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Vince Mendoza: A Stylistic Analysis

This article will analyze the music of Vince Mendoza, examining a number of his pieces

to determine characteristics of his writing which create his personal style. Like many modern jazz

composers, his music draws on elements of both contemporary and more traditional idioms, in

doing so creating a fluent and multifaceted stylistic expression. At times these discrete influences

are clearly audible, and at other times Mendoza speaks with a voice all his own. In my analysis I

have found that his style arises from the coexistence of several elements, which are sometimes

present concurrently and sometimes separately: a contemporary "pure" jazz harmonic idiom,

meaning the use of such entities as seventh chords and ii-V-I progressions; dissonant, chromatic

harmony, which produces a more abstract, contemporary sound; a harmonically simpler, pop- or

fusion-like character; adventurous chord progressions which draw from these three harmonic

languages; writing within established styles such as bebop, ballad, and fusion, but also in more

personal, self-defined stylistic environments; and finally, varying degrees of Latin influence. In

addition to these characteristics, there are certain harmonic, voicing, and orchestration devices to

which he gravitates. I will elaborate on the specific musical elements which give rise to his

unique style, examining several pieces in depth and drawing examples from other pieces without

an exhaustive treatment.

Overview of jazz fusion

An important point of discussion in this article will be to compare characteristics of Mendozas

music (specifically harmony, melody, and instrumentation) with the corresponding elements

found in jazz fusion. Fusion refers to a diverse category of music which combines jazz with pop,

rock, funk, soul, Latin, and other styles. When it leans heavily on pop influences, it is sometimes

called "smooth jazz". It is often played by a jazz combo-type ensemble (i.e. a solo or small group

of saxophones, trumpets, and/or trombones, with piano/keyboard, electric and/or acoustic guitar,

bass, and drums). There is often a vocalist singing either lyrics or phonemes, or a wind instrument

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may play the foreground melody in lieu of a vocalist (especially in fusion arrangements of pop

songs). Guitarists in fusion bands often use a distortion effect, which of course is closely

associated with rock music (see Majestic Dance by Return to Forever). Another pop feature

often heard in fusion is the use of artificial timbres produced by synthesizer, as opposed to the

acoustic timbres prevalent in traditional jazz (see Behind the Mask by Chick Corea Elektric

Band). Bassists use slap technique, especially in funk- and soul-oriented pieces, to a much

greater degree than in traditional jazz. Drum sets are often more elaborate than typical jazz sets,

incorporating different types of cymbals, toms, and auxiliary instruments (wind chimes,

tambourine, etc.). Likewise, percussionists are known to employ unusual South American,

African, and Asian instruments.

Melodies in pop-influenced fusion tend toward the lyrical, singable contours

characteristic of pop, rather than the rapid or angular lines of bebop or polyphonic textures of big

band scoring, though these can occur in different styles of fusion. Overall the ensemble closely

resembles a pop group; in fact, radio stations programming fusion or smooth jazz often play

arrangements of pop songs performed by fusion bands, which incorporate features borrowed from

traditional jazz such as reharmonization, chord substitutions, and chromatically-inflected

improvised solos, some of which closely resemble legit jazz solos in complexity. Harmony in

fusion often tends toward simpler, triad-based structures and progressions rather than the

extended seventh chords and polychords often found in modern jazz, though these are often

incorporated to a greater or lesser degree. Pop/rock drumbeats are quite common; when swing is

used, it is often used in a double-time shuffle feel under an overarching straight feel (see Love

Notes by The Rippingtons).

A number of well-known jazz musicians have ventured into the realm of fusion. Many of

these collaborated with Miles Davis at some point; Davis himself is known for proto-fusion

albums such as Sorcerer and Bitches Brew. These collaborators include Herbie Hancock, Chick

Corea (who formed Return to Forever with guitarist Al DiMeola and bassist Stanley Clarke),

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John McLaughlin (who formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra), Keith Jarrett, and Wayne Shorter

(who formed Weather Report). Later fusion groups/artists include Michael and Randy Brecker,

Pat Metheny, Yellowjackets, Gary Burton, John Scofield, Medeski Martin & Wood, The

Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra, and Acoustic Alchemy. Mendoza has collaborated with a number of

these artists, and also with mainstream pop artists (these are listed in the Discography section).

Maynard Ferguson recorded a number of film and television themes in his signature flamboyant

big-band setting, along with a unique arrangement of the aria Vesti la Giubba from

Leoncavallos opera Pagliacci, in a 1970s disco style, using a jazz/pop harmonic idiom, thus

combining three disparate genres - an example of the wide diversity of elements found in

different types of fusion.

Nomenclature

Scores of several of these pieces are unavailable, so for those my observations are based

on what is distinguishable in the recordings. Also, some events in the recordings are not notated

in the scores, so when necessary, instead of referring to measure numbers I have noted the

elapsed time in the recording. Depending on the source of the recording the reader may use, the

elapsed time specified may differ slightly between versions. A slash will denote an altered bass

note (i.e. Am7/C), and the designation "A over B" will denote a polychord of A simultaneously

over B, which normally would be represented by a horizontal line between chord symbols. Pitch

names joined by a slash denote a chord consisting of those notes, i.e. C/E/G spells C major.

Chord symbols connected by a hyphen denote a progression from one chord to the next, i.e. Dm7

- G7 - CMaj7. A caret (^) before a number denotes that scale degree, i.e. G is ^5 of C major.

I will use the term "parallelism" to refer to a progression between successive chords of

the same or very similar type, i.e. two Maj7 chords or two major triads, in non-diatonic contexts.

As we will see, part of Mendoza's harmonic style is produced by non-diatonic parallelism, for

example a progression such as GMaj7 - EMaj7- F#Maj7, where the chords do not belong to the

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same key or mode. This technique is similar to planing, but the chords move by freely chosen

intervals and, most importantly, contain pitches from different modes/keys in succession.

Harmonic elements

In analyzing the harmonic characteristics of Mendoza's music, a number of techniques

can be observed repeatedly:

Many of the chord progressions Mendoza writes contain distantly related chords; at times

chords foreign to the key are inserted between chords diatonic to the key, and at other times there

are entire strings of chords which are distantly related. To be precise, "distantly related" chords

are those among which the tonic/subdominant/dominant relationships are obscured or

nonexistent. Typically the roots of such chords are separated by an interval of a major/minor

second or third, or a tritone, rather than a perfect fourth or fifth; chromatic mediant chords fall

into this category. So for example, a progression might include CMaj7 - Abm7 - Dsus7 - Esus7.

Typically when this occurs, smooth voice leading connects the chords so that the transitions

sound natural. Mendoza commonly connects successive chords with stepwise bass motion, which

means that many chords occur in inversion or with bass notes which fall outside the chord (i.e.

D7/E). The resulting voice leading makes these progressions sound more natural than a

progression consisting of the corresponding root-position chords. The term "chord root motion"

will denote the interval between successive chord roots, regardless of the inversion, i.e. C7 - E7/B

comprises root motion by third, even though the bass moves by second. In the pieces I have

analyzed, chords very often move by seconds and thirds, with V-I and ii-V-I progressions present

but less frequent than they would be in a more traditional jazz setting.

Mendoza seems to favor certain sonorities, such as 6/3 (i.e. first-inversion) chords and

suspended chords, which are found throughout his music. As we will see, even chords which do

not fit the suspended category are sometimes voiced as though they are, through the use of quartal

constructions and prominent major seconds, which would be found in suspended chords.

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Mendoza sometimes includes ^3 in suspended chords, either in the body of the chord or as the

bass note.

Major and minor seconds in chord voicings are very prominent; while these intervals are

common in many different jazz chord voicings, Mendoza tends to emphasize them; for example,

he often places them between the two highest pitches of a chord, or separated by an interval from

the rest of the voicing, or even by themselves. I will use the term "exposed" second when this

interval is voiced to sound prominently, since it is often a result of being separated from the other

notes in the chord. For example, voicings of B/F#/G/D or D/G/B/C contain exposed minor

seconds, whereas Ab/C/Db/F does not, since the minor second occurs between inner voices and is

relatively close to the other notes, promoting a more homogeneous blend with the rest of the

chord. Also, in the above case of D/G/B/C, the minor second occurs between the two highest

notes, a tendency which we will see often. There is also a pattern with many trumpet chords of

placing seconds or clusters on the bottom and a more open structure in the upper voices, though

trumpet voicings vary widely.

