IN THE CURRENT: SUITE FOR LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE MICHAEL DOWNES A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MUSIC YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA APRIL 2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-45934-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-45934-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada iv ABSTRACT In the Current is a jazz suite comprised of five interrelated movements. It is scored for three woodwinds, four brass, acoustic bass, guitar, vibraphone, drums and percussion. Part I of the accompanying thesis examines the unique aesthetics, styles and techniques of Gil Evans and Maria Schneider in order to give the historical context of the suite. Part II is a detailed analysis of In the Current that includes a discussion of the compositional process and the materials that lend the suite cohesion. The suite incorporates linear harmonic concepts, counterpoint, development and variation as formal constructs, improvisation integrated with composed material, asymmetrical time signatures, metric modulation and other elements associated with contemporary jazz composition. Several of the meanings or connotations of the play-on-words In the Current bear significance to the thesis and to the conceptualization of the music. The idea of the flow of a river and its tributaries metaphorically representing the intersections and collective direction of music from past to present is of particular importance. In the Current is both new and linked to the past through the influence of Evans and Schneider. V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the many people who have helped me realize this project. My wife Sanja and our daughters Ana and Zoe are a constant source of joy, inspiration and perspective. Attempting to write a thesis with a young family has presented special challenges (to say the least). Without Sanja's unflagging support this work would never have been possible. My supervisor David Mott has provided me with invaluable wisdom and direction, and it has been my privilege to seek his advice in musical and other matters. My advisor Michael Coghlan is an inspirational person and an astounding fountain of knowledge. Their encouraging approach and great musicianship will continue to influence me well beyond the scope of this thesis. Tere Tilban-Rios is the backbone of the graduate music program. I can't imagine how I would have completed all of the required steps leading to the submission of this thesis without her care and guidance. Thanks to the following: Professors Barry Elmes, William Westcott and my classmates, who all stimulated new and interesting ideas in my approach to composition, Denny Christianson, Joe Kertes and the administration at Humber College who have afforded me the time and support to pursue this project, Ron Davis, Andrew Scott and Jack Chambers for their advice and suggestions, and my parents for all of their support. The many great musicians with whom I have had the honour to play have deeply impacted everything I do musically. Thanks to the masters upon whose shoulders we stand - in this project notably Gil Evans and Maria Schneider for their musical vision and mastery. Finally, thanks to God for each and every day. vi CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES viii INTRODUCTION 1 PART I. GIL EVANS AND MARIA SCHNEIDER: SOUND INNOVATIONS Chapter 1. The Individualism of Gil Evans 5 Chapter 2. Maria Schneider 29 PART II. ANALYSIS OF IN THE CURRENT Chapter 3. Compositional Process 1. In the Flow and in the Now.. 44 2. Conceptual Process .....46 Chapter 4. Analysis of the Music 1. Instrumentation 49 2. Motivic connections and thematic development 53 3. Harmonic language 74 4. Rhythmic structure 78 5. Improvisation and composition 83 