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The Adaptation of Saxophone-Like Phrasing into the Improvisatory and Compositional Vocabulary of Jazz Guitar: A Comparative Analysis of Phrasing, Articulation, and Melodic Design in the Styles of Jimmy Raney, Jim Hall, and John Scofield

Description: This study investigates how different guitarists introduced saxophone-like phrasing into the improvisatory and compositional vocabulary of jazz guitar through their collaborations with saxophonists. This research presents a comparative analysis of phrasing, articulation, and melodic design in solo improvisations. The mixed approach to this study includes analysis of motives, voice leading, articulation, length of phrases, melodic contour, and the execution of bebop vocabulary on the guitar. The… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Pinilla, Daniel, 1987-
open access

Beyond Fourths and Pentatonics: A Critical Analysis of Selected Recordings of McCoy Tyner from 1962 to 1963

Description: In this paper, I explore the early musical language of McCoy Tyner. Today, Tyner is recognized mostly for his use of quartal harmony and pentatonic scales despite having made recordings in his early career that reflect a more mainstream approach. In an effort to expand how Tyner is represented, I argue that Tyner's early style was characterized by a graceful balance of tradition and innovation, a masterful blend of bebop syntax with pentatonic melodies and quartal harmonies. The recordings that… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Satterthwaite, Gregory
open access

Connecting "Ray Brown's Bass Method" (1963) to "We Get Requests" (1964): A Comparative Analysis

Description: This research serves two main purposes: to create an analyzed edition of Ray Brown's bass lines from the Oscar Peterson Trio's 1964 recording We Get Requests, and to better understand Brown's lines through the lens of Ray Brown's Bass Method. This comparative analysis identifies significant events in the recorded music that closely relate to or resemble exercises from the book. By analyzing the music from the lens of Ray Brown's Bass Method, performers, students, and educators will gain a stron… more
Date: July 2023
Creator: Hitt, Eric
open access

The Emergence of All-State Vocal Jazz Ensembles in the United States from 1978 to 2022

Description: Since the creation of the first all-state vocal jazz ensemble in 1978, similar ensembles have been established in roughly half of the United States. This paper contains historical summaries of the creation of all-state vocal jazz ensembles in nineteen of those states, primarily as recounted via interviews with those ensembles' founders. Each semi-structured interview was conducted over video conference or phone and lasted approximately one hour; resulting interview data was analyzed using quali… more
Date: August 2022
Creator: Thomas, Tyler
open access

The Guaraldi Sound: The Musical Devices that Characterize Vince Guaraldi's Improvisational and Compositional Idiom

Description: Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976) was a jazz pianist who achieved tremendous financial and commercial success in the 1960s with his popular recordings and his work for the Peanuts animated shorts. He cultivated a musical style that drew from several identifiable sources: boogie-woogie, bebop, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban jazz, and rock ‘n' roll. The result was a distinct approach to jazz which, although it may not have been as influential as that of some of his contemporaries, nevertheless constituted a u… more
Date: December 2020
Creator: Huntley, Alec Villars
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