AboutPhil Kelly Expertise I can answer questions regarding jazz performance, jazz theory , composition,arranging and jazz recording and production..And overview of my CV /Bio and some sound samples of my work can be found on my website:
www.philkellymusic.com
Experience In addition to more than 40 years as a composer / arranger for
film, TV, and other media applications, I've written for bands like
Bill Watrous' NY Wildlife Refuge, the Old Tonight show band ,
Doc Severinsen, Si Zentner, as well as functioning as arranger/
conductor / drummer for vocalists Buddy Greco, Julius LaRosa,
Frank D'Rone, Sylvia Syms, John Gary, Jenny Smith, and Al
?TNT? Braggs among others..
Early on in my career, I also logged several years as a jazz
drummer with artists such as Terry Gibbs ,Red Garland, and
Denny Zeitlin as well as years of work as a studio and recording
drummer. In addition to his film and TV writing, I've written music
for over 500 national commercials , ESPN, ABC Sports , NFL
Films, and industrial films and shows for Cadillac, Chevrolet,
Volkswagen, American Airlines and Zales Jewelers.
I've also been the primary arranger for the Fort Worth ( TX)
Symphony Pops series for more than 25 years,and has been
commissioned to provide custom pop symphonic scores for Doc
Severinsen and Peter Nero., and have had arrangements played
by the Houston , Dallas, Detroit, Cincinnati, and North Carolina
Symphony orchestras.
Now semi-retired and residing in Bellingham WA, I still write jazz
and pop orchestra arrangements for publication and on
commision, and I'm beginning an auxiliary career in the
educational field as a clinician in film scoring and music for the
media at various colleges around the USA , as well serving as a
big band coach at the Bud Shank Centrum Jazz camp in Port
Townsend WA. for the past several years.
Organizations Amer. Fed. of Musicians
ASCAP
Amer. Soc. of Music Composers and Arrangers
Production Music Assn>
Publications Experts.com ..music composition and theory pages
Education/Credentials BFA major in music and graphic arts: Miami OH and Cincinnatti Coll/Cons /Music'60
Expert: Phil Kelly Date: 12/22/2006 Subject: Modern Jazz Theory
Question Hi,
I've been experimenting with writing different types of music for a while now, but recently I've been trying to write some jazz-rock in the style of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Tony Williams' Lifetime.
I wondered if you could give me some insight into how their chord progressions (namely Lifetime's) differ from traditional jazz and be-bop.
Any other tips would be useful too.
Thanks,
Bevil
Answer Hi Bevil:
Wow! it's been some time since I listened to either group ( even though I loved them at the time of their release ), so my comments regarding harmonic issues are going to be more general of the entire era.
The root of most of the harmonic practices of the era basically stem from the various later Miles Davis groups and are largely modal in nature .The rhythmic freedom is a direct result of the experiments culminating in the "Bitches Brew " era. Since both McLaughlin and Tony ( my favorite drummer, BTW ) both worked with Miles through that period ( although not always at the same time ) it was natural for them to carry a lot of these influences forward into their own later works.
In addition to the extended employment of modally based compositions, both also experimented with polytonal ( or polymodal ) melodies.
Rhythmically, both experimented with the inclusion of less common meters
( like 7/4, 5/4, 9/8 etc ) and mixed meters as well, and the overall feeling was much closer to the eighth /sixteenth feels of rock than the earlier bebop
period. However, since these guys were FAR more technically accomplished and sophisticated than their rock counterparts, the music has a character all its own ( even though the electronic textures of the rock era were also freely employed ).
I hope that this helps somewhat. As always, the best way to analyze the nuts and bolts of any musical genre is to transcribe some of the best examples of the era and its artists.
