[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz digest, Vol 1 #374 - 6 msgs

[Patrick Cooke]

Dan wrote:

"I'm referring to what chords and changes you can "hear" and ones you can't.
It seems the more "modern" the chords, (i.e., the more dissonant and
overtoned up the chords), the harder it is for me to tell the difference
between them."

    If your listening habits are only to trad players who stick to basic
chords, you will likely not ever develop the ear to appreciate the extended
chords.  I started listening to Art Van Damme in the 40's and I was
fascinated the first time I heard them. I have a number of their recordings.
Listen to the Four Freshmen, also the Singers Unlimited......Absolutely
gorgeous chords!....even if the Fershmen's intonation is a bit off at times.
   Most of the extended chords drop the root, and possibly a few other tones
to make room for the extensions.  If you have a good bass man who knows the
changes, he should be playing the roots...at least on the first beat of the
bar.  Listen to the bass!
      Pat Cooke

----- Original Message -----
From: <DWSI@aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 2:11 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz digest, Vol 1 #374 - 6 msgs


> In a message dated 12/17/2002 3:01:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> dixielandjazz-request@ml.islandnet.com writes:
>
>
> > Wow, how do you do that?"  No way could I tell him to play along to Bill
> > Bailey and it will come to him, because it won 't. And, of course, he
can
> > play rings around me. Agree with Russ that it is a right brain function,
> > and Aebersold has chord patterns, and actual improvisation aids, that
will
> > help one figure out if he'll ever be able to do it.
> >
> > For him, if he wanted to try it, Aebersold is IMO, the best way. In
> > addition to listening to the music.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Steve Barbone
> >
> Dan Spink replies:
>
> I've read your comments in this newsgroup many times with great interest,
> Steve. Maybe someday we can even meet. Your comments are right on (again)
but
> there is one small extra I'd like to throw in. It's something I've noticed
> since I first tried to play Dixie (or blues-oriented jazz) from the start.
> I'm referring to what chords and changes you can "hear" and ones you
can't.
> It seems the more "modern" the chords, (i.e., the more dissonant and
> overtoned up the chords), the harder it is for me to tell the difference
> between them. It reminds me of something I learned in art class long ago.
If
> you mix all the colors in one jar continuously,  you eventually get a pure
> grey. In the same way, I believe the more dissonant embellishments you
add,
> the more every chord begins to sound like every other chord, if you know
what
> I mean. As one example, I have never been able to figure out the chords in
> the Art Van Damme Quintet's recordings for that reason. Even Dick Hyman,
the
> great master of all things piano, seems to keep adding higher intervals to
> sound more "up to date" even when he's playing '20's songs for some
reason.
> Perhaps I'm tone deaf when you add anything above the 7th interval. For
what
> it's worth, I thought I'd throw the thought in for someone learning how to
> improvise. All the best,
>
> Dan (piano fingers) Spink
>