element in your playing is to pay close attention to melodies and to write new tunes while making a conscious effort to play whole solos or sections of solos based on melodic ideas along with weaving melodic lines as connecting tools. I find that after spending a couple of months with an emphasis on this it begins to become an intuitive part of the construction of the improvisational lines I play, which is actually quite different from merely following a concentration of adherence to a particular harmonic device.
The most important thing about this type of playing is the effect it has on other musicians and the listening audience. As participants in a highly communicative art form, it is a good idea to dwell on this aspect in a big way. So even though I haven’t cited any written, analytical examples, I think we can all agree that this is something we need to explore to a great degree. Don’t forget this is a process of “musical osmosis” which draws us deeper into the language of jazz.
nCJM
Frank Caruso is a jazz educator currently serving on the jazz studies faculties of North Central College and Elmhurst College. He has also written a book on piano improvisation, which can be found at learnpianoimprovisation.com. Frank also teaches at his home studio and can be contacted at carusopiano@yahoo.com.
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