Word Count: 1553
Background and Context
Means and Ends is a composition written by Peter Bernstein based around a minor 12 bar blues progression, the chord progression is roughly as follows:
As in most performances of a tune, the soloist and rhythm section don’t take the harmonic progression to be a static set of rules on how to improvise. Throughout this solo Berstein alludes to extra chords that are commonly substituted into progressions like a minor blues. Seen below in bars 62-63, Bernstein essentially implies a B7 in b.62 with emphasis on the notes B, D# and F#. This is a typical substitution and takes place at many points in the solo.
Peter Bernstein’s (1996) Solo on Means and Ends
The intro of this tune, doesn’t sound to based off a minor blues or any significant chordal progression, it mostly consists of dissonant intervals and parallel diminished chords. However it does have a dissonant and dark sound that fits into the minor tonality of the tune as a whole.
Analysis on the solo
Berstein opens the solo strongly in a solo break with an 8th note line, roughly outlining a minor 2-5 progression taking us into the first chorus of the solo. The start of this line appears to suggest a Bb7#5 but harmonically there wouldn’t be much function in this chord, instead it’s more likely that Bernstein is thinking about playing ‘out’ of the key and focusing on intervals before strongly outline the B7b13 in the second bar shown above.
What makes this solo truly stand out, is the use of repetition, motifs and clear ideas that Bernstein puts forward in his improvisation.
The first chorus is a masterclass in motivic development and phrasing. As seen above, I’ve annotated the first 12 bars of Berstein’s solo, labelling bits of motif and ideas he implements. The whole chorus could be described as having an AAB phrasing approach with 4 bar phrases. This style of phrasing lends itself to a minor blues, the harmony in the progression is diatonic for the first 8 bars, but not in the last 4 bars. This would naturally influence the player to play in such a way at least some of the time.
Throughout the solo, Bernstein continues to develop on ideas previously stated,
Here, in bars 20-21 Berstein plays a short scalic phrase. Then at the start of the third chorus, he repeats this short phrase as well as developing on the material with a later phrase in b.29 that acts as a consequent phrase from the original phrase, focusing on the Natural 6th and 9th of the tonic chord (Creating a Dorian sound). Then in bar 31 on the iv chord, Bernstein transposes the phrase up a fourth to fit into the context of the harmony.
Then 28 bars later from the original phrase being stated, Berstein brings it back once more at bar 48. Here (b.49) he develops the later part of the phrase, keeping the same rhythm but with a different, scalar melody.
What makes this motivic development more interesting is the fact that Bernstein repeats these phrases across different parts of the harmonic structure, so that even when the melodic content is very similar, the harmonic context provides more contrast.
Berstein’s continued motivic development and familiarity through out the solo, ties all of his ideas together, giving room for more unrelated phrases to stick out to the listener. Gunther Schuller (1958) said “improvised solos … … have suffered from a general lack of over-all cohesiveness and direction, – the lack of a unifying force”. While the solo at hand here certainly doesn’t have the on-going thematic qualities of an early jazz solo by someone like Louis Armstrong, it does have a continuing similarity and cohesiveness in material that distinguishes itself from other solos.
Notes and Scale Choices
As I’ve discussed previously, Bernstein doesn’t treat the harmonic progression as static in his solo, instead he super-imposes chord changes onto the existing progression, allowing him to access more tensions and ‘outside’ sounds. As well as using chromaticism purely for tension and release.
Here I’ve labelled some chromaticism used in this solo. Bernstein uses the major sixth on the tonic minor chord repeatedly through the solo, while this is notated as chromaticism, it’s incredibly common to treat the tonic minor chord as Dorian and in this solo it’s treated more as a default rather than natural minor.
The first Bb note annotated doesn’t appear to have any harmonic function, it wouldn’t fit into a B7 or the E minor seven, and it’s unlikely Bernstein would want to super-impose a Tonic Half Diminished chord. Instead it’s more likely it’s used purely for tension, as it resolves up the diatonic B natural not longer after. Bernstein repeats this technique in b.17, resolving and unresolving the tension. We see yet another Bb in Bar 18, this time there is a possible harmonic function. Resolving onto the A in Bar 19 (Tonic of the chord), it suggests an altered dominant tonic chord that resolves to the iv chord. Of course it’s entirely possible that Bernstein was simply thinking about approaching the note from above chromatically, but there are reasons why certain tensions and chromaticism are effective.
