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Vince Mendoza: A Stylistic Analysis This article will analyze the music of Vince Mendoza, examining a number of his pieces to determine characteristics of his writing which create his personal style. Like many modern jazz composers, his music draws on elements of both contemporary and more traditional idioms, in doing so creating a fluent and multifaceted stylistic expression. At times these discrete influences are clearly audible, and at other times Mendoza speaks with a voice all his own. In my analysis I have found that his style arises from the coexistence of several elements, which are sometimes present concurrently and sometimes separately: a contemporary "pure" jazz harmonic idiom, meaning the use of such entities as seventh chords and ii-V-I progressions; dissonant, chromatic harmony, which produces a more abstract, contemporary sound; a harmonically simpler, pop- or fusion-like character; adventurous chord progressions which draw from these three harmonic languages; writing within established styles such as bebop, ballad, and fusion, but also in more personal, self-defined stylistic environments; and finally, varying degrees of Latin influence. In addition to these characteristics, there are certain harmonic, voicing, and orchestration devices to which he gravitates. I will elaborate on the specific musical elements which give rise to his unique style, examining several pieces in depth and drawing examples from other pieces without an exhaustive treatment.
Overview of jazz fusion An important point of discussion in this article will be to compare characteristics of Mendoza’s music (specifically harmony, melody, and instrumentation) with the corresponding elements found in jazz fusion. Fusion refers to a diverse category of music which combines jazz with pop, rock, funk, soul, Latin, and other styles. When it leans heavily on pop influences, it is sometimes called "smooth jazz". It is often played by a jazz combo-type ensemble (i.e. a solo or small group of saxophones, trumpets, and/or trombones, with piano/keyboard, electric and/or acoustic guitar, bass, and drums). There is often a vocalist singing either lyrics or phonemes, or a wind instrument
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may play the foreground melody in lieu of a vocalist (especially in fusion arrangements of pop songs). Guitarists in fusion bands often use a distortion effect, which of course is closely associated with rock music (see “Majestic Dance” by Return to Forever). Another pop feature often heard in fusion is the use of artificial timbres produced by synthesizer, as opposed to the acoustic timbres prevalent in traditional jazz (see “Behind the Mask” by Chick Corea Elektric Band). Bassists use “slap” technique, especially in funk- and soul-oriented pieces, to a much greater degree than in traditional jazz. Drum sets are often more elaborate than typical jazz sets, incorporating different types of cymbals, toms, and auxiliary instruments (wind chimes, tambourine, etc.). Likewise, percussionists are known to employ unusual South American, African, and Asian instruments. Melodies in pop-influenced fusion tend toward the lyrical, singable contours characteristic of pop, rather than the rapid or angular lines of bebop or polyphonic textures of big band scoring, though these can occur in different styles of fusion. Overall the ensemble closely resembles a pop group; in fact, radio stations programming fusion or “smooth jazz” often play arrangements of pop songs performed by fusion bands, which incorporate features borrowed from traditional jazz such as reharmonization, chord substitutions, and chromatically-inflected improvised solos, some of which closely resemble “legit” jazz solos in complexity. Harmony in fusion often tends toward simpler, triad-based structures and progressions rather than the extended seventh chords and polychords often found in modern jazz, though these are often incorporated to a greater or lesser degree. Pop/rock drumbeats are quite common; when swing is used, it is often used in a double-time shuffle feel under an overarching straight feel (see “Love Notes” by The Rippingtons). A number of well-known jazz musicians have ventured into the realm of fusion. Many of these collaborated with Miles Davis at some point; Davis himself is known for proto-fusion albums such as Sorcerer and Bitches Brew. These collaborators include Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea (who formed Return to Forever with guitarist Al DiMeola and bassist Stanley Clarke),
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John McLaughlin (who formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra), Keith Jarrett, and Wayne Shorter (who formed Weather Report). Later fusion groups/artists include Michael and Randy Brecker, Pat Metheny, Yellowjackets, Gary Burton, John Scofield, Medeski Martin & Wood, The Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra, and Acoustic Alchemy. Mendoza has collaborated with a number of these artists, and also with mainstream pop artists (these are listed in the Discography section). Maynard Ferguson recorded a number of film and television themes in his signature flamboyant big-band setting, along with a unique arrangement of the aria “Vesti la Giubba” from Leoncavallo’s opera Pagliacci, in a 1970’s disco style, using a jazz/pop harmonic idiom, thus combining three disparate genres - an example of the wide diversity of elements found in different types of fusion.
Nomenclature Scores of several of these pieces are unavailable, so for those my observations are based on what is distinguishable in the recordings. Also, some events in the recordings are not notated in the scores, so when necessary, instead of referring to measure numbers I have noted the elapsed time in the recording. Depending on the source of the recording the reader may use, the elapsed time specified may differ slightly between versions. A slash will denote an altered bass note (i.e. Am7/C), and the designation "A over B" will denote a polychord of A simultaneously over B, which normally would be represented by a horizontal line between chord symbols. Pitch names joined by a slash denote a chord consisting of those notes, i.e. C/E/G spells C major. Chord symbols connected by a hyphen denote a progression from one chord to the next, i.e. Dm7 - G7 - CMaj7. A caret (^) before a number denotes that scale degree, i.e. G is ^5 of C major. I will use the term "parallelism" to refer to a progression between successive chords of the same or very similar type, i.e. two Maj7 chords or two major triads, in non-diatonic contexts. As we will see, part of Mendoza's harmonic style is produced by non-diatonic parallelism, for example a progression such as GMaj7 - EMaj7- F#Maj7, where the chords do not belong to the
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same key or mode. This technique is similar to planing, but the chords move by freely chosen intervals and, most importantly, contain pitches from different modes/keys in succession.
Harmonic elements In analyzing the harmonic characteristics of Mendoza's music, a number of techniques can be observed repeatedly: Many of the chord progressions Mendoza writes contain distantly related chords; at times chords foreign to the key are inserted between chords diatonic to the key, and at other times there are entire strings of chords which are distantly related. To be precise, "distantly related" chords are those among which the tonic/subdominant/dominant relationships are obscured or nonexistent. Typically the roots of such chords are separated by an interval of a major/minor second or third, or a tritone, rather than a perfect fourth or fifth; chromatic mediant chords fall into this category. So for example, a progression might include CMaj7 - Abm7 - Dsus7 - Esus7. Typically when this occurs, smooth voice leading connects the chords so that the transitions sound natural. Mendoza commonly connects successive chords with stepwise bass motion, which means that many chords occur in inversion or with bass notes which fall outside the chord (i.e. D7/E). The resulting voice leading makes these progressions sound more natural than a progression consisting of the corresponding root-position chords. The term "chord root motion" will denote the interval between successive chord roots, regardless of the inversion, i.e. C7 - E7/B comprises root motion by third, even though the bass moves by second. In the pieces I have analyzed, chords very often move by seconds and thirds, with V-I and ii-V-I progressions present but less frequent than they would be in a more traditional jazz setting. Mendoza seems to favor certain sonorities, such as 6/3 (i.e. first-inversion) chords and suspended chords, which are found throughout his music. As we will see, even chords which do not fit the suspended category are sometimes voiced as though they are, through the use of quartal constructions and prominent major seconds, which would be found in suspended chords.
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Mendoza sometimes includes ^3 in suspended chords, either in the body of the chord or as the bass note. Major and minor seconds in chord voicings are very prominent; while these intervals are common in many different jazz chord voicings, Mendoza tends to emphasize them; for example, he often places them between the two highest pitches of a chord, or separated by an interval from the rest of the voicing, or even by themselves. I will use the term "exposed" second when this interval is voiced to sound prominently, since it is often a result of being separated from the other notes in the chord. For example, voicings of B/F#/G/D or D/G/B/C contain exposed minor seconds, whereas Ab/C/Db/F does not, since the minor second occurs between inner voices and is relatively close to the other notes, promoting a more homogeneous blend with the rest of the chord. Also, in the above case of D/G/B/C, the minor second occurs between the two highest notes, a tendency which we will see often. There is also a pattern with many trumpet chords of placing seconds or clusters on the bottom and a more open structure in the upper voices, though trumpet voicings vary widely. Mendoza often uses simpler chords which diverge from the varieties of seventh chords typically found in "pure" jazz settings. Principally these include triads, "2-chords" (triads with added ^2, especially when ^2 and ^3 are adjacent - also known as (add 9) chords), sus4 chords rather than sus7, open perfect fifths, and pitch dyads - all similar to the simpler harmonies used in fusion, film, and pop music. For simplicity I will generally use the term "pop" or "pop-influenced" to refer to the simpler harmony reminiscent of these genres. Concert band music also comes to mind, especially due to the similarity in instrumentation between concert bands and big bands - brass, woodwinds, and percussion, with emphasis on the brass sound - especially considering that Mendoza often includes auxiliary woodwinds such as flutes, clarinets, and bass clarinets. Accordingly, his music sometimes takes on a resemblance to this genre of music as well. It may seem a stretch to imagine some of his music as being related to pop, consider the other types mentioned above, which in their most common forms are harmonically more
