Back in the mid-eighties Wynton, Branford, Terence Blanchard & others explored a kind of playing the called Burnout. It drew inspiration from the harmonic freedom that Miles Quintet explored on Miles Smiles & ESP, and the energy generated by Elvin Jones & Coltrane’s Quartet. Usually up tempos, the goal was physical burning swing with no or very few pre-set chord changes. It was an aggressive, take no-prisoners kind of playing. Perfect for the pedal to the metal culture of the times.
Great examples are Chambers of Tain from Black Codes and The Wrath from Branford’s record Renaissance.
Well, to go way out on a limb, each player could be assigned a limited number of pitches available to them to explore during the improvisation. Might be too weird, but could be interesting as well.
Many of my favorite groups employ wide-open vamps, often in odd time signatures, usually on one chord, where the idea is to groove as a group and improvise around the ostinato figure, pushing the boundaries of group harmony and rhythm. I always enjoy jamming on a good vamp tune, and will bring some ideas to the session. I love the way this tune and group flows together.
Some of the frameworks that Blackwell (or Higgins) and Charlie Haden used—pulse, but not always time-specific, swing against ostinati or pedals is a wonderful way to allow momentum to build and let horn players find their center. . .things like Togo, Lonely Woman. Elastic forms (6/8 afro-cuban grooves, waltzes, time-against-time hemiola) inspire a level of probing and discovery . Combining a palette of strategies that use all the above (tone, harmony, rhythm, melody) in varying capacities could be luverly.
Darrell, Ben, and all, thank you for making the jam sessions memorable moments of high caliber musicianship and exploration. These were some of the best jam sessions at the Portland Jazz Festival over the years.
Back in the mid-eighties Wynton, Branford, Terence Blanchard & others explored a kind of playing the called Burnout. It drew inspiration from the harmonic freedom that Miles Quintet explored on Miles Smiles & ESP, and the energy generated by Elvin Jones & Coltrane’s Quartet. Usually up tempos, the goal was physical burning swing with no or very few pre-set chord changes. It was an aggressive, take no-prisoners kind of playing. Perfect for the pedal to the metal culture of the times.
Great examples are Chambers of Tain from Black Codes and The Wrath from Branford’s record Renaissance.
I’ll try to get clips up soon.
Well, to go way out on a limb, each player could be assigned a limited number of pitches available to them to explore during the improvisation. Might be too weird, but could be interesting as well.
Many of my favorite groups employ wide-open vamps, often in odd time signatures, usually on one chord, where the idea is to groove as a group and improvise around the ostinato figure, pushing the boundaries of group harmony and rhythm. I always enjoy jamming on a good vamp tune, and will bring some ideas to the session. I love the way this tune and group flows together.
Some of the frameworks that Blackwell (or Higgins) and Charlie Haden used—pulse, but not always time-specific, swing against ostinati or pedals is a wonderful way to allow momentum to build and let horn players find their center. . .things like Togo, Lonely Woman. Elastic forms (6/8 afro-cuban grooves, waltzes, time-against-time hemiola) inspire a level of probing and discovery . Combining a palette of strategies that use all the above (tone, harmony, rhythm, melody) in varying capacities could be luverly.
Darrell, Ben, and all, thank you for making the jam sessions memorable moments of high caliber musicianship and exploration. These were some of the best jam sessions at the Portland Jazz Festival over the years.
Thanks again,
Spencer