[Dixielandjazz] Gm6/E or Em7b5

[Stephen Barbone]

John Farrell wrote:

"In the 12th bar of The Charleston JPJ plays Gm6 (or more correctly
Gm6/E),
an extension of the relative minor of Bb major - the key in which the
tune
was written.

Em7b5 is an extension of the relative minor of G major and bears no
logical
relationship to Bb major.

While it is true that James P. wrote some pretty weird material stuffed
with
strange harmonies, The Charleston is one of his comparatively simple
compositions with orthodox progressions. It is difficult to believe that
at
the 12th bar he said to himself, "I would like to harmonize this as
Em7b5
but because of the flatted 5th I might be perceived as being a
modernist, so
instead I will make it Gm6/E". He would have had no reason to introduce
such
pointless complication."

Listmates & John:

Probably so, my post was tongue in cheek. But, many of my fake books
show Em chords all over the place in tunes written in Bb, whether or not
Em chords are relatives of G major and not Bb major. And there are many
notations for Em7b5, especially in the bop stuff. By the same token, I
don't think I've ever seen the notation Gm6/E.

Admittedly some of the fake books are "modern". But still, "Candy" in Bb
shows Em chords., "After You've Gone" in Bb shows Em passing chords, "If
Ever I would Leave You" in Bb shows Em chords,  etc. I really don't know
much about chords. Only that I learned them via the root. So if the root
is E, it is an E chord. Possibly quite wrong, but that's how I learned
them.

Am I confused? You bet. But I still think that the Em7b5 is exactly the
same chord as a Gm6/E. So why not write it as such regardless of in what
key the song was written? Whether it is logical or not, it sounds the
same and it is right in the ear of the player/listener. And for me, when
reading chords, I know immediately what the Em7b5 is when I see the
notation. On the other hand, a Gm6/E makes me fumble and by the time I
figure it out, the interval has passed.

Point I was making is that JPJ was flatting the fifth regardless of
which chord notation one uses, long before those of us who analyze 1920s
jazz said: "You can't flat fifths and be playing authentically."  He did
it way before all those cats with goatees, berets and dark glasses came
on the scene. Bless his genius.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone