Thanks for your explanation, especially the harmonic structure, you make the chart easier to memorize. There are so many jazz standards that are very nice melodies draped over essentially the same changes that guys like Benny Golson and Wayne Shorter, after decades of playing, wanted to get into new territory, and this strikes me as a great example of that. Glad this video was placed in my feed, will subscribe…
40-something classical player learning jazz for the first time, here. Thanks for this! Breaking down the B section into thinking about it in ii-Vs made it make sense. (I'm also tackling it onan 'ukulele, so added challenge!)
Very helpful! My sentiments exactly on avoiding Killer Joe. Now with some better vamp voicings which I recently discovered, and some more traction on the B part from this video, I have what I need to continue this exploration. Thanks, Gerald!
I transcribed the original version of this tune with McCoy Tyner on piano a while back and just revisited it after seeing your video. The A section changes are not dominants, it's C 6/9 to Bb 6/9, and McCoy adds a #11 on the Bb in his voicing - basically an ostinato of a C triad first inversion in the right hand during the entire A section. The last A9 of the B section resolves nicely back to the C 6/9 of the A section with D as the lowest note in the voicing. This is more for piano players, but hey, that's what I'm hearing. Thanks for posting your analysis of the B section.
I was inspired by you Star Eyes short and learnt the melody to that tune recently and it's super interesting; I love this tune. The harmony is pretty tricky; haven't really had chance to dig into the changes but that melody is awesome.
Star Eyes is a GREAT tune and one that I wish I had the opportunity to play more. Lots of ii V’s in this one. The melody is beautiful. Oddly enough, I wasn’t introduced to this tune through Charlie Parker but instead through Tom Scott. He played it on one of the late night shows years ago and not surprisingly, he sounded GREAT!
Thank you for this. Some of these tunes are like puzzles and I wonder if that was intentional on the part of the writers. It does require a different way of thinking to work a path through them and perhaps that comes with experience. Perhaps Benny RIP is having a good giggle as we try to work them out. I like to think so.
I wouldn't look at the bridge that way. When I see two bars Em7b5 - A7b9, that is clearly a modulation, a minor cadence II - V progression in the key of D minor. Ebm7 - Ab7 is II - V in D flat Major. A13 is a secondary dominant, as for Ab13, you can go Secondary Dom to Cbmajor, or tritone sub for D7, (flat five, -- the Ab -- as a secondary dom to C which makes more sense to me). On those just play around till you figure out what sounds good. that's what I do when the theory gets to thick for my brain, and They're dom chords so blue notes where they work.
You might be over-thinking this, the A section all fits the F melodic minor scale, and the B section melody all fits the G diminished scale. Sure, the you can add notes to more closely outline some of the more chromatic chords, if you have the knowledge to do that, but if you know those two scales and use your ears and musical judgement, you should be able to deal with this tune and make music without too much extra.
Ok, yes, after watching the second half, if you want to sound bebop (which I never really have done), you might want to learn the iim7 V7 guide tones and embellishments in the keys of D and Db major. I suppose that if you don’t want to sound bebop, you probably shouldn’t be playing this tune in the first place! My bad. 😂
No. I said that “some people” do because of a false sense of what is easy or difficult. All of those tunes that I listed that some people say are easy, I think are extremely difficult.
Thanks for your explanation, especially the harmonic structure, you make the chart easier to memorize. There are so many jazz standards that are very nice melodies draped over essentially the same changes that guys like Benny Golson and Wayne Shorter, after decades of playing, wanted to get into new territory, and this strikes me as a great example of that. Glad this video was placed in my feed, will subscribe…
40-something classical player learning jazz for the first time, here. Thanks for this! Breaking down the B section into thinking about it in ii-Vs made it make sense. (I'm also tackling it onan 'ukulele, so added challenge!)
Very helpful! My sentiments exactly on avoiding Killer Joe. Now with some better vamp voicings which I recently discovered, and some more traction on the B part from this video, I have what I need to continue this exploration. Thanks, Gerald!
Thanks for your great explanation! I always striggled with the bridge …
I transcribed the original version of this tune with McCoy Tyner on piano a while back and just revisited it after seeing your video. The A section changes are not dominants, it's C 6/9 to Bb 6/9, and McCoy adds a #11 on the Bb in his voicing - basically an ostinato of a C triad first inversion in the right hand during the entire A section. The last A9 of the B section resolves nicely back to the C 6/9 of the A section with D as the lowest note in the voicing. This is more for piano players, but hey, that's what I'm hearing. Thanks for posting your analysis of the B section.
I dig your tone man
I was inspired by you Star Eyes short and learnt the melody to that tune recently and it's super interesting; I love this tune. The harmony is pretty tricky; haven't really had chance to dig into the changes but that melody is awesome.
Star Eyes is a great tune and I've often wondered why it was never more well known.
@davidsummerville351 agree, especially as Bird loved playing it
Star Eyes is a GREAT tune and one that I wish I had the opportunity to play more. Lots of ii V’s in this one. The melody is beautiful. Oddly enough, I wasn’t introduced to this tune through Charlie Parker but instead through Tom Scott. He played it on one of the late night shows years ago and not surprisingly, he sounded GREAT!
Thank you for this.
Some of these tunes are like puzzles and I wonder if that was intentional on the part of the writers.
It does require a different way of thinking to work a path through them and perhaps that comes with experience.
Perhaps Benny RIP is having a good giggle as we try to work them out. I like to think so.
jazz is dynamic tone puzzles
I'm gonna need to peel the stickers off to solve this Rubik's cube.
Thanks great video!
I wouldn't look at the bridge that way. When I see two bars Em7b5 - A7b9, that is clearly a modulation, a minor cadence II - V progression in the key of D minor. Ebm7 - Ab7 is II - V in D flat Major. A13 is a secondary dominant, as for Ab13, you can go Secondary Dom to Cbmajor, or tritone sub for D7, (flat five, -- the Ab -- as a secondary dom to C which makes more sense to me). On those just play around till you figure out what sounds good. that's what I do when the theory gets to thick for my brain, and They're dom chords so blue notes where they work.
Given the Ab is there twice, maybe there can be some sort of tritone approach??
The Ab is the tritone of D7, that's what it looks like to me.
You might be over-thinking this, the A section all fits the F melodic minor scale, and the B section melody all fits the G diminished scale.
Sure, the you can add notes to more closely outline some of the more chromatic chords, if you have the knowledge to do that, but if you know those two scales and use your ears and musical judgement, you should be able to deal with this tune and make music without too much extra.
Ok, yes, after watching the second half, if you want to sound bebop (which I never really have done), you might want to learn the iim7 V7 guide tones and embellishments in the keys of D and Db major.
I suppose that if you don’t want to sound bebop, you probably shouldn’t be playing this tune in the first place! My bad. 😂
did you really list St.Thomas in the beginner tunes section? 😳😳😳
No. I said that “some people” do because of a false sense of what is easy or difficult. All of those tunes that I listed that some people say are easy, I think are extremely difficult.
Not a hard tune at all. Try again.
I’d love to hear you play this tune! You should put up a video so I can check it out! Thanks for commenting! 😂