Mccoy Tyner, Austin Peralta, and Modal Jazz

Home , Austin Peralta, Brainfeeder, Jazz piano, Kamasi Washington, McCoy Tyner, Modal jazz

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction ...... 2 Review of Literature ...... 4 Research Methodology ...... 6 Conclusion ...... 7 Chapter 2: Modal Jazz: From Davis to Peralta ...... 8 The Origins of Modal Jazz ...... 8 John Coltrane and Modal Jazz ...... 12 McCoy Tyner and Modal Jazz ...... 14 Austin Peralta and Modal Jazz ...... 15 Conclusion ...... 17 Chapter 3: McCoy Tyner’s Improvisational Style ...... 18 McCoy Tyner and “Passion Dance” ...... 18 Melodic Material ...... 19 Harmonic Material ...... 28 Rhythmic Material ...... 31 Conclusion ...... 35 Chapter 4: McCoy Tyner’s Influence on Austin Peralta ...... 36 Endless Planets ...... 36 Melodic Material ...... 37 Harmonic Material ...... 42 Rhythmic Material ...... 45 Conclusion ...... 49 Chapter 5: Conclusion ...... 50 Appendix A ...... 52 Appendix B ...... 60 Bibliography ...... 65

Chapter 1: Introduction

This is a study of the jazz pianist McCoy Tyner’s influence on the improvisational style of the jazz piano prodigy Austin Peralta. Austin Peralta was born to the famous skateboarder Stacy

Peralta and filmmaker Joni Caldwell on October 5, 1990 and died on November 21, 2012.

(McDermott: 2013). I focus on Austin Peralta’s album Endless Planet, which epitomizes his contributions to jazz. On this album, Peralta blends modal and post-bop jazz styles in his own unique manner. His style drew from all of his early influences, from classical music to bebop, but one of his most important inspirations was McCoy Tyner. Born December 11, 1938, Tyner was raised in a poor African-American community in west Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Merrell

13: 2013). Tyner became one of the most influential jazz pianists of the 1960s. Exploring Tyner’s foundational work in the modal jazz tradition provides a useful starting point for understanding

Peralta’s innovations.

Peralta took much from the past in order to form his individual style. Upon hearing

Mozart for the first time at age five, he immediately told his parents to find him a piano and a teacher. Later he became “so obsessed with Chopin that he began dressing like the pianist, or at least how he figured Chopin would dress” (McDermott 2013). Peralta’s interest in jazz began when a friend gave him a Bill Evans CD at the age of ten. From then on, Peralta immersed himself in jazz (McDermott 2013). He recorded two albums in high school, Maiden Voyage and

Mantra on the Sony Japan label. Yet Peralta did not promote these first two albums because

2 the producer did not allow him to pursue his artistic vision. Peralta’s third album, Endless

Planets, produced by Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, gave Peralta a platform to create the art he intended to make (Fader and Clements 2011). At the age of 13, Peralta was well known in

Southern California as a rising jazz piano prodigy (Anon 2004). By age 15, he already premiered at major performances including the Tokyo Jazz Festival (McDermott 2013). Unfortunately, at the age of 22, his life was cut short by a combination of drugs and alcohol that aggravated a case of viral pneumonia (Meek 2013). Despite Peralta’s short life, his achievements were great.

Peralta should not be viewed as a mere prodigy who died before his time. Instead, he should be viewed as one of the most important recent figures in the modal jazz and post-bop traditions.

An analysis of Peralta’s work demonstrates that he brought a unique energy to his improvisations, a feeling that aligns with his belief that “music has the power to evoke spiritual places akin to death or the orgasm or love” (Fader and Clements 2011). Natasha Agrama, who sang with Peralta the night he died, described how his playing transformed her nerves into

“pure love” (McDermott 2013). Peralta’s melodic inventions draw listeners in, provoking a sense of deep warmth and reflection. Peralta possessed an intuition about jazz akin to the geniuses who preceded him. Renowned producer Stephen Ellison (a.k.a Flying Lotus) states, “he has a lifetime of character in his music at 22” (McDermott 2013). Peralta acknowledged the importance of jazz history, for only by understanding what has come before can we enjoy the liberty to break the rules (Fader and Clements: 2011). In line with the most important innovators in jazz, Peralta absorbed the tradition and propelled it forward.

Review of Literature

No scholarly work exists on the work of Austin Peralta, and there are only limited resources on modal jazz and McCoy Tyner. I have gathered biographical information on Miles

Davis, John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner from books, articles, and dissertations to assemble a history of modal jazz. Information on Austin Peralta comes from his website and online articles that provide an overview of his life and career, including quotes from people that knew him.

Natalie Weiner’s article, “Way Out West: How Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, and

Brainfeeder Are Bringing Jazz Back to the People,” adds important contextual information for

Peralta’s musical atmosphere. The article describes how artists on the Brainfeeder label are pushing musical innovation and bringing jazz to new audiences by associating it with other genres, especially electronic music.

Paul Rinzler’s article, “The Quartal and Pentatonic Harmony of McCoy Tyner,” provides a comprehensive analysis of the harmony that McCoy Tyner uses in improvisation. A unique focus of this study is Rinzler’s description of Tyner’s use of superimposition. Additionally, Rinzler’s article is cited in Alton Louis Merrell’s dissertation, indicating that he based some of his harmonic analysis on Rinzler’s. Merrell’s dissertation, “The Life and Music of McCoy Tyner: An

Examination of the Sociocultural Influences on McCoy Tyner and His Music,” is the first study of

McCoy Tyner to explain how his right and left hand interact with one another in his improvisations. Merrell provides the format I use to analyze the improvisations of McCoy Tyner and Austin Peralta. In his analyses of Tyner’s composition and solos on “Chain Reaction,”

“Passion Dance,” and “Blues on the Corner,” Merrell identifies the core melodic, harmonic and rhythmic material Tyner uses.

Historical context for the development of modal jazz appears in “Essential Jazz the First

100 Years” by Henry Martin and Keith Waters. The section on modal jazz highlights key figures in the tradition including Miles Davis, John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner. Eric Nisenson’s “The

Making of Kind of Blue: Miles Davis and His Masterpiece” explains the origins of modal jazz.

Nisenson starts with Davis’ history leading and playing with groups that precede Kind of Blue.

He then explains George Russell’s contribution to Kind of Blue through Russell’s conversations with Davis and his book The Lydian Chromatic Concept for Tonal Organization. Useful biographical information on John Coltrane appears in “John Coltrane: His Life and Music” by

Lewis Porter, “Coltrane the Story of a Sound” by Ben Ratliff, and “Chasin’ the Trane” by J.C.

Thomas. These biographies provide information on John Coltrane’s contributions to modal jazz and include quotes from Coltrane himself, McCoy Tyner talking about Coltrane, and others discussing Coltrane’s distinct style.

