Here are some initial notes from Masonik's Paul Andrews on our current Rebetika project.
PAUL pax ANDREWS .........RESEARCH NOTES FOR REMBETICA PROJECT
As an improviser and a saxophonist, scales have been with me throughout
my career. I first realised their importance while studying Jazz at the
Sydney Con.
Modal Jazz (eg.Miles Davis; Kind of Blue 1959, John
Coltrane; My Favourite Things 1961) has a firm tonal centre which almost
restricts the improviser, in fact locks him in to a possibly limited
exploration. Scale choices become crucial. During “So What” a key change
of a semitone is enough to open the door to a myriad of possibilities
from just two modes.
This relationships between two or more modes
has been a part of my explorations in Jazz and in my World Trio; BLUE
NILE with Peter Biffin, with INDO JAZZ and Arthur Gracias, currently
with MASONIK. In the making of Masonik’s album; Vedantic Chapter, we
were able to study Hindu rhythms and Indian themes, including some
modes, (the tabla and saranghi players are Indian)
I was attracted to the similarities’ between these and the Melodic
Minor Scales, especially on the soprano saxophone and discovered that
some modes implied certain rhythms and naturally worked, yet others
resisted forward motion during my improvisations. Hindu scales often
contain a flatted second, and major sevenths with the minor modes. These
are also common in Jazz, as (eg. C7b9 C-maj7 ) The saranghi and sitar
set the tonal nuance and I followed, bouncing from each other’s
explorations of texture and melody. The tabla can be felt often in
multiple time feels (4/4 over ¾ and 12 over 4, 7/4 or 11/4) they are all
there and moving, generating us to further explorations. My timbre and
tones were influenced also, by the sounds of the shenai and other double
reed instruments used in Indian music. This allowed me to explore new
and interesting tone qualities of the soprano saxophone and bass
clarinet. (multiphonics, false fingerings, vocalising etc).
Throughout my research of the REMBETICA project I have found many
similarities, alongside some very new (for me) challenges and
techniques. Firstly, I have to deal with some quarter tones and this
provided me with some saxophone fingering challenges. I have had to
design some new fingerings to accommodate these tiny intervals..
I
am exploring minor modes including the Phrygian Mode (b2nd); also the
Dorian, Locrian and Mixolydian modes. I have noticed that some melodies
and instruments used are Turkish in origin, while others are Greek or
Middle Eastern. The reference to the Greek Blues is reflecting the
similarities between the two genres. (personal stories in song,
depicting the tragedy and depression in their lives, 1930’s). Often,
moaning is heard as part of the lyrics. The call and response aspects
are here too. A certain MINIMAL approach was apparent, especially in the
ensemble accompanying.
pax
