COMPARING TRADITIONAL AND MODERN TRENDS IN JAZZ IMPROVISATION

<p>This thesis compares traditional and modern jazz improvisation through analysis. These analyses discuss various musical techniques and ideas specific to each differing era. The case studies focus on three traditional jazz standards: "Autumn Leaves," "Someday My Prince Will Come," and "Cantaloupe Island." Two solo transcriptions (one traditional and one modern) represent each tune, including performances by Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Paul Desmond, Herbie Hancock, Yohan Kim, and Cory Henry. The older transcriptions showcase classic chord-scale relations, diatonic chord harmony, consistent rhythms with spacious phrasing, and recalled material. The newer transcriptions consist more of dense harmony, scales independent from the composed material, unpredictable, complex rhythms, and continuous new material. Note-worthy discussion points will include arpeggiation, chord-scale and modal theory, reharmonization in chord substitution, and varying rhythm in phrasing.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Music

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Music

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Johnson, Ryan M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Samantha Inman
• Dr. Stephen Lias
• Dr. Deb Scott

• Jazz
• Music Theory
• Jazz Performance
• Jazz Standards

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/312

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1334