Beautiful Love: A Jazz Piano Lesson

When I first bought the album 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis, I was only 14 years old and had a limited understanding of jazz music. I thought it was just another bluesy trumpet thing, but as I listened to it more, I realized that it was so much more than that. One of the tracks that really stood out to me was 'Freddie,' which features Bill Evans on piano.

What struck me about this track is how Wynton Marsalis's riffs bring the tune to life. Without those bouncy riffs, the song sounds dull and lacking in energy. It's a great example of how a small change can make a big difference in the overall feel of a piece.

If you're looking to improve your jazz piano skills, 'Freddie' is a great track to study. The lick itself is a series of quasi-blues phrases that Miles Davis liked to play with. You can experiment with variations on this lick and combine it with other jazz vocabulary and licks you know. Try throwing the lick over your favorite standard that features a 2-5-1 progression, such as 'My Funny Valentine' or 'So What.'

The method behind this lick is an in-depth study of the jazz licks of nine different jazz piano masters, including Bill Evans. The DVD, 'The Jazz Masters Method,' provides a detailed analysis of each player's style and technique. If you want to learn more about Bill Evan's improvisation style, I highly recommend checking out this DVD.

One of the key aspects of Bill's playing is his use of space and voice leading. In the lick, he leaves space going into bar 2 and then starts his arpeggio on the '& of 1.' This creates a sense of flow and interest in his melodic line. On beat 4, however, he plays alterations of the C7 chord (b9, #9) and starts thinking altered harmony. He finally resolves to regular C7 on beats 3 of the C7 chord (second measure).

If you find Bill's sense of harmony interesting, I recommend checking out his jazz chord lesson, which provides a detailed analysis of his harmonic concepts. One of the key aspects of his playing is his use of delayed resolution, which keeps the lick moving forward.

Some people might say that he is thinking Gmin7 in this section, but really, Gm7 and C7(sus4) function in the same way. He implies another harmony on top of the chord, creating a sense of tension and release. For the first two beats of the C7 chord (bar 2), Bill is thinking just C7(sus4) or Gmin7 in his soloing.

Finally, I want to encourage you to practice starting your II-V-I jazz licks on the 9th. Bill starts his solo on the 9th of the Gmin7 chord on bar 1, creating a sense of tension that is then released as he moves into the C7 chord. By starting your own licks on the 9th, you can create a similar sense of tension and release.

Beautiful love bill evans transcription