This study elaborates on prior research in the field of modal jazz by adding Austin

Peralta to the narrative. Considering the wealth of research on musicians of the past, this paper contributes to the literature by studying more recent advancements in jazz and establishing the development of modal jazz by discussing the contributions of Miles Davis, George Russell, John

Coltrane and McCoy Tyner to the idiom. I use musical examples from recordings by Tyner and

Peralta to link the musical thought processes occurring at the inception of modal jazz to what has occurred more recently. Drawing from past studies that explore the musical elements of notable jazz musicians, I use musical examples in the modal jazz idiom from recordings

5 separated by forty-four years. Furthermore, this is the first study to consider the work of Austin

Peralta, an important musician who has influenced the work of many of the most prominent musicians on the jazz scene today. By analyzing Peralta’s improvisational style and relating it to one of his predecessors in modal jazz, I hope to contribute a framework for understanding some of the modal jazz influences present today.

Research Methodology

Various scholarly articles have been used to develop my methodology for examining the transcriptions of Tyner and Peralta. Jazz transcriptions involve the notating of improvised music as perceived by the transcriber. Jazz musicians use transcriptions to understand the improvisational techniques of other musicians. The practice exists for the sake of comprehending the nuances of the performance and to help the transcriber reproduce the techniques used by a musician they admire (Kernfeld 777-778: 2002). Charles Seeger outlines two methods of transcribing, known as descriptive and prescriptive transcriptions. Descriptive transcriptions use notation to report as accurately as possible how a performance actually sounded, whereas prescriptive transcriptions outline how the music will be made to sound

(Seeger 184: 1958). I have created prescriptive transcriptions in order to focus on specific elements of Tyner and Peralta’s improvisations. A descriptive transcription may present more information for analysis, but could also distract from the improvisational material I seek to highlight for analysis. Two transcriptions of improvisations provide the material analyzed in this study: Tyner’s solo on “Passion Dance” and Peralta’s solo on “Capricornus.” I created the transcriptions by slowing down the tracks through the use of “Transcribe!” software and

6 replicating the notes on the piano. I then entered the correct notes into the music notation software “Musescore.”

Conclusion

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to existing knowledge of the modal jazz tradition and to expand that knowledge into the twenty-first century. By including the work of

Austin Peralta in this tradition, I demonstrate how a contemporary jazz musician was influenced by the founders of modal jazz in the late 1950s and 1960s. Assessing the contributions Austin

Peralta made to modal jazz incorporates the developments of a cutting-edge musician into the canon of jazz scholarship. Many look far in the past for examples of the best jazz musicians.

However, few have examined the strides jazz has made in the last decade, especially with the constant boundary-pushing of musicians on the Brainfeeder label (Weiner: 2015). Recent jazz musicians such as Austin Peralta, Thundercat, and Kamasi Washington should be understood as a part of the ever-evolving series of notable artists. Analyzing the works of these musicians allows for an understanding of a clear succession of musical innovators.

Following this introduction, chapter two summarizes the history of modal jazz, focusing on the work of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner. Chapter three delves into McCoy

Tyner’s improvisation on “Passion Dance,” focusing on notable aspects of his melodic, harmonic and rhythmic material. Chapter four compares the core melodic, harmonic and rhythmic aspects of Tyner’s “Passion Dance” with Austin Peralta’s improvisation in his composition

“Capricornus.” Finally, chapter five provides a summary of how linking the improvisational styles of Tyner and Peralta extends the history of jazz into the twenty-first century.

Chapter 2: Modal Jazz: From Davis to Peralta

Austin Peralta’s contributions to the ongoing development of modal jazz must be contextualized within the larger history of the modal jazz movement. This chapter provides historical background on modal jazz, beginning with two major figures: Miles Davis and George

Russell. Next I delve into how John Coltrane expanded modal jazz, followed by an investigation of McCoy Tyner, who followed the footsteps of Coltrane, to push the boundaries of modal jazz.

The fourth section provides biographical information on Austin Peralta, examining key figures in his musical life and development. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the place in modal jazz history occupied by Davis, Russell, Coltrane, Tyner and Peralta.

The Origins of Modal Jazz

Miles Davis developed modal jazz, first exemplified by the tune “Milestones” on the album of the same name and subsequently by the album Kind of Blue. Davis’s contributions led to the development of a new style of jazz based on sparse chord changes and a focus on melodic development. To fully understand the concept behind modal jazz, it is necessary to explore Davis’s thought process in the making of these albums. Throughout his career, Davis remained at the forefront of new movements in jazz. After high school, in 1944, he moved to

New York and quickly became involved in the bebop movement, recording with Charlie Parker on Parker’s first album as bandleader. As he distanced himself from Parker, Davis spearheaded

8 the Cool jazz movement in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Then, in the mid 1950s, Davis’s work showcased some of the best hard bop of the decade (Martin and Waters 176-177: 2009). In the late 1950s, the precocious Davis tired of the quick, forward-driven jazz progressions of bebop and hard bop that encouraged repetitive, formulaic improvisations. He sought a new framework that would grant improvisers a wider variety of melodic freedom. When he came upon the ideas of George Russell, Davis found the inspiration he sought.

George Russell was an American jazz pianist, but was better known as a jazz theorist, especially for his book The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. Russell lived from

June 23, 1923 to July 27, 2009 (Ratliff 2009: A29). Russell’s description of his encounters with

Davis provide insight into what Davis was hoping to accomplish with modal jazz. Russell explains:

We used to have sessions together. He was interested in chords, and I was interested in chords. We would sit at the piano and play chords for each other. He’d play a chord and I’d say, “Ooh, that’s a killer.” And then I would play a chord. At one of these sessions I asked Miles what he was looking to accomplish. He told me, “I want to learn all the chord changes. How can I go about doing this?” And I thought about that. I didn’t challenge it. At times Miles could be very definite, but at other times he could be really obscure. I just said to myself, “He already knows the changes. What could he need?” Even then Miles was noted for outlining each change, identifying it with the melody. In other words, he wouldn’t have even needed the piano player, because Miles’ melody was dictating what the chords were. He wanted a new way to relate to chords. (Nisenson 2000: 60)

Soon after this conversation with Davis, Russell learned he had tuberculosis and spent fifteen months in the hospital. This gave him time to mull over how to achieve Davis’ lofty goal of learning “all the chord changes.” Russell decided to approach the task by first trying to find the scale that best captured the sound of a major chord. For Russell, this sound should minimize dissonances, such that every note in the scale would perfectly mesh with the sound of

9 a major chord. Russell knew that the Ionian mode, traditionally associated with the major chord, would not minimize this dissonance. The Ionian mode contains two points of tension: the subdominant and leading tone that resolve to the notes of the tonic triad. Thus, as one plays through the Ionian mode from top to bottom over its tonic chord, there is a sense of tension that is released only upon reaching the tonic. This journey from stasis to disruption in the course of the Ionian mode reveals the inherent harmonic motion in much of Western music. Western music forces listeners to hear where chord progressions begin and where they must go in order to release harmonic tension. Russell sought to create a harmonic system that would escape this stricture.