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sophisticated than pop but still typically simpler than most jazz, especially modern jazz. Though the reader may disagree, I believe that chords lacking ^7 generally tend to be somewhat divergent from the pure jazz idiom unless they supplant the added dissonance of ^7 with some other form of tension or complexity, such as a bitonal superposition, non-diatonic bass note, or harmonically "out" melody, which to my ear are more congruous with the (modern) jazz idiom than simple triadic harmony. Mendoza often employs sus4 chords rather than sus7; I believe that the sus7, sus9, and sus13 chords are more characteristic of the jazz idiom than sus4 due to the added tension of the seventh. Sus4 chords, on the other hand, are to my ear more characteristic of pop music due to their simpler construction and of course their widespread use in that idiom. In addition to using simpler chords, the composer sometimes employs incomplete voicings of more complex chords such as extended seventh chords, for example omitting ^3 or ^7. Mendoza has a tendency to write dominant-over-tonic chord constructions, such as a G triad over a C bass note, or a G triad as an upper structure of CMaj7 in which the dominant-over-tonic sound is clear. A construction such as G/C (a G triad over C bass) could be called an incomplete voicing of a major ninth chord, specifically CMaj9(omit 3), but as ^3 is an extremely important chord tone, its absence significantly alters the harmonic basis of the chord, attenuating the C major character and producing the dominant-over-tonic sound. This could be considered a quasi-suspended sound, since it contains elements of both V and I simultaneously, just as ^4 of a Vsus7 chord is the tonic of the following I chord. To my ear, dominant-over-tonic constructions are somewhat pop-oriented in sound, likely because I personally have heard this sonority many times in a pop setting and much less often in jazz, especially when it consists of triads. Of course, the reader may disagree, but in this article I will treat dominant-over-tonic constructions as contributing to a pop character. Occasionally, ^3 is included in suspended chords. It is evident that the composer is thinking in terms of suspensions rather than, say, a major chord with added ^4, since in many of these cases he writes the sus-chord symbol in the rhythm section, for example specifying
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"Fsus/A". In contrast to a conventional suspended chord, which, when substituting for (and thus functioning as) a dominant, has the tension of ^4 with implied ^3, these chords have the tension of ^4 and explicit ^3, so the tension and resolution exist in the same chord, a sort of before/after simultaneity. Of course, he often places suspended chords in other contexts, for example when moving chord roots by seconds, or substituting for a tonic chord; as such, there is no anticipation of a 4-3 resolution, or resolution to a tonic, in these cases. In short, it appears that he simply gravitates to the suspended-chord sound and finds different settings in which to use it. Mendoza often uses non-tonic and non-diatonic bass notes, which create both chord inversions and dissonant or slightly bitonal combinations. As I mentioned, this often functions to smoothly connect chords in a progression. While this is not uncommon in modern jazz, I notice that Mendoza often combines non-tonic bass notes with triads rather than seventh chords, which steers the resulting sonority (and the surrounding progression) to a middle ground between jazz and pop, though in a sophisticated vein. In his music, Mendoza often abruptly shifts the harmonic environment without preparation or transition. A section of a piece in a fairly diatonic harmonic setting will be interrupted by, or suddenly transition to, a passage with a much higher level of dissonance, foreign to the immediately preceding material. Such shifting of the harmonic environment and level of dissonance tends to create a somewhat heterogeneous sound in some of his pieces. This is usually not to ill effect, however, instead creating diversity and unpredictability. When discussing the more modern harmonic aspects of Mendoza's music, I have found it necessary to differentiate these with what I refer to as "traditional jazz." By this I mean seventh chord-based harmony as associated with bebop-era jazz; in this way I can include most functional progressions but maintain a contrast with a very modern harmonic language. Certainly, many different sonorities regularly occur within the sphere of jazz, but "modern" will refer to sonorities such as tone clusters, indeterminate chords, polytonality, and high levels of dissonance. Just as it is necessary to distinguish between pop and jazz styles of harmony, this is one further distinction which will
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prove to be useful in analyzing Mendoza's style. His music contains both traditional and modern elements, sometimes occurring in temporal proximity to each other, and sometimes separated into different sections. The chord progressions in Mendoza's pieces tend to wander quite a bit, often obscuring the starting or final tonic chord. Accordingly, Mendoza uses open key signatures in several movements of "Sketches." Even in "Jubilee," where the key stays firmly in C minor for much of the piece, the harmony shifts away from it through many tonicizations. These tonicizations occur both through conventional ii-V progressions and also by chord motion directly to and from the new temporary key area. In some movements of "Sketches," ii-V tonicizations are practically nonexistent, and the harmony often moves with a more modal than functional character. In some settings, such as "Sketches," mvt. 4, the progression leaves the listener with no trace of where it has come from or is leading. In other cases, the progression is more grounded; for example, in "Sketches," mvt. 5, beginning around 7:30 many shifts occur but always lead back to C minor, similarly to "Jubilee," which is fairly well-rooted in C minor. Orchestration The mixing of timbres, by using different instruments on the same melodic line, is a prominent feature of Mendoza's writing. Similarly, chords are often voiced across sections. Melodic doubling is done most often in unison rather than in octaves, though octave doubling does occur in places. Unison doubling often appears in the use of medium-high-register trombones (or other low brass instruments, as in "Jubilee") in unison with higher-register instruments, such as soprano saxophones and trumpets, in their low register. More so than any other instrument, Mendoza seems to favor the sound of the trombone, which he often uses prominently. This instrument is used many times in mixed-timbre melodies and countermelodies, and occasionally as a stand-alone choir, such as at the beginning of "Sketches," mvt. 5. Also, the trombones are often kept together as a section more so than the other sections of the band. The
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timbral diversity is highlighted by the frequent inclusion of additional woodwinds, including soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, and synthesizer. The soprano saxophone is also used particularly frequently, often in its lower register, doubling another instrument in unison on a melody. In addition to mixing timbres on a single melody, Mendoza tends to write layered simultaneous independent lines, which at times even become canonic. We will see an example of canonic structure in "Jubilee."
"Jubilee" "Jubilee" is scored for orchestra, though substantial weight is placed on the wind instruments, resulting in a big-band sound supplemented by orchestral instruments. In several places, including the opening, the piece takes on a concert or marching band-like sound due to the predominance of brass and high woodwinds, especially piccolo. The tone color created by high woodwinds (most audibly flutes) in conjunction with trumpets can be heard in a number of places throughout the piece. The primary key center of "Jubilee" is C minor, though the harmony is quite mobile. The opening of the piece introduces several of Mendoza's preferred harmonic techniques in a short span. The first progression (0:10-0:14) is as follows: F - C/E - Dm - C - Ab - Gm - BMaj7(b5?) - Eb(no 3)/E - C(no 3)/Db
This progression, like others we will encounter, arises from a melodic line - both from the horizontal tracing of a scale and the vertical simultaneity of pitches - rather than from block chords. The BMaj7 chord lacks ^5, so it could imply either natural ^5 or ^b5. I believe ^b5 (F)
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fits better here due to the commonality with the key of C major.1 The second chord, Eb(no 3rd)/E, can be heard in three different ways: as an incompletely voiced E diminished chord with added major 9th (Eb), resolving to C as a common-tone diminished chord; as the same E diminished chord simply changing inversion to become a Db diminished chord with an added major 9th (C); or simply as spelled, Eb(no 3)/E, which moves in parallel to C(no 3)/Db via a minor third. As for this last option, Mendoza often uses chromatic parallelism of this type, and he also often employs chord root motion by thirds in progressions; there is, in fact, a vamp between Ebm and Cm later at 6:03, so the progression heard here could foreshadow that of the vamp. The voice leading between BMaj7 and Eb(no 3)/E is smoothed by the presence of common tones: A#/Bb and D#/Eb, the bass being the only changing note. The final C/Db sonority is neither major nor minor, due to the absence of ^3, though it leans toward minor for two reasons: the presence of Eb in the previous chord (in the same octave, unlike the more distant E natural in the bass) implies a carryover to the C chord, and the presence of ^b2 tends to create a minor feeling since it originates as ^b6 of the natural (or harmonic) minor scale of the key a fourth above (implying iv – I). The harmony at the opening of the piece is generated by a two-voice moving line, which technically means that the simultaneities here are examples of incompletely voiced chords, though they are not presented as "chords" as they are normally conceived of, but rather as a harmonized melody. Still, we will see a number of incompletely voiced chords in Mendoza's writing, some generated by polyphony and others as vertical chords. We will also see further examples of harmonic progressions generated by moving polyphonic lines. So this opening progression is characterized by a preponderance of triads rather than seventh chords; the presence of incomplete voicings, 6/3 inversions, and non-diatonic bass notes; and stepwise bass movement, all characteristics of Mendoza's writing, as we will continue to see.
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Suppose we insert F into the BMaj7 chord to form BMaj7b5. In this case, the F/B tritone resolves down a half step to become the E/Bb tritone of Eo7. This progression resembles a bII7-I tritone substitution resolution because of the tritone descent by half step - the same F/B - E/Bb tritone that would occur in Db7 - C7.
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At 0:17 the harmonic complexity suddenly increases with a somewhat modal-sounding passage of chromatic parallelism, consisting of incompletely-voiced Maj7 chords ascending over a whole-tone scale: BMaj7 - C#Maj7 - EbMaj7 - FMaj7 - GMaj7, continuing to Am7 - BbMaj7. A series of parallel minor seventh chords follows: Bm7 - Bbm7 - Abm7 - Bbm7 - Abm7, continuing to F#Maj7 - F#/B - Abm11 - C/Db. The angular sound results from several factors: non-diatonic parallelism, since many of the successive chords are distantly related; whole-tone chord root motion; the fact that the chords are all in root position, precluding any inversions or non-tonic bass notes to smooth the voice leading, which would decrease angularity, as is done in other places; and the fact that the melody and bass notes of the minor seventh chords (i.e. the outer voices) move in parallel fifths. Up to this point, and immediately before this progression begins, the harmony has been markedly more functional and diatonic, so this is an example of a rather sudden shift in harmonic character. Within this progression there is a dominant-over-tonic construction, F# major over a B bass note. The introduction concludes at 0:28, once again on C/Db, but this time with a complete C major triad over the Db bass. Immediately following, Ab appears in the bass, suggesting the formation of a C over Db chord, even though the Ab/Db under the C chord is only a dyad. Chord root motion in this progression (0:17-0:28) is primarily stepwise. The percussion introduces a Latin rhythm, and the trombones begin the melody as a section at 0:36; the harmony begins to shift around, forming the basis for one of the two main chord progressions in the piece, which will be discussed shortly. Triads dominate the trombone part except for a few seventh chords, and there are prominent minor seconds between the two highest voices at 0:52. At 0:53 we hear an instance of low brass doubling the melody in unison with a higher-register instrument; in this case the French horns in mid-register doubling the trumpets and strings in low register. At 0:57 the I/bII chord surfaces again, this time D/Eb. The bass plays an Eb minor arpeggio, which reduces the conflict between the D and Eb, owing to the common F#/Gb and
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minimally dissonant Bb. This chord resolves in an interesting cadence at 1:06: D/Eb resolves to BbMaj7/D.
