Blue Rendezvous

[EdByrne]

Blue Rendezvous

Hi Everyone,

Here is another, very different kind of tune. I will later supply a detailed analysis of it from a variety of standpoints, but I thought it would be better to first let you have a go at it.

Below are a few questions to ponder:

What primary motivic idea is this entire piece based upon?

Where is the climax, and how is it achieved (assuming that it is)?

What rhythmic feels does it imply, and where? How does this affect the organization of tension vs. release? Where exactly is the stasis vs. kinesis? (Look that up in your funkinwaginal!)

What is the harmonic analysis (syntax of each and every chord)?

Of what common form is this an obscure version?

Best,
Ed

Click here for the lead sheet:

http://http://www.freejazzinstitute.org/showposts.php?dept=analysis&topic=20070425025041_EdByrne

[Phat Boi]

Hey Ed,



Awesome tune. Those changes are something else. Looks like that would be really fun to play over provided I really studied the changes a day before. I have never seen a chord progression quite like that. Great work!

[BillGrahamMusic]

The form is an extended blues (the "i" area is expanded at the beginning and at the end,) and it would appear that the primary motivic element is the descending third.

[EdByrne]

The form is an extended blues (the "i" area is expanded at the beginning and at the end,) and it would appear that the primary motivic element is the descending third.

Thanks, Bill. You are causing me to clarify, which is a good thing.

Regarding this piece’s relationship to the basic blues:

If we compare it to the 24-bar “city” blues chord changes of Tonic for 8 (with a brief visit to subdominant, before returning to tonic), Subdominant for 4, Tonic for 4, Subdominant for 2, dominant for 2, back to Tonic for 4, it is similar:

The 1st 2 (i7 and vi7) are Tonic; the 2nd 2 are SD; back to T for 3; to SubV7sus4 of iv7; to SD essentially for 4; to an active transition area instead of T for 4; to SD for 2, D for 2; back to T (i7, bIII7, bvi7, V7 (turnaround) for the last 4.

While it is true that harmonic substitutions which extend the respective Tonic and Subdominant function areas are mirrored by the melody's descent in 3rds, the overall motivic emphasis is on the implied P4 interval that is only realized in the final 4 measures. This suggests that the P4 interval is implied throughout. If you sing half notes on the given melody with an added HN up a P4, you will hear what is implied melodically.

[EdByrne]

I've added additional melodic analysis to this study--melodic reduction, with comparisons to the original:

http://www.freejazzinstitute.org/showposts.php?dept=analysis&topic=20070425025041_EdByrne