[Harp-L] Jazz Ensemble

[Tin Lizzie <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

So, I think I have identified one of the things that’s really been bugging me about all this jazz stuff, and that is how a group of jazz musicians makes it all hang together.

Here is a quote from the “Blues” chapter of “The Jazz Theory Book” by Mark Levine (page 223).  It’s long, but I include it because it’s representative of the larger issue.  It’s prefaced by a historical synopsis of how the blues form has evolved from its beginnings and onward.

---
So, which version of “the blues” do you play when soloing or ‘comping on a blues?

  - The original three-chord “basic blues”?
  - The variation from the 1930s?
  - Any of the various bebop-era changes?

Should you play tritone substitution on the fourth bar?  Should you play a II-V-I on bars 9 through 11?  Should you play the chromatic II-V progression in bars 7 through 9?  The answer is all of the above.  Today’s jazz musicians freely mix all versions of the blues, borrowing and switching even in the middle of a chorus.  You might just play C7, F7, C7 on the first four bars (from the 1930s version), play F7 and C7 on the second four-bar phrase (the “basic blues”), and then play II-V-I changes on the last four bars (the changes from the bebop era).  If you’re soloing, you can do whatever your ear, mind, and soul tell you to do.  If you’re ‘comping (the pianist, guitarist, or bassist), your job is to listen and follow.”
---

So, when you jazz harp players are playing in an ensemble with other live musicians, DO you do “whatever your ear, mind, and soul tell you to do,” and DO the comping musicians (pianist, guitarist, bassist) listen and follow?

How do you prevent everyone from going eir own way all at once?  Or is it fine if everyone goes eir own way all at once?  If not, who decides which chord substitutions will be used  *this*  time through the chorus, and how is that communicated?

Conceptually, I get it that jazz is about making interesting departures from what’s expected.  But how does an ensemble, playing live, control the chaos so that it all still sounds like  *something*?

Thank you.

Tin Lizzie