Because this is a chromatic mediant relationship, a D major chord moving directly to Bb in root position would sound rather jarring due to the distant tonal relationship between the two chords. But the Eb smooths the transition: First, the outer voices form a tritone (Eb/A), which resolves outward by half step to the root and ^3 of BbMaj7. Second, the Eb creates a certain degree of diatonic IV-I plagal sound (Eb - Bb). Third, if an F were placed in the bass, below the Eb, F13b9 would be formed, a direct V7-I resolution to BbMaj7; so this constitutes a V-I cadence missing only the bass note. So the connection between the two chords is made smoother by the voice leading between non-tonic bass notes, one chromatic and one diatonic. Also, a common tone (A) occurs between the first and second chords, serving as another point of connection. The voicing of this BbMaj7 chord is also notable for the dissonance it creates, which it does in two ways: first, the root occurs above ^7, which results in a minor second (as opposed to the major seventh that would obtain if the root were placed below ^7). Further, the minor second is placed between the two highest pitches, where it is most audible. The reader may note that D/Eb is actually a voicing of an Eb diminished chord (containing D as an extension), which would resolve naturally to Bb as its VIIdim (as it is equivalent to Adim, the actual VIIdim of Bb). However, the D/F#/A portion of the chord is voiced as a root-position triad, which brings out its triadic character more than its diminished-seventh character.2
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When voicing diminished chords, upper-structure tones can form seventh chords which likewise
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At 1:10 the texture becomes polyphonic, akin to a canon. It begins with a modal feeling, C Mixolydian, more closely this than simply F major because it never resolves to F, instead maintaining a kind of perpetual motion in the mode; the bass traces a descending C Mixolydian scale. Midway through the canon (1:17), the trumpets continue in C Mixolydian, but the scale in the bass changes, so a subtle bi-modality ensues. Now C Mixolydian continues over an indeterminate mode in the bass, indeterminate due to its paucity of notes, only four: Eb-C-Bb-A. While these pitches could suggest a number of modes, the result is that the divergence alters the harmony away from C Mixolydian. If we switch to a chordal rather than modal view, the chord outlined at this point can be approximated BbMaj7#11, since the melody and bass contain the pitches of a Bb major scale, with E natural added in the trumpet part. If, on the other hand, E is heard as a passing tone, EbMaj7b5 fits, since the scale segment begins on Eb. When played on the piano with the actual melody and bass, either of these chords fits. I believe this instance of modal/harmonic mixture is less obvious (and less dissonant) than in other places where it is used since here it occurs horizontally rather than vertically, "diffusing" the dissonance somewhat. When the bass reaches A, this suggests Am7 for one beat, since the melody is still outlining the C scale (now without Bb), which over an A bass produces an A minor scale, supporting Am7. The harmony finally consolidates on a series of chords, beginning with Bb/Ab, the melody outlining a Bb7 scale. Next is C7b13, and the canon ends with a climactic C7b13/G chord at 1:23. So the overall tonal scheme of the canon is: C Mixolydian (C7) - (BbMaj7#11 or EbMaj7b5) - Am7 - Bb/Ab - C7b13 - C7b13/G Chord root motion is primarily stepwise. The effect of the final chord is rather like a cadential I-6/4 which does not resolve to the dominant, since the next section begins in C minor. In a way,
supersede the diminished character. Example: Co7 with an added 9th (D) will form D7 if the Eb of the Co7 is omitted, and D7#9 if the 11th (F) is added. I mention this because it can present a challenge to the composer/arranger when orchestrating such chords with a limited number of instruments, but Mendoza has used the particular arrangement of pitches here to bring out the non-tonic bass character rather than the
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this chord also mixes the C and Db key centers, this time including ^5 of Db (i.e. the Ab, which is b13 of C) rather than ^1. Owing to Mendoza's prior usage of C/Db, the ear is now accustomed to hearing a C major triad mixed with inflections of Db - in fact, upon listening it is slightly difficult to distinguish whether the chord has G or Ab in the bass. There are two main sets of chord changes in the piece, which begin in the next section. At 1:27, a soli for woodwinds, saxophones, and trumpets begins the primary key area of C minor and the first main set of chord changes ("Progression 1"), which was hinted at earlier by the trombones but not fully fleshed out. This progression proceeds as follows, beginning at 1:36 after a brief lead-in: Cm7 - AbMaj7 - DbMaj7 - Dm7b5 - G7 - Cm7 - AbMaj7 - G7b9 - CMaj7#5 (pause) Cm7 - AbMaj7 - DbMaj7 - Dm7b5 - G7 - Cm7 - AbMaj7 - Dbsus9 - GbMaj7 - Esus9 - A7DMaj7 - A/C# - BMaj7 - Fsus7 - Bbm - F/A - DbMaj7/Ab - Eb/G - Gbsus13 - EMaj7 - C#m9 Gbsus13 - Abm7 Distribution of chord root motion (beginning after repeated section, 1:46)3: Seconds: 6 Thirds: 5 Fourths: 11 Tritones: 1 The final chord alternates between Abm7 and EMaj9/G# due to the guitar's alternating figure between E and Eb (more on this shortly). The Gbsus13 is a bit striking when it arrives, due to the sudden thickening: whereas the preceding Eb/G triad contains three pitches, Gbsus13 contains six in its fully voiced form, as it exists here. There are a number of 6/3 inversions, which are also the only triads in the progression. These chords stand out, in part due to their unique status as triads among a series of seventh chords, and also because they have been "set up": the first two are dominants following a diminished character. 3 "Seconds" and "thirds" include both major and minor. The remaining species of intervals (fifths and larger) are inversions of those listed and so are not counted.
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temporary tonic which has been tonicized by a V-I sequence, so they are approached very clearly (V-I-V). The third (Eb/G) is slightly less straightforward but is the V of a IV-V sequence. One other point of note about this progression: the DMaj7 chord, when it initially sounds at 1:57, sounds quite a bit like A/D for the first beat and a half due to the C#-D melodic movement, representing a dominant-over-tonic structure. Curiously, during the second half of the progression, (1:57 to 2:10), the previously well-defined melody becomes difficult to distinguish, sounding rather like a background. Although there are a number of overlapping motives happening in various sections, nothing immediately commands the listener's attention as a definitive foreground event. This is unusual in Mendoza's writing. The second set of chord changes ("Progression 2") is based on a series of ii-V-I-IV sequences, based on tonics of Db major and Bb major. Note that these two key centers are separated by a minor third, one of Mendoza's most common root-movement intervals. This progression (2:19-3:10), bracketed into two halves based on each ii-V-I-IV sequence, proceeds as follows: [Ebm7 - Ab7 - DbMaj7 - GbMaj7 - Ebm7 - Ab7 - DMaj7] - [Cm7 - F7 - BbMaj7 - EbMaj7 Cm7 - Fm7] Distribution of chord root motion: Seconds: 1 Thirds: 2 Fourths: 8 Tritones: 1 This chord progression represents one of the more traditional harmonic settings in Mendoza's oeuvre; accordingly, root motion occurs primarily by fourth, comprising a number of ii-V7 sequences. Of the three extended solos; trumpet and piano solo over Progression 1 and saxophone over Progression 2. Overall, the piece is rooted in C minor, despite the many tonicizations, eventually ending in C minor as well. As previously mentioned, Db mixed with C at the
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beginning of the piece hinted at C minor, which is now confirmed. At 3:08 a brass chord punctuates the saxophone solo; the voicing consists of a rootless Cm9 trumpet chord in close position with a flute playing the top Eb, above the trumpets. This chord has considerable tension, and a modern flavor, due to the inclusion of a minor ninth (between the flute's Eb and the trumpet's D) and a minor second (between the flute's Eb and the first trumpet's D). Once again, a minor second in the two uppermost voices creates a contemporary sound due to the conspicuous tension.
Three vamps occur in the piece, each illustrating different techniques preferred by the composer. The first is very subtle, occurring at the end of Progression 1 (2:11); by alternating between E and Eb, the guitar produces EMaj9/G# and Abm7. The remainder of the orchestra remains on Abm7, omitting E, which is the only difference between these two chords, supplied by the guitar. These two chords are separated by a major third, and the first is of course a 6/3 inversion. The voice leading between the two is very smooth since only one note, an inner voice, is changed to alternate between them. At 3:24, temporarily departing from the purer jazz sound, a second vamp traces a progression of skeletally voiced triads: Ab - Eb/G. This vamp creates its harmony in a somewhat horizontal fashion, since only two notes are played at once, the upper voice in an abbreviated arpeggio (pitches C-Eb), both voices converging on the second chord, which omits but implies the root of Eb (since it sticks in the memory as the preceding note and is clearly diatonic to both chords); this yields a 6/3 inversion. This vamp is played in the same rhythm as the first. The third vamp begins at 6:03, a brief echo of which occurred at the beginning of the piece (discussed earlier), between Ebm7 - Cm7, a chromatic mediant relationship, this time with both chords in root position. With both in root position, there is no stepwise bass motion to
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smooth the transition between the two, highlighting the distant tonal relationship between them. This contrasts with the first vamp, which maintained a constant bass note, and unlike the second vamp, the harmony of the third is created vertically rather than horizontally, with static chords. The climax of the first vamp (4:08) is a brass flourish closely resembling the sound of a marching or concert band. At this point the high and mid-brass (trumpets, French horns, and trombones) and high woodwinds virtually drown out the other sections of the orchestra, yielding the high/mid-brass- and high woodwind-dominated sound characteristic of a marching band, or to a lesser degree a concert band4.
The dense brass voicings contribute to this character. Moreover, the chords, while densely voiced, are not overly complex and quite diatonic, which to my mind reflects the simpler, more triadic harmonic textures typically played by these types of ensembles (particularly marching bands) simpler, at least, than a typical jazz arrangement. So this is a clear example of the stylistic diversity Mendoza incorporates into his music. As the complete orchestration is very difficult to distinguish without a score, I will deal with the most audible upper parts. Having modulated to Ab major, the first chord is AbMaj7#11, in a close voicing of C/D/Eb/G, which also spells Cm2. The second, also over the Ab bass, is voiced Eb/F/G/Bb, adding the 13th of Ab but omitting ^3, yielding an upper structure of Eb2, a dominant-over-tonic configuration5. Note the close voicings 4
I associate a top-heavy sound more with a marching band, possibly due to the carrying power of higher frequencies over the distances at which marching bands are typically separated from the audience in stadiums. 5 It is possible that this chord contains D somewhere in the orchestration, which would yield EbMaj9, similarly dominant over tonic.
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and stacked major/minor seconds in the obtrusive higher register in these first two chords. The third chord of the sequence is a 2-chord in 6/3 inversion, Eb2/G (spelled Eb/F/Bb, with G in the bass, or Eb(add9)/G in jazz nomenclature). As with "classical" voicings of 6/3 chords, ^3 is omitted from the upper voices, which leaves a "sus2"-type sonority (^1/^2/^5 = Eb/F/Bb) in the upper voices6. This chord is noticeably thinner than the first two and to my ear carries a pop sound typical of 2-chords, here becoming a marching band-like sound due to the orchestration. These three chords occur over the vamp while enriching the simpler incomplete-triadic harmony the vamp has entailed up to this point. While the rest of the orchestration in this passage is not immediately clear, these foreground chords are the definitive stylistic features here. The final chord sequence (4:11) contains an example of modal mixture/borrowing; it is Eb2/G - Db2/F (indeterminate) - Cm11, leading back to Progression 1 in C minor for the piano solo. Still in Ab major, the first two chords are diatonic to the key, but the trumpet notes of the penultimate chord clearly spell F major, which is not. We will see further examples of this feature, especially in Mendoza's less diatonic pieces. In summary, this short passage reflects a number of the composer's preferred techniques: stylistic diversity; 6/3 inversions; dominant-over-tonic, quasi-suspended, and 2-chord sonorities; and modal mixture/borrowing. At 5:45 the texture once again becomes polyphonic, featuring trombones and horns on the melody, accompanied by a vigorous counter-line in the strings, and punctuated by chords in the trumpets and high woodwinds. Because of the multiple layers of activity, it is a bit difficult at times to discern exactly what the foreground melody is, especially since it is somewhat overpowered by the rest of the orchestra, particularly the trumpets and woodwinds. As this is a live recording, the balance is likely not as well-adjusted as a studio recording would be. The trumpets were similarly overbearing earlier, during the "marching band" section, although at that point they carried the melody.