Russell argued that to escape a sense of inevitable harmonic motion, one should associate the Lydian mode rather than the Ionian mode with the major chord. Russell believed that when playing the first tetrachord of the Ionian mode (C-D-E-F in the key of C), the F sounds out of place. To correct this, Russell tried raising the F by one half-step, resulting in the tetrachord C-D-E-F#. He found that this tetrachord, the first tetrachord of the Lydian mode, was more sonorous with the C major chord than that of the Ionian mode. In the Ionian mode, the fourth scale degree generates harmonic tension, resolved by moving down to the third with the arrival of the tonic triad. The fourth scale degree in the Lydian mode does not contain the same inevitability of resolution. Therefore, there is no harmonic motion implied within the Lydian scale as played over the the major tonic chord. Russell had achieved his goal of finding a scale that best captured the overall sound of the major chord (Nisenson 2000: 219-220).

When Russell showed Davis his new harmonic concept, Davis immediately gravitated towards it. The unity between chord and scale fundamental to Russell’s theory provided an

10 ideal way for Davis to fully realize his style of improvising with a high level of melodic development. As Russell stated, “when Miles saw how he could use the Concept, he said that if

Bird were alive, this would kill him. And it was just what Miles needed for the direction his music was taking” (Nisenson 2000: 72). Through this reference to Charlie Parker, one of the originators of bebop, Davis implied that his meeting with Russell suggested a new style of jazz, which became known as modal jazz.

Compositionally, modal jazz features a slower harmonic rhythm than earlier jazz styles such as bebop, swing, and New Orleans jazz. In the earlier styles, chords change every bar or two, often even changing twice in the same measure. Modal jazz features a more relaxed approach to harmonic pacing. The form of “Milestones” is aabba, with the a section using the

Dorian mode in G and the b section using the Aeolian mode in A. This revolutionary approach to harmony set the norm for the style. Modal jazz composers use only one or two chords, which change every eight to sixteen measures (Kernfeld: 2002). This style suited Davis, who focused on creating memorable, innovative melodies rather than on simply outlining chord changes.

Davis stated that in modal jazz, “you don’t have to worry about changes. . . . You can do more with the musical line. The challenge here. . . is to see how inventive you can be melodically. It’s not like when you base stuff on chords, and you know at the end of thirty-two bars that the chords have run out and there’s nothing to do but repeat what you’ve done with the variations” (Szwed 171: 2002). Whereas a more static approach to harmony may at first seem to imply a less interesting sound, for Davis it opened a gateway to melodic freedom. Now improvisers could freely play almost any melody that came to mind, unencumbered by a harmonic rhythm that dictated where they should direct the melodic line.

In addition to liberating the melody, modal jazz also grants improvisers greater rhythmic flexibility. When chords change every two to four beats, the harmonic rhythm directly effects rhythmic decisions made by the soloist and rhythm section. Executing complex rhythms that go against the meter presents a serious challenge to accompanists as they try to fit those rhythms to the quickly changing harmony. Before modal jazz, the rhythm section had greater constraints and was less adaptable to the moment to moment decisions made by the soloist.

John Coltrane and Modal Jazz

John Coltrane’s jazz career spanned more than a decade before his death in 1967, but in that time he managed to reinvent himself and the jazz sound multiple times, going through the genres of hard bop, modal jazz and finally the avant-garde free jazz sound. As a hard bop player

Coltrane was renowned for his unique, virtuosic technique of rapidly firing off notes with irregular groupings, unusual phrasings, and inserting several harmonies over a single chord. The jazz critic Ira Gitler coined the phrase “sheets of sound” to describe Coltrane’s playing (Martin and Waters 189: 2009). Coltrane initially entered modal jazz through his work with Miles Davis on Milestones. At the time of this recording modal jazz had not yet been solidified as a genre, and the modal tune “Milestones” sits among various hard bop tunes. Coltrane’s solo on

“Milestones” provides a glimpse of his discomfort with the new genre. As a seasoned hard bop player, Coltrane was most comfortable with a smattering of chord changes to dictate the melodic patterns he should create. The slow harmonic rhythm of “Milestones” left him somewhat listless in his attempts to develop his improvisation. It took Coltrane several years to realize the merits of modal jazz.

Following the Milestones recording, Coltrane gained further experience in modal jazz playing as a sideman in Davis’s Kind of Blue. During these recordings, Coltrane experimented with harmonic superimposition, a technique involving the addition of extra chords onto a tune’s standard chord changes. He recalls that “due to the direct and free-flowing lines in [Davis’s new modal music], I found it easy to apply the harmonic ideas that I had. I could stack up chords. . . .

That way I could play three chords on one. But on the other hand, if I wanted to, I could play melodically. Miles’ music gave me plenty of freedom” (Ratliff 2007: 43). The technique Coltrane developed provided an innovative way to enrich the static harmonies of modal jazz.

Two weeks after recording Kind of Blue, Coltrane went in his own direction with another landmark recording of the hard bop album Giant Steps (1959). The tune “Giant Steps” showcased Coltrane’s significant development in jazz theory with his rapidly moving chord changes based upon key centers spaced apart by major thirds. To play over these complex changes at a rapid tempo is difficult. McCoy Tyner and Wayne Shorter both have recollections of going to Coltrane’s house and hearing him practice melodic formulas over the “Giant Steps” changes for hours (Porter 2006: 150-151). Many of the pentatonic techniques that Coltrane developed to improvise over “Giant Steps” have been imitated by his successors. After Giant

Steps, Coltrane started his own quartet featuring McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Tyner played a central role in Coltrane’s new quartet. Tyner explained “Coltrane wouldn’t have evolved in the same fashion if he hadn’t had me as his pianist” (Porter 2006: 177-178). He further explained that the influence of Thelonious Monk, with whom Coltrane also worked, gave him the rhythmic stability that Coltrane relied on to develop his wildly expansive improvisations. Coltrane appreciated Elvin Jones’s “ability to mix

13 and juggle rhythms” (Porter 2006: 179). In 1960, the group recorded My Favorite Things, which featured Coltrane playing the soprano saxophone. On the title track, “My Favorite Things,”

Coltrane returned to the modal ideas he worked on with Davis. The piece features long solo sections based around the Dorian mode in which Coltrane executes elaborate improvisations, freely exploring all the melodic potential the mode offers.

McCoy Tyner and Modal Jazz

Widely considered to be among the most important jazz pianists of the 1960s, McCoy

Tyner developed an entirely new vocabulary for the jazz idiom, based on chords voiced in fourths and fifths, pentatonic scales, modes, tremolos, and open fifth drones in the left hand.

