Pivoting Modes – Don Friedman

Pivoting Modes demonstrates an alternate approach to the same melodic and harmonic material as Modes Pivoting. The tempo is quite a bit slower than Modes Pivoting, and the feel is different. In the A section, the melody is similar, with a few different rhythms. The bass plays long notes with rhythmic pickups which fill in below the melody. The bridge has the same descending II-V7 changes as that of Modes Pivoting, but the melody is higher in range and more rhythmic. The bass and drums play with a loose two-feel on the bridge. The C section starts the same as A; the fifth through ninth measures of this section are where the head differs the most from Modes Pivoting. In these measures the melody climbs over an octave, with added changes that rise and fall; the Emaj7 melody uses A♮ [natural] instead of A♯;. The last six measures of C start with rhythmic figures over descending II-V7s as in Modes Pivoting, with a descending turnaround added in the last two measures.

The solo changes are notably different from Modes Pivoting. They are no longer properly modal; the E minor sections alternate between a measure each of Em7 and Fmaj7(♯11), and the B minor section similarly alternates with Cmaj7(♯11). The rest of the solo changes are like the head changes. Don plays over these alternating chords; soloists have the option of interpreting the tonic minor chords as Phrygian, using the same scale as the alternating major chords. The rhythm section plays a loose two-feel for most of the solo chorus, going to four-feel on the bridge but switching back to two-feel in the seventh measure of that section.

This recording has no intro. The ending replaces the last two measures of the head with an ascending eighth-note line over descending half notes in the bass, finishing on Em(maj7).