6
Some theorists maintain that a suspended chord must include ^4, but as "sus2" seems to be in fairly wide use, I will use this term.
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Just before the end (6:03), a collective solo section occurs over the aforementioned third vamp (Ebm7-Cm7). Trumpet, trombone, and soprano saxophone play the solos; as mentioned at the beginning of this article, Mendoza often prefers the soprano over other types of saxophone, and the trombone in general. The piece ends on a tutti Absus4(add 9)/A chord, a concise combination of ^b2 bass, suspension, and incomplete voicing (an omitted 7th). Like many jazz composers, Mendoza is not shy about writing trumpet parts in the high register - the lead trumpet's last note is a flashy Eb6. There are fewer suspended chords in this piece than in the other pieces under discussion. When they occur, they typically are used in a rather traditional fashion, to resolve to dominant-seventh chords with the same root, i.e. resolving the 4-3 suspension (see 1:34 and 2:00). In the more contemporary-styled pieces analyzed, Mendoza generally does not use suspended chords in this way, but instead as stand-alone sonorities which only occasionally substitute for, or resolve to, dominant-seventh chords. "Jubilee" often, but not always, exudes a Latin feel, which can be attributed to several factors, most obviously the rhythm section: a number of Latin percussion instruments such as conga drums and cowbell are used; the bass often plays a characteristic tumbao pattern; and the piano occasionally takes on a Latin character through its patterns and voicings (more on this momentarily). Also, the syncopation and quarter-note triplets of the melody, e.g. around 1:36, evoke this style. In addition, the particular chromatic inflections contribute to the style: there are frequent occurrences of the pitches Db and Ab over C chords, suggesting the Mixolydian b2b6 mode, sometimes referred to as the Spanish Phrygian mode, which of course would hint at a Latin flavor. Note that ^b2 is not diatonic to C minor, the primary key area of the piece. Also, at certain times (e.g. 0:17 and 1:36), the melody is doubled or harmonized at a wide spacing between flutes and brass. The wide spacing of harmonized or doubled melodic notes is reminiscent of Latin-style arranging, for example montuno-style piano comping (syncopated, arpeggiated chordal patterns often duplicated in both hands and separated by two octaves). At times, though, despite the
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distinctive bass rhythm and percussion, the Latin flavor is lessened due to the tonally adventurous harmony, which to my ear is not particularly characteristic of traditional Latin music (which is generally more diatonic than this), and at those times the ^b2 and ^b6 inflections are dropped. An example of this is the saxophone solo (2:16-3:29), during which the rhythm section's style of playing (see above), rather than the harmony, is the primary vehicle for the Latin flavor. However, even though the piano plays with some Latin character (i.e. the two-handed patterns mentioned above), it often sounds fairly "straight-ahead," and the characteristic bass rhythm is discernible but often obscured due to much ornamentation. So Latin flavor is present in varying degrees throughout the piece. As for overall style, though the piece veers heavily toward "purer" jazz, I would have to call it a fusion piece, given the mixture of features: jazz-oriented harmonic progressions, much chromatic chord movement, many seventh/altered chords, improvisation, and flamboyant trumpet writing, alongside a number of simpler, pop-style harmonies and marching/concert band-like sections which do not seem to fit strictly with the jazz idiom as commonly conceived. One fusion-like phenomenon occurring during solos: the soloists often seem to be playing purely jazz figurations while the background veers toward a simpler triadic sound ( note the triads in the chord progressions). This is precisely what often happens in fusion – jazz-style solos over a more pop-oriented background. Accordingly, I note one incongruity in the piece: although Mendoza's mixture of jazz and non-jazz elements is effective, the collective improvisation section at the end feels a bit out of place, given how far removed from traditional jazz the piece is; it sounds like something one would expect to find in a more conventional jazz piece (a little too "Dixieland" in style, perhaps) and does not quite seem to meld with this style.
"Sketches," Mvt. 3 This movement begins in a pensive F Phrygian. The key is established by two simultaneous dyads, F/C and Db/Gb; ^3 is not present as yet.
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Interestingly, as we saw a simultaneity of I/ ^b2 in "Jubilee," here the ^b2 dyad is superposed on top of the I dyad, forming bII over I (though without ^3 in either). This chord alternates in a vamp with DbMaj7, confirming the F Phrygian key center (F Phrygian sharing the key signature of Db major), and supplying ^3 (Ab). The section ends on Fsus7, a full voicing, arrived at from Ebsus7 (root motion by second). This chord is voiced in close position in the trombones and quartally in the trumpets, with a major second between the first trumpet and flute, the flute playing the top F. So in the opening we see the admixture of complete seventh chords with open, incomplete sonorities, simultaneity of ^b2 and I, chord root motion by seconds and thirds, prominent suspended chords, and major seconds between the two uppermost chord tones. The recording features a rather unique addition: an ethereal synthesizer sound (:35). Although not notated in the score, the part consists of quartal chords, fifths, and triads in the mode. A New Age-like sound results from the ethereal, airy timbre and the simple chord structures, adding yet another facet to Mendoza's diverse sound. The next section, beginning at m. 24, changes character abruptly; we are now in a pop/fusion sound due to the heavy influence of triads and 2-chords, such as the Bb2 chord in m. 40. Also, the progression ends on Bb2/D - Dsus/E - D/F#, which closely resembles a typical pop progression of bVI – bVII - I. The chord progression is fairly diatonic except for the Bm7 (m. 39), which creates a quasi-half cadence effect due to the non-diatonic tension. Although there is a chromatic chord transition from Bm to Bb2, the feeling of chromaticism is lessened by the bass moving from B to the common tone of D. Other points to note: the bass is mainly static but moves stepwise when it does move (mm. 38-41), forming several chord inversions through
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non-tonic pitches; chords in 6/3 inversion are prominent here (mm. 40-41). The trumpets are set in a voicing common in Mendoza's trumpet writing: a minor second on the bottom with a more open top (mm. 39, 44). To my ear, the contour of the melodic line contributes to the pop/fusion sound of this section; this is likely because the melody is "elastic" around certain pitches, reminiscent of many pop melodies. For instance, in the first phrase (mm. 24-25), A comprises six of the 11 notes. In the next two-measure phrase, the pitches gravitate around G (four out of ten).
These melodies are primarily stepwise, as folk/pop melodies tend to be, and further, these two phrases contain no syncopation. The third phrase (mm. 28-30) is more mobile, moving downward, and syncopated; as such, I believe it has a stronger jazz character than the first two. I will speculate that since in pop music much emphasis inheres in the lyrics, which at times even take precedence over the music itself, the interest in a varied melodic contour is de-emphasized, in favor of a slightly more recitative-like character. When the full band joins at m. 32, each section is divided, with one or two instruments in each section handling a different component of the overall picture, doubling or harmonizing with instruments in other sections. The melody is carried by two soprano saxophones, two trumpets, guitar, and piano in unison. The trombones and clarinet share a countermelody line, and the bass clarinet, one trombone, and left hand of the piano double the bass. The piano functions more melodically here than as a chording instrument, though it becomes more chordal beginning in m. 38. Meanwhile, the drum part consists of a ballad-style pattern of eighth notes on the ride cymbal. So several events are happening at once, but because each is doubled by several instruments, the texture remains uncomplicated. In m. 44 the trumpets play an incomplete voicing of AMaj7, which forms a
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dominant-over-tonic sonority with the rest of the band (AMaj7 over DMaj7/F#).
The C# common tone between DMaj7 and AMaj7, missing from the trumpet chord, occurs in the third trombone, but in a lower voice than the D tonic (in the first trombone), forming a minor ninth between them. The trombone voicing here destabilizes the chord slightly, both because of the dissonant minor ninth and because the lowest three trombones form the root, third, and fifth of F# minor, with D (the true tonic) on top, introducing some ambiguity between F# minor and D major. This section ends in m. 44 with a tonic resolution to DMaj7/F#, a 6/3 inversion. In some instances, such as a few bars later, in m. 47, the dominant-over-tonic sound is strengthened when ^3 is missing from the lower (bass) key area. I include this because a dominant-over-tonic construction could be a voicing of a major seventh chord; e.g. G over C would form CMaj9. But a G triad over C alone, or over a C/G dyad, similar to m. 47, has a more dualistic dominant-over-tonic sound. Up to this point, this movement has contained mainly triadic and incomplete chordal (i.e. open fifths) harmony. At m. 45 (3:13) a jarring, very contemporary sound overtakes the serene, harmonically stable mood. A closer look reveals that the progression consists of incompletely voiced chords in a mixed diatonic and chromatic sequence: BMaj7/D# - DMaj7/F# - FMaj7b5 - Em7 – Bm7/D - [DMaj13(omit 3) = A2/D] - Asus13 Absus13 - Cm11/G - F#sus4(add 3,9) [=F#m11(omit 7)]
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The harmonically startling sound of this passage comes from two factors. First, proceeding directly from the previous D major chord, the first BMaj7 chord here is distantly related (a chromatic mediant). Second, the first two notes of the soprano saxophone (D, C, B, Bb) are completely foreign to the underlying B major dyad (D# and B) sounding in the woodwinds, opening this passage with considerable dissonance. Also, there are fewer notes in total to define the chords at first (only dyads in the woodwinds for the first two measures, along with the melody), which gives a somewhat ambiguous sound to the progression; the chords become more defined when the voicings are filled out beginning at m. 48. This progression contains a fair amount of parallelism, such as between the first three chords and the last four. The DMaj13(omit 3) chord sounds very much like a dominant-over-tonic A2/D (^2 and ^3 are adjacent), since the mediant (F#) is omitted, greatly undermining the D-chord sound. In fact, I would have simply labeled this chord A2/D, except that D is doubled (in the bass clarinet and soprano saxophone), occurring in the bass and inside the A portion of the chord, supporting the D sound somewhat. So in that sense it could be heard as an incomplete voicing or a dominant-over-tonic. The Asus13 is also skeletally voiced and contains an exposed minor second amidst only perfect fourths and fifths, resulting in a rather stark and unstable sound upon its attack, even though it is closely related to the preceding chord. The voicing of this chord makes a significant impact, and it is worth noting that despite the skeletal voicing, the D in the chord is doubled, showing that Mendoza prefers the stark sound here over a more fully-voiced version of the chord. Throughout this passage, the bass moves primarily stepwise downward, which helps to smooth the motion between distantly-related chords. Also, suspended chords are common here, and even the Cm11
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chord has some suspended character due to the presence of the 11th, equivalent to ^4. The F#sus4(add 3,9) chord in m. 50 is constructed somewhat like a 2-chord (F#m2 with an added 11th) since the vertical order of notes is F#-G#-A-B-C#. On the recording this final chord sounds identical to F#sus4 and in fact contains this voicing in all but the third and fourth trumpets, which play G# and A. These two notes, however, are inaudible on the recording. Since Mendoza occasionally includes ^3 in his suspended chords, this leads me to ask whether he intended this chord to function as F#sus4 with added ^b3, especially since the next chord has a root of B; this would produce a Vsus4-I resolution, which is the impression the recording gives. Finally, a subtle instance of dominant-over-tonic occurs in m. 45, in the soprano saxophone's A major arpeggio on beats 3 and 4 over the skeletal D major voicing in the woodwinds. Measures 51-69 are quite contrapuntal in nature, restating the theme from mm. 24-41 but with a countermelody in the trombones against the melody instruments (soprano saxophone, clarinet, and trumpet). Measures 53-55 contain the following chord progression: Bb - Am11 - Fsus4/A - Gsus7 - F#m11 - CMaj7/E - EbMaj13b5 This progression is characteristic of Mendoza, in that: a number of successive chords are distantly related in terms of diatonic function; it contains triads, suspended chords, and 6/3 inversions, in addition to seventh chords; the chord roots move by major and minor seconds, thirds, and tritones, rather than by perfect fourths or fifths; there are no V7-I resolutions; and the linear, stepwise bass smooths out the sequence, making it sound fluid. This sequence also contains a chord Mendoza occasionally uses, the suspended chord with added mediant (Fsus4/A). In this case ^3 is placed in the bass, but in other instances it can occur in the upper voices. A construction like Fsus4/A takes on an unmistakable pop sound, resembling another pop-style chord he occasionally uses, a 2-chord with ^3 in the bass. The only difference between the two is the note superposed on the triad - in one case ^4, in the other case ^2. Both create tension against ^3, though the actual suspended fourth does this to a greater degree. Also worth noting is the
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widely-spaced voicing of CMaj7/E, which to my ear carries a somewhat pop character: E2/C4/B4/G5. In addition, on beat two of m. 55, lasting one-half beat (just before the resolution to EbMaj7b5), the voicing becomes a similarly open voicing of C2/E when the second trombone moves from C to D: E2/D4/C5/G5.