Mendoza often uses simpler chords which diverge from the varieties of seventh chords

typically found in "pure" jazz settings. Principally these include triads, "2-chords" (triads with

added ^2, especially when ^2 and ^3 are adjacent - also known as (add 9) chords), sus4 chords

rather than sus7, open perfect fifths, and pitch dyads - all similar to the simpler harmonies used in

fusion, film, and pop music. For simplicity I will generally use the term "pop" or

"pop-influenced" to refer to the simpler harmony reminiscent of these genres. Concert band music

also comes to mind, especially due to the similarity in instrumentation between concert bands and

big bands - brass, woodwinds, and percussion, with emphasis on the brass sound - especially

considering that Mendoza often includes auxiliary woodwinds such as flutes, clarinets, and bass

clarinets. Accordingly, his music sometimes takes on a resemblance to this genre of music as

well. It may seem a stretch to imagine some of his music as being related to pop, consider the

other types mentioned above, which in their most common forms are harmonically more

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sophisticated than pop but still typically simpler than most jazz, especially modern jazz. Though

the reader may disagree, I believe that chords lacking ^7 generally tend to be somewhat divergent

from the pure jazz idiom unless they supplant the added dissonance of ^7 with some other form of

tension or complexity, such as a bitonal superposition, non-diatonic bass note, or harmonically

"out" melody, which to my ear are more congruous with the (modern) jazz idiom than simple

triadic harmony. Mendoza often employs sus4 chords rather than sus7; I believe that the sus7,

sus9, and sus13 chords are more characteristic of the jazz idiom than sus4 due to the added

tension of the seventh. Sus4 chords, on the other hand, are to my ear more characteristic of pop

music due to their simpler construction and of course their widespread use in that idiom. In

addition to using simpler chords, the composer sometimes employs incomplete voicings of more

complex chords such as extended seventh chords, for example omitting ^3 or ^7.

Mendoza has a tendency to write dominant-over-tonic chord constructions, such as a G

triad over a C bass note, or a G triad as an upper structure of CMaj7 in which the

dominant-over-tonic sound is clear. A construction such as G/C (a G triad over C bass) could be

called an incomplete voicing of a major ninth chord, specifically CMaj9(omit 3), but as ^3 is an

extremely important chord tone, its absence significantly alters the harmonic basis of the chord,

attenuating the C major character and producing the dominant-over-tonic sound. This could be

considered a quasi-suspended sound, since it contains elements of both V and I simultaneously,

just as ^4 of a Vsus7 chord is the tonic of the following I chord. To my ear, dominant-over-tonic

constructions are somewhat pop-oriented in sound, likely because I personally have heard this

sonority many times in a pop setting and much less often in jazz, especially when it consists of

triads. Of course, the reader may disagree, but in this article I will treat dominant-over-tonic

constructions as contributing to a pop character.

Occasionally, ^3 is included in suspended chords. It is evident that the composer is

thinking in terms of suspensions rather than, say, a major chord with added ^4, since in many of

these cases he writes the sus-chord symbol in the rhythm section, for example specifying

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"Fsus/A". In contrast to a conventional suspended chord, which, when substituting for (and thus

functioning as) a dominant, has the tension of ^4 with implied ^3, these chords have the tension

of ^4 and explicit ^3, so the tension and resolution exist in the same chord, a sort of before/after

simultaneity. Of course, he often places suspended chords in other contexts, for example when

moving chord roots by seconds, or substituting for a tonic chord; as such, there is no anticipation

of a 4-3 resolution, or resolution to a tonic, in these cases. In short, it appears that he simply

gravitates to the suspended-chord sound and finds different settings in which to use it.

Mendoza often uses non-tonic and non-diatonic bass notes, which create both chord

inversions and dissonant or slightly bitonal combinations. As I mentioned, this often functions

to smoothly connect chords in a progression. While this is not uncommon in modern jazz, I notice

that Mendoza often combines non-tonic bass notes with triads rather than seventh chords, which

steers the resulting sonority (and the surrounding progression) to a middle ground between jazz

and pop, though in a sophisticated vein.

In his music, Mendoza often abruptly shifts the harmonic environment without

preparation or transition. A section of a piece in a fairly diatonic harmonic setting will be

interrupted by, or suddenly transition to, a passage with a much higher level of dissonance,

foreign to the immediately preceding material. Such shifting of the harmonic environment and

level of dissonance tends to create a somewhat heterogeneous sound in some of his pieces. This is

usually not to ill effect, however, instead creating diversity and unpredictability. When discussing

the more modern harmonic aspects of Mendoza's music, I have found it necessary to differentiate

these with what I refer to as "traditional jazz." By this I mean seventh chord-based harmony as

associated with bebop-era jazz; in this way I can include most functional progressions but

maintain a contrast with a very modern harmonic language. Certainly, many different sonorities

regularly occur within the sphere of jazz, but "modern" will refer to sonorities such as tone

clusters, indeterminate chords, polytonality, and high levels of dissonance. Just as it is necessary

to distinguish between pop and jazz styles of harmony, this is one further distinction which will

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prove to be useful in analyzing Mendoza's style. His music contains both traditional and modern

elements, sometimes occurring in temporal proximity to each other, and sometimes separated into

different sections.

The chord progressions in Mendoza's pieces tend to wander quite a bit, often obscuring

the starting or final tonic chord. Accordingly, Mendoza uses open key signatures in several

movements of "Sketches." Even in "Jubilee," where the key stays firmly in C minor for much of

the piece, the harmony shifts away from it through many tonicizations. These tonicizations occur

both through conventional ii-V progressions and also by chord motion directly to and from the

new temporary key area. In some movements of "Sketches," ii-V tonicizations are practically

nonexistent, and the harmony often moves with a more modal than functional character. In some

settings, such as "Sketches," mvt. 4, the progression leaves the listener with no trace of where it

has come from or is leading. In other cases, the progression is more grounded; for example, in

"Sketches," mvt. 5, beginning around 7:30 many shifts occur but always lead back to C minor,

similarly to "Jubilee," which is fairly well-rooted in C minor.

Orchestration

The mixing of timbres, by using different instruments on the same melodic line, is a

prominent feature of Mendoza's writing. Similarly, chords are often voiced across sections.

Melodic doubling is done most often in unison rather than in octaves, though octave doubling

does occur in places. Unison doubling often appears in the use of medium-high-register

trombones (or other low brass instruments, as in "Jubilee") in unison with higher-register

instruments, such as soprano saxophones and trumpets, in their low register. More so than any

other instrument, Mendoza seems to favor the sound of the trombone, which he often uses

prominently. This instrument is used many times in mixed-timbre melodies and countermelodies,

and occasionally as a stand-alone choir, such as at the beginning of "Sketches," mvt. 5. Also, the

trombones are often kept together as a section more so than the other sections of the band. The

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timbral diversity is highlighted by the frequent inclusion of additional woodwinds, including

soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, and synthesizer. The soprano saxophone is also

used particularly frequently, often in its lower register, doubling another instrument in unison on

a melody. In addition to mixing timbres on a single melody, Mendoza tends to write layered

simultaneous independent lines, which at times even become canonic. We will see an example of

canonic structure in "Jubilee."

"Jubilee"

"Jubilee" is scored for orchestra, though substantial weight is placed on the wind

instruments, resulting in a big-band sound supplemented by orchestral instruments. In several

places, including the opening, the piece takes on a concert or marching band-like sound due to the

predominance of brass and high woodwinds, especially piccolo. The tone color created by high

woodwinds (most audibly flutes) in conjunction with trumpets can be heard in a number of places

throughout the piece.

The primary key center of "Jubilee" is C minor, though the harmony is quite mobile. The

opening of the piece introduces several of Mendoza's preferred harmonic techniques in a short

span. The first progression (0:10-0:14) is as follows:

F - C/E - Dm - C - Ab - Gm - BMaj7(b5?) - Eb(no 3)/E - C(no 3)/Db

This progression, like others we will encounter, arises from a melodic line - both from the

horizontal tracing of a scale and the vertical simultaneity of pitches - rather than from block

chords. The BMaj7 chord lacks ^5, so it could imply either natural ^5 or ^b5. I believe ^b5 (F)

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fits better here due to the commonality with the key of C major.1 The second chord, Eb(no 3

rd)/E,

can be heard in three different ways: as an incompletely voiced E diminished chord with added

major 9th (Eb), resolving to C as a common-tone diminished chord; as the same E diminished

chord simply changing inversion to become a Db diminished chord with an added major 9th (C);

or simply as spelled, Eb(no 3)/E, which moves in parallel to C(no 3)/Db via a minor third. As for

this last option, Mendoza often uses chromatic parallelism of this type, and he also often employs

chord root motion by thirds in progressions; there is, in fact, a vamp between Ebm and Cm later

at 6:03, so the progression heard here could foreshadow that of the vamp. The voice leading

between BMaj7 and Eb(no 3)/E is smoothed by the presence of common tones: A#/Bb and

D#/Eb, the bass being the only changing note. The final C/Db sonority is neither major nor minor,

due to the absence of ^3, though it leans toward minor for two reasons: the presence of Eb in the

previous chord (in the same octave, unlike the more distant E natural in the bass) implies a

carryover to the C chord, and the presence of ^b2 tends to create a minor feeling since it

originates as ^b6 of the natural (or harmonic) minor scale of the key a fourth above (implying iv

I). The harmony at the opening of the piece is generated by a two-voice moving line, which

technically means that the simultaneities here are examples of incompletely voiced chords,

though they are not presented as "chords" as they are normally conceived of, but rather as a

harmonized melody. Still, we will see a number of incompletely voiced chords in Mendoza's

writing, some generated by polyphony and others as vertical chords. We will also see further

examples of harmonic progressions generated by moving polyphonic lines. So this opening

progression is characterized by a preponderance of triads rather than seventh chords; the presence

of incomplete voicings, 6/3 inversions, and non-diatonic bass notes; and stepwise bass movement,

all characteristics of Mendoza's writing, as we will continue to see.

