Iain Cameron's Diary
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2003-04-22 - 12:40 p.m.

More work on the Countdown sequence. For example � think of the major seventh as two intervals of a third stacked a fifth apart � raise the lower interval by a semitone � that makes it into a flattened supertonic seventh with a flattened fifth � and then expand the the lower interval from a major third to a fourth. This is Hancock thirteenth without a root � it can go in one of two directions � to a supertonic major seventh or to a flat mediant major seventh. The first direction iterates stepwise up the wholetone scale Cmaj7 Dmaj7 Emaj7 etc. The second direction drops down through the Giant Steps tonal centres Abmaj7 and Emaj7.

(I just mention in passing that the bridge of Time has Told Me visits these GS centres � if the tune is in C then it jumps (as bridges do) to E at the start (see I Got Rhythm) but then slides to Ab on the way to the pedal point. The Ab is a very �major� Ab with a raised fourth in the melody line.)

One of the things about the solos on Countdown and Giant Steps is how they stick closely to the chord and scale notes � compare (say) Donna Lee or Relaxin at the Camarillo which are two bop lines that I am working on where part of the interest is how the lines take in extended harmonies. RatC has this especially in the eighth bar. Countdown also has a density of motifs that makes it stand as a long solo line in performance. A bit like Bach.

Did I mention that two of the 4 musicians on Giant Steps � come from Detroit � Tommy Flanagan and Paul Chambers (who also plays on Kind of Blue)? Elvin Jones also from the same area. Apparently there was a bebop bar which flourished down on the lake in the early 50s.

I mailed Derek Ridgers � I think I need to take a view on punk in the UK and there isn�t a better place for me to tackle that.

Nina Simone gets a lot of coverage � which has to be something that she would appreciate. She studied at Julliard from 1950 to 1954 � few better places to get an education � 10 minutes walk from 52nd St. She is like Ron Carter in that she wanted to get into the classical scene in the 50s but judged that the prejudice is too strong and so opts for jazz. I think maybe this is also true of Alice Coltrane. Its interesting that NS dislikes the comparison with Billy Holiday � I think its fair in terms of timbre � and that has to be to NS�s credit.

The Animals covered her Please Don�t Let Me Be Misunderstood - which immediately gave her status with the jazz-blues oriented youth in the 1960s. They had previously covered Dylan when he was unknown � Baby Can I Follow You Down and (maybe) House of the Rising Sun off the first Dylan LP. Conclusion � the Animals were smart at picking up stuff from the NYC musical vortex of the early 1960s � Dylan , Simone, Hendrix. That might be worth a para in Slightly All the Time.

An interesting article about Johns� Flag in the Guardian today � it is an incredible work of art. Painted in NYC in 55-54 at a time when he was close to Rauschenberg � Johns career went like a rocket although it started later than R�s. The painting itself is a major bridge between the AbsEx and Pop Art. It still rings with ambiguity which is why it gets a double page spread in today�s paper. Ambiguity made concrete � that�s J Johns. Friend of Merce and Cage too. I have a really good catalogue about the 3 of them.

Yvonne and I walked west along the north side of the Hogs Back � across the A3 and then down to the site of the medieval hunting lodge in the King�s deer park. By coincidence we saw a deer in the distance � they are not uncommon in Surrey but you don�t normally see them that close in to the town. The moat around the lodge is an ornamental lake in someone�s garden . You get really good views along the north side of the chalk ridge and across the Wey valley. You don�t realise how high you are until you realise that you can see over the top of the chalk to the Upper Greensand ridge at the Chantries or is it the hill named after St Martha who slew the dragon at Aix.

I made a version of 10SS and 4 Fifths for Gilbert which has the two possibly completed tunes from NYC0303 which also have guitar parts added � which takes it up to around 45 mins of playing time. I need to do better at getting some awareness going on this stuff � there have been all kinds of hurdles � not to do with the kind contributors � but I ought not let this hold me back. Anyway yesterday I started to do some research on R3�s Mixing It which is the obvious outlet to try first.

I also made him a copy of the remaining tunes from NYC0303 � plus a compendium of other material.

I must get Robin to explain why one or two speed copying is OK but faster isn�t. I did

All of Serious Music and Plundafonix in single time � but that was more accident than design.

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