Through his work with John Coltrane and his own quartet, Tyner pushed the modal jazz tradition that Miles Davis started in new directions (Waters 2013). Just as Tyner influenced

Coltrane, Coltrane provided Tyner with stylistic ideas. Coltrane’s interest in Indian classical music lead to Tyner’s use of bass dyads. The quartal chords heard regularly in Tyner’s left hand accompaniment came from Coltrane’s work with Davis in modal jazz. Furthermore, Tyner inherited from Coltrane a fascination with the pentatonic scales found in African musics. Similar to Coltrane, Tyner superimposed pentatonic scales onto chord changes that did not imply those scales (Merrell 2013: 80-81). Coltrane supported Tyner’s use of quartal harmony. Quartal chords create an open harmonic sound due to gaps present in the voicings. They further pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved by quartal harmony when Coltrane encouraged

Tyner to “keep moving” his accompaniment. From Coltrane’s advice, Tyner understood that he should move the quartal voicings up and down the mode in which he was playing, a technique

14 known as “planing” (Merrell 2013: 83-84). Sometimes he even slipped the harmony of his accompaniment into neighboring modes a half-step step away, still maintaining the quartal voicings.

One of the strongest aspects of Tyner’s pianistic ability existed in his rhythmic inventiveness. From a young age, Tyner heard the rhythms of Afro-Cuban music. Garvin

Merceau, a childhood friend, used to invite the Tyner family to his home for music sessions.

Here, Tyner learned to play one-one-co, a style of Afro-Cuban conga playing that involves polyrhythms (Merrell 2013: 239). Tyner also heard African rhythms through his affiliation with the Judimar School of Dance. There, Tyner played the piano for African dance classes and in turn received free interpretive dance and ballet lessons. Tyner’s brother, Jarvis, contends that many of these African rhythmic elements can be heard throughout Tyner’s playing (Merrell

2013: 240).

Austin Peralta and Modal Jazz

Austin Peralta had a short-lived career, having passed away at the age of twenty-two.

Nonetheless, he managed to produce a musical output that only a prodigy could achieve. He released three albums as bandleader: Maiden Voyage (2006), Mantra (2007) and Endless

Planets (2011). These albums demonstrate that he based a considerable portion of his playing on the traditions of modal jazz.

Peralta garnered respect from many of the leading musicians in the jazz industry. While in high school, Peralta recorded his first two albums with Ron Carter, Billy Kilson, Buster

Williams, Steve Nelson, and Marcus Strickland. Additionally, at the Tokyo Jazz Festival, Peralta

15 performed in the “dream team” piano quartet featuring Chick Corea, Hank Jones, and Hiromi

Uehara (McDermott: 2013). McDermott quotes several musicians discussing Peralta. Kamasi

Washington remarked that upon hearing Peralta play the piano at age the age of twelve, he was surprised by “the vocabulary [and] the facility” that Peralta possessed in performance.

Members of the Los Angeles jazz community spread news that there was a kid in town who could play like McCoy Tyner. Steven Ellison (a.k.a Flying Lotus), the well known L.A. music producer of Endless Planets and a descendent of John Coltrane, felt that Peralta had “a lifetime of character in his music at 22” (McDermott: 2013) Stephen Bruner, known by his stage name

“Thundercat,” was Peralta’s closest friend and mentor in the jazz community. Peralta met

Bruner, who was five years older, through a jam session that was held in the back of Kamasi

Washington’s father’s house. Bruner felt that Peralta’s music conveyed to others “keep going, keep going, be better… Be as great as you can be.” (McDermott: 2013)

Peralta decided to release his preeminent album, Endless Planets, on the Brainfeeder label, revealing significant insight into his understanding of how jazz should be perceived by the public. The Brainfeeder label is run by Steven Ellison, known mostly as an electronic music producer and composer. However, Endless Planets was not the first release on the label to be associated with jazz. Ellison collaborated with Thundercat and Ravi Coltrane on his 2010 release

Cosmogramma. Still, Ellison considered Endless Planets to be the first release on his label that resembles a straight-ahead jazz band. Peralta wanted to release on the Brainfeeder label because, as he put it, “Jazz can be so stuffy and the audiences can be so pompous, that it needs that kind of reception, it needs that kind of audience, it needs that kind of energy. Who’s to say that punk rock is more hardcore than jazz? It’s not true” (Weiner 2015). Clearly, Peralta hoped

16 to push the genre of jazz forward, much as his predecessors in the modal jazz movement had done in the late 1950s.

Conclusion

From its beginnings with Miles Davis and George Russell, to its expansion with McCoy

Tyner and John Coltrane, and now in the twenty-first century through its reinvention by innovators such as Austin Peralta, modal jazz has had a rich, dynamic history. Through shared stylistic concepts passed between a tight-knit community of jazz musicians in the late 1950s and 1960s, the genre has been a vital part of the jazz tradition since its inception. The freedom of melodic and rhythmic expression inherent in the slow harmonic rhythm of the framework continues to be inspirational to the improvisations of jazz musicians worldwide. Now that the historical background for modal jazz has been established, Chapter 3 delves into the musical elements of Tyner’s improvisational style.

Chapter 3: McCoy Tyner’s Improvisational Style

To fully understand modal jazz, it is essential to examine the contributions that McCoy

Tyner brought to the genre with his quartet in the mid to late 1960s.This chapter will explore the prominent aspects of Tyner’s improvisational style in modal jazz through an analysis of his improvisation on his composition “Passion Dance.” The first section provides background information on the making of the album The Real McCoy along with an overview of the composition “Passion Dance.” The following three sections feature an analysis of the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic features of Tyner’s improvisational style on “Passion Dance.” Finally, a conclusion explain how this analysis can be used to understand important features of modal jazz improvisation.

McCoy Tyner and “Passion Dance”

McCoy Tyner wrote “Passion Dance” for the album The Real McCoy in 1967. In the album’s original liner notes, Tyner mentions each individual’s contribution:

That sound of [Joe Henderson’s] goes through the whole range of his instrument. If I had to use one word for Joe’s playing, it would be ‘mature’. As for Ron Carter, aside from his technique, he has unusual flexibility and everything he plays shows a real, keen intelligence at work. What can I say about Elvin Jones? After six years of working with him in John Coltrane’s group, I have no words to describe fully my respect for him as a musician. I can try by mentioning his capacity to go in all kinds of directions. And no matter what the direction, Elvin always gets to the nucleus of what’s going on. He molds what’s happening to fit what the soloist is doing. And always, no matter, how many polyrhythms are in the air, Elvin’s time at the bottom stays groovy (Hentoff 1967).

Tyner took great care in constructing this band, a wise decision as their output came to cement

Tyner’s legacy. “Passion Dance” is one of the most important and widely played songs from the album. Therefore, it serves as an ideal example to understand the key melodic, harmonic and rhythmic aspects of Tyner’s improvisational style.

