Glossary of some important musical terms

MODAL JAZZ COMPOSlTlON G HARMONY

n comparing themarabi harmonic structure and its seminalposition in vernacular jazz improvisatory practice in South Africa to that of the AfricanAmerican blues in its relationship to jazz, Ballantine explained its basis ‘on a cyclicpattern’ as ‘stretch[ing] over four measures, with one measure for each of the followingchords: I – IV - I 6/4 - V’ (Ballantine 1993:26)

With the exception of the blues, the rhythm changes progression is probably the mostimportant chord progression in jazz. The term “rhythm changes” refers to a 32-bar AABAform based on the harmonic structure of “I Got Rhythm” by George and Ira Gershwin.The song appeared in the Aarons and Freedley production Girl Crazy (1930) andoriginally featured a 34-bar AABA form with a two-bar extension in the last A section.The two-bar extension was eventually cut and the chord changes of the last A sectionreplicated those from the second A. A newly composed line based on the rhythm changesprogression is known as a contrafact. The enormous popularity of rhythm changes hasbeen well documented by an ever-increasing number of composed contrafacts andrecordings

“Moose the Mooche” features a 32-bar AABA form.3 The first A section is harmonicallyopen and ends on a ii 7–V7 in m. 8. The second A features a full-cadential closure on I inm. 16. The bridge cycles through a cycle of dominant 7ths progression and interruptsthe form on V 7 in m. 24. The final A section is harmonically closed but, in order to allowfor the circularity of the chorus improvisation, it features a Imaj7–VI 7–ii7–V7 turnaroundprogression (or any acceptable substitute variant).The tonic is prolonged in mm. 1–4 and then morphed into a V 7/IV in m. 5. The tonicprolongation takes the form of an idiomatic Imaj 7–vi7–ii7–V7 progression, which lendsitself to a variety of harmonic substitutions. The subdominant controls mm. 5–6 and iscapable of many surface realizations. Next, mm. 7–8 proceed to the dominant, which canalso be idiomatically expanded, transformed, and/or confirmed. The A section of rhythmchanges is also known as an eight-bar blues because it contains the harmonic paradigmof the blues: tonic in m. 1, subdominant in m. 6, and dominant in m. 8.4 This foreshortenedblues preserves the structural weight of the fundamental chords, as the tonic controls thelongest span (mm. 1–4), the subdominant occupies the shorter span (mm. 6–7), and thedominant (m. 8) becomes subject to various harmonic modifications

Chapter 18 provides an analysis of Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation” as a representativecomposition from the Bebop Era. It offers a transcription of the solo by the pianist HankJone

‘stretch[ing]overfourmeasures,withonemeasureforeachofthefollowingchords:I–IV-I6/4-V’(Ballantine1993:26).