1 Suppose we insert F into the BMaj7 chord to form BMaj7b5. In this case, the F/B tritone resolves down a

half step to become the E/Bb tritone of Eo7. This progression resembles a bII7-I tritone substitution

resolution because of the tritone descent by half step - the same F/B - E/Bb tritone that would occur in Db7

- C7.

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At 0:17 the harmonic complexity suddenly increases with a somewhat modal-sounding

passage of chromatic parallelism, consisting of incompletely-voiced Maj7 chords ascending over

a whole-tone scale: BMaj7 - C#Maj7 - EbMaj7 - FMaj7 - GMaj7, continuing to Am7 - BbMaj7.

A series of parallel minor seventh chords follows: Bm7 - Bbm7 - Abm7 - Bbm7 - Abm7,

continuing to F#Maj7 - F#/B - Abm11 - C/Db. The angular sound results from several factors:

non-diatonic parallelism, since many of the successive chords are distantly related; whole-tone

chord root motion; the fact that the chords are all in root position, precluding any inversions or

non-tonic bass notes to smooth the voice leading, which would decrease angularity, as is done in

other places; and the fact that the melody and bass notes of the minor seventh chords (i.e. the

outer voices) move in parallel fifths. Up to this point, and immediately before this progression

begins, the harmony has been markedly more functional and diatonic, so this is an example of a

rather sudden shift in harmonic character. Within this progression there is a dominant-over-tonic

construction, F# major over a B bass note. The introduction concludes at 0:28, once again on

C/Db, but this time with a complete C major triad over the Db bass. Immediately following, Ab

appears in the bass, suggesting the formation of a C over Db chord, even though the Ab/Db

under the C chord is only a dyad. Chord root motion in this progression (0:17-0:28) is primarily

stepwise.

The percussion introduces a Latin rhythm, and the trombones begin the melody as a

section at 0:36; the harmony begins to shift around, forming the basis for one of the two main

chord progressions in the piece, which will be discussed shortly. Triads dominate the trombone

part except for a few seventh chords, and there are prominent minor seconds between the two

highest voices at 0:52. At 0:53 we hear an instance of low brass doubling the melody in unison

with a higher-register instrument; in this case the French horns in mid-register doubling the

trumpets and strings in low register.

At 0:57 the I/bII chord surfaces again, this time D/Eb. The bass plays an Eb minor

arpeggio, which reduces the conflict between the D and Eb, owing to the common F#/Gb and

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minimally dissonant Bb. This chord resolves in an interesting cadence at 1:06: D/Eb resolves to

BbMaj7/D.

Because this is a chromatic mediant relationship, a D major chord moving directly to Bb in root

position would sound rather jarring due to the distant tonal relationship between the two chords.

But the Eb smooths the transition: First, the outer voices form a tritone (Eb/A), which resolves

outward by half step to the root and ^3 of BbMaj7. Second, the Eb creates a certain degree of

diatonic IV-I plagal sound (Eb - Bb). Third, if an F were placed in the bass, below the Eb, F13b9

would be formed, a direct V7-I resolution to BbMaj7; so this constitutes a V-I cadence missing

only the bass note. So the connection between the two chords is made smoother by the voice

leading between non-tonic bass notes, one chromatic and one diatonic. Also, a common tone (A)

occurs between the first and second chords, serving as another point of connection. The voicing

of this BbMaj7 chord is also notable for the dissonance it creates, which it does in two ways: first,

the root occurs above ^7, which results in a minor second (as opposed to the major seventh that

would obtain if the root were placed below ^7). Further, the minor second is placed between the

two highest pitches, where it is most audible. The reader may note that D/Eb is actually a voicing

of an Eb diminished chord (containing D as an extension), which would resolve naturally to Bb as

its VIIdim (as it is equivalent to Adim, the actual VIIdim of Bb). However, the D/F#/A portion of

the chord is voiced as a root-position triad, which brings out its triadic character more than its

diminished-seventh character.2

2 When voicing diminished chords, upper-structure tones can form seventh chords which likewise

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At 1:10 the texture becomes polyphonic, akin to a canon. It begins with a modal feeling,

C Mixolydian, more closely this than simply F major because it never resolves to F, instead

maintaining a kind of perpetual motion in the mode; the bass traces a descending C Mixolydian

scale. Midway through the canon (1:17), the trumpets continue in C Mixolydian, but the scale in

the bass changes, so a subtle bi-modality ensues. Now C Mixolydian continues over an

indeterminate mode in the bass, indeterminate due to its paucity of notes, only four: Eb-C-Bb-A.

While these pitches could suggest a number of modes, the result is that the divergence alters the

harmony away from C Mixolydian. If we switch to a chordal rather than modal view, the chord

outlined at this point can be approximated BbMaj7#11, since the melody and bass contain the

pitches of a Bb major scale, with E natural added in the trumpet part. If, on the other hand, E is

heard as a passing tone, EbMaj7b5 fits, since the scale segment begins on Eb. When played on

the piano with the actual melody and bass, either of these chords fits. I believe this instance of

modal/harmonic mixture is less obvious (and less dissonant) than in other places where it is used

since here it occurs horizontally rather than vertically, "diffusing" the dissonance somewhat.

When the bass reaches A, this suggests Am7 for one beat, since the melody is still outlining the C

scale (now without Bb), which over an A bass produces an A minor scale, supporting Am7. The

harmony finally consolidates on a series of chords, beginning with Bb/Ab, the melody outlining a

Bb7 scale. Next is C7b13, and the canon ends with a climactic C7b13/G chord at 1:23. So the

overall tonal scheme of the canon is:

C Mixolydian (C7) - (BbMaj7#11 or EbMaj7b5) - Am7 - Bb/Ab - C7b13 - C7b13/G

Chord root motion is primarily stepwise. The effect of the final chord is rather like a cadential

I-6/4 which does not resolve to the dominant, since the next section begins in C minor. In a way,

supersede the diminished character. Example: Co7 with an added 9th (D) will form D7 if the Eb of the Co7

is omitted, and D7#9 if the 11th

(F) is added. I mention this because it can present a challenge to the

composer/arranger when orchestrating such chords with a limited number of instruments, but Mendoza has

used the particular arrangement of pitches here to bring out the non-tonic bass character rather than the

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this chord also mixes the C and Db key centers, this time including ^5 of Db (i.e. the Ab, which is

b13 of C) rather than ^1. Owing to Mendoza's prior usage of C/Db, the ear is now accustomed to

hearing a C major triad mixed with inflections of Db - in fact, upon listening it is slightly difficult

to distinguish whether the chord has G or Ab in the bass.

There are two main sets of chord changes in the piece, which begin in the next section. At

1:27, a soli for woodwinds, saxophones, and trumpets begins the primary key area of C minor and

the first main set of chord changes ("Progression 1"), which was hinted at earlier by the

trombones but not fully fleshed out. This progression proceeds as follows, beginning at 1:36 after

a brief lead-in:

Cm7 - AbMaj7 - DbMaj7 - Dm7b5 - G7 - Cm7 - AbMaj7 - G7b9 - CMaj7#5 (pause)

Cm7 - AbMaj7 - DbMaj7 - Dm7b5 - G7 - Cm7 - AbMaj7 - Dbsus9 - GbMaj7 - Esus9 - A7-

DMaj7 - A/C# - BMaj7 - Fsus7 - Bbm - F/A - DbMaj7/Ab - Eb/G - Gbsus13 - EMaj7 - C#m9 -

Gbsus13 - Abm7

Distribution of chord root motion (beginning after repeated section, 1:46)3:

Seconds: 6

Thirds: 5

Fourths: 11

Tritones: 1

The final chord alternates between Abm7 and EMaj9/G# due to the guitar's alternating figure

between E and Eb (more on this shortly). The Gbsus13 is a bit striking when it arrives, due to the

sudden thickening: whereas the preceding Eb/G triad contains three pitches, Gbsus13 contains six

in its fully voiced form, as it exists here.

There are a number of 6/3 inversions, which are also the only triads in the progression.

These chords stand out, in part due to their unique status as triads among a series of seventh

chords, and also because they have been "set up": the first two are dominants following a

diminished character. 3 "Seconds" and "thirds" include both major and minor. The remaining species of intervals (fifths and

larger) are inversions of those listed and so are not counted.

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temporary tonic which has been tonicized by a V-I sequence, so they are approached very clearly

(V-I-V). The third (Eb/G) is slightly less straightforward but is the V of a IV-V sequence. One

other point of note about this progression: the DMaj7 chord, when it initially sounds at 1:57,

sounds quite a bit like A/D for the first beat and a half due to the C#-D melodic movement,

representing a dominant-over-tonic structure. Curiously, during the second half of the

progression, (1:57 to 2:10), the previously well-defined melody becomes difficult to distinguish,

sounding rather like a background. Although there are a number of overlapping motives

happening in various sections, nothing immediately commands the listener's attention as a

definitive foreground event. This is unusual in Mendoza's writing.