“Passion Dance” is a modal jazz tune with a brisk tempo of two hundred twenty beats per minute. It features an A section in the F Mixolydian mode and a B section in the E-Flat

Dorian mode, with a B-flat pedal point for the first eight measures of the B section. The sounds of suspended harmony for which Tyner is well known are invoked in the melody of “Passion

Dance” through the use of many perfect fourth intervals. The solo section of “Passion Dance” indicates just one chord, an F7 (sus4), to be repeated as many times as the soloist wishes.

Melodic Material

In his improvisation on “Passion Dance,” McCoy Tyner uses six integral characteristics that define the melodic material he creates: modes, arpeggiated chords, scales, motivic cells, melodic sequences, and quartal melodic fragments. Determining which mode fits the melodic lines requires some degree of speculation. This analysis seeks to outline the clearest path to understanding the predominant modes Tyner uses. His solo is based upon the F Mixolydian mode1 (Fig. 1). Tyner uses the seven notes of the F Mixolydian to generate most of the melodies he improvises, a fitting choice as the harmony of the F7 (sus4) chord implies this mode through common tones and minimal dissonances (minor ninth intervals).

1 see measures 1-3, 4-8, 9-10, 11-12, 17-19, 21-23, 34-36, 41, 65-68, 81-84, and 97-100.

Fig. 1: F Mixolydian Mode

Tyner does, however, step outside the melodic boundaries of the F Mixolydian mode.

The most common way he does this is by jumping to a new mode, often one or two half-steps away from F Mixolydian. Generally, this is a Mixolydian mode in a different key, such as the F#

Mixolydian mode2 (Fig.2). Within a phrase, Tyner drifts in and out of F# Mixolydian for durations ranging from half a beat to a full measure (Fig. 2a-c). Only once within “Passion

Dance” does he remain in F# Mixolydian for an entire phrase (Fig. 2d).

2 see measures 15-16, 20, 31, 37, 38-40, 42-48, 58-62, 72, 74-75, 80, 86-88, 89-93, 103-104, 107, 108-112, 134, and 142.

A third mode Tyner explores in his solo on “Passion Dance” is the E Dorian mode, a half- step down from F Mixolydian and with an extra flat on the third degree of the scale3 (Fig. 3).

Tyner tends to use the E Dorian mode for only a few beats, pivoting between the F and F#

Mixolydian modes.

Toward the end of his solo, Tyner touches upon A-flat Mixolydian4 (Fig. 4). Tyner’s

3 see measures 13, 16, 29-30, 43-44, 47-48, 50-54, 60, 70, 74, 86, 91 (determined by left hand part), 105-106, 109, 110, 134-135, 143 4 see measures 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 124-132, 133, 142

21 introduction of this mode in measure 112 is initially unclear, as the C natural could be perceived as a chromatic neighbor tone and not a modal shift. However, by measure 129, it is clear that

Tyner is using A-flat Mixolydian due to the harmony of the left hand accompaniment.

Finally, an F Aeolian mode is heard briefly in measures 55-56 (Fig. 5). Tyner uses five notes of the F Aeolian mode (F, A-flat, B-flat, C, and E-flat) as a melodic basis for a rapid sixteenth-note run over two measures. The use of F Aeolian serves as an interesting juxtaposition through the addition of a flat third to the dominant F Mixolydian harmony.

Throughout Tyner’s modal variations, he always returns to the home mode of F Mixolydian. The concept of mode switching is further developed below in the discussion of Tyner’s use of harmony.

Tyner adds structure to his melodies through the use of arpeggiated, diatonic triads5

(Fig. 6). These are three-note, broken chords that fit the harmony implied in Tyner’s left-hand accompaniment. Tyner also makes use of non-diatonic triads, which deviate from the harmony implied by the left hand chord6 (Fig. 6a). Tyner frequently groups traids together within the same phrase, indicating a strong intent to create a triadic feel to the melodic line.

A particularly intriguing technique Tyner employs is the connection of two different modes through a triad in the melody7 (Fig. 7). For example, in measure 72, Tyner jumps from F

Mixolydian to F# Mixolydian, and back to F Mixolydian all in the span of one arpeggiated augmented triad. The A fits with the quartal played on the upbeat of one, the C# goes with the quartal played on D# and F attaches to the bass dyad played on the downbeat of four.

5 see measures 1, 2, 10, 17, 21-23, 30, 39, 45-46, 60, 62, 69-70, 76, 108, 143 6 see measures 39, 55-56, 93-94, 111, 144 7 see measures 30, 60, 72

Tyner also uses arpeggiated seventh chords in his improvisations8 (Fig. 8). In measures

133-135, Tyner suddenly springs into a quasi-melodic sequence based around seventh chords.

The term quasi-melodic is used here because the sequence is imperfect; there is no interval, for, interval relationship among the way the seventh chords are arranged. However, four seventh chords exist in this phrase, two minor seventh chords (Fmin7 and G#min7), one major seventh chord (Gmaj7), and one dominant seventh chord (A7). The other melodic material in the phrase consists of a B flat major triad spliced in the middle of the phrase and a C major triad at the end. The use of arpeggiated triads and seventh chords together in the same phrase suggests that Tyner thinks in both three- and four-note structures when deciding to execute a phrase based on arpeggiated chords.

8 see measures 133-135, 141-142

In addition to using modes, Tyner sometimes makes a distinct use of scales. These are limited to the chromatic scale and the C-sharp blues scale. Tyner often uses the chromatic scale to make slight, step-wise departures from the mode on which the melodic material is based.

These departures are called chromatic neighbor tones or tones a half step away from a diatonic tone in the mode9 (Fig. 9).

Occasionally, Tyner descends the chromatic scale for multiple beats10 (Fig. 10). Using the chromatic scale in this way allows Tyner to subvert a clear melodic sound and instead provide

9 see measures 25, 28, 78, 103 10 see measures 44, 79-80

25 listeners with a general sense of descent. The notes that do not fit with the harmony do not generate the same level of tension as they would if they stood alone, outside of the context of the chromatic scale.

Another melodic device Tyner uses to structure his improvisation in “Passion Dance” is the motivic cell11 (Fig. 11). According to Henry Martin and Keith Waters, motivic cells are short melodic ideas subject to variation and development. (Martin and Waters 283: 2009) In his solo,

Tyner creates melodic sequences based on triads, whole steps, and combinations of seconds, thirds, and fourths. The melodic cells Tyner uses tend to be made up of three to four notes.

Melodic Sequences are made up of repetitions of melodic cells that are identical in terms of intervals. In his solo, Tyner employs melodic sequences based on triads, whole steps, and combinations of seconds, thirds, and fourths.