Bernstein also repeatedly uses the natural 7th over the tonic minor chord, at first glance this may suggest a super-imposition of the dominant chord. But it’s more likely Bernstein is using harmonic or melodic minor as a tonic, with the major sixths commonly used it’s more likely Bernstein is deploying melodic minor heavily across his solo. While the tonic chord is often notated as a minor seventh chord, Mark Levine (1995) says that ‘a minor-major chord functions as a minor I chord, also called a tonic minor chord, thus making an argument to use melodic minor over the tonic chord in this minor blues.
Above, I’ve annotated some of Grant Green’s Solo on Minor League, Another minor blues. Similarly to Bernstein, Grant Green utilises the melodic minor scale heavily on the tonic minor chord. Green is somewhat more explicit in his use, playing more plain scalic lines. Green also super-imposes an altered tonic dominant to resolve to the iv chord similarly to Bernstein.
Bernstein uses pentatonic language frequently on this solo, the two passages shown above use the pentatonic scale almost exclusively. This is similar to Green’s material over a minor blues, who often utilises sections of the minor pentatonic scale.
While not a improvised solo, Bernstein demonstrates a strong preference for the minor pentatonic on his tune ‘Bones’ (2013). The tune (in D minor) uses an entirely pentatonic melody for the first 8 out of 12 bars of the form despite the chromatic harmony behind it.
While not a focus on the solo, Bernstein does execute some longer Bebop lines more. As annotated above, Bernstein employs typical Bebop line techniques. In bars 34 he anticipates the upcoming chord, flattening the B to Bb to imply the C7 sound. Following that with a scalar passage, The F# being flattened to F may suggest a C Lydian dominant to a Mixolydian sound, but this may not be the intention of Bernstein. The third bar shown above is the most typically bebop, starting with a chromatic enclosure onto the b9 of the B7 followed by a D#o7 arpeggio, this is essentially a B7b9 arpeggio starting from the third, a common technique in Jazz and Bebop language, where ‘there is a tendency to start [arpeggios] from the third’ (Frieler. K ,2019).
Another interesting moment in the solo, is a mostly quartal line Bernstein plays in bar 88. The quartal line gives an large open sound that lacks a specific tonality. Stemming from the modal music of the 50/60s and voicings of pianists like McCoy Tyner (Broze, Shanahan 2013)Another interesting moment in the solo, is a mostly quartal line Bernstein plays in bar 88. The quartal line gives an large open sound that lacks a specific tonality. Stemming from the modal music of the 50/60s and voicings of pianists like McCoy Tyner (Broze, Shanahan 2013)
Rhythm
Berstein often adds interest to phrases by placing them at different points in the bar, one of the phrase discussed above (from bar 20) was initially played starting on the 3rd beat, later being played on the 1st beat.
Cross and Goldman (2021) Found that “metrical position is not a part of the identity of the lick but rather regulates the way it is used”
Bernstein also seems to particularly attach to the idea of contrasting a syncopated phrase or an off-beat heavy phrase with a strong quarter note phrase, typically on a single note. As seen below in two examples.
Bernstein first introduces this quarter note idea early on the solo (b.3) and immediately starts to develop and repeat it. Later on in the solo, it’s hard to tell if he’s thinking more about repeating the idea/motif or if it is more so a part of his improvisational language. Either way it’s effective at unifying the solo, creating interest through contrast of rhythmic language and strengthening the time-feel.
Conclusion
A lot can be learnt from Peter Bernstein in this solo, the phrasing and rhythmic language is well balanced while also varying. The harmony and scales Bernstein uses root the solo in E minor while allowing for more ‘outside’ sounds and substitutions to shine through. This improvisation is truly an excellent lesson in crafting a rounded and interesting solo.
References
Peter Bernstein (1996) Solo on Means and Ends, Transcribed by Leo Stott
Schuller. G (1958), Sonny Rollins and the Challenge of Thematic Improvisation, The Jazz Review
Levine. M (1995) The Jazz Theory Book, Sher Music
Grant Green (1979) Solo on Minor League, Transcribed my Mario Abbagliati
Peter Bernstein (2013) Bones, Peter Bernstein with the Tilden Webb Trio – Live at Cory Weeds’ Cellar Jazz Club, Cellar Live Records: CL042613
Frieler. K (2019) Constructing jazz lines. Taxonomy, Vocabulary, Grammar.
Broze. Y and Shanahan. D (2013) Diachronic Changes in Jazz Harmony: A Cognitive Perspective, Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Page 37)
Cross. P and Goldman. A (2021) Interval patterns are dependant on metrical positions in jazz solos, Musicae Scientiae