Although almost all the winds are playing here, the density is pared down due to many unison-doubled parts. The inner rhythms created by the concurrent melodic lines in the winds maintain forward motion without the assistance of the piano or guitar. Since the piano and guitar are absent, the harmony is defined both horizontally and vertically, by the linear motion and vertical concurrence of the melodic lines; this helps to create smooth voice leading - chord tones resolve to one another in the context of their melodic lines, rather than simply "appearing" in vertical sequences. Mendoza's penchant for 6/3-inversion chords shows here as well; interestingly, he writes the last chord (in m. 55) as Cm/Eb in the bass part, though the written voicing sounds much more like EbMaj13b5 (which would have an identical voicing to Cm(6/9)/Eb; I believe the ear tends to hear the stronger root position chord rather than the identical 6/3 inversion of Cm(6/9). On the recording the chord sounds a lot like a 4/2 inversion, likely because it is similar to F13/Eb without the F root, so it could conceivably resolve to Bb/D. So he has written a chord with multiple possible interpretations but thinks of it in terms of a 6/3 inversion. To my ear this is the least likely way to hear this chord, which strengthens my notion that the composer has a preference for 6/3 inversion chords, since he interprets the chord in this way.
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These measures (51-55) are a good example of the kind of polyphony and cross-sectional writing Mendoza often employs. As is frequently the case, the trombones play an independent line in unison with another voice; this time they double the tenor saxophone and clarinet. Note that the doubling is in exact unison rather than at the octave, even for instruments with such dissimilar (albeit overlapping) ranges as clarinet and trombone This reflects Mendoza's tendency to join lower-register and higher-register instruments on unison lines. Clarinet and trombone might not normally be thought of in terms of unison doubling, so it makes sense that this technique is one that characterizes Mendoza's sound. New tone colors will invariably result from unusual combinations, especially in divergent registers. Beginning in m. 53 there are three independent lines, two out of the three arranged in a mixed timbre: the first melodic line occurs in the trumpets, the second in the soprano saxophones and trumpets, and the third in the trombones, clarinet, and tenor saxophone. Meanwhile, the bass clarinet and fourth trombone double the bass line. The polyphony continues in m. 57 with two independent lines in mixed timbre: one soprano saxophone, piano, and two trumpets play the lead line, while a second soprano, clarinet, and two trombones play the accompaniment line. The bass clarinet and low piano continue to double the bass. The result of such mixed, cross-sectional writing is a more richly colored timbral palette, rather than the more clearly delineated blocks of tone color that result from section-by-section separation of roles. It is worth noting here that on the actual recording, the trumpets are often in the background, even when doubling the melody, while the soprano saxophones are typically at
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the forefront of the mix, highlighting their portion of the tone color. At certain points in the recording the trumpet parts are practically inaudible; I have noted several of these instances, and the effects, in my discussion. The piano and guitar are silent during the highly polyphonic wind passage in mm. 53-55, reflecting the largely horizontal character of this passage and the "kaleidoscopically" unfolding harmony which might be obscured by the presence of chords. Mendoza's use of cross-sectional melodic writing and his extensive use of triads causes me to ask whether the second results from the first. If at any given time, one or more instruments from a section are occupied with the melody, there are fewer left in that section to play chord voicings, so the chords in that section must contain fewer pitches. Of course, chords are often distributed across sections, adding thickness, but not always. Although the voicing in the trumpets in m. 55 supports the underlying Cm/Eb chord, it takes on a somewhat suspended sound due to the exposed major seconds and absence of ^3 in the trumpet voicing. In fact, the trumpet notes spell Gsus4(add 9).
I am inclined to interpret this voicing as a manifestation of the composer's preference for suspended chords. Consider two alternate voicings which would reflect those seen elsewhere in the trumpets: A/C/D/Eb/G, which has the characteristic mid-register cluster with a more open interval at the top. Or, retaining the exposed seconds in Mendoza fashion: G/A/D/Eb/G. Neither of these possesses the suspended character of the voicing he has chosen. In fact, any voicing containing ^3 (Eb) would obviate the suspended sound and draw closer to C minor (or for that matter the alternative EbMaj13b5 I suggested earlier). So, due to the slight skewing of the upper
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harmony resulting from the voicing, this effectively produces an upper-structure suspended chord. In measures 66-70, the three trumpets not playing the melody play a chordal accompaniment written in triads, and three out of the last four contain prominent major and minor seconds, the first chord in m. 69 with a major second between the two highest voices. At m. 74 a dominant-over-tonic construction occurs, even more pronounced in character than what we have seen so far; this time a full dominant seventh chord (A7 in the trumpets) occurs over DMaj7/F#. The tonic DMaj7 chord is in 6/3 inversion, as it was the first time we heard this chord in m. 44. At the beginning of the tenor saxophone solo in m. 76, the abrupt shift from D major back to F Phrygian is a bit startling, especially since the texture is immediately pared down from the full band to just the soloist and rhythm section accompaniment. So this produces not only an abrupt change in harmonic environment but also in mood and texture. The solo has the character of a "legit" jazz solo, with much chromaticism and blues inflections, and the rhythm section performs conventional chording and timekeeping duties, though in a very sparse texture. Thus, the overall feeling during the solo is the most purely jazz-oriented we have yet encountered in this movement. The trombone accompaniment is stark, voiced F/C/Db/Gb; the exposed-minor-second sound is amplified by the presence of both a minor second and minor ninth. The melodic line in the trumpets and soprano saxophone in m. 89 outlines a GbMaj9 chord, reflecting the chord designation of GbMaj9#11/F, which represents bII over I. Although the widespread mixture of ^b2 and I in this movement likely stems from the F Phrygian harmony, we have previously seen the composer's tendency to mix ^b2 and I (and we have now seen instances of ^b2 both on top and on the bottom). I am inclined to wonder whether the selection of F Phrygian could itself be a manifestation of the tendency to mix ^b2 and I. Thus, we are faced with a sort of chicken-and-egg etiological conundrum. After the saxophone solo, at m. 95, the harmony immediately shifts, the level of dissonance increasing. The somewhat unusual choice of soprano saxophone to play a pedal tone
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(especially when the lower-pitched instruments are all unoccupied) continues a pattern in this movement of extensively employing the low range of this instrument. At this point we see an extension of Mendoza's preference for triads, this time in a less tonally grounded setting; all five trumpets are available here but he employs only three. The chords primarily include major, minor, and augmented triads, and sus4 chords (with the ^4-^5 major second between the two highest voices). In a few places the triads move exactly in parallel (mm. 95, 97-98, 101), at other times the chord quality changes successively. Overall they follow no discernible mode or key, the closest approximation being a heavily chromatically inflected C of some kind, maintained by the C pedal tone. Still, in these chords there are noticeable traces of ^b2/I, I/^b2, and ^b6, possibly remnants of the Phrygian mode, shown in the inclusion of triads such as Db, Bsus4, Ab+, and E over the C pedal. C Phrygian is in fact briefly established at the end of the passage in mm. 102-103, inferred from the last five chords, Fm - Cm - Db - Fm - (C/G dyad). Recall that in m. 45 the abrupt harmonic shift included an instance of melodic notes which clashed with the underlying chord. This passage represents a more protracted version of that, due to the undefined harmony and the many clashes between chords and pedal. So the mixing of keys we hear in other places becomes more pronounced in this passage - both horizontally, among the triads, and vertically, with the pedal tone. The trumpet melody then repeats with a countermelody in the trombones, providing yet another harmonic layer and increasing the dissonance level even more. Keys are further mixed here, the trombone melody clashing harmonically with the trumpets, creating an overall cacophonous effect reminiscent of the music of Charles Ives. The section finishes on a C/G dyad, winding down the textural arch of this section. In terms of form, this material bears little resemblance to what has come earlier in the movement, in terms of melodic motive and key/harmonic environment (except for the remnants of the Phrygian mode, this time C Phrygian). And in the next section, Mendoza introduces still new material, in a new key. So at this point a through-composed form is becoming evident. In m. 131 a guitar solo begins, in a straightforward jazz ballad feel. The chord
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progression, one of the simplest in any of the pieces I have analyzed, is almost completely diatonic, settling mainly on Am9 - Em9. The meter consists of seven bars of 3/4 followed by one bar of 4/4, adding a bit more complexity to this section due to the asymmetry. The trombones begin a chordal accompaniment, voiced with major seconds on top (m. 140) and with exposed minor seconds in the inner voices(m. 142). There are suspended chords in mm. 142 and 145, though Mendoza's voicing of the trombone accompaniment of the chord labeled Dsus contains F#. In addition to the trombone chords, there are two additional melodic lines, one in the soprano saxophones and one in the trumpets. At m. 147 the texture thickens, the saxophones and trumpets coming to the forefront. The harmony here is saturated with suspensions and non-tonic bass notes. It should be noted that the chords labeled Am7/D are in effect Dsus13, since the saxophone/trumpet melody contains the pitches of Dsus13, but Mendoza chooses to label them as dominant over tonic. Once again, in m. 148 the chord labeled "Dsus" contains ^3 (F#, in the fourth trumpet), in addition to ^4. In the chord labeled Am7/D, F# is absent, representing a conventional sus chord, whereas in the "Dsus" chords, F# is present. In the trumpet voicing in m. 150, there is a F#/G/A cluster at the top of the chord. During this section, the lone tenor and bari saxophones double the trombones. The texture is somewhat sparser than a typical tutti passage, since the only chords are played by the trumpets, in a staggered fashion, and rhythm section, while the trombones are in octaves and the saxophones play the melody over the guitar solo. The final sequence of chords, in mm. 153-156, shifts the mood and harmony yet again, from a straightforward jazz ballad to a highly chromatic, thickening texture which includes several polychords. The highly chromatic sound is shaped by the stepwise, contrary movement of the bass and trumpets, forming a "pyramidal" aggregate contour between the bass and treble voices.