11 see measures 11-16, 97-104

Quartal intervals (intervals spanning a perfect fourth) constitute an important part of Tyner’s distinctive style. They give the melodic material the suspended sound Tyner calls for in his designation of the F7 (sus4) harmony. A quartal melodic fragment is a series of notes within a melodic phrase in which the interval of a perfect fourth features prominently (Fig. 12). This fragment can also be inverted (Fig. 12b). For example, the melodic fragment of F-B-flat-E-Flat and F,E-flat, B-flat would both be considered quartal melodic fragments, even though the second example would technically be a major second followed by a perfect fourth.

Harmonic Material

Six prominent harmonic techniques are heard in Tyner’s solo in “Passion Dance:” quartal harmony, planing, bass dyads, “So What” chords, parallelism, and superimposition. Tyner’s uses almost entirely two (Fig. 13) and three-note quartal harmony (Fig. 13b) in his left-hand accompaniment. Quartal harmony is made up of chords that contain an interval of a perfect fourth between each note in the chord. The use of fourths as the basis of harmony instead of thirds creates a more open sound (Levine 145: 1989).

One of the most innovative aspects of Tyner’s harmony is his technique of planing these quartals (Fig. 14). Planing a quartal chord means moving it up and down its respective mode or moving it into a different mode.

Tyner uses bass dyads to separate different sections of his improvisation. A bass dyad is a two- note chord played in the lower region, or bass, of the piano. In “Passion Dance,” these bass dyads consist entirely perfect fifths played between F and C.

In the last few bars of his solo, Tyner shifts his approach from melodic thinking with a quartal accompaniment to a predominantly harmonic level of thinking through the use of “So What” chords (Fig. 16). The pianist Bill Evans pioneered the “So What” chord on the piece “So What” from Miles Davis’ album Kind of Blue (Levine 97:1989). A “So What” chord has the interval structure of three perfects fourths followed by a major third.

Tyner uses these “So What” chords in parallel motion (Fig. 16). In parallel motion the intervals of a chord, or the voicing, are kept the same but are shifted up or down together. Tyner’s use of left hand planing is also an example of parallelism.

Another melodic device Tyner uses throughout his solo is superimposition.

Superimposition is the use of melodic material considered outside of the mode that the harmony is based. The use of superimposition creates tension as dissonant intervals occur between the right hand melody and the left hand accompaniment. Yet when the superimposed melodic line folds back into the harmony of the mode, the consonance creates a feeling of resolution. In measure 141, beats one and two begin in F Mixolydian, but the entrance of the C# on beat four marks an entrance into F# Mixolydian (Fig. 17). Yet, on the upbeat of beat four,

Tyner take the listener right back to F Mixolydian with a G-natural. This sense of resolution only last for a beat as Tyner changes the mode to F# Mixolydian on the upbeat of beat one in measure 142. Finally, the tension resolves as the harmony changes to a quartal chord in F# on the upbeat of beat two in measure 142.

Rhythmic Material

Tyner uses rhythmic devices such as eighth-note driven phrases, syncopation, triplet repetitions, rhythmic motives, sixteenth-note runs, phrases ending on the downbeat, and dotted quarter note rhythms. The most common rhythm in Tyner’s right hand consists of swung eighth notes. He often breaks up eighth-note phrases with quarter-notes spliced in the middle of the line (Fig. 18). However, the dominant feel of the line is dictated by the steady flow of eighth-notes.

While eighth-notes dominate the right-hand melody, Tyner fills his left-hand accompaniment with syncopation. With the exception of his bass dyads, Tyner places many of his left hand chords on an upbeat. He further emphasizes the upbeat of the measure by accenting the upbeat of his eighth-note phrases. Tyner also occasionally adds interest to the rhythm in his right hand by syncopating the melody. However, when the right-hand melody is syncopated, the left-hand generally either mimics the right-hand rhythm or the syncopation serves as a pick up into the next phrase.

Triplet repetition goes in tandem with Tyner’s use of melodic cells (Fig. 20). He often takes a three-note melodic cell and sequences it in triplets. Alternatively, he simply repeats the same melodic cell in a triplet rhythm without altering the notes at all.

Triplet rhythms also feature as a part of recurring rhythmic motives. A rhythmic motive is similar to a melodic motive, except instead of repeating the same interval structure, rhythmic motives share the same note values (for example, a triplet rhythm followed by a quarter-note, or two eighth-notes followed by a quarter-note). Rhythmic motives that share a similar melodic contour register in the listener as having significant similarity.

Tyner uses sixteenth-note runs sparingly in his solo (Fig. 21). The double-time feel created by switching from eighth-notes to sixteenth-notes is difficult to execute, especially given the brisk tempo of “Passion Dance.” As a result, when Tyner breaks into a sixteenth-note run, it adds virtuosic excitement to his playing.

Throughout his improvisation, Tyner has a penchant for ending phrases with a quarter note on the downbeat (Fig. 22). This consistency creates cohesion to Tyner’s rhythmic language. Listeners can expect the end of a phrase when they hear the solid quarter-note down beat at the end. Furthermore, Tyner consistently places the last beat before the bass dyad on the downbeat, and the beat before the final downbeat is often a quarter-note on the downbeat

33 as well. This creates a similar effect to a period at the end of a sentence. The line slows down, a bass dyad is heard, and the listener knows that Tyner has finished that thought and will move on to a new idea.

As the improvisation progresses, Tyner adds more contrast to the eighth-note phrases by use of dotted-quarter-note rhythms (Fig. 23). Thus, Tyner melds his rhythmic conception for the right and left hand. A similar rhythmic interest to the sixteenth-note runs is generated, except instead of a double-time feel, listeners perceive Tyner as slowing down despite the tempo remaining constant.

Conclusion

A close analysis of the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic materials McCoy Tyner utilizes in his “Passion Dance” solo constructs a detailed list of some of the most salient features of modal jazz. This template provides a useful reference point for understanding the styles of other jazz musicians inspired by Tyner’s work. One such musician is Austin Peralta. Chapter four investigates the degree to which Peralta carried on the modal jazz style established by Tyner.

Chapter 4: McCoy Tyner’s Influence on Austin Peralta

Peralta expanded upon the foundations that Tyner laid in modal jazz to produce his seminal work Endless Planets, which extends the genre into the twenty-first century. This chapter examines how Peralta’s improvisational style in Endless Planets both incorporates and deviates from modal jazz elements found in Tyner’s “Passion Dance.” The chapter begins with background information on Endless Planets and a brief description of the compositional structure of the piece “Capricornus” and how it extends modal jazz into the post-bop tradition.

The next three sections consist, respectively, of an analysis of the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic material Peralta uses in comparison to Tyner. The conclusion summarizes the chapter, explaining how Peralta borrowed from Tyner’s improvisational style and used it to fit his unique conception.

