I'm still working on the big ol' photo album with all my camp pictures, but while I'm working through that I'm going to string you guys along with this video clip of Medeski playing piano after the whole band master class on Day 2.
It was the first real day of camp, everyone was still feeling shy and awestruck and I was really worried about taking pictures and videos during the workshops. Then after the workshop where MMW broke down their song "The Lover" (see Day 2), Sandy asked John some more questions about the theory behind it.
Some explanation is required to appreciate this clip. You see, as part of "The Lover", John had been talking about playing C minor blues licks over varying chord progressions. More often than not in jazz, if you're "going out", the melodies go in and out while the chords stay the same, a la pedal points, So What, Impressions, Coltrane, etc. In "The Lover", the chords go from C minor to E major, which is totally outside of C minor, and the melodies stay in C minor blues. So in this clip, you'll see John playing C minor blues licks with his right hand, but notice as he's trying all kinds of different chords in his left hand all the while. This polytonal approach was further elucidated in his "The Ins of Going Out" workshop later in the week.
Anyway, I also like this clip because at the time I was so psyched that this lady who I would later find out is named Sandy had asked a question which had caused John to go off on the piano for another ten minutes, which was like getting to peek over Mozart's shoulder. And it's a weird angle because, essentially, I was trying not to have anybody notice I was recording it - if for no other reason than to not make anyone self-conscious. Also, check out Chris, then Liz, then Gabrielle looking over one by one in the background.
More tomorrow, campers!
Love,
Larry Legend
Day-O-Cast
Comments
Sandy Asirvatham | 08.15.2008
Hey Larry, thanks so much for capturing that moment. It was an intense one for me, too, even though I’m sure I seemed ultracool just marching right up to Mozart and asking him to explain what he was thinking.
What’s interesting is that this particular polytonal idea he’s playing, Cmin7 going to EMaj7 with a constant C blues scale over top of it, has completely captivated me...I’ve been sort of practicing it at home, and even though I’m using the same LH voicings and similar blues licks to Medeski, it sounds so “out” and just plain wrong when I do it...and he makes it sound perfectly right. Righteous, even. Amazing stuff.