Doctone, the music of Kenny Kirkland, Documentary.

[Serial_Apologist]

A band leader will often call out specific chords s/he wants the pianist to comp right now in the heat of the moment. I would be found sadly wanting in situations of that kind, being "one of those people" who can't identifty the sound of a chord with its description - Eflat minor seventh, or whatever. I can say in a general way what's going on - blues scale here, whole-tone chord, dominant or diminished chord there, bitonal harmonic sequence - as in the famous "Petrushka motif": play a major chord arpeggio on C, then a major arpeggio on F#, then play the two chords together: magic, who could have thought that possible? Another difficulty comes with "chord inversions", which Henry Lowther kindly explained to me. So then, take a simple C major triad: C - E - G on the white notes. Now, the first inversion of that takes the G and puts it down an octave, so that the resulting chord becomes G - C - E on the white notes. No longer a triad (subdivided into two intervals of a third) but a chord consisting of a fourth and a third. Then the second inversion takes the top note of the first inversion chord - the E - and transposes that down an octave. You then have a chord of E - G - C: intervals of a third and a fourth. Yet the "root" or "tonic" remains the C. Is that right about the root? Then it gets much more complicated with larger chords containing notes "foreign" to the prevailing key at any point - like E minor needing to resolve onto E natural to get into the major. But this to a practised jazz musician is merely routine! I suppose the answer is to get a mental aural picture of the sound of named chords - they always tell me "everyone" knows what a dominant seventh sounds like, but through some personal failing a dominant seventh has to be the biggest possible chord before one gets to the octave: C natural to B natural; I can't figure out how the associated notes in the middle make it a dominant seventh unless I have to go through some mental sequence explaining it, presumably involving inversions. Help - like Dudley Moore, I think I'll just have to go on playing with myself! !

[Tenor Freak]

Kenny Kirkland is still held in high esteem - for example here's one video with pianist Peter Martin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkd33EMXoFI

[Serial_Apologist]

SA

Watch the documentary as the music is anything but middle of the road. It is pretty clear that Kirkland was taking jazz beyond what had happened with Hard Bop in respect of harmony, rhythm and melody.

I did not realise that this generation of players were also involved in the tail end of the loft scene . It was a rewarding documentary which seemed to show 1980s in a different light

OK Ian - thanks - I was just going by that particular track. I will certainly watch the documentary!

[Ian Thumwood]

SA

Watch the documentary as the music is anything but middle of the road. It is pretty clear that Kirkland was taking jazz beyond what had happened with Hard Bop in respect of harmony, rhythm and melody.

I did not realise that this generation of players were also involved in the tail end of the loft scene . It was a rewarding documentary which seemed to show 1980s in a different light

[Serial_Apologist]

I really enjoyed that documentary which cast a new light over the New Neos in 1980s and 90s. I was surprised by the esteem with which he was held by his peers. I know fans appreciated him too but the critics always struck me as hostile.

I can remember a review of the John Surman album which said that Kirkland was miscast and unsuitable. There was also a lot of negativity when he joined Sting's band.

The interesting thing about the music is the aggression which is missing from alot of contemporary jazz. It made me appreciate Kirkland more but I just feel that si much of this music is neglected

Indeed. I would say energy rather than aggression. If Bluesie's linked track is typical, this album documents a continuation of the Hard Bop lineage that (for me) represents the healthiest trend for middle-of-the-road contemporary jazz going since the mid-50s: in this case its modulation into that tradition of Coltrane's mid-period modal innovations: Trane himself would not have undertaken such a course, and most probably would not have embraced Fusion either in my view.

[Ian Thumwood]

I really enjoyed that documentary which cast a new light over the New Neos in 1980s and 90s. I was surprised by the esteem with which he was held by his peers. I know fans appreciated him too but the critics always struck me as hostile.

I can remember a review of the John Surman album which said that Kirkland was miscast and unsuitable. There was also a lot of negativity when he joined Sting's band.

The interesting thing about the music is the aggression which is missing from alot of contemporary jazz. It made me appreciate Kirkland more but I just feel that si much of this music is neglected

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

This is "Doctone" (apparently Wynton M's nickname for KK because he knew all the chords and harmonies). From the Branford Marsalis Qrt album "Requiem", Kirkland's last recording, released partly as a tribute as Kenny died before they could do any retakes. This was used as a theme to a BBC jazz programme? I've had it on a Sony sampler for years, but it's really familiar.

http://youtu.be/PVOXKeTKe7o?si=lJO_x_A8oyQVlbgB

[Serial_Apologist]

Must watch that later - thanks. Kenny Kirkland was John Surman's young choice when he needed a replacement for John Taylor for the second of, iirc, two LPs he recorded for ECM at the end of the 70s.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Moving short film about Kenny Kirkland from the musicians who knew him and played with him. A spur to listen to more...

http://youtu.be/sqp7ivbKBME?si=gJ-QckwPbXh8PH7J