So true, what an amazing recording, thanks 8mile! Here is a solo from "A Night In Tunisia" (starts around 4:49):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1CQc2BZS1c
In this one he takes three choruses and then cues the band back in with the groove.
Plangentmusic, I don't think it was the fact that Elvin was playing with Wayne or because Wayne was/is a dogmatic band leader that led him to play over the form, I think it was because Wayne's music inspired Elvin to play this way.
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I'm not sure the decision to play over a specific amount of measures or not is a matter of inspiration. My guess is that;s the way Wayne wanted it, but of course, it's all speculative on all out parts.
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As I was saying earlier, we all agree that Elvin was a true master of the instrument and could play appropriately in different musical settings.
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Yes and no. Elvin is a genius and an innovator. But I wouldn't hire him to play for ABBA. LOL
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It is the same with this Sonny Rollins recording. I strongly suspect that the fact that Elvin plays over the form here has nothing to do with Sonny Rollins telling him how to play, it is just his natural response to the music. Elvin could and did solo over the form brilliantly whenever the music called for it.
Also just to be clear, I did not say that Elvin played "mostly" modal music. I don't think that that is really an accurate representation of his music. Elvin played everything from straight-ahead standards to super avant-garde, and he could solo spectacularly in any context.
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Okay, but he is mostly associated with Trane who also wrote some beautiful compositions but is known for his explorations in modal music.
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Elvin is certainly best known for his playing with Coltrane's group, which did feature lots of modal/open forms, but so much of Elvin's musical career was outside of the 4-5 years he spent with Coltrane!
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And with his own group it was heavily modal. My FAVORITE Elvin group was the trio with Jimmy Garrison and Joe Farrell. Also mostly modal.
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