The second set of chord changes ("Progression 2") is based on a series of ii-V-I-IV

sequences, based on tonics of Db major and Bb major. Note that these two key centers are

separated by a minor third, one of Mendoza's most common root-movement intervals. This

progression (2:19-3:10), bracketed into two halves based on each ii-V-I-IV sequence, proceeds as

follows:

[Ebm7 - Ab7 - DbMaj7 - GbMaj7 - Ebm7 - Ab7 - DMaj7] - [Cm7 - F7 - BbMaj7 - EbMaj7 -

Cm7 - Fm7]

Distribution of chord root motion:

Seconds: 1

Thirds: 2

Fourths: 8

Tritones: 1

This chord progression represents one of the more traditional harmonic settings in Mendoza's

oeuvre; accordingly, root motion occurs primarily by fourth, comprising a number of ii-V7

sequences. Of the three extended solos; trumpet and piano solo over Progression 1 and saxophone

over Progression 2. Overall, the piece is rooted in C minor, despite the many tonicizations,

eventually ending in C minor as well. As previously mentioned, Db mixed with C at the

16

beginning of the piece hinted at C minor, which is now confirmed.

At 3:08 a brass chord punctuates the saxophone solo; the voicing consists of a rootless

Cm9 trumpet chord in close position with a flute playing the top Eb, above the trumpets. This

chord has considerable tension, and a modern flavor, due to the inclusion of a minor ninth

(between the flute's Eb and the trumpet's D) and a minor second (between the flute's Eb and the

first trumpet's D). Once again, a minor second in the two uppermost voices creates a

contemporary sound due to the conspicuous tension.

Three vamps occur in the piece, each illustrating different techniques preferred by the

composer. The first is very subtle, occurring at the end of Progression 1 (2:11); by alternating

between E and Eb, the guitar produces EMaj9/G# and Abm7. The remainder of the orchestra

remains on Abm7, omitting E, which is the only difference between these two chords, supplied by

the guitar. These two chords are separated by a major third, and the first is of course a 6/3

inversion. The voice leading between the two is very smooth since only one note, an inner voice,

is changed to alternate between them. At 3:24, temporarily departing from the purer jazz sound, a

second vamp traces a progression of skeletally voiced triads: Ab - Eb/G. This vamp creates its

harmony in a somewhat horizontal fashion, since only two notes are played at once, the upper

voice in an abbreviated arpeggio (pitches C-Eb), both voices converging on the second chord,

which omits but implies the root of Eb (since it sticks in the memory as the preceding note and is

clearly diatonic to both chords); this yields a 6/3 inversion. This vamp is played in the same

rhythm as the first. The third vamp begins at 6:03, a brief echo of which occurred at the beginning

of the piece (discussed earlier), between Ebm7 - Cm7, a chromatic mediant relationship, this time

with both chords in root position. With both in root position, there is no stepwise bass motion to

17

smooth the transition between the two, highlighting the distant tonal relationship between them.

This contrasts with the first vamp, which maintained a constant bass note, and unlike the second

vamp, the harmony of the third is created vertically rather than horizontally, with static chords.

The climax of the first vamp (4:08) is a brass flourish closely resembling the sound of a

marching or concert band. At this point the high and mid-brass (trumpets, French horns, and

trombones) and high woodwinds virtually drown out the other sections of the orchestra, yielding

the high/mid-brass- and high woodwind-dominated sound characteristic of a marching band, or to

a lesser degree a concert band4.

The dense brass voicings contribute to this character. Moreover, the chords, while densely voiced,

are not overly complex and quite diatonic, which to my mind reflects the simpler, more triadic

harmonic textures typically played by these types of ensembles (particularly marching bands) -

simpler, at least, than a typical jazz arrangement. So this is a clear example of the stylistic

diversity Mendoza incorporates into his music. As the complete orchestration is very difficult to

distinguish without a score, I will deal with the most audible upper parts. Having modulated to

Ab major, the first chord is AbMaj7#11, in a close voicing of C/D/Eb/G, which also spells Cm2.

The second, also over the Ab bass, is voiced Eb/F/G/Bb, adding the 13th of Ab but omitting ^3,

yielding an upper structure of Eb2, a dominant-over-tonic configuration5. Note the close voicings

4 I associate a top-heavy sound more with a marching band, possibly due to the carrying power of higher

frequencies over the distances at which marching bands are typically separated from the audience in

stadiums. 5 It is possible that this chord contains D somewhere in the orchestration, which would yield EbMaj9,

similarly dominant over tonic.

18

and stacked major/minor seconds in the obtrusive higher register in these first two chords. The

third chord of the sequence is a 2-chord in 6/3 inversion, Eb2/G (spelled Eb/F/Bb, with G in the

bass, or Eb(add9)/G in jazz nomenclature). As with "classical" voicings of 6/3 chords, ^3 is

omitted from the upper voices, which leaves a "sus2"-type sonority (^1/^2/^5 = Eb/F/Bb) in the

upper voices6. This chord is noticeably thinner than the first two and to my ear carries a pop

sound typical of 2-chords, here becoming a marching band-like sound due to the orchestration.

These three chords occur over the vamp while enriching the simpler incomplete-triadic harmony

the vamp has entailed up to this point. While the rest of the orchestration in this passage is not

immediately clear, these foreground chords are the definitive stylistic features here. The final

chord sequence (4:11) contains an example of modal mixture/borrowing; it is Eb2/G - Db2/F -

(indeterminate) - Cm11, leading back to Progression 1 in C minor for the piano solo. Still in Ab

major, the first two chords are diatonic to the key, but the trumpet notes of the penultimate chord

clearly spell F major, which is not. We will see further examples of this feature, especially in

Mendoza's less diatonic pieces. In summary, this short passage reflects a number of the

composer's preferred techniques: stylistic diversity; 6/3 inversions; dominant-over-tonic,

quasi-suspended, and 2-chord sonorities; and modal mixture/borrowing.

At 5:45 the texture once again becomes polyphonic, featuring trombones and horns on

the melody, accompanied by a vigorous counter-line in the strings, and punctuated by chords in

the trumpets and high woodwinds. Because of the multiple layers of activity, it is a bit difficult at

times to discern exactly what the foreground melody is, especially since it is somewhat

overpowered by the rest of the orchestra, particularly the trumpets and woodwinds. As this is a

live recording, the balance is likely not as well-adjusted as a studio recording would be. The

trumpets were similarly overbearing earlier, during the "marching band" section, although at that

point they carried the melody.

6 Some theorists maintain that a suspended chord must include ^4, but as "sus2" seems to be in fairly wide

use, I will use this term.

19

Just before the end (6:03), a collective solo section occurs over the aforementioned third

vamp (Ebm7-Cm7). Trumpet, trombone, and soprano saxophone play the solos; as mentioned at

the beginning of this article, Mendoza often prefers the soprano over other types of saxophone,

and the trombone in general. The piece ends on a tutti Absus4(add 9)/A chord, a concise

combination of ^b2 bass, suspension, and incomplete voicing (an omitted 7th). Like many jazz

composers, Mendoza is not shy about writing trumpet parts in the high register - the lead

trumpet's last note is a flashy Eb6.

There are fewer suspended chords in this piece than in the other pieces under discussion.

When they occur, they typically are used in a rather traditional fashion, to resolve to

dominant-seventh chords with the same root, i.e. resolving the 4-3 suspension (see 1:34 and

2:00). In the more contemporary-styled pieces analyzed, Mendoza generally does not use

suspended chords in this way, but instead as stand-alone sonorities which only occasionally

substitute for, or resolve to, dominant-seventh chords.

"Jubilee" often, but not always, exudes a Latin feel, which can be attributed to several

factors, most obviously the rhythm section: a number of Latin percussion instruments such as

conga drums and cowbell are used; the bass often plays a characteristic tumbao pattern; and the

piano occasionally takes on a Latin character through its patterns and voicings (more on this

momentarily). Also, the syncopation and quarter-note triplets of the melody, e.g. around 1:36,

evoke this style. In addition, the particular chromatic inflections contribute to the style: there are

frequent occurrences of the pitches Db and Ab over C chords, suggesting the Mixolydian b2b6

mode, sometimes referred to as the Spanish Phrygian mode, which of course would hint at a Latin

flavor. Note that ^b2 is not diatonic to C minor, the primary key area of the piece. Also, at certain

times (e.g. 0:17 and 1:36), the melody is doubled or harmonized at a wide spacing between flutes

and brass. The wide spacing of harmonized or doubled melodic notes is reminiscent of Latin-style

arranging, for example montuno-style piano comping (syncopated, arpeggiated chordal patterns

often duplicated in both hands and separated by two octaves). At times, though, despite the

20

distinctive bass rhythm and percussion, the Latin flavor is lessened due to the tonally adventurous

harmony, which to my ear is not particularly characteristic of traditional Latin music (which is

generally more diatonic than this), and at those times the ^b2 and ^b6 inflections are dropped. An

example of this is the saxophone solo (2:16-3:29), during which the rhythm section's style of

playing (see above), rather than the harmony, is the primary vehicle for the Latin flavor.

