M.davis: ‘All Blues’ From Kind Of Blue

Front 1

Background

Back 1

All Blues is a track from the album ‘Kind of Blue’, released in 1959.
It is a form of more mellow jazz that uses modes in the improvisation (it was called ‘Modal Jazz’ because of this). It followed on from a more rhythmic and busy form of jazz called Be-Bop.
Although this piece is jazz, it is obviously heavily influenced by the Blues in terms of its sound, mood and structure.
The track was recorded in one take

Front 2

Melody

Back 2

There is one set melody, called the HEAD, which occurs at the beginning and end of the work.
The musicians improvise around this melody using mainly modes in the body of the piece.

Front 3

Harmony

Back 3

The piece generally follows the pattern of repeating 12 Bar Blues, but with some substitutions (for example, Eflat7#9 instead of a C chord).
All of the chords are either 7ths or 9ths; some have chromatic colouring.

Front 4

Texture

Back 4

This has a simple texture. The bass plays a riff throughout the piece; the piano and drums play a simple accompaniment part (although the piano improvises in the middle); the piano’s improvised chord rhythms are called comping; the saxophones sometimes join the accompaniment and sometimes play a melody (i.e they have a dual role).

Front 5

Instruments

Back 5

Trumpet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone (these three together are called the frontline), piano, bass (string bass) and drum kit.
The music exploits the mid-low range of the wind instruments, making the music sound more mellow.
Daivs also makes use of a mute and ghost notes on the trumpet.
The drum kit uses brushes as well as sticks.

Front 6

Tempo and Rhythm:

Back 6

The music is marked ‘Jazz Waltz’, to be played at a moderate pace.
It is in 6/4 time (6 cotchet beats in a bar).
The rhythm is swung.
Common rhythmic devices are syncopation and triplets.

Front 7

Structure

Back 7

Intro, Head, trumpet solo, link, alto sax solo, link, tenor sax solo, link, piano solo, link, Head, outro.
Each solo and the head is made up of a number of repeats of the altered 12 Bar Blues structure.
The links are repeats of the bass riff.

Front 8

Tonality

Back 8

The piece is centred on the note G, but is modal rather than tonal. Davis exploits the mixolydian mode in his improvising. It is coloured by the use of 7ths and some chromatic chords.