7 note phrases in Bill Evans Oleo Solo

Check this out.

Now, maybe I am looking for patterns a little too hard...but check out the multiple grouping of notes in the first 16 measures of Evans' solo. Right-click the notes and choose "View Image" to see the brackets showing the groupings.

Random chance?

Not bloody likely.

Just count the occurrence of notes, not their duration. So, it doesn't matter if it is an eighth or quarter note, just that it is a note.

Check out all the groupings of 7 notes.

That's some deep stuff.

Daily Licking 033: Bridge and Last 8 of Bill Evans on Oleo

Without further ado, let us continue. We left our hero approaching the bridge to Oleo, with 8 full measures of nothing but dominant chords for him to smite and lay waste to. Let us witness the destruction that ensues!

I added the generic Rhythm Changes for the bridge, just so you can see how many altered notes he plays against the standard chords. Again, no nice little box patterns in this solo for bass, it is all about melodic shapes that don't come from Bass-land. Knock yourself out analyzing those notes against those bridge chords. For instance on the D7 he plays F naturals, A flats, D flats - its a free for all!

Daily Licking 032: 16 Measures of Bill Evans on "Oleo"

Happy Pi day. And Albert Einstein's birthday. So if you saw a black hole today, thats why.

And speaking of Nobel-prize winning german physicists and the speed of gravity, how about some Bill Evans licks?

I took this one from "Oleo" off his record "Everybody Digs Bill Evans". I predict that after listening and checking out what he did in just the first 16 measures of the tune you will see why the title of that record is very accurate. It was a trio with Sam Jones and Philly Jo Jones.