Charlie Parker: Koko

general points, players and breakdown of the piece. 

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  • Created by: Helen66
  • Created on: 23-05-11 09:00

General Notes

  • Learnt Alto Sax at school in New Orleans, copied Lester Young's style of playing
  • Practised arpeggios and new scales
  • Liked bebop as it allowed him to further explore his instrument and be more skillfull and virtuosic in his playing.
  • Bebop Style:
    • Fast/agressive style
    • 32 AABA Song Form
    • Idiomatic/Virtuoso solos
    • Irregular Phrasing
    • Dissonance
    • Small groups
    • Chord substitution
    • Walking Bass
    • Mainly Improvisation around set chords and meldies - mainly rhythms were improvised, and lots of passing/blue notes added in
    • Unlike Big Band Jazz, it was NOT for dancing to.
    • Recorded in New York - 26th November 1945.
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Players

  • Alto Sax - Charlie Parker
  • Trumpet/Piano - Dizzy Gillespie
  • Bass - Curly Russell
  • Drums - Max Roach
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Breakdown of the Piece

  • Introduction (32 Bars):
    • Alto Sax and Trumpet in Octaves
    • Trumpet solo followed by Alto Sax solo
    • Alto Sax and Trumpet in 3rds
  • Chorus 1 (64 Bars):
    • Ends with sustained F# in Alto Sax
    • Echoed by Piano an octave lower
    • Drum plays 3 crotchets on bass drum rather than 1 single crotchet
  • Chorus 2 (64 Bars): 
    • Bass in higher register
    • B section modulates using diatonic Circle of 5ths
  • Drum Solo (27 Bars: VERY UNUSUAL.
  • Coda (28 Bars):
    • Alto Sax and Trumpet in Octaves
    • Trumpet solo followed by Alto Sax solo
    • Alto Sax and Trumpet in 3rds
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Comments

Michael

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Thank you soo much - this is brilliant !! **

Helen66

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