Analysis of Art Farmer solo on Moon Rays

Niccolai

Andrea

I decided to transcribe this specific solo since it is an excellent example of motif

development, creating melodies around the tensions of the chords and playing upper
structures.
Art Farmer likes to create melodies around the 13ths and 9ths of the chords. For
istance in bar 6 and 7 he introduces a motif in eight note triplet that goes to the
natural 13th of each chord (Ab on B7 chord and G on Bb7). Same thing happens at the
beginning of the bridge with a different rhythmic motif, starting playing around the
13th and 9th of the first chord and ending on the 7 th or 3rd of the following chord.
He also likes to use chromatic passing notes like in bar 19-28-29-46. For instance the
use of chromatic notes highlights in bar 46 all the 9ths of D7, natural, flat and sharp.
In bar 23 he introduces an idea that will be repeated at the beginning of the last A of
the solo. He plays an arpeggio of Amaj7 over a B7 chord, an upperstructure that
highlight the natural 9th, 11th and 13th of the B7 chord.
The bridge section is constantly changing tonic center from Eb to G. The first 4 bars
are in the key of Gmaj and Art Farmer introduces the modulation playing the 7 th of the
key (F#) which on the Am7 chord the natural 13 th. Again melodic playing around 13th
and 9th, like in bars 6-7, 12-13, 30 and 33-34. This approach is always related to an
introduction of a motif which makes a stronger meaning to the solo and to the
harmony as well.
The beginning of the last A of the solo for me its the most interesting harmonically
speaking. He takes the same idea he introduced in bar 23 and plays upperstructures
over the chords from bars 49 to 54. He always plays a descending arpeggio in a
rhythmic motif of eight notes triplet, starting playing Abmaj7 over Fm7 and Bb7, then
playing Gm7 over Ebmaj7 and then playing Amaj7 over F#m7 and B7.

Comparative analysis of a standard with a later recording

The transcription I did is an arrangement by Horace Silver of a standard called Ill
Wind composed by Harold Arlen. The main features that Horace introduces are the
intro, the tenor voice accompanying the melody and the harmonic difference in the
bridge and in the first bars of the C.
First main difference the original key of the tune is Bb while Horace silver arrangement
is in F.
The intro totally comes out from the mind of Horace Silver without any relation with
the original version of the song. Harmonically speaking the intro is really interesting,
the two voices are harmonized in major thirds while the harmony itself goes in a major
third down, from Fmaj to Dbmaj, and then coming back to F with a tritone related
dominant chord (Gb7). The intro replaces also the last two bars of the original A
section that should end with a turnaround (I-VI7-II-V7).

In the bridge Horace decides to leave a pedal of A7(b9) for the first 2 bars instead of
using the original harmonic progression. While the trumpet is playing the melody the
tenor goes chromatically to the natural fifth of the chord. The original melody in the
bridge has a syncopated rhythm that emphasizes the upbeat of the first beat, so
Horace decided to put obliged kicks for the whole rhythm section.
The first 3 bars of the C are totally reharmonized. In the first bar instead of the tonic
chord we have a D7(b10), b10 in the melody. In the second bar the melody is
rehearmonized with descending dominant chords (III7-II7-bVII7) that instead of
resolving to the third degree they resolve to Bm7 which is the #IV of the tonality, a
chromatic passing chord the resolves to the natural IV of the tonality.