Endless Planets

Endless Planets was recorded in 2011 on the Brainfeeder label with the goal of bringing jazz to new, young audiences. “Capricornus” is the second piece on the album. The piece features Ben Wendel on tenor saxophone, Hamilton Price on bass, Zane Musa on alto saxophone, and Zach Harmon on drums. The composition of “Capricornus” features many components of modal jazz, yet notably contains a wider variety of chords than many modal jazz tunes. The composition features three distinct sections before entering the solo section. After

36 an eight-measure introduction, the listener enters the A section of the piece, which lasts for 18 measures. The A section is based in the B Aeolian mode and alternates between the i and V chords, Bm7 and F#7. This two chord vamp is typical of the modal jazz tradition. However, in the B section, lasting 18 measures, Peralta introduces new chords. The meter of “Capricornus” is 5/4 with a subdivision of three to two. Additionally, the three is often divided into two separate dotted quarter notes. With a fast tempo of 225 bpm and quickly changing chords in the B section, Peralta clearly reaches beyond the scope of modal jazz and into the post-bop tradition. As musicologist Jeremy Yudkin explains, post-bop is an “elastic form that can stretch to accommodate creative improvisation; employment of uncommon time signatures and reinterpretation of familiar ones; reconceived roles for drums and bass… with space created for the rhythmic and coloristic independence of the drummer-an approach that incorporated modal and chordal harmonies… structured choruses, melodic variation, and free improvisation

(Yudkin 7, 123: 2008). “Capricornus” typifies Yudkin’s definition, with its odd meter, amalgamation of harmonic devices with different concepts in the A and B sections, and highly structured chorus with its complex counterpoint between the tenor sax and alto sax line. While this composition may resemble post-bop more closely than modal jazz, it is clear that Peralta’s improvisation draws heavily from modal jazz.

Melodic Material

Peralta uses six essential characteristics of Tyner’s melodic material: modes, arpeggiated chords, scales, motivic cells, melodic sequences, and quartal melodic fragments. Peralta also uses the same overall concept as Tyner (such as modes), but differs in his specific

37 implementation. The bulk of Peralta’s melodic material comes from the B Aeolian mode. The B

Aeolian mode presents a departure for how artists have generally played on minor chords in

the modal jazz tradition. Generally, if a minor chord is functioning as the i chord, then the

Dorian mode is used. In “So What” by Miles Davis, the two minor chords were thought of in the

Dorian mode.

Another innovative decision for melodic material is Peralta’s use of the G Lydian

Diminished scale. The Lydian Diminished scale can be conceived as the fourth mode of the harmonic major scale. More importantly, George Russell identifies the Lydian Diminished scale as the third scale in his order of “Principle Scales” (Russell 35: 2001). Peralta may have been using the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization in both the compositional structure of “Capricornus” and in the modal base for his improvisation.

Peralta also makes frequent use of the Diminished scale. This occurs particularly often in the B section of the piece, while the B Aeolian mode and G Lydian Diminished scale appear in the A section.

Furthermore, Peralta often lets the derivation of his melodic material remain ambiguous. This often occurs in passages where he repeats and develops a three- or four-note melodic cell (Fig. 27). When he uses only a small portion of the melodic material in a mode or scale, it increases the likelihood that the material will be congruent with another mode or scale.

The use of ambiguity allows Peralta’s lines to blend into one other. In fact, it seems that Peralta often has only slight regard for the underlying harmony as he develops his improvisation. This results in strong cohesion as Peralta crosses over bar lines and chord changes. Even in a context with faster chord changes, Peralta keeps the modal jazz feel intact by using similar melodic material over multiple measures.

As in Tyner’s melodies, arpeggiated chords feature in Peralta’s solo. Yet minor or major arpeggiated triads feature much less prominently than diminished triads (Fig. 28).

Peralta utilizes motivic cells similarly to Tyner. Both artists use motivic cells as a small melodic idea to be manipulated and expanded (Fig. 27). Peralta is especially proficient at developing a motivic cell until it essentially turns into a new motive (Fig. 29).

Peralta also has a strong affinity for turning motivic cells into melodic sequences. A significant portion12 of Peralta’s solo on “Capricornus” is taken up by a particularly long motivic cell that he sequences. Some repetitions of the intervallic structure replicate the melodic cell perfectly, while others differ slightly.

12 See Measures 48-51

Peralta clearly takes after Tyner in his use of quartal melodic fragments (Fig. 31). These fragments do not appear with near the frequency that Tyner uses them in “Passion Dance,” but when Peralta uses them, they are a clear nod to his influence.

Harmonic Material

Peralta’s harmonic material may be analyzed in accordance with Tyner’s use of quartal harmony, planning, bass dyads, “So What” chords, parallelism, and superimposition. In contrast with Tyner’s use of multiple left hand quartal chords every measure, Peralta scarcely uses any accompaniment in his left hand. In fact, the first left-hand chord Peralta plays comes on measure 30 of his solo. After measure 45 Peralta uses more accompaniment. When he does, it generally takes the form of just one or two left hand chords in a measure. The harmonic structure of Peralta’s left-hand chords is closely related to those of Tyner. A direct link to Tyner comes from Peralta’s use of a quartal chord.13 However, while one quartal chord may seem too few to draw any strong connection to Tyner, Peralta’s chord of choice is a combination of a tritone and a perfect fourth. This chord is only a half-step off from being a quartal chord, and

13 see measure 54

42 therefore, Peralta’s accompaniment can be conceived as fitting within quartal harmony. For example, if one assumes that Peralta is using the E Aeolian mode in measure 48, then the G chord built from a perfect fourth and tritone can be seen as a quartal in E that is built up from the third degree of the “E” Aeolian mode (Fig. 32). Tyner used this technique in “Passion

Dance” when in measures 129-133 he plays a “G-flat” chord built from a tritone and a perfect fourth in “A-flat” Mixolydian (Fig. 32).

Planing does not come into play in Peralta’s solo on “Capricornus.” This may be because

Peralta chose to use a wider variety of chords in the harmony of the song. With a wider variety of chords than the static F7(sus) that Tyner uses on “Passion Dance,” Peralta does not need to plane the harmony up and down the modes to create harmonic interest. If Peralta did attempt to plane over these chords the harmony would most likely sound too busy and the rhythm section would not be able to respond to these harmonic alterations. Additionally, Peralta does not use “So What” chords in “Capricornus.” This may be due in part to the fact that Peralta’s harmony ventures somewhat afar of Tyner’s quartal harmony. Furthermore, “So What” chords

43 do not seem to align with Peralta’s sparse, melodically-driven style. The only time he launches into larger chord structures is at the very end of the improvisation.

Bass dyads do play a role in “Capricornus,” although Peralta uses them in a different manner than does Tyner. While Tyner divides sections of his solo by use of bass dyads on the down beat, Peralta uses them as a part of a more complex figure that features the end of every section of “Capricornus” (Fig. 33). In this respect Peralta does not use bass dyads as an improvisational function; instead, he conceives them as a background figure that marks a transition into the next solo section.

