Song Details

Question 1

Hora Decubitus

Answer 1

means “declining dance”
Originally titles “E’s Flat, Ah’s Flat Two”
12-bar blues hard bop tune
Riffs layered to form a round

Question 2

Lonely Woman

Answer 2

From Album “The Shape Of Jazz to Come”
Melancholy melody with deep blues feeling
Inspired by a painting
A-A-B-A form, but no defining phrase lengths
Coleman criticized for “poor intonation”

Question 3

Trigonometry

Answer 3

Album: Song X
Band and composition was Coleman’s
folk-like melody with overall bebop strudture

Question 4

Jitney No.2

Answer 4

free piano improv
textural improv (no bebop cliches and jazz traditions)
Clear beginning, middle, and end

Question 5

Imaginary Situations

Answer 5

Collage of musical styles ranging from avant-garde free jazz to Afro Cuban grooves
free textural improv
tone poem

Question 6

June The 15th, 1967

Answer 6

Second Album “Lofty Fake Anagram”
Part of melody is angular and rooted in bebop tradition
Part of the melody is folk-like

Question 7

Miles Runs the Voodoo Down

Answer 7

Album “Bitches Brew”

Features Miles’ modal based free form improv

Question 8

Vertical Invader

Answer 8

Free collective improv with focus on sound textures electric keyboard instruments
Heavy amplification and use of distortion electronics
Lots of loud percussion

Question 9

Awakening

Answer 9

Angular, bob like melody played in unison by the whole band
Each member given a featured solo
Electric violin gave rock guitar sound and exotic nature of Indian Sitar

Question 10

Watermelon Man

Answer 10

Interlocking layered rhythms between the synth, electric bass, and drums; characteristic of funk music
used electric keyboard orchestrally
tight knit coordinated ensemble playing
minimum improv

Question 11

Birdland

Answer 11

Album “Heavy Weather”
hummable melodies
Avoided distorted electronic sounds
traditional lyrical solo improvs

Question 12

Beirut

Answer 12

Recorded live in Tokyo

Utilized EWI

Question 13

You’re Under Arrest

Answer 13

Album of pop songs of the same name

Funk Tune with bebop inspired melody

Question 14

Blow

Answer 14

Album “Doo-Bop”
Premise was just for Miles to “blow” (improv)
No formal melody or structure over which to improv
Based on James Brown’s “Give it Up or Turn It Loose”

Question 15

Delfeayo’s Dilemma

Answer 15

Demonstrates the neoclassic or postmodern bop style: classic hard bop rooted style
Employed open voiced chords under solo

Question 16

Walking Bateriewoman

Answer 16

Album “Social Studies”
Bley played organ despite being a pianist
Features haltingly syncopated line
Free form solos punctuated by background dissonant horns

Question 17

Schist

Answer 17

Knitting Factory Album “Cast Iron Fact”
Utilized amplified accordion to create improv sound textures
Tension filled percussive noise and dissonant tone clusters

Question 18

Kilayim

Answer 18

Up tempo traditional Jewish dance groove bookended the Ornette Coleman inspired free jazz section in the middle
Free jazz section-collective improv with short ind solo spaces

Question 19

Again and Again and Again

Answer 19

Chaotic free improv piece
Built around a rapid trumpet riff repeated many times
Riff gradually breaks down and free form collective improv takes over

Question 20

News From the Front

Answer 20

Album “Elastic”
Soul funk laced w/ angular lines and touch of avant garde
Utilized overdubbing techniques
Altered sound of sax w/ digital processing

Question 21

All in a Row

Answer 21

Based on 12-tone composition technique
Used all 12 pitches of chromatic scale
Bc of all 12 pitches, no key center
Free form solo improv utilized all 12 tones

Question 22

Artistiya

Answer 22

Modern African song
Improv over the top of African dance groove
Laced w/ jazz and rhythm and blues elements