However, even though the piano plays with some Latin character (i.e. the two-handed patterns

mentioned above), it often sounds fairly "straight-ahead," and the characteristic bass rhythm is

discernible but often obscured due to much ornamentation. So Latin flavor is present in varying

degrees throughout the piece.

As for overall style, though the piece veers heavily toward "purer" jazz, I would have to

call it a fusion piece, given the mixture of features: jazz-oriented harmonic progressions, much

chromatic chord movement, many seventh/altered chords, improvisation, and flamboyant trumpet

writing, alongside a number of simpler, pop-style harmonies and marching/concert band-like

sections which do not seem to fit strictly with the jazz idiom as commonly conceived. One

fusion-like phenomenon occurring during solos: the soloists often seem to be playing purely jazz

figurations while the background veers toward a simpler triadic sound ( note the triads in the

chord progressions). This is precisely what often happens in fusion jazz-style solos over a more

pop-oriented background. Accordingly, I note one incongruity in the piece: although Mendoza's

mixture of jazz and non-jazz elements is effective, the collective improvisation section at the end

feels a bit out of place, given how far removed from traditional jazz the piece is; it sounds like

something one would expect to find in a more conventional jazz piece (a little too "Dixieland" in

style, perhaps) and does not quite seem to meld with this style.

"Sketches," Mvt. 3

This movement begins in a pensive F Phrygian. The key is established by two

simultaneous dyads, F/C and Db/Gb; ^3 is not present as yet.

21

Interestingly, as we saw a simultaneity of I/ ^b2 in "Jubilee," here the ^b2 dyad is superposed on

top of the I dyad, forming bII over I (though without ^3 in either). This chord alternates in a vamp

with DbMaj7, confirming the F Phrygian key center (F Phrygian sharing the key signature of Db

major), and supplying ^3 (Ab). The section ends on Fsus7, a full voicing, arrived at from Ebsus7

(root motion by second). This chord is voiced in close position in the trombones and quartally in

the trumpets, with a major second between the first trumpet and flute, the flute playing the top F.

So in the opening we see the admixture of complete seventh chords with open, incomplete

sonorities, simultaneity of ^b2 and I, chord root motion by seconds and thirds, prominent

suspended chords, and major seconds between the two uppermost chord tones. The recording

features a rather unique addition: an ethereal synthesizer sound (:35). Although not notated in the

score, the part consists of quartal chords, fifths, and triads in the mode. A New Age-like sound

results from the ethereal, airy timbre and the simple chord structures, adding yet another facet to

Mendoza's diverse sound.

The next section, beginning at m. 24, changes character abruptly; we are now in a

pop/fusion sound due to the heavy influence of triads and 2-chords, such as the Bb2 chord in m.

40. Also, the progression ends on Bb2/D - Dsus/E - D/F#, which closely resembles a typical pop

progression of bVI bVII - I. The chord progression is fairly diatonic except for the Bm7 (m.

39), which creates a quasi-half cadence effect due to the non-diatonic tension. Although there is a

chromatic chord transition from Bm to Bb2, the feeling of chromaticism is lessened by the bass

moving from B to the common tone of D. Other points to note: the bass is mainly static but

moves stepwise when it does move (mm. 38-41), forming several chord inversions through

22

non-tonic pitches; chords in 6/3 inversion are prominent here (mm. 40-41). The trumpets are set

in a voicing common in Mendoza's trumpet writing: a minor second on the bottom with a more

open top (mm. 39, 44).

To my ear, the contour of the melodic line contributes to the pop/fusion sound of this

section; this is likely because the melody is "elastic" around certain pitches, reminiscent of many

pop melodies. For instance, in the first phrase (mm. 24-25), A comprises six of the 11 notes. In

the next two-measure phrase, the pitches gravitate around G (four out of ten).

These melodies are primarily stepwise, as folk/pop melodies tend to be, and further, these two

phrases contain no syncopation. The third phrase (mm. 28-30) is more mobile, moving

downward, and syncopated; as such, I believe it has a stronger jazz character than the first two. I

will speculate that since in pop music much emphasis inheres in the lyrics, which at times even

take precedence over the music itself, the interest in a varied melodic contour is de-emphasized,

in favor of a slightly more recitative-like character.

When the full band joins at m. 32, each section is divided, with one or two instruments in

each section handling a different component of the overall picture, doubling or harmonizing with

instruments in other sections. The melody is carried by two soprano saxophones, two trumpets,

guitar, and piano in unison. The trombones and clarinet share a countermelody line, and the bass

clarinet, one trombone, and left hand of the piano double the bass. The piano functions more

melodically here than as a chording instrument, though it becomes more chordal beginning in m.

38. Meanwhile, the drum part consists of a ballad-style pattern of eighth notes on the ride cymbal.

So several events are happening at once, but because each is doubled by several instruments, the

texture remains uncomplicated.

In m. 44 the trumpets play an incomplete voicing of AMaj7, which forms a

23

dominant-over-tonic sonority with the rest of the band (AMaj7 over DMaj7/F#).

The C# common tone between DMaj7 and AMaj7, missing from the trumpet chord, occurs in the

third trombone, but in a lower voice than the D tonic (in the first trombone), forming a minor

ninth between them. The trombone voicing here destabilizes the chord slightly, both because of

the dissonant minor ninth and because the lowest three trombones form the root, third, and fifth of

F# minor, with D (the true tonic) on top, introducing some ambiguity between F# minor and D

major. This section ends in m. 44 with a tonic resolution to DMaj7/F#, a 6/3 inversion. In some

instances, such as a few bars later, in m. 47, the dominant-over-tonic

sound is strengthened when ^3 is missing from the lower (bass) key area. I include this because a

dominant-over-tonic construction could be a voicing of a major seventh chord; e.g. G over C

would form CMaj9. But a G triad over C alone, or over a C/G dyad, similar to m. 47, has a more

dualistic dominant-over-tonic sound.

Up to this point, this movement has contained mainly triadic and incomplete chordal (i.e.

open fifths) harmony. At m. 45 (3:13) a jarring, very contemporary sound overtakes the serene,

harmonically stable mood. A closer look reveals that the progression consists of incompletely

voiced chords in a mixed diatonic and chromatic sequence:

BMaj7/D# - DMaj7/F# - FMaj7b5 - Em7 Bm7/D - [DMaj13(omit 3) = A2/D] - Asus13 -

Absus13 - Cm11/G - F#sus4(add 3,9) [=F#m11(omit 7)]

24

The harmonically startling sound of this passage comes from two factors. First, proceeding

directly from the previous D major chord, the first BMaj7 chord here is distantly related (a

chromatic mediant). Second, the first two notes of the soprano saxophone (D, C, B, Bb) are

completely foreign to the underlying B major dyad (D# and B) sounding in the woodwinds,

opening this passage with considerable dissonance. Also, there are fewer notes in total to define

the chords at first (only dyads in the woodwinds for the first two measures, along with the

melody), which gives a somewhat ambiguous sound to the progression; the chords become more

defined when the voicings are filled out beginning at m. 48. This progression contains a fair

amount of parallelism, such as between the first three chords and the last four. The DMaj13(omit

3) chord sounds very much like a dominant-over-tonic A2/D (^2 and ^3 are adjacent), since the

mediant (F#) is omitted, greatly undermining the D-chord sound. In fact, I would have simply

labeled this chord A2/D, except that D is doubled (in the bass clarinet and soprano saxophone),

occurring in the bass and inside the A portion of the chord, supporting the D sound somewhat. So

in that sense it could be heard as an incomplete voicing or a dominant-over-tonic. The Asus13 is

also skeletally voiced and contains an exposed minor second amidst only perfect fourths and

fifths, resulting in a rather stark and unstable sound upon its attack, even though it is closely

related to the preceding chord. The voicing of this chord makes a significant impact, and it is

worth noting that despite the skeletal voicing, the D in the chord is doubled, showing that

Mendoza prefers the stark sound here over a more fully-voiced version of the chord. Throughout

this passage, the bass moves primarily stepwise downward, which helps to smooth the motion

between distantly-related chords. Also, suspended chords are common here, and even the Cm11

25

chord has some suspended character due to the presence of the 11th, equivalent to ^4. The

F#sus4(add 3,9) chord in m. 50 is constructed somewhat like a 2-chord (F#m2 with an added 11th)

since the vertical order of notes is F#-G#-A-B-C#. On the recording this final chord sounds

identical to F#sus4 and in fact contains this voicing in all but the third and fourth trumpets, which

play G# and A. These two notes, however, are inaudible on the recording. Since Mendoza

occasionally includes ^3 in his suspended chords, this leads me to ask whether he intended this

chord to function as F#sus4 with added ^b3, especially since the next chord has a root of B; this

would produce a Vsus4-I resolution, which is the impression the recording gives. Finally, a subtle

instance of dominant-over-tonic occurs in m. 45, in the soprano saxophone's A major arpeggio on

beats 3 and 4 over the skeletal D major voicing in the woodwinds.

