Brian Blade and Kenny Garrett: Dialogue and Pacing

Dialouge

Brian Blade and Kenny Garrett are two of the most communicative musicians in contemporary jazz, and when you put the two of them together they will burn the house down.  The key to the explosive energy that these two produce is the way that they listen and respond to each other, as if they are in a dialogue.  I chose the video above to illustrate the importance of this conversational back and forth because of the magical duet starting around 2:30.  

Brian and Kenny's playing weaves together like two strands in a cord.  For example, listen to how Kenny's repeated rhythm starting at 3:43 blends and lifts Brian's groove, and how Brian's groove accommodates and pushes Kenny's rhythm in return.  Because of the way they are listening to each other, they always know when to give the other person space, and when to push them.  

Transitions Part 2: Head to Solo Section

Head to solo section

In the last post about transitions I discussed transitions generally, and also explained some strategies for practicing them.  In today's post I want to focus on one transition in particular, that is moving from a head into the solo section of a tune. 

 Break into 4/4 swing

The classic transition in this situation is to give the soloist a break at the end of the form, usually two to four bars long, and then go right into driving 4/4 swing.  One of the greatest examples of this type of transition is Charlie Parkers terrifying break on "A Night In Tunisia" (around 1:16):