Tempo Fluctuation in Two Versions of Body and Soul by John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon

Tempo Fluctuation in Two Versions of Body and Soul by John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon Cynthia Folio (Temple University) Soon after returning to the US from Europe in 1976, Dexter Gordon formed a band with George Cables (piano), Rufus Reid (bass), and Eddie Gladdon (drums) a group he considered to be his best. His last version of Body and Soul was recorded with this band live at Keystone Korner in San Francisco on September 16, 1978 (Nights at the Keystone Korner, vol. 3, B2-94850). This recording borrows features from an earlier recording of the same tune by John Coltrane (Coltrane s Sound), recorded in 1960 but released in 1964. This landmark recording features some of the best work by his renowned quartet McCoy Tyner (piano), Steve Davis (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums). Gordon s arrangement borrowed several important features from Coltrane, including the opening two-measure vamp, and the third-related chord progressions (after Giant Steps ) in the bridge. As we ll see, Gordon s version is much slower and more rhythmically complex; it therefore involves greater tempo fluctuations than Coltrane s. My paper first introduces Coltrane s version as the model for Gordon, but will then focus mainly on Gordon s version, because of the more extreme tempo fluctuations. The main goal of the paper is to study the fluctuations in tempi in the two recordings of Body and Soul, both within each section, and from section to section, using a program called LARA (Lucerne Audio Recording Analyzer: http://www.hslu.ch/musik/m-forschung-entwicklung/m-forschung-lara.htm). The four pages of diagrams that accompany this proposal demonstrate tempo fluctuations in (1) the introduction and the first A section of Coltrane s recording; (2) the two-bar introduction and the first A section of Gordon s recording ( Dexter1 ); (3) The first A section in Gordon s final chorus, where his solo is at its highest intensity ( Dexter9A ); and (4) the bridge from Gordon s final chorus ( Dexter11Bridge ). The final paper will present diagrams of all sections of both recordings (except for the cadenzas, which are in a free tempo), but these four examples should be enough to demonstrate a few points. The diagrams at the top of each page represent two-measure segments in milliseconds; the higher the number, the slower the tempo. The graph on the bottom of each page is a sonogram of the passage analyzed in the diagram, which not only helps orient the

listener as to where we are in the sound file, but also shows some of the activity in the various instruments; the lowest stratum is primarily the bass and drums. Coltrane s Body and Soul The overall plan for the Coltrane version is an introduction, one chorus by Coltrane, one chorus by Tyner, and then two A sections by Coltrane, with a ritard and short cadenza at the end of the second A section. The following table demonstrates the consistency in tempo from section to section the timings (number of seconds at which the beginning of each section occurs) are all 27 seconds apart. A1 A2 B A3 Coltrane 0:14 0:41 1:08 1:35 Tyner 2:02 2:29 2:56 3:23 Coltrane 3:50 4:17 * *The A2 section segues into the cadenza, slightly before it comes to an end. Graphs of the timings measure-by-measure within each section reveal minor fluctuations (see Example 1: intro+first A section). Most notable is the tendency to accelerate slightly toward the ends of four-bar phrases, especially at the end of a section, as if to anticipate the beginning of the next section or phrase. We will see the same tendency in Gordon s interpretation, but magnified. Gordon s Body and Soul The overall plan for the Gordon version is an introduction (similar to Coltrane s), the head and two choruses by Gordon, two choruses by Cables, and a return to the last half of the head (from the bridge) and extended three-minute cadenza by Gordon. Each solo begins with the vamp in the bass and piano, prolonging the supertonic harmony (Eb min9 ). Both solos build in intensity, leading to a final chorus with an extended dominant (Ab) pedal and complex polyrhythms. The following table demonstrates some fluctuation in tempo in Gordon s head and two choruses (again, noting the timings in seconds of the beginnings of each section, up to the beginning of the piano solo). A1 A2 B A3 Head 0:19 0:56 (+37) 1:34 (+38) 2:10 (+36) First chorus 2:47 (+37) 3:22 (+35) 3:58 (+36) 4:32 (+34) Second chorus 5:06/7 (+34/5) 5:40 (+33/34) 6:14 (+34) 6:48 (+34)

Piano solo 7:22 (+34) When comparing the opening tempo (average of 4691 ms per half-measure, or 4688 ms without the intro) to the other two passages much later in the piece (average of 4214 ms in 9A and 4260 ms in 11Bridge), we see an obvious shift to a faster tempo to reflect the increase in intensity. The rhythmic activity at Dexter 9A (e.g. the first A section in the second chorus) is the most active, with Rufus Reid playing eighth-note triplets, grouped polyrhythmically against the prevailing 4/4 in the drums and sax (see transcribed musical example note that the tempo is so slow, the transcription converts each 4/4 measure from the lead sheet into two measures of 4/4). Other melodic/harmonic factors contribute to the increase in tension, including the Ab pedal tone in the bass. The differences in the fluctuation of tempo within each section are subtle. But a few trends can be seen. First, if we compare the openings of each section relative to the average number for that section, all three begin with a higher than average number (or in the case of 9A, a close to average number) and all begin with a dip in number for the second two-bar segment. If we compare the closings, we see that all three end with a lower than average number (or in the case of 9A, a close to average number) and all end with a dip in the number for the final two-bar segment compared to the segment before, as if the performers are in a hurry to link into the next section. Similar trends can be seen in the other sections. This paper is presented in memory of Steve Larson, who was a jazz pianist and one of the pioneers in the fields of music cognition and jazz analysis. While he is best known for his application of Schenkerian analysis to jazz, he also did some analysis of rhythm, including rhythmic displacement in Bill Evans (2006). Other authors have analyzed rhythm and timing, such as Charles Keil (1987) Participatory Discrepancies ; J.A. Prögler (1995) Searching for Swing ; Fernando Benadon (2006) Slicing the Beat ; Collier and Collier (2007) Studies of Tempo Using a Double Timing Paradigm ; Honing and de Has (2008) Swing Once More ; and Matthew Butterfield (2006) The Power of Anacrusis and (2011) Why do Jazz Musicians Swing Their Eighth Notes? This study will build on these and other articles and will provide insight into tempo fluctuation and the conditions that bring about these fluctuations. It will also provide some insight into the relationship between Coltrane s model and Gordon s later tribute.

Dexter Gordon Examples: Dexter1 = Intro and 1st A section; Dexter 9A = 2 nd chorus, 1st A section; Dexter 11Bridge = 2 nd chorus, bridge; Transcription = 2 nd chorus, 1 st A section (sax and bass)

Coltrane Graph: Intro and A1 section