Parallelism has a similar function to bass dyads in “Capricornus” Peralta does not use it in his improvisation, but it comes into play in the same background figure previously discussed.

The series of three chords that make up this background figure can be thought of in three separate pieces. The bottom two notes of the chord contain the bass dyad, which moves up in perfect parallel motion through half steps. The middle portion of each chord contains a perfect fourth, which moves in a whole-step to the second chord and a half-step to the third chord. The

44 top note of each chord functions as both a melody line and chordal component. As a melody it simply moves between E-flat and F#. In terms of intervals, the top note of the first chord is a tritone away from note below it, the second a perfect fifth away, and the third a perfect fourth away. Peralta takes the concept of parallelism and slightly alters it to create an interesting harmony of shifting intervallic structures.

Finally, Peralta’s use of superimposition is similar to that of Tyner. In the A section of the solo, Peralta’s use of the B Aeolian mode or G Lydian Diminished scale often bleed into each other (Fig. 34). This is caused by the presence of a B-natural on the Gm chord or a B-flat on the

Bm chord. Peralta uses superimposition techniques such as implementing triads and scales in a key separate from what the underlying harmony implies. Often this results in strong dissonances resulting from a major third in the bass line and a minor third in the melodic line.

Rhythmic Material

Peralta’s rhythmic material is closely related to Tyner’s use of eighth-note driven phrases, syncopation, triplet repetition, rhythmic motives, sixteenth-note runs, phrases ending on the downbeat, and dotted-quarter-note rhythms. Peralta’s phrases are often driven

45 primarily by swung eighth-notes. However, he deviates from this pattern with more frequency than Tyner. Peralta makes avid use of triplets, sixteenth-notes, and even breaks into runs of sextuplets.

Syncopation also features prominently in Peralta’s style. “Capricornus” is in 5/4 with the downbeat occurring on one, the upbeat on two, and the downbeat on beat four. Peralta’s opening syncopated line14 in the upper register outlines where syncopated beats lie in this 5/4 feel (Figure 39). The first beats of the lower melodic line outline the downbeats and the dotted quarter-note rhythm is syncopated with emphasis on the third eight-note of each subdivision.

14 See measures one through four

Peralta also syncopates even smaller subdivisions, as in measure 18 with its syncopated sixteenth-notes (Fig. 40).

Tyner’s solo in “Passion Dance” demonstrates that triplet rhythms can be especially useful for sequencing melodic motives. Peralta adeptly uses this concept in measures 48-51. In measure 48, Peralta uses a triplet rhythm to repeat a three-note melodic motive up two octaves (Fig. 41). Yet in the next two beats of the measure, Peralta uses the triplet rhythm twice in tandem with a six-note melodic motive. For the next three measures, Peralta sequences this same six note motive.

Like Tyner, Peralta uses rhythmic motives. An especially unique motive that Peralta employs involves the use of rhythmic space. This is shown in measures 7-8, where Peralta uses a rhythmic motive made of a quarter-rest followed by two eight-notes (Fig 42).

Peralta does not have the same consistency as Tyner in ending phrases on the downbeat. The start and end of phrases is usually determined by a period of rest rather than phrase endings on the downbeat and bass dyads. Interestingly, Peralta spaces his phrases for a longer duration towards the beginning of the solo and scarcely uses any space past the midway point, around measure 32. This adds a general sense of compression to the solo, adding some intensity and drive as the solo progresses.

Tyner and Peralta both employ dotted-quarter-note rhythms to disrupt the general eighth-note feel. Dotted-quarter-notes do not come as a surprise in “Capricornus,” since the subdivision is partially based on them (dividing the first subdivision of three beats in half produces two dotted-quarter-notes). However, the effect produced by the left hand accompaniment’s dotted-quarter-note rhythm from measures 49-51 has a similar effect to the rhythms Tyner often uses in “Passion Dance” (Fig. 43). The difference is that Tyner continuously plays dotted-quarter-notes (Fig. 43b), blurring the boundaries of the bar line, whereas Peralta

48 makes it clear where the next measure starts due to the extra eighth-note rest on the pickup of beat five. If Peralta had started the next dotted-quarter-note on that pickup, the feel would be reminiscent of Tyner’s dotted-half-notes.

Conclusion

This chapter has shown how Peralta’s piece “Capricornus” has strong ties to Tyner’s improvisational style. Peralta uses many of the same melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices as Tyner, but incorporates them in new ways. Chapter five reviews how Austin Peralta expanded modal jazz through inherited stylistic concepts from Tyner.

Chapter 5: Conclusion

Austin Peralta’s improvisation in “Capricornus” can be traced directly to the musical innovations of George Russell, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner. The harmonic ideas George Russell developed and later expressed to Davis set the stage for the innovations of

Coltrane, Tyner, and Peralta. Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization contends that harmony in western music has predominantly focused upon horizontal motion, rather than vertically exploring all of the possibilities that a chord can offer. Davis took this idea and put it into practice in his albums Milestones and Kind of Blue. In this manner, Russell’s theoretical concept evolved into the genre of modal jazz, characterized by its sparse chord changes and slow harmonic motion. Coltrane further expanded modal jazz by applying his unique musical conceptions to the genre. These included the incorporation of superimposition, pentatonics, and rapid-fire runs of notes into the modal context. Through their quartet work together, Tyner was heavily inspired by Coltrane, but made significant developments of his own to modal jazz. Tyner is well known for his implementation of quartal harmony and bass dyads.

However, analysis reveals more subtleties in the areas of melody, harmony and rhythm idiomatic to Tyner’s playing.

Austin Peralta not only integrated, but expanded these subtleties in his improvisation on

“Capricornus.” He takes the improvisational techniques of modal jazz and applies them in new ways. The unique manner in which Peralta manipulated sequences, voiced left hand chords and

50 syncopated odd meters allow astute listeners to determine that they are listening to Peralta.

His style is unmistakable. Yet, a large part of his appeal exists in his grounding in stylistic features of past musicians. Tyner’s position in modal jazz history places him at an ideal sonic reference point to understand the most salient aspects of the genre. In his playing, one can parse the influence of the early modal jazz innovators of the late 1950s to mid 1960s, in addition to his own contributions. Therefore, understanding Peralta in the context of Tyner puts

Peralta in direct lineage to his successors. However, a gap spanning over four decades exists between the two recordings that I have analyzed. Future research should focus on understanding the musical connections that exist between recordings in these four decades.

Peter von Bartkowski created an apt metaphor to understand connections between musicians over the course of jazz history. He created a tree with a trunk representing jazz with the most direct its beginnings and branches representing genres. Modal jazz would take up one of these branches and Austin Peralta would sit at one of the limbs coming off the end of the branch. To further understand the history of modal jazz, spaces on the branch in between Peralta and

Tyner must be filled in and accompanied with musical analysis that shows how stylistic concepts have been passed between artists.

Appendix A

Appendix B

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