Transcription: Brian Blade - Alabama

Here's an easy look at some medium tempo playing by Brian Blade, on the swing portion of the tune Alabama. From Pursuance, Kenny Garrett's album of the music of John Coltrane. The transcription begins where the bass comes in with time after 1:50 in the track.

Garrett's trio plays this section with a different vibe from the way Coltrane's band played it— with a rather Ornette-like, “free bop” feel, not leaning on the four bar phrases as strongly as Coltrane. Blade plays some superficially Elvin-like things here, but clearly things are happening for a different reason with him. 8th notes are swung, of course, and Blade's cymbal rhythm here tends toward a dotted-8th/16th interpretation, though there is also a triplet interpretation very present in the comping. A lot of people seem to have a misunderstanding about jazz rhythm— typically everything is not worked out to a single subdivision grid. 

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