Miles' Spanish Key

[LvJz]

Hi,

Has anyone tried to play/improvise over this song? The chords are E7 and D7, but how would you approach the soloing in this song? Was miles thinking in terms of modes?

I'd like to try and improv over it.

Ty

[JonR]

Originally Posted by LvJz

Hi,

Has anyone tried to play/improvise over this song? The chords are E7 and D7, but how would you approach the soloing in this song? Was miles thinking in terms of modes?

One would think so - given that he (and Bill Evans) basically invented what came to be called modal jazz 10 years earlier.
And this track is basically a one-chord groove (I haven't listened closely to it, but I only hear an E7 chord).
However, his opening lick is not quite mixolydian: E G G# B C# D - a blues lick essentially. So - even if he was thinking modes - he wasn't taking it too seriously or literally.
Personally I would just go for blues licks, maybe leaning to mixolydian. That seems to be what John McLaughlin is mostly doing, anyway. Chick Corea's stuff (if that is him) is all blues-inflected too, although there are other chromaticisms.
IOW, it's more just basic jazz-funk than modal (in the pure sense). That's how I'd thinking: getting into the groove; funky stabs; blues with some edgy chromaticism (half-steps either way). (McLaughlin plays a little F7 arp around 10:00, resolving back down to E7 chord tones: a typically bop-ish "outside" idea.)

[LvJz]

Thanks Jon, I did a bit of searching, and listening to that track. That outside idea of playing a 7th arp a semitone higher is pretty nifty.

Also, I discovered it was called Spanish Key because there is quite a lot of Phrygian/Phrygian dominant in there.

Ty