Measures 51-69 are quite contrapuntal in nature, restating the theme from mm. 24-41 but

with a countermelody in the trombones against the melody instruments (soprano saxophone,

clarinet, and trumpet). Measures 53-55 contain the following chord progression:

Bb - Am11 - Fsus4/A - Gsus7 - F#m11 - CMaj7/E - EbMaj13b5

This progression is characteristic of Mendoza, in that: a number of successive chords are distantly

related in terms of diatonic function; it contains triads, suspended chords, and 6/3 inversions, in

addition to seventh chords; the chord roots move by major and minor seconds, thirds, and

tritones, rather than by perfect fourths or fifths; there are no V7-I resolutions; and the linear,

stepwise bass smooths out the sequence, making it sound fluid. This sequence also contains a

chord Mendoza occasionally uses, the suspended chord with added mediant (Fsus4/A). In this

case ^3 is placed in the bass, but in other instances it can occur in the upper voices. A

construction like Fsus4/A takes on an unmistakable pop sound, resembling another pop-style

chord he occasionally uses, a 2-chord with ^3 in the bass. The only difference between the two is

the note superposed on the triad - in one case ^4, in the other case ^2. Both create tension against

^3, though the actual suspended fourth does this to a greater degree. Also worth noting is the

26

widely-spaced voicing of CMaj7/E, which to my ear carries a somewhat pop character:

E2/C4/B4/G5. In addition, on beat two of m. 55, lasting one-half beat (just before the resolution

to EbMaj7b5), the voicing becomes a similarly open voicing of C2/E when the second trombone

moves from C to D: E2/D4/C5/G5.

Although almost all the winds are playing here, the density is pared down due to many

unison-doubled parts. The inner rhythms created by the concurrent melodic lines in the winds

maintain forward motion without the assistance of the piano or guitar. Since the piano and guitar

are absent, the harmony is defined both horizontally and vertically, by the linear motion and

vertical concurrence of the melodic lines; this helps to create smooth voice leading - chord tones

resolve to one another in the context of their melodic lines, rather than simply "appearing" in

vertical sequences.

Mendoza's penchant for 6/3-inversion chords shows here as well; interestingly, he writes

the last chord (in m. 55) as Cm/Eb in the bass part, though the written voicing sounds much more

like EbMaj13b5 (which would have an identical voicing to Cm(6/9)/Eb; I believe the ear tends to

hear the stronger root position chord rather than the identical 6/3 inversion of Cm(6/9). On the

recording the chord sounds a lot like a 4/2 inversion, likely because it is similar to F13/Eb without

the F root, so it could conceivably resolve to Bb/D. So he has written a chord with multiple

possible interpretations but thinks of it in terms of a 6/3 inversion. To my ear this is the least

likely way to hear this chord, which strengthens my notion that the composer has a preference for

6/3 inversion chords, since he interprets the chord in this way.

27

These measures (51-55) are a good example of the kind of polyphony and cross-sectional

writing Mendoza often employs. As is frequently the case, the trombones play an independent

line in unison with another voice; this time they double the tenor saxophone and clarinet. Note

that the doubling is in exact unison rather than at the octave, even for instruments with such

dissimilar (albeit overlapping) ranges as clarinet and trombone This reflects Mendoza's tendency

to join lower-register and higher-register instruments on unison lines. Clarinet and trombone

might not normally be thought of in terms of unison doubling, so it makes sense that this

technique is one that characterizes Mendoza's sound. New tone colors will invariably result from

unusual combinations, especially in divergent registers. Beginning in m. 53 there are three

independent lines, two out of the three arranged in a mixed timbre: the first melodic line occurs in

the trumpets, the second in the soprano saxophones and trumpets, and the third in the trombones,

clarinet, and tenor saxophone. Meanwhile, the bass clarinet and fourth trombone double the bass

line. The polyphony continues in m. 57 with two independent lines in mixed timbre: one soprano

saxophone, piano, and two trumpets play the lead line, while a second soprano, clarinet, and two

trombones play the accompaniment line. The bass clarinet and low piano continue to double the

bass. The result of such mixed, cross-sectional writing is a more richly colored timbral palette,

rather than the more clearly delineated blocks of tone color that result from section-by-section

separation of roles. It is worth noting here that on the actual recording, the trumpets are often in

the background, even when doubling the melody, while the soprano saxophones are typically at

28

the forefront of the mix, highlighting their portion of the tone color. At certain points in the

recording the trumpet parts are practically inaudible; I have noted several of these instances, and

the effects, in my discussion. The piano and guitar are silent during the highly polyphonic wind

passage in mm. 53-55, reflecting the largely horizontal character of this passage and the

"kaleidoscopically" unfolding harmony which might be obscured by the presence of chords.

Mendoza's use of cross-sectional melodic writing and his extensive use of triads causes

me to ask whether the second results from the first. If at any given time, one or more instruments

from a section are occupied with the melody, there are fewer left in that section to play chord

voicings, so the chords in that section must contain fewer pitches. Of course, chords are often

distributed across sections, adding thickness, but not always.

Although the voicing in the trumpets in m. 55 supports the underlying Cm/Eb chord, it

takes on a somewhat suspended sound due to the exposed major seconds and absence of ^3 in the

trumpet voicing. In fact, the trumpet notes spell Gsus4(add 9).

I am inclined to interpret this voicing as a manifestation of the composer's preference for

suspended chords. Consider two alternate voicings which would reflect those seen elsewhere in

the trumpets: A/C/D/Eb/G, which has the characteristic mid-register cluster with a more open

interval at the top. Or, retaining the exposed seconds in Mendoza fashion: G/A/D/Eb/G. Neither

of these possesses the suspended character of the voicing he has chosen. In fact, any voicing

containing ^3 (Eb) would obviate the suspended sound and draw closer to C minor (or for that

matter the alternative EbMaj13b5 I suggested earlier). So, due to the slight skewing of the upper

29

harmony resulting from the voicing, this effectively produces an upper-structure suspended

chord.

In measures 66-70, the three trumpets not playing the melody play a chordal

accompaniment written in triads, and three out of the last four contain prominent major and minor

seconds, the first chord in m. 69 with a major second between the two highest voices. At m. 74 a

dominant-over-tonic construction occurs, even more pronounced in character than what we have

seen so far; this time a full dominant seventh chord (A7 in the trumpets) occurs over DMaj7/F#.

The tonic DMaj7 chord is in 6/3 inversion, as it was the first time we heard this chord in m. 44.

At the beginning of the tenor saxophone solo in m. 76, the abrupt shift from D major

back to F Phrygian is a bit startling, especially since the texture is immediately pared down from

the full band to just the soloist and rhythm section accompaniment. So this produces not only an

abrupt change in harmonic environment but also in mood and texture. The solo has the character

of a "legit" jazz solo, with much chromaticism and blues inflections, and the rhythm section

performs conventional chording and timekeeping duties, though in a very sparse texture. Thus,

the overall feeling during the solo is the most purely jazz-oriented we have yet encountered in this

movement. The trombone accompaniment is stark, voiced F/C/Db/Gb; the exposed-minor-second

sound is amplified by the presence of both a minor second and minor ninth. The melodic line in

the trumpets and soprano saxophone in m. 89 outlines a GbMaj9 chord, reflecting the chord

designation of GbMaj9#11/F, which represents bII over I. Although the widespread mixture of

^b2 and I in this movement likely stems from the F Phrygian harmony, we have previously seen

the composer's tendency to mix ^b2 and I (and we have now seen instances of ^b2 both on top

and on the bottom). I am inclined to wonder whether the selection of F Phrygian could itself be a

manifestation of the tendency to mix ^b2 and I. Thus, we are faced with a sort of chicken-and-egg

etiological conundrum.

After the saxophone solo, at m. 95, the harmony immediately shifts, the level of

dissonance increasing. The somewhat unusual choice of soprano saxophone to play a pedal tone

30

(especially when the lower-pitched instruments are all unoccupied) continues a pattern in this

movement of extensively employing the low range of this instrument. At this point we see an

extension of Mendoza's preference for triads, this time in a less tonally grounded setting; all five

trumpets are available here but he employs only three. The chords primarily include major,

minor, and augmented triads, and sus4 chords (with the ^4-^5 major second between the two

highest voices). In a few places the triads move exactly in parallel (mm. 95, 97-98, 101), at other

times the chord quality changes successively. Overall they follow no discernible mode or key, the

closest approximation being a heavily chromatically inflected C of some kind, maintained by the

C pedal tone. Still, in these chords there are noticeable traces of ^b2/I, I/^b2, and ^b6, possibly

remnants of the Phrygian mode, shown in the inclusion of triads such as Db, Bsus4, Ab+, and E

over the C pedal. C Phrygian is in fact briefly established at the end of the passage in mm.

102-103, inferred from the last five chords, Fm - Cm - Db - Fm - (C/G dyad). Recall that in m. 45

the abrupt harmonic shift included an instance of melodic notes which clashed with the

underlying chord. This passage represents a more protracted version of that, due to the undefined

harmony and the many clashes between chords and pedal. So the mixing of keys we hear in other

places becomes more pronounced in this passage - both horizontally, among the triads, and

vertically, with the pedal tone. The trumpet melody then repeats with a countermelody in the

trombones, providing yet another harmonic layer and increasing the dissonance level even more.

