Jimmy Rosenberg Bossa Dorado question

[chris_b]

I have been learning gypsy jazz and jazz in general for about six months now. I understand playing the changes with arpeggios, but otherwise my theory is very limited.

I've transcribed this solo and I'm curious about what Jimmy is playing over the D7 - Gm6 section from 2:25-2:28 and how it works? Is that a Gmaj7 inversion?

[grahambop]

He briefly hits a Db on the 3rd string 11th fret, then does a downward rake from the 1st string to the 3rd string on a rootless D7#5#9 chord (using the shape x.x.x.11.11.13), then from the F# on the 11th fret of the 3rd string he is doing a downward run using D7alt notes into G minor, i.e. descending: F#, F, Eb, D, C, Bb, A, G.

Then at the G note he plays an ascending G minor line.

Pretty standard lines on a V-i but of course he is playing it very very fast!

[rpjazzguitar]

He briefly hits a Db on the 3rd string 11th fret, then does a downward rake from the 1st string to the 3rd string on a rootless D7#5#9 chord (using the shape x.x.x.11.11.13), then from the F# on the 11th fret of the 3rd string he is doing a downward run using D7alt notes into G minor, i.e. descending: F#, F, Eb, D, C, Bb, A, G.

Then at the G note he plays an ascending G minor line.

Pretty standard lines on a V-i but of course he is playing it very very fast!

Thanks for this. Well transcribed and reported!

I would add only, in case it's of value to the OP, that Dalt is an Ebmelodic minor scale starting on the D.

D Eb F Gb Ab Bb C.

D7#5#9 is D F# A# C F or, respelled, D Gb Bb C F.

So, if it helps to think about this, the notes are from Dalt (7th mode Ebmelmin) and spell out a chord that occurs within Dalt.

You could substitute any other chord from within that scale (Dalt or Ebmelmin, same notes) and it will work.

[grahambop]

The descending line he plays from the top of that chord (i.e. F on the 1st string 13th fret) down to the Eb is essentially the ‘Cry Me A River’ lick. You can hear this in loads of solos. Miles Davis used to do it a lot. (The whole descending lick would be F, Eb, Bb, Gb, F, Eb.)

As you say, it’s all from Eb melodic minor.

[montanacurt]

Rookie Question. I've been playing guitar for 40 years but still have limited theory. Going to a new open jam and several of the players are skilled Jazz Musicians, I'm hoping to find a minimum number of scales to play over the Rosenberg version of this song. I see above the Eb melodic minor scale, but wondering if there are some other scales I would need to play over the changes. Most of the music I've played has only required that I find the key and can camp out on one scale per song (with embellishment).

We played it last week and I played pretty well but I could tell I wasn't dialed in.