Jazz for aficionados

Interesting discussion. Although KOB is often referred to as the beginning of modal Jazz and held up as an example of improvisation that is less tied to chord changes; more "free floating", if you will, it still strikes me as more structured, less amorphous, than than the recordings by the Second Great Quintet -- especially those that feature their original compositions. As in visual art or poetry, there’s a spectrum that covers a graduated span between the explicit/representational to the implicit/abstract. Each of us will, given sufficient exposure, discover what feels most stimulating/natural along the spectrum. As I’ve aged, my tolerance for atonality, absence of evident structure and more abrasive timbres has noticeably diminished (no pun intended). ;o)

Good comment, @stuartk .

But, I think there may be some misunderstanding about modal Jazz. While it is true that the artistic impetus for modal Jazz was to allow Jazz players to “be less tied to chord changes”, as you point out, the players were “less tied to chord changes” as concerns the sheer number of different chord changes in a given composition. While a typical “standard” tune may have a different chord change in every measure of the tune, and sometimes even two or more in a single measure, in modal Jazz the chord changes happen much less frequently; typically every four or even eight (or more) measures. In some “modal” compositions there are no chord chord changes at all. The tune stays on one harmony for its entirety. Staying on one chord for an extended period of time the player is given the freedom to explore that harmony far longer than in a typical tune in which the frequent chord changes serves to “guide”, even force, the player to move in a certain harmonic direction while improvising. I think that this serves to give a feeling of “structure” due to its relative harmonic“simplicity”.

@frogman

Yes. You are of course 100% correct. I should have said diatonic chord changes. I’m aware that one may take the tones of a single chord and utilize them as a scale from which to build other chords, that while remaining within a single harmony in theoretical terms, allow players to deploy more contrast, movement and tension/resolution compared to simply vamping away on a single root voicing. Then, there is also the possibility of superimposing other harmonies on top of the root harmony. I didn’t go into this stuff because I don’t assume that everyone here is a player and is therefore interested but I will make an effort to be more accurate in future!

@frogman 

Great tune.  I hope to have some time today to listen to more!

https://youtu.be/9VYImu9w_18?si=FxEZP7BSPMm_EXCb

I also want to thank all you guys for reminding me of all the great jazz out there!

Listening to my second Bob Berg album, The JazzTimes Super Band. In case anyone is interested, Another Standard was the first.😀