Keys are further mixed here, the trombone melody clashing harmonically with the trumpets,

creating an overall cacophonous effect reminiscent of the music of Charles Ives. The section

finishes on a C/G dyad, winding down the textural arch of this section. In terms of form, this

material bears little resemblance to what has come earlier in the movement, in terms of melodic

motive and key/harmonic environment (except for the remnants of the Phrygian mode, this time

C Phrygian). And in the next section, Mendoza introduces still new material, in a new key. So at

this point a through-composed form is becoming evident.

In m. 131 a guitar solo begins, in a straightforward jazz ballad feel. The chord

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progression, one of the simplest in any of the pieces I have analyzed, is almost completely

diatonic, settling mainly on Am9 - Em9. The meter consists of seven bars of 3/4 followed by one

bar of 4/4, adding a bit more complexity to this section due to the asymmetry. The trombones

begin a chordal accompaniment, voiced with major seconds on top (m. 140) and with exposed

minor seconds in the inner voices(m. 142). There are suspended chords in mm. 142 and 145,

though Mendoza's voicing of the trombone accompaniment of the chord labeled Dsus contains

F#. In addition to the trombone chords, there are two additional melodic lines, one in the soprano

saxophones and one in the trumpets. At m. 147 the texture thickens, the saxophones and trumpets

coming to the forefront. The harmony here is saturated with suspensions and non-tonic bass

notes. It should be noted that the chords labeled Am7/D are in effect Dsus13, since the

saxophone/trumpet melody contains the pitches of Dsus13, but Mendoza chooses to label them as

dominant over tonic. Once again, in m. 148 the chord labeled "Dsus" contains ^3 (F#, in the

fourth trumpet), in addition to ^4. In the chord labeled Am7/D, F# is absent, representing a

conventional sus chord, whereas in the "Dsus" chords, F# is present. In the trumpet voicing in m.

150, there is a F#/G/A cluster at the top of the chord. During this section, the lone tenor and bari

saxophones double the trombones. The texture is somewhat sparser than a typical tutti passage,

since the only chords are played by the trumpets, in a staggered fashion, and rhythm section,

while the trombones are in octaves and the saxophones play the melody over the guitar solo.

The final sequence of chords, in mm. 153-156, shifts the mood and harmony yet again,

from a straightforward jazz ballad to a highly chromatic, thickening texture which includes

several polychords. The highly chromatic sound is shaped by the stepwise, contrary movement of

the bass and trumpets, forming a "pyramidal" aggregate contour between the bass and treble

voices.

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The chord roots move by seconds and thirds; this is true when considering both the top and

bottom halves of the polychords separately (i.e. both halves move by seconds and thirds, but in

contrary motion). The progression is smoothed by stepwise motion in both bass and treble, but it

has a highly chromatic rather than functional character. The first chord in m. 154, Eb/Bb, contains

both Ab and G (^3 and ^4) in the Eb upper portion of the chord, and the four highest saxophones

are voiced in a suspended-type voicing of Eb/Ab/Bb/Eb, so there is admixture of Ebsus4 along

with Eb. Further, the presence of Eb against Bb creates some Bb suspended sound in this chord as

well. In fact, the aggregate chord is very close to being Bbsus13, with ^9 omitted. The second

chord in m. 154, F over Ab, suggests F2/Ab, since all notes in the chord belong to F2 except the

bass note of Ab. The Phrygian mode returns on the final chord (m. 156), which consists of all the

pitches of the C# Phrygian scale. This chord is labeled C#4 and is built quartally (the designation

"4" could refer to the quartal structure), with five stacked perfect-fourth intervals between the

trombones and saxophones. During this sequence, the angular, harmonically unstable character

seems to result from the non-diatonic quasi-planing of the upper sonorities, following no

particular scale or mode, similar to what occurred in mm. 95-113. It seems that the relatively

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smooth voice leading of the trombones, which sound much more harmonically cohesive taken by

themselves, is canceled out by the parallelism of the upper chords, making the progression sound

angular and chromatic. In another parallel with the earlier section, both conclude with Phrygian

character, though in m. 156 this is much less audible.

Movement 3 is through-composed, since only one of the themes introduced in the

movement subsequently recurs: the beginning piano accompaniment motive which establishes the

F Phrygian key, used later during the tenor saxophone solo. I hear the movement as a number of

separate sections, each with its own character; the piece as a whole maintains a rather serene

mood and remains stylistically coherent. At the end of the movement another abrupt shift of

mood and style occurs: a sudden change of tempo segues into movement 4. To my ear, this segue

seems somewhat incongruous; even with the tense, building, climactic pyramidal figure which

leads into the new tempo, the quiet, serene character of the movement does not lend itself to such

a segue. Instead, I believe the transition might have been better treated by a definite ending of the

movement.

"Sketches," Mvt. 4

This movement is written in a straightforward bebop style. It contains many 2-chords,

this time in even starker form, lacking ^3 (voiced E/F#/B) and labeled Esus. This E2 chord moves

to a similarly-voiced G2 chord (motion by minor third) and sometimes lands on D2 (motion by

major second). The serpentine melodic lines are doubled between soprano saxophone and

trumpet; recall that Mendoza tends to write lines doubled in unison by different instruments. This

melodic line is an example of Mendoza's tendency to write "out"-sounding melodies in proximity

to more diatonic harmony, whether simultaneously or in one of the abrupt harmonic shifts

previously mentioned. We saw an example in mvt. 3, m. 45, where the melody was not supported

by the underlying harmony. This section has a similar character, in that the underlying 2-chords

are harmonically simple accompaniments to a very chromatic melody. The trombones are

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featured here, introducing the 2-chord motive, which at this point functions as the main thematic

material, alongside the running melodic line. In m. 5 the trumpet chord is voiced with a cluster of

minor and major seconds on top, which is the opposite of the dense-on-the-bottom voicing at

times seen elsewhere. This top-heavy voicing returns at the end of the movement, in the last

chord.

A rather odd-sounding sequence of chords occurs in mm. 52-54, an example of a sudden

harmonic shift and modal mixture: the trombone chords spell Gm2 - Am11 - B(add #11) -

Bbm(add b9) - Abm(add 11).

These chords have several features in common: they are in root position, skeletally voiced, and

contain a major or minor second between the two highest notes. Several factors contribute to the

jarring, angular sound of this sequence. First, the series of major/minor seconds at the tops of the

chords is disorienting since they occur in sequence with jagged voice leading between them.

Harmonically the transition between Am11 and B(add #11) is unnatural since in this context the

two chords seem to have no tonal relationship,7 and both are in root position, so non-tonic bass

notes or other voice-leading devices are not used to smooth the transition - the result of not doing

7 In a different context they could, such as iv - V of E minor, though the F natural in the latter chord greatly

distorts this relationship due to its dissonance against the B major triad.

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so can be plainly heard here8. The latter chord is a triad with added dissonance, so it sounds

especially stark since the dissonance does not blend with any other tones of the chord, such as it

would if ^7 were present. So ironically the presence of fewer dissonant tones makes the chord

sound more dissonant. Also, the latter chord follows a seventh chord, so in contrast it sounds thin,

especially in open voicing. Although the last three chords are more closely related, the third and

fourth trombones move in parallel fifths. Parallel motion of fourths or fifths tends to sound

somewhat angular, especially in exposed voices, and the use of such motion here adds to the

angularity of the passage. The lower fifths are separated from the upper seconds by at least a

tritone and are thus exposed. When this sequence recurs during the solo sections (mm. 103-105),

the chords are labeled Gm7 - Am9 - BMaj9(#11) - Gbsus/Bb - Gbm9. The reader will note that

this time the penultimate chord is labeled differently than I have labeled it the first time,

Gbsus/Bb instead of Bbm(add b9). When this chord first appears, there is no chordal support in

the rhythm section, so it is defined only by the trombones, where the voicing of only four notes

does not clearly spell out Gbsus/Bb. As discussed in the case of the ambiguous chord in m. 55 of

movement 3, I believe in this case (and in general) the ear tends to hear the lowest note as the

root, especially since ^1, ^3, and ^5 of Bb minor are present, strongly suggesting a root-position

Bb minor. Moreover, Gb is absent, leaving no basis for the ear to hear this chord as Gbsus. This

sequence appears again in mm. 147-150, where the trumpet voicings are even more angular than

the initial trombone voicings; they consist of F/A/Bb, with a minor second on top, a quartal

D/G/C, a sus-like Ab/Bb/Eb, and another sus-like B/E/F#, with a major second on top.

In this movement Mendoza uses a few atypical chords, such as Bm(b9). This chord could

be a manifestation of Mendoza's tendency to mix ^b2 with an underlying chord, or it could be a

Phrygian-type chord, both of which we have seen previously. During the solo section there is an

instance of a mediant added to a suspended chord, Gbsus/Bb in mm. 104 and 148. One polychord

is also included, Cm over Em.