6. Formal structure 83 7. Score format 91 CONCLUSION 92 Vll BIBLIOGRAPHY 96 DISCOGRAPHY 99 SCORES 102 PART III. IN THE CURRENT SCORE I. "In the Current" 105 II. "Parallel Streams" 131 III. "Re-emerging Linear Tones" 156 IV. "Still Waters Run Deep" 177 V. "Rexurrents" 193 viii LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1. The Individualism of Gil Evans Figure 1.1a - "Arab Dance" (mm. 44-48) 9 Figure Lib - "Arab Dance" (mm 49-53) 10 Figure 1.2a - "Arab Dance" modulation (mm. 134-38) 11 Figure 1.2b - "Arab Dance" modulation (mm. 139-41) 12 Figure 1.3 - "Donna Lee" shout chorus 15 Figure 1.4 - "Moon Dreams" (mm. 42-45) 18 Figure 1.5a - "My Ship" (mm. 1-4) 22 Figure 1.5b - "My Ship" (mm. 5-8) 23 Figure 1.6 - "Buzzard Song" 24 Figure 1.7 - "La Nevada" modal voicings 26 Figure 1.8 - "Zee Zee" (mm. 1-2) 27 Chapter 2. Maria Schneider Figure 2.1 - "Evanescence" (mm. 19-26) 32 Figure 2.2a- "Night Watchmen" formal structure page 1 34 Figure 2.2b - "Night Watchmen" formal structure page 2 35 Figure 2.3 - "Hang Gliding" (mm. 9-16) 37 Figure 2.4 - "Last Season" (mm. 41-48) 38 Figure 2.5 - "GumbaBlue" (mm. 80-84) 39 Figure 2.6 - "Hang Gliding" (mm. 502-09) 39 Figure 2.7 - "Night Watchmen" (mm. 30-37) 41 Chapter 4. Analysis of the Music Figure 4.1 - "Still Waters Run Deep" voicing (mm. 43-44) 51 Figure 4.2 - "In the Current" orchestration (mm. 10-13) 52 Figure 4.3 - "Re-emerging Linear Tones" french horn part (mm. 47-50) 52 Figure 4.4 - "In the Current" fourth motive (m. 3) 53 Figure 4.5 - "In the Current" fourth motive (mm. 10-11) 54 Figure 4.6 - "In the Current" fourth motive (mm. 16-17) 54 Figure 4.7 - "Parallel Streams" fourth motive (mm. 53-56) 55 Figure 4.8 - "In the Current" fourth motive chord structure (m. 10) 55 Figure 4.9 - "Still Waters Run Deep" fourth motive (mm. 35-37) 56 Figure 4.10 - F Augmented scale 56 Figure 4.11 - "In the Current" Augmented scale motive (mm. 30-33) 57 Figure 4.12 - "In the Current" Augmented scale motive (mm. 9-12) 57 ix Figure 4.13 - "Re-emerging Linear Tones" Augmented scale motive (mm. 6-15) 58 Figure 4.14 - "Re-emerging Linear Tones" Augmented scale motive (mm. 54-79) 59 Figure 4.15 - "Rexurrents" Augmented scale motive (mm. 44-49) 60 Figure 4.16 - "Still Waters Run Deep" Augmented scale motive (m. 38) 60 Figure 4.17 - "Parallel Streams" Augmented scale motive (mm. 69-92) 61 Figure 4.18 - "In the Current" Phrygian motive (mm. 5-6) 62 Figure 4.19 - "In the Current" Phrygian motive (mm. 18-19) 62 Figure 4.20 - "In the Current" Phrygian motive (mm. 41-42) 63 Figure 4.21 - "Re-emerging Linear Tones" Phrygian motive (mm. 29-32)..... 63 Figure 4.22 - "Rexurrents" Phrygian motive (mm. 1-7) 64 Figure 4.23 - Phrygian motive harmonic implications 64 Figure 4.24 - "Rexurrents" Phrygian motive (mm. 72-75). 65 Figure 4.25 - "Rexurrents" Phrygian motive (mm. 173-176) 65 Figure 4.26 - "In the Current" hemiola motive (mm. 30-34) 66 Figure 4.27 - "Parallel Streams" hemiola motive (mm. 53-56) 66 Figure 4.28 - "Parallel Streams" hemiola motive (mm. 99-102) 66 Figure 4.29 - "Re-emerging Linear Tones" hemiola motive (mm. 87-94) 67 Figure 4.30 - "Rexurrents" hemiola motive (mm. 139-145) 68 Figure 4.31 - "Rexurrents" hemiola motive (mm. 148-151) 69 Figure 4.32 - "In the Current" dotted quarter/eighth-note motive (mm. 10-11) 70 Figure 4.33 - "In the Current" dotted quarter/eighth-note motive (mm. 28-31) 71 Figure 4.34 - "In the Current" dotted quarter/eighth-note motive (mm. 70-73) 71 Figure 4.35 - "In the Current" dotted quarter/eighth-note motive (mm. 138-140) 72 Figure 4.36 - "Parallel Streams" dotted quarter/eighth-note motive (mm. 37-40) 72 Figure 4.37 - "Re-emerging L. T." dotted quarter/eighth-note motive (mm. 115-118) 73 Figure 4.38 - "Rexurrents" dotted quarter/eighth-note motive (mm. 1-7) 74 Figure 4.39 - "In the Current" modal approach/chord structures (mm.