Stella question

[Sailor]

OK...probably asked and answered but lots of ii-v-i's in Stella but I can't remember the progression well because it's harmonically a little strange, i.e., the first ii-v....em7b5 - A7b9 - cm11?

ALSO, does anyone know that site where all the jazz standards are analyzed, harmonically, historically, etc....I bookmarked it ages ago and it's lost in bookmark land!!!

Thanks, Sailor

[randalljazz]

lots of analysis here:

Jazz Standards, Jazz History, Musicology, Biographies and Books

[randalljazz]

that is not a very useful analysis of stella (different key and all...)

so:

Bb: measure 1-2 is a two-five of the 3rd of the tonic chord, which does not resolve.

measure 2-3, ii-V of tonic, which also does not resolve.

ms 5-8, is a ii-V-I in the subdominant (Eb), followed by the IV of Eb which double as the back-door dominant of tonic.

ms 9, tonic finally, then quick ii-V of iii > iii.

ms 12 is a back door ii-V of V, resolves to temporary tonicization of F, followed by its ii chord

ms 15-16, long ii-V of vi, which instead resolves to V of ii. then BD V7 to tonic.

last 8 is cycle progression beginning on #4, which could also be viewed as ii-V/iii, ii-V/ii, ii-V-I.

in short, don't feel inadequate that you find this tune abstruse..IT IS ABSTRUSE. but great fun to play, a challenge at all levels.

[Sailor]

Thanks Randall for that site...it was the one I was looking for...and for the better analysis.

Do you know of any other oings that follow this progression??....few songs are original in structure!

Sailor

[SteveCarter]

Originally Posted by Sailor

OK...probably asked and answered but lots of ii-v-i's in Stella but I can't remember the progression well because it's harmonically a little strange, i.e., the first ii-v....em7b5 - A7b9 - cm11?

ALSO, does anyone know that site where all the jazz standards are analyzed, harmonically, historically, etc....I bookmarked it ages ago and it's lost in bookmark land!!!

Thanks, Sailor

I think that originally the first chord was Bbdim7. In some other songs, Idim7 goes to IMaj7 (for example, Spring Is Here). It's common to replace a Idim7 with VII7b9. That's where the A7b9 in Stella comes from. The Em7b5 is the "related two" of the A7. In Stella, we don't go directly to the I chord, but take a round-about route, arriving at the I chord in measure 9.

As for sites that feature analysis of tunes, you can look at my site,
http://www.frogstoryrecords.com. In particular, you might want to look into my THoTH Music Learning Software. There's a freeware verion on my site (for Windows only; no Mac version yet). THoTH has a built in Progression Analyzer. You can read about that feature at this link:
http://frogstoryrecords.com/

Here's a link to THoTH's analysis of Stella:
http://frogstoryrecords.com/

Hope that helps.

Steve