8 Not meant as a criticism.

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The trumpets play a very characteristic voicing in mm. 65-69, the E2 (omit 3) introduced

by the trombones. The remaining trumpets are in unison with the soprano saxophone, mixing

timbres on the melody as we have seen repeatedly, which leaves three trumpets available for the

chord. Thus, the voicing is skeletal E/F#/B, a combination of major second and perfect fourth

typical of a stripped-down sus chord, which I believe is what makes it characteristic of Mendoza.

Examining the fast trumpet run in m. 71 reveals that with the exception of two 7(#5)

chords, the vertical sonorities are largely undefined, in a line-writing style of arranging which

avoids defining the vertical harmony between points of departure and arrival. The point of arrival

here is GMaj7, voiced F#/G/B/D, with the minor second on the bottom, as we have seen several

times.

The first solo section in this movement, beginning at m. 74, presents an opportunity to

examine Mendoza's "legit" jazz writing, since it is one of his purer jazz settings, in a

bebop-influenced style.

Chord changes, mm. 74-117:

Dsus2 - BbMaj9(#11) - AMaj7(#5) - Dm9 - BbMaj7(#5) - F#m9 - Cm over Em9 - GbMaj9/D -

[quick punctuation: Gm7 - Am9 - BMaj9(#11) - Gbsus/Bb] - Gbm9 - Bm(b9) - Cm(Maj7)/Eb -

Esus2

Distribution of chord root motion:

Seconds: 7

Thirds: 4

Fourths: 3

Tritones: 0

The chord changes in mm. 74-117 form the harmonic basis for the bulk of the movement.

The progression is highly chromatic, with many chord alterations, with much nonfunctional

harmony; there are no ii-V7 or V-I cadences, and the overall feeling is somewhat modal. Most

9 For the purpose of counting root motion, I am taking the root of this polychord to be E rather than C since

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chord root motion is by third, second, or tritone, with a few fourths, though the fourths do not

resemble ii-V7 or V-I progressions. Mendoza labels the first chord "Dsus," with the written

voicing in the piano showing Dsus2, spelled D/E/A (and at first simply D/A), a clear example of

an incomplete or skeletal voicing. ^4 and ^7, typically present in suspended chords, are absent, so

^2 functions as the suspended pitch. This chord alternates with a quick punctuation of Fsus2

(F/G/C); the alternation between D and F gives this section (and the Dsus2 chord itself) a minor

quality due to F being ^3 of D minor. In several places there clearly is a chromatically parallel

sound; a look at the progression reveals that some chromatic parallelism does exist (e.g. BbMaj7 -

AMaj7, Gm7 - Am7, and Bm - Cm). The Esus tonic chord is reached in m. 112, labeled

"Esus(add9)" but spelled E/F#/B in the piano, with no written ^4 or ^7, so it is actually Esus2

rather than an authentic suspended seventh chord. It arrives rather suddenly; as noted, the

progression is tonally nonfunctional, so there is no chord-by-chord logical sequence to reach the

tonic. Instead it is reached by a resolution from Cm(Maj7)/Eb. Of all the chord-to-chord

transitions in this section, to my ear this one sounds the most functional: Eb resolves to E, C to B,

G to F#, with a common tone of B.

In fact, this resolution closely resembles B+(b9)/D# - Esus, a kind of ersatz V-I, with the

dominant character strengthened by the ^b9. The closest dominant chord to this would be

B7(#5b9), but with an omitted seventh. By way of conjecture, perhaps since Mendoza often

writes incomplete chord voicings, this "quasi-B7" chord arose as a natural substitution to him; in

the chord is enharmonic to Em(Maj7)b13.

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other words, perhaps he heard an incomplete B7 voicing in the Cm(Maj7) chord. Recall that we

have seen other chords which have ambiguous functions or alternative interpretations, which is

bound to happen in highly chromatic music.

There are a number of non-diatonic bass notes in this section, such as Gbsus/Bb and

GbMaj9/D. There is also a Cm-over-Em polychord in m. 97. In mm. 103-104 the sudden

harmonically "out" sequence which punctuated mm. 52-54 returns, this time in the rhythm section

only, without winds. The overall effect of the section is straightforwardly bebop in style, but with

some rather dissonant punctuations in juxtaposition. The chromatic, modal-sounding harmony of

this movement is a striking contrast to the pop-leaning sound present in other places. But some

similarity is still audible, such as the 2-chord/suspended sonority (Esus) which functions as the

tonic chord of this movement; this sonority is used in both contexts.

An interesting ambience is created at the beginning of the solo section by the guitar

accompaniment written in fourths and fifths (mm.74-93), which produces a rather sparse, open

sound; the guitar tone sounds to be electronically enriched in some way (curiously making it

resemble a trombone section). When the trumpets join the accompaniment, they have a familiar

shape: three pitches with a minor second on the bottom (beginning m. 125). Again here, there are

three trumpets available while the fourth and fifth take solos. The lower two trumpets play an

oscillating figure which alternates major seconds between them and between the first and second

trumpet. The rather peculiar, whole-tone-sounding figure looks to be based on the Lydian

Augmented mode, supported by the underlying BbMaj7(#5) chord. At m. 141 the soprano

saxophones enter the accompaniment with yet another sus-type voicing, G/A/D - I am calling it

suspended because it contains intervals of only a second, fourth, and fifth; moreover, these

pitches correspond to ^5, ^6, and ^2 of the underlying Cm chord, but no ^3. Played by itself, it

sounds suspended in character. In m. 152, we see another instance of a chord voicing with a

minor second on the bottom and a more open top: the trombones play a stark, incomplete voicing

of Cm(Maj7) spelled B/C/G, with an exposed minor second on the bottom. All four trombones

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are available here (i.e. not soloing), but Mendoza chooses to employ only three for a starker

voicing of the chord. Correspondingly, the close-position chord in the trumpets and soprano

saxophones also places the minor second at the bottom.

The solo section climaxes in a brass flourish, on Esus4(add9). In the various accompaniment

figures, chords are often scored between two sections, commonly the soprano saxophones and

trumpets. The trombones more often operate independently. From what we have seen so far, it

appears that in Mendoza's work as a whole, the trombone section is in general more autonomous

than any other section of the band.

The coda, beginning m. 162, abounds in cross-sectional chord voicings accompanying the

solos; at times, one or two instruments in a section are paired with one or two in other sections;

examples include mm. 173-176, 182-190, and 195-204. One such chord occurs in m. 193, where

the trumpets converge from a series of four-note chords to a major second only (Cb/Db, distilling

the exposed second to its pure form), merging with the saxophones in a chord which typifies the

cluster-on-the-bottom, open-on-top voicing we have seen often (in this case Cb/Db/Eb/Fb/Bb).

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Leading into the final flourish of the movement, the full-band eighth-note run in m. 215 shows no

discernible vertical or horizontal harmonic basis. The note order follows no scale and seems

rather random, which in a way fits with the cacophony of four simultaneous free solos in the

previous four measures, so perhaps this run is intended to be an extension of that sound. The final

flourish of the movement, on the Esus tonic chord, adds C# in the first soprano saxophone to

yield Esus4 (add 9,13) or Esus13 (omit 7). The upper part of the chord is clustered among the

soprano saxophones and trumpets (E/F#/A/B/C#).

Note that as this chord contains ^2 and ^4 as its suspended tones, but no ^7, it sounds less

dissonant than a suspended chord which includes ^7, as would typically be found in traditional

jazz settings; ^7 of course has the strongest "leading" tendency of all the scale degrees, so it

follows that this chord would lack some of the dissonance of a suspension which includes ^7.

Indeed, since ^5 is present here, ^4 could be heard to tend upward to it, to a perfect fifth sonority,

rather than downward to the absent ^3.

At the very end of the recording, during the free cadenza section in mm. 226-227, the

guitar is once again used as a kind of synthesizer (as we saw at the beginning of mvt. 3),

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employing some kind of electronic enhancement to create an otherworldly timbre in a swirling,

rising and falling texture. This is not likely an actual synthesizer since the pianist is playing at the

same time, and no other guitar part is audible, but it is notated in the score as "free."

One final note about this movement: the solos are generally in the lower parts in each

section; most occur in the fourth and fifth trumpets and saxophones, though at certain times all

five saxophones play brief solos. The fourth saxophone changes to tenor midway through and

plays one of the longer solos. The only trombone solo is played by the first trombone. Perhaps the

distribution has to do with the less-demanding range of the lower parts reserving strength for

soloing. Notably, for this recording by the WDR Big Band, Mendoza assigned solo parts to

specific players by name in the score, including saxophonist David Liebman.

A few points in terms of instrumentation and range in this movement: high-register

trumpets are used sparingly, only at points of climax. The trombones are used throughout their

range, though they are generally kept in the mid- to high mid-range, with the exception of the

fourth trombone, which often dips below the staff and supplies the bass note of a chord. An

unusual saxophone section is used in this movement, consisting of five sopranos, often playing in

unison. At other times three saxophones play in unison, the others joining the trumpets on chords.

The rhythm section's role is fairly typical of a bebop-style piece, the piano and guitar comping

and providing rhythmic and melodic punctuation. The walking bass, and drums playing