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The chord roots move by seconds and thirds; this is true when considering both the top and bottom halves of the polychords separately (i.e. both halves move by seconds and thirds, but in contrary motion). The progression is smoothed by stepwise motion in both bass and treble, but it has a highly chromatic rather than functional character. The first chord in m. 154, Eb/Bb, contains both Ab and G (^3 and ^4) in the Eb upper portion of the chord, and the four highest saxophones are voiced in a suspended-type voicing of Eb/Ab/Bb/Eb, so there is admixture of Ebsus4 along with Eb. Further, the presence of Eb against Bb creates some Bb suspended sound in this chord as well. In fact, the aggregate chord is very close to being Bbsus13, with ^9 omitted. The second chord in m. 154, F over Ab, suggests F2/Ab, since all notes in the chord belong to F2 except the bass note of Ab. The Phrygian mode returns on the final chord (m. 156), which consists of all the pitches of the C# Phrygian scale. This chord is labeled C#4 and is built quartally (the designation "4" could refer to the quartal structure), with five stacked perfect-fourth intervals between the trombones and saxophones. During this sequence, the angular, harmonically unstable character seems to result from the non-diatonic quasi-planing of the upper sonorities, following no particular scale or mode, similar to what occurred in mm. 95-113. It seems that the relatively
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smooth voice leading of the trombones, which sound much more harmonically cohesive taken by themselves, is canceled out by the parallelism of the upper chords, making the progression sound angular and chromatic. In another parallel with the earlier section, both conclude with Phrygian character, though in m. 156 this is much less audible. Movement 3 is through-composed, since only one of the themes introduced in the movement subsequently recurs: the beginning piano accompaniment motive which establishes the F Phrygian key, used later during the tenor saxophone solo. I hear the movement as a number of separate sections, each with its own character; the piece as a whole maintains a rather serene mood and remains stylistically coherent. At the end of the movement another abrupt shift of mood and style occurs: a sudden change of tempo segues into movement 4. To my ear, this segue seems somewhat incongruous; even with the tense, building, climactic pyramidal figure which leads into the new tempo, the quiet, serene character of the movement does not lend itself to such a segue. Instead, I believe the transition might have been better treated by a definite ending of the movement. "Sketches," Mvt. 4 This movement is written in a straightforward bebop style. It contains many 2-chords, this time in even starker form, lacking ^3 (voiced E/F#/B) and labeled Esus. This E2 chord moves to a similarly-voiced G2 chord (motion by minor third) and sometimes lands on D2 (motion by major second). The serpentine melodic lines are doubled between soprano saxophone and trumpet; recall that Mendoza tends to write lines doubled in unison by different instruments. This melodic line is an example of Mendoza's tendency to write "out"-sounding melodies in proximity to more diatonic harmony, whether simultaneously or in one of the abrupt harmonic shifts previously mentioned. We saw an example in mvt. 3, m. 45, where the melody was not supported by the underlying harmony. This section has a similar character, in that the underlying 2-chords are harmonically simple accompaniments to a very chromatic melody. The trombones are
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featured here, introducing the 2-chord motive, which at this point functions as the main thematic material, alongside the running melodic line. In m. 5 the trumpet chord is voiced with a cluster of minor and major seconds on top, which is the opposite of the dense-on-the-bottom voicing at times seen elsewhere. This top-heavy voicing returns at the end of the movement, in the last chord.
A rather odd-sounding sequence of chords occurs in mm. 52-54, an example of a sudden harmonic shift and modal mixture: the trombone chords spell Gm2 - Am11 - B(add #11) Bbm(add b9) - Abm(add 11).
These chords have several features in common: they are in root position, skeletally voiced, and contain a major or minor second between the two highest notes. Several factors contribute to the jarring, angular sound of this sequence. First, the series of major/minor seconds at the tops of the chords is disorienting since they occur in sequence with jagged voice leading between them. Harmonically the transition between Am11 and B(add #11) is unnatural since in this context the two chords seem to have no tonal relationship,7 and both are in root position, so non-tonic bass notes or other voice-leading devices are not used to smooth the transition - the result of not doing
7
In a different context they could, such as iv - V of E minor, though the F natural in the latter chord greatly distorts this relationship due to its dissonance against the B major triad.
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so can be plainly heard here8. The latter chord is a triad with added dissonance, so it sounds especially stark since the dissonance does not blend with any other tones of the chord, such as it would if ^7 were present. So ironically the presence of fewer dissonant tones makes the chord sound more dissonant. Also, the latter chord follows a seventh chord, so in contrast it sounds thin, especially in open voicing. Although the last three chords are more closely related, the third and fourth trombones move in parallel fifths. Parallel motion of fourths or fifths tends to sound somewhat angular, especially in exposed voices, and the use of such motion here adds to the angularity of the passage. The lower fifths are separated from the upper seconds by at least a tritone and are thus exposed. When this sequence recurs during the solo sections (mm. 103-105), the chords are labeled Gm7 - Am9 - BMaj9(#11) - Gbsus/Bb - Gbm9. The reader will note that this time the penultimate chord is labeled differently than I have labeled it the first time, Gbsus/Bb instead of Bbm(add b9). When this chord first appears, there is no chordal support in the rhythm section, so it is defined only by the trombones, where the voicing of only four notes does not clearly spell out Gbsus/Bb. As discussed in the case of the ambiguous chord in m. 55 of movement 3, I believe in this case (and in general) the ear tends to hear the lowest note as the root, especially since ^1, ^3, and ^5 of Bb minor are present, strongly suggesting a root-position Bb minor. Moreover, Gb is absent, leaving no basis for the ear to hear this chord as Gbsus. This sequence appears again in mm. 147-150, where the trumpet voicings are even more angular than the initial trombone voicings; they consist of F/A/Bb, with a minor second on top, a quartal D/G/C, a sus-like Ab/Bb/Eb, and another sus-like B/E/F#, with a major second on top. In this movement Mendoza uses a few atypical chords, such as Bm(b9). This chord could be a manifestation of Mendoza's tendency to mix ^b2 with an underlying chord, or it could be a Phrygian-type chord, both of which we have seen previously. During the solo section there is an instance of a mediant added to a suspended chord, Gbsus/Bb in mm. 104 and 148. One polychord is also included, Cm over Em. 8
Not meant as a criticism.
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The trumpets play a very characteristic voicing in mm. 65-69, the E2 (omit 3) introduced by the trombones. The remaining trumpets are in unison with the soprano saxophone, mixing timbres on the melody as we have seen repeatedly, which leaves three trumpets available for the chord. Thus, the voicing is skeletal E/F#/B, a combination of major second and perfect fourth typical of a stripped-down sus chord, which I believe is what makes it characteristic of Mendoza. Examining the fast trumpet run in m. 71 reveals that with the exception of two 7(#5) chords, the vertical sonorities are largely undefined, in a line-writing style of arranging which avoids defining the vertical harmony between points of departure and arrival. The point of arrival here is GMaj7, voiced F#/G/B/D, with the minor second on the bottom, as we have seen several times. The first solo section in this movement, beginning at m. 74, presents an opportunity to examine Mendoza's "legit" jazz writing, since it is one of his purer jazz settings, in a bebop-influenced style.
Chord changes, mm. 74-117: Dsus2 - BbMaj9(#11) - AMaj7(#5) - Dm9 - BbMaj7(#5) - F#m9 - Cm over Em9 - GbMaj9/D [quick punctuation: Gm7 - Am9 - BMaj9(#11) - Gbsus/Bb] - Gbm9 - Bm(b9) - Cm(Maj7)/Eb Esus2 Distribution of chord root motion: Seconds: 7 Thirds: 4 Fourths: 3 Tritones: 0 The chord changes in mm. 74-117 form the harmonic basis for the bulk of the movement. The progression is highly chromatic, with many chord alterations, with much nonfunctional harmony; there are no ii-V7 or V-I cadences, and the overall feeling is somewhat modal. Most
9
For the purpose of counting root motion, I am taking the root of this polychord to be E rather than C since
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chord root motion is by third, second, or tritone, with a few fourths, though the fourths do not resemble ii-V7 or V-I progressions. Mendoza labels the first chord "Dsus," with the written voicing in the piano showing Dsus2, spelled D/E/A (and at first simply D/A), a clear example of an incomplete or skeletal voicing. ^4 and ^7, typically present in suspended chords, are absent, so ^2 functions as the suspended pitch. This chord alternates with a quick punctuation of Fsus2 (F/G/C); the alternation between D and F gives this section (and the Dsus2 chord itself) a minor quality due to F being ^3 of D minor. In several places there clearly is a chromatically parallel sound; a look at the progression reveals that some chromatic parallelism does exist (e.g. BbMaj7 AMaj7, Gm7 - Am7, and Bm - Cm). The “Esus” tonic chord is reached in m. 112, labeled "Esus(add9)" but spelled E/F#/B in the piano, with no written ^4 or ^7, so it is actually Esus2 rather than an authentic suspended seventh chord. It arrives rather suddenly; as noted, the progression is tonally nonfunctional, so there is no chord-by-chord logical sequence to reach the tonic. Instead it is reached by a resolution from Cm(Maj7)/Eb. Of all the chord-to-chord transitions in this section, to my ear this one sounds the most functional: Eb resolves to E, C to B, G to F#, with a common tone of B.
In fact, this resolution closely resembles B+(b9)/D# - Esus, a kind of ersatz V-I, with the dominant character strengthened by the ^b9. The closest dominant chord to this would be B7(#5b9), but with an omitted seventh. By way of conjecture, perhaps since Mendoza often writes incomplete chord voicings, this "quasi-B7" chord arose as a natural substitution to him; in
the chord is enharmonic to Em(Maj7)b13.
