Ex. 1. Want a cool example of a modal approach? “Flamenco Sketches” from Kind of Blue uses five different scales, and according to Bill Evans’ liner notes, it was up to the soloist when to change from one to the next. The colors and moods shift as the players improvise using each of these scales in turn. Here are the scales and the implied chords, with corresponding voicings. 1d and 1i sound Spanish (leading to the Flamenco reference); Bill Evans really brings that out by adding the F# and moving chromatically up to the Eb(b5) in his comping. Miles, Cannonball, and Trane all played F natural against Bill’s D7b9 — it’s a bluesy and evocative sound.
Ex. 2. For improvising on “So What,” the first tune on Kind of Blue, the soloists used the Dorian mode of two major keys, D and Eb. The form of the tune is AABA, with the A sections over Dm7, then the B section up a half-step to Ebm7, then back again to Dmin7 for the last A section. With no turnarounds or modulations, the soloists could really explore the modes. The great thing about improvising in the Dorian mode: There are no wrong notes. You can sit on any of the notes all day long, emphasize arpeggios, run fast scale passages, create timeless melodies, it all works. It’s interesting to hear how Miles, Cannonball, Trane, and Bill worked within this framework — or pushed against it. Bill’s famous “So What” voicings — treated in detail on page 46 — are in 2c and 2d.
Ex. 3. Miles’ trumpet solo on “So What” (the first couple bars of which are in 3a) is considered by many jazz musicians to be one of the finest solos ever. Right off the bat, Miles established and developed a simple melodic idea using notes from the D Dorian mode. Later in his solo (3b), Miles reached for a high G, then moved down and up in thirds, then repeated the pattern down an octave. He was simply stretching out on some of the upper extensions of the minor chord, letting the notes ring, and finding melodies using intervals within the scale. In modal music the individual notes don’t have to have a strict harmonic purpose, they can just be colors. Coltrane was a master of motivic, melodic playing. In this excerpt from his solo from “Flamenco Sketches” (3c), he played a beautiful descending motif, repeated it, then used the common tone (F) to link it to the next tonal center, where he repeated the motif again.
Ex. 4. In “Flamenco Sketches,” Bill Evans used these two left-hand chords as a point of departure; note that they both work as voicings for this modal approach. His solo was very much in the same mold as Miles’ solo — they were influencing each other a great deal at the time. Bill lets his notes ring, savoring the color of each. The effect is loose and colorful, despite being played on one of the most famous out-of-tune pianos in recorded jazz history.
Ex. 5. Later in his solo on “Flamenco Sketches,” Bill Evans gave us this beautiful descending line harmonized with triads — shown here slightly simplified — which directly follows the impossibly hip D7#9#5, a beautiful structure that exploits the minor third and flat sixth of the Phrygian mode (the F and the Bb), with the added F# below. It provides a rare moment of traditional chord resolution on the album: D7 to G minor.