Ethan Moleski

Professor Rowe

Improv II

1 April 2022

Blue in Green
Recorded on March 2, 1959, alongside “So What” and “Freddie Freeloader”, “Blue in
Green” became a statement tune over the modal record “Kind of Blue”. Originally thought to
have been entirely composed by the bandleader Miles Davis, this tune, along with “Flamenco
Sketches”, is now understood to be co-composed by Bill Evans (as acknowledged by Davis’
estate in 2002). Out of the entire “Kind of Blue” album, this tune in particular stands out as my
favorite. From the texture and phrasing of the melody, the comping behind the lead, to harmonic
complexity and tonal centers of the piece.

By examining a lead sheet of the melody, it’s clear to see how incredibly important it is
that the quality and richness of the melodic instrument be displayed. As such, Miles Davis
expertly chooses to alter his tone by using a harmon mute without its stem, though I’m uncertain
as to whether the material is copper or aluminum. By using this particular mute, Mile’s tone on
the low register is soft and mellow while the upper register is sparkling and intense.
Additionally, Davis sparsely utilizes vibrato, choosing instead to produce a clear, unwavering
sound. Personally, I find this to be incredibly effective and it has since become one of my
favorite tonal textures.

In my opinion, Miles’ tone is rivaled only by his interpretation of the melody. If I were to
characterize the phrasing of the melody, I can confidently say that delayed resolution is key. Had
Davis played off the published lead sheet, his rhythm would’ve been incredibly dull and
repetitive (the exact opposite of the intention behind the piece). Instead, he chooses to add space
and tension by delaying each melodic phrase. This also causes his phrases to almost seem like
the scrambled musing of a person in crisis which add more humanity and passion. This is most
accurately represented by his first 6 bars and displayed throughout the two choruses of melody.

On the published lead sheet, there isn’t a single beat of rest, and as you can expect, this
removes all emotion and meaning from the chart. But, by consciously laying back each measure,
Davis adds tension and space which creates a feeling of loneliness and longing in the listener.
For example, between measures 4 and 5, there is an entire 4 beats of melodic silences which
serves to isolate the audience in a contemplative silence. As Davis has consistently preached,
“It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t”.
 As expected, the rhythm sections interaction with Miles is astounding, especially Bill
Evans’ playing. Evans’ melodic comping pairs incredibly well with the way Davis’ phrases each
line. For example, in those 4 beats of rest, Evans’ plays an exquisite harmonic line that swells in
agony as if the listener is letting out a sigh of sorrow. Another example of Evans’ incredible
musicality is displayed around 58 seconds into the piece. As the melody leaps up a perfect
fourth, the piano plays a beautiful phrase that builds tension and soon after resolves to the Bb
Major 7 #11. Due to this delayed resolution, the music becomes an ocean of sound that rises and
falls with reach chordal movement.

Another terrific example or the rhythm sections interaction is between Bill Evans and
Jimmy Cobb. On the 6th bar into Coltrane’s solo, Evans plays a beautiful staccato comping
rhythm that Cobb response to brilliantly.

Though this interaction is minimal, strictly between rhythm section players, and does not
impact the soloist’s lines, I still found this important to note since this recording does not contain
a whole lot of interaction between players. There is, however, lots of missed opportunity for
interaction. One could argue that the lack of interaction between musicians was a lapse in focus,
but I believe this to be intentional. You see, had the musicians acknowledged each other in a
more direct method, they could have accidently amplified the intensity of the piece. But by
playing this tune is a more solitary fashion, the musicians are able to keep the feeling relaxed and
mellow. Another reason that this tune remains tempered and calm is the tonal centers that the
chords dictate.

Due to the relaxed nature of the quality and progression of the chords, I hold a deep
admiration for “Blue in Green”. Davis’ harmony contains an abundance of pronounced emotion
as the altered extensions of each chord add deeper meaning to the harmony. Instead of the typical
sad minor chords, these extensions convey a sense of isolation and desperation that traditional
chords can’t express. Speaking in more tangible terms, I also find relationship between each
chord fascinating due to the seemingly non-traditional movement from each chord. For instance,
our first three measures are Bb Major 7 #11 to A7 #9 to D minor 7. After some thought, it
becomes clear that this is a simple minor ii-V-I where the E half diminished is replaced with its
tritone counterpart Bb Major 7 #11. It is this level of harmonic complexity that is so appealing to
the listener as well as the musicians playing over the song.

Though it is extremely entertaining to examine this tune on a microscopic level, it is

crucial to look at the big picture when attempting to understand and eventually perform this
piece. Following suit with the other tunes on the album, Blue in Green is a completely modal
tune as evidence by the melody and its relationship to the chords. As instructed to the band by
Miles Davis, this tune only utilizes four modes: lydian, altered, dorian, and dominant. Though
the first 4 measures of the tune’s melody may point to the F major scale, it is important to note
that in context the long tones of each measure highlight the quality of the mode.
 You will find this to be true for the remainder of the melody aside from the fifth measure
of the tune. As such, I have tailored my approach to learning this tune by utilizing the given
modes in a scalular fashion. For example, on the Bb Major 7 #11 chord, I begin by going up the
Bb Lydian scale from the root up to the 7th, which then becomes the root of the A altered chord
wherein I go down the respective scale. On the third bar, I actually omit the Db dominant for an
interesting reason.

If you listen carefully to the record, you’ll notice that when soloing, the chords are sped
up. Instead of Bb Major 7 #11 taking an entire measure, it shares a measure with A7 #9. Due to
this fact, D minor 7 and C minor 7 share a measure as well, meaning the Db dominant chord, as
well as the F dominant b9, are excluded. Consequently, each chorus is now five measures instead
of ten. Additionally, in Bill Evans’ second chorus, the chords are sped up even further so that
each chorus is two and a half bars. As a result, Evans’ takes two “micro choruses” back-to-back
so that Miles can start his solo at the beginning of a measure rather than halfway through a bar.

Besides running through scales relative to the chords, I also found it useful to play guide
tones behind soloists in order to truly understand the motion of each chord. In doing so, I
discovered that you could create a nearly completely chromatic, descending line, which I use to
inform the direction of my lines. All things considered, Blue in Green is a masterpiece that
stands out from other ballads due to the phrasing and texture of the melody, the comping behind
the horn players, and the complexity of the harmonic and tonal centers.