JS 570H Topics in Jazz Theory & Analysis: Coltrane & Tyner
In Topics in Jazz Theory and Analysis: John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, students study, analyze, and play the music of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner with special emphasis on Coltrane’s Classic Quartet. The main objective is not only for students to reach a better understanding of improvisational structures and characteristics of the styles of Coltrane and Tyner, but also to put the theory into practice. That means learning to play solos and creatively applying harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic ideas mined from recordings in students’ own compositions and improvisations. Students also learn about the contributions of the rhythmsection, including the polyrhythms of Elvin Jones and voicings of McCoy Tyner. In Units I and II, we study Coltrane’s precursors, his tenures with Miles Davis, his Atlantic Recordings such as Giant Steps and Coltrane’s Sound, and finally McCoy Tyner’s early 1960s trio recordings. In Unit III, we study some of the most famous recordings of the Classic Quartet such as A Love Supreme, Crescent, Transition and Meditations. The course culminates with a unit dedicated to Tyner’s post-Coltrane style represented in recordings such as The Real McCoy, Expansions, and Trident. Coursework involves weekly transcription, analysis, creative application, and performance/composition assignments, as well as individual midterm and final presentation projects.