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other words, perhaps he heard an incomplete B7 voicing in the Cm(Maj7) chord. Recall that we have seen other chords which have ambiguous functions or alternative interpretations, which is bound to happen in highly chromatic music. There are a number of non-diatonic bass notes in this section, such as Gbsus/Bb and GbMaj9/D. There is also a Cm-over-Em polychord in m. 97. In mm. 103-104 the sudden harmonically "out" sequence which punctuated mm. 52-54 returns, this time in the rhythm section only, without winds. The overall effect of the section is straightforwardly bebop in style, but with some rather dissonant punctuations in juxtaposition. The chromatic, modal-sounding harmony of this movement is a striking contrast to the pop-leaning sound present in other places. But some similarity is still audible, such as the 2-chord/suspended sonority (Esus) which functions as the tonic chord of this movement; this sonority is used in both contexts. An interesting ambience is created at the beginning of the solo section by the guitar accompaniment written in fourths and fifths (mm.74-93), which produces a rather sparse, open sound; the guitar tone sounds to be electronically enriched in some way (curiously making it resemble a trombone section). When the trumpets join the accompaniment, they have a familiar shape: three pitches with a minor second on the bottom (beginning m. 125). Again here, there are three trumpets available while the fourth and fifth take solos. The lower two trumpets play an oscillating figure which alternates major seconds between them and between the first and second trumpet. The rather peculiar, whole-tone-sounding figure looks to be based on the Lydian Augmented mode, supported by the underlying BbMaj7(#5) chord. At m. 141 the soprano saxophones enter the accompaniment with yet another sus-type voicing, G/A/D - I am calling it suspended because it contains intervals of only a second, fourth, and fifth; moreover, these pitches correspond to ^5, ^6, and ^2 of the underlying Cm chord, but no ^3. Played by itself, it sounds suspended in character. In m. 152, we see another instance of a chord voicing with a minor second on the bottom and a more open top: the trombones play a stark, incomplete voicing of Cm(Maj7) spelled B/C/G, with an exposed minor second on the bottom. All four trombones
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are available here (i.e. not soloing), but Mendoza chooses to employ only three for a starker voicing of the chord. Correspondingly, the close-position chord in the trumpets and soprano saxophones also places the minor second at the bottom.
The solo section climaxes in a brass flourish, on Esus4(add9). In the various accompaniment figures, chords are often scored between two sections, commonly the soprano saxophones and trumpets. The trombones more often operate independently. From what we have seen so far, it appears that in Mendoza's work as a whole, the trombone section is in general more autonomous than any other section of the band. The coda, beginning m. 162, abounds in cross-sectional chord voicings accompanying the solos; at times, one or two instruments in a section are paired with one or two in other sections; examples include mm. 173-176, 182-190, and 195-204. One such chord occurs in m. 193, where the trumpets converge from a series of four-note chords to a major second only (Cb/Db, distilling the exposed second to its pure form), merging with the saxophones in a chord which typifies the cluster-on-the-bottom, open-on-top voicing we have seen often (in this case Cb/Db/Eb/Fb/Bb).
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Leading into the final flourish of the movement, the full-band eighth-note run in m. 215 shows no discernible vertical or horizontal harmonic basis. The note order follows no scale and seems rather random, which in a way fits with the cacophony of four simultaneous free solos in the previous four measures, so perhaps this run is intended to be an extension of that sound. The final flourish of the movement, on the Esus tonic chord, adds C# in the first soprano saxophone to yield Esus4 (add 9,13) or Esus13 (omit 7). The upper part of the chord is clustered among the soprano saxophones and trumpets (E/F#/A/B/C#).
Note that as this chord contains ^2 and ^4 as its suspended tones, but no ^7, it sounds less dissonant than a suspended chord which includes ^7, as would typically be found in traditional jazz settings; ^7 of course has the strongest "leading" tendency of all the scale degrees, so it follows that this chord would lack some of the dissonance of a suspension which includes ^7. Indeed, since ^5 is present here, ^4 could be heard to tend upward to it, to a perfect fifth sonority, rather than downward to the absent ^3. At the very end of the recording, during the free cadenza section in mm. 226-227, the guitar is once again used as a kind of synthesizer (as we saw at the beginning of mvt. 3),
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employing some kind of electronic enhancement to create an otherworldly timbre in a swirling, rising and falling texture. This is not likely an actual synthesizer since the pianist is playing at the same time, and no other guitar part is audible, but it is notated in the score as "free." One final note about this movement: the solos are generally in the lower parts in each section; most occur in the fourth and fifth trumpets and saxophones, though at certain times all five saxophones play brief solos. The fourth saxophone changes to tenor midway through and plays one of the longer solos. The only trombone solo is played by the first trombone. Perhaps the distribution has to do with the less-demanding range of the lower parts reserving strength for soloing. Notably, for this recording by the WDR Big Band, Mendoza assigned solo parts to specific players by name in the score, including saxophonist David Liebman. A few points in terms of instrumentation and range in this movement: high-register trumpets are used sparingly, only at points of climax. The trombones are used throughout their range, though they are generally kept in the mid- to high mid-range, with the exception of the fourth trombone, which often dips below the staff and supplies the bass note of a chord. An unusual saxophone section is used in this movement, consisting of five sopranos, often playing in unison. At other times three saxophones play in unison, the others joining the trumpets on chords. The rhythm section's role is fairly typical of a bebop-style piece, the piano and guitar comping and providing rhythmic and melodic punctuation. The walking bass, and drums playing time, round out the straight-ahead bebop sound. "Sketches," Mvt. 5 (The score of this movement has not been published.) The first 20 seconds of this movement contain several of Mendoza's signature devices: prominent trombones, beginning with an unaccompanied trombone choir; perfect intervals (fifths in this case) without mediants; suspended chords (here a Csus7); prominent minor seconds (0:10 - in FMaj7 (omit 5), which also represents an incomplete chord voicing, and in Dm2 - 0:15); and a 2-chord (0:16 - Dm2, which
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lacks the seventh and so is not Dm9). Further, this section is an example of Mendoza's mixing of purer jazz and less jazz-oriented sonorities, as immediately after the 2-chord (0:19) we hear a series of minor seventh chords, a chord root movement by augmented-fourth at 0:22 which is reminiscent of a ii-V tonicization (though this progression does not materialize), and an Em9 chord in a textbook tertian voicing which ends the introduction. The progression at 0:18 is Gm7 CMaj13 - F#m7 - Em7; the motion between Gm7 and CMaj13 is bracing due to modal borrowing: the Bb-B natural transition deforms the (expected?) ii-V progression by switching modes between chords. The movement proceeds in a jazz ballad style. Flutes are present here, once again in conjunction with the brass, doubling the line at the octave (0:41). Later in the movement, bass clarinet is used to double the bass line, e.g. around 1:16. The chord changes established before the solo section (0:30-1:46) are as follows: Gm7 - Cm7 - AbMaj7/C - Cm7 - AbMaj7/C - Asus13 - E/G# - Gm11 - BbMaj13 - CMaj13 Gm7 - Csus13 - Am7 - BbMaj9 - CMaj9 - Am7 - FMaj9#11 - Am7 - Bbm9 - Eb7 - AbMaj9 Gm7 - AbMaj9/C - C7#9 - DbMaj13 - F#m11 - EMa7/G# - Eb2/G - Cm9 - FMaj13 - Bbm9 Ebsus4(add 9) - Bbm9 - Am9 - Csus13 - FMaj9/C - Gm9 - Csus13 - Fo7 - F6/9(#11) Distribution of chord root motion: Seconds: 13 Thirds: 11 Fourths: 14 Tritones: 0 As this is one of Mendoza's more traditional-sounding jazz pieces, there is a significant amount of chord motion by fourth, including II-V and V-I progressions, more so than in the other movements of "Sketches." 6/3-inversion chords abound (0:35, 0:38, 0:44, 0:55, 1:1110, 1:14, 1:20-1:22). Moreover, the Am7 chord at 0:57 assumes FMaj9/A character (another 6/3 inversion)
10
This is an Eb/G triad which immediately changes to a skeletal voicing of Gm7when the melody moves from Eb to F; I am treating it as Gm7 in the chord progression.
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with the addition of F in the trumpets after one beat. But as with the other progressions we have seen, the chords do not inhere in one particular key or mode, but move about freely. A prominent example of modal borrowing in this progression, echoing what we heard at 0:18, is Cm9 FMaj13 - Bbm9, a modified ii-V-I where Mendoza replaces F13 with FMaj13; here the Eb common to the modes of the surrounding chords (and which would remain constant in F13) changes to E natural for the duration of the FMaj13 chord, marking a small-scale harmonic shift. Other notable features of this movement include:
Prominent minor seconds can be heard at 0:52-0:53, 1:19, 1:20, 1:25, 1:32, 4:41, 6:16-6:17, 6:54-6:58, 7:16, and 7:56. The time gap in the middle of these, between the examples at 1:32 and 6:54, is the solo section, where there are fewer ensemble chords in general. A quite exposed (and doubled) major second in the trumpets in medium-high range is audible at 9:08. 5:21-5:23 also contains prominent major seconds, in a moment reminiscent of the major-second interjection in mvt. 4, mm. 52-53. At 4:41a Cm9 chord in the trombones is voiced C/Bb/C/D/Eb, forming a cluster with a minor second on top. Note that C is doubled but G is omitted. At 5:12, The Dm2 (D/E/F/A) chord in the trumpets is clustered at the bottom.
At 1:13 a somewhat dualistic chord occurs: spelled C/G/Ab/Bb/Eb, this is Cm7b13 and functions as such in the surrounding progression. But an echo of dominant-over-tonic sound also can be heard, which results from a resemblance to Eb over Ab, with C in the bass, a kind of overlapping voicing between the two chords. In the harmonic context, either chord would fit: in the first case, Cm7b13 - C7 - DbMaj7; in the second, (Eb or Ab) - C7 - DbMaj7.
At 4:59 the introduction is restated in contrary motion between trombones and trumpets, moving to a swing feel.
At 5:06 the trumpet chord over Cm11 is D/F/G/C, another example of an upper-structure suspended chord, in the form of Csus4(add 9). Unfortunately the pitch played by the fifth trumpet (if any) is not distinguishable, but the suspended-type sonority is nevertheless clear.
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At 6:48 this chord returns, but in the form of Csus7 across the entire band. Another full-band sus chord sounds at 7:52, this time a complete Fsus9, which meshes well with the rather traditional jazz feel here. This chord, instead of acting as a dominant, acts as a subdominant, as the following sequence of chords ends in C minor, a delayed IVsus7 - Im7 resolution. The final chord is Bb6/9, but the portion of the chord played by the trumpets spells Gsus7, another upper-structure suspension.
From 5:21-5:23 there are major seconds between the upper pitches of the chords shared by the trombones and saxophones. Again mixing "alternative" chords with purely jazz voicings, Mendoza omits ^7 in these chords, resulting in Gbm(add 4) - Abm(add 4), standing out a bit as slightly starker sounding compared to the surrounding seventh chords, and compared to the minor 11th chords which would be produced by including ^7.
