Introduction:
Modal or tonal?
Tonal Jazz:
Modal Jazz:
Specificities of "Blue in Green":
The form
The form of this tune is very peculiar short form of 10 bars. The piano introduction uses the harmonic progression starting on the third bar but going twice as fast (see transcription).
Miles exposes the theme twice, before Bill Evans takes the first solo with the harmonic progression going twice as fast. Coltrane takes a solo on the same form and then Bill Evans takes a second solo (!) with the form going again twice as fast, Paul Chambers implying the double tempo while Jimmy Cobb stays on the ballad tempo.
Miles Davis plays the head out with the regular tempo and metric before Bill Evans plays it again at double speed.
The melody
Interestingly, the melody is mainly based on the D minor natural scale, or the aeolian mode, with a hint of melodic and harmonic minor. Another important detail is that the melody is almost exclusively based on tensions, while most of the time the melodic architecture will be based on chord tones.
Video lessons:
Lyrics (Al Jarreau):
Who could weave a stranger story
A mystery of blue in green
Of broken dreams – of symphonies
No fantasies of love and glory
Poured honey from a horn so sweet
So bitter sweet – each, each melody
Tapestries of brass and ruby
An eternity of blue, a sea of green
A love supreme
Blue in green
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1 comments on “Blue In Green”
Practice playing the melody + the roots, then the melody + roots + harmony: