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 1 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. 3 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,” 4 “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