At 6:49, announcing the recap of the melody, there is an incomplete suspended voicing in which the chord resembles Csus9 but omits ^7, instead spelling Csus4(add 9). The trumpet portion of the chord is spelled (C/D/F/G/C). Once again, there is a doubled note in an incomplete voicing, which shows that at this point the composer prefers the slightly less dense sound of sus4 instead of sus7. The seventh is added on the second beat of the measure in the middle octave by the saxophone melody, but I think it is significant, and illustrative of the composer's taste, that the initial attack emphasizes sus4 rather than sus7. Moreover, when the seventh is added it does not quite last for the duration of the chord, instead moving with the melody.
At 7:29 the trumpet chord contains a dense voicing on the top (B/C/E/F/G) with two minor seconds including a ^4/^3 tension; this chord is joined by the saxophones playing Csus4(add 9), forming an aggregate CMaj7(add 4). By now it appears that sus4(add 9) is one of the composer's preferred suspended sonorities.
The final tutti recap of the melody, from 6:43-7:50, is fairly polyphonic, with brass punctuations and countermelodies pitted against the saxophone melody. The trombones play
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more single-line unaccompanied countermelodies than the trumpets, which focus on more chordal figures. This seems to place a slight emphasis on the trombone part due to its more independent, melodic character.
The final chord at 7:57 has a tense, contemporary sound due to the minor ninth between the lead trumpet melody note (Eb) and the ninth of the chord (D). Also, the minor second between D/Eb in the trombones is prominent. This chord seems to have a lot of open inner space arising from the open voicings in the trombones and trumpets.
Soprano saxophone doubles the trombone melody in unison at 8:08. At 8:43 the soprano plays a solo line in unison with the guitar. We saw another instance of soprano/guitar combination in movement III, m. 24.
There is one final instance of parallelism, resulting in modal borrowing, in the final three chords; coming from a series of chords diatonic to C major, we have: Esus9 - Dsus13 C9/Bb. F, in the home scale of C, changes to F# during the Esus9 chord.
"Say We Did" The prominent stylistic elements found in Mendoza’s large ensemble pieces, just discussed, also can be found in his more purely fusion pieces. A short passage in "Say We Did," recorded with guitarist John Scofield, concisely illustrates several of Mendoza's preferred harmonic techniques, thus representing his characteristic sound in a different ensemble setting. At 6:28 (no score available) the most recently tonicized key center at this point in the piece is C minor, and suddenly the following progression appears: E/G# - A - Gb/Bb - G2/B. Elements present here include an abrupt harmonic shift (from the prevailing C minor to an E/G# chord), pure triads, 6/3 inversions, a 2-chord (also in 6/3 inversion), and distantly related successive chords (including chord root motion by third and second) connected smoothly by stepwise bass motion. The triads and 2-chord give this passage a pop-oriented flavor.
"Babe of the Day"
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"Babe of the Day" has even greater pop-fusion character than “Say We Did”; the harmony is less dense and more triadic than in his more purely jazz-influenced works, such as those previously discussed. The D minor tonic chord at the end of the head (2:13), into which the clearest cadence occurs, is a triad. Nevertheless, the progressions are far from simple; the chords tend to wander in and out of the tonic key, which begins in Bb but modulates to D minor by the end of the head and spends more time there than in any other key center. The progression is quite deceptive, with many twists and turns; in fact, the key is difficult to determine at times except at the end of the head. The instrumentation consists of a small-group setup common to many fusion bands, which greatly contributes to the fusion character: solo saxophone, digital piano, guitar with chorus effect, synthesizer, electric bass, and drums. Latin percussion is represented by conga drums in a fairly subdued background role, though the piece does not have an overt Latin feel beyond what is contributed by the timbre and syncopation of the congas. The melody has a hesitant, stop-and-start feeling, and the melodic contour hearkens to Sonny Rollins's "St. Thomas". The drums take on a dual character in this piece: during the head they interact closely with the irregular rhythms of the melodic line; later, during the saxophone and guitar solos the drums become more propulsive, in a straightforward pop/rock beat which completes the unmistakable fusion sound, augmented further by the splash cymbal. At the same time the bass assumes a syncopated, funk-influenced rhythm. As in the other pieces under discussion, there are many chord inversions, with both 6/3 and 6/4 inversions playing significant roles. Some tonic-over-dominant sound occurs as well, most notably in the cadence ending the head: A7/D - Dm. Not surprisingly, suspended chords have an appreciable presence, sometimes acting as dominants which resolve the 4-3 suspension, at other times acting as stand-alone sonorities which do not resolve. In a final nod to pop music, the piece ends by fading out, as many pop songs do, rather than ending definitively. So although some elements of Mendoza's purer jazz works are retained in this piece, the overall style is substantially different from the large ensemble works we have seen, leaning heavily toward
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fusion. It is worth noting that the album containing this piece, Start Here, was released four years before "Sketches" was composed, so although different, and although "Sketches" arguably is considerably more sophisticated, both pieces represent a similar timepoint in Mendoza's output. Concluding remarks I have shown that two of Mendoza's characteristic techniques are suspended chords and dominant-over-tonic constructions. It is worth noting that these are related: While Vmaj/X (Vmaj=major chord built on ^5 of X, which could be any pitch) has a dominant-over-tonic sound, the minor seventh-chord version, Vm7/X, amounts to Xsus9. In this case, both chords are missing ^3 since Xsus9 does not contain ^3. Thus, the feature which produced the dominant-over-tonic sound in the first case, an omitted ^3, does not occur. The reader may wonder why I associate exposed seconds (especially minor seconds) with a pop style, since this interval is quite common in all types of jazz. While this impression is indeed subjective, my hypothesis is as follows. Jazz harmony typically is substantially more complex than pop harmony (recall that I am using "pop" to refer also to fusion, film, and band music). Since chords used in pop music are normally simpler, when there is a dissonant interval such as a major or minor second, it obtrudes against the simple backdrop. Also, I surmise that these dissonances are likely brought out intentionally by the songwriter to highlight the added complexity, since they are the elements of "spice" in these chords. So the second becomes a highly salient feature of the chord. In contrast, seconds in typical jazz chords are ubiquitous but coexist with the other dissonances of a chord, such as altered extensions and upper structures, and so they are often "hidden" in the surrounding complexity. So in pop harmony, seconds are dissonances, but in jazz they are heard less as dissonances and more as normal, idiomatic sonorities giving richness to a chord. This is why, to my ear, exposed seconds carry a pop character. To help elucidate my view of the pop/jazz divergence, I will illustrate the use of voicing
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to influence the stylistic character of a chord. Consider CMaj9: in a close voicing of B/C/D/E/G, it carries the familiar jazz character, owing mainly to its density. If placed in an open voicing of E/B/C/G/D instead, it is transformed stylistically and now has a much greater pop character.
Although both voicings contain the same five chord tones, the latter rarifies the density, making the chord sound simpler due to the wider inner spacing, likely because in this configuration the overtones of each note have more room to sound without conflicting. More importantly, while both voicings contain minor seconds between the same two pitches, B and C, in the second voicing this dissonant interval is exposed, and thus much more obtrusive against the open backdrop. Thus I would argue that the second is more of a pop-style voicing than the first. In terms of levels of dissonance, one could make a similar comparison between tonally-rooted ("traditional") jazz and highly chromatic jazz - in the latter style, the harmonic environment maintains a high level of dissonance, so that it is expected, and when absent, the resulting consonance sounds out of place, turning the traditional consonance/dissonance relationship on its head. In short, surrounding levels of dissonance partially determine the listener's perception of individual consonances and dissonances. In light of my comments on fusion, the reader may wonder whether I am attempting to paint Mendoza's music as being fusion. I am not, even though he has written purely fusion pieces. The music of many fusion groups exists on the borderline between pop and jazz and would not strictly be considered jazz by many listeners; on the other hand, Mendoza is fluent in the jazz idiom and chooses to incorporate aspects of other styles to convey his musical ideas.
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In conclusion, I have attempted to show, through examples taken from these pieces, the characteristics of Mendoza's writing and arranging which give rise to his particular style. We have seen certain tendencies that arise repeatedly, and thus become characteristic; patterns like this go a long way in defining the style of any composer or arranger. Conversely, each piece has its own unique sound, with some features occurring uniquely in each. We have also seen that his music includes a rather wide swath of stylistic influences, including bebop, modal jazz, contemporary chromaticism, fusion, Latin patterns, and pop/film/band music, often combining these elements in a single piece. It is of course logical that composers in all genres, but particularly jazz, draw influences from different sources, synthesizing these components to define their own styles. Mendoza does this with aplomb, beginning with a canvas of “legit” jazz but fluently and convincingly coloring it with pop, fusion, and Latin influences. Each of these elements comes to the forefront at various times, which is one reason why the music is so diverse and interesting. It is not simply a combination of predetermined elements following a general formula, such predictability being a feature from which some fusion music suffers; this is also a reason why Mendoza’s music would not accurately be called fusion. Mendoza has thus created a style which retains the authentic colors of its elements but deftly blends them into a rich, diverse musical palette.
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Appendix: Discography, Collaborations, and Awards Discography: (source: www.vincemendoza.net/music) Vince Mendoza (1990) Start Here (1990) Instructions Inside (1991) Jazzpaña (with Arif Mardin, 1993) Sketches (1993) Epiphany (1998) Blauklang (2008) El Viento: The García Lorca Project (2009) 54 (with John Scofield, 2010) Nights on Earth (2011) Collaborations: Speaking to the pop and fusion influences in his music, Mendoza has collaborated with a number of pop and fusion artists, as well as renowned jazz musicians. The following is a partial list; a full listing can be found at www.vincemendoza.net/discography: Peter Erskine Joe Zawinul Randy Brecker David Liebman Charlie Haden Jim Beard Diana Krall Al Jarreau Yellowjackets Madeleine Peyroux Björk Sting Chris Botti Elvis Costello Joni Mitchell Grammy Awards: Mendoza has received five awards: 2010: Carlos (Best Instrumental Arrangement) 2007: In a Silent Way (Best Instrumental Arrangement) 2006: Some Skunk Funk (Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album) 2003: Woodstock (with Joni Mitchell - Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)) 2000: Both Sides Now (with Joni Mitchell - Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s))
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Bibliography
Mendoza, Vince. Sketches. ACT Music-Vision 9215-2, 1994, compact disc. Mendoza, Vince. Sketches. Greeley, CO: UNC Jazz Press, 1993. Mendoza, Vince. “Babe Of The Day.” Start Here. World Pacific CDP 7 94592 2, 1990, compact disc. “Metropole Orchestra, Jubilee-1 Vince Mendoza.” YouTube video, 6:43. Posted by user Geepereet, May 20, 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUt7ULRK2gg.
