The Lydian Secret: How George Russell's Theory Gave Miles Davis "Melodic Freedom" in Modal Jazz

Dive deep into the revolutionary style of modal jazz, a genre pillar exemplified by Miles Davis's "So What". This video explains why this style moved away from rapid, traditional chord changes toward static harmonies and improvisation based on modes. The sources reveal that the underlying goal of modal composition was melodic freedom and improvisational creativity, something Davis had been seeking throughout his career....
We explore the fundamental influence of George Russell and his complex Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. Russell sought a scale that could embody the sound of a chord rather than forcing harmonic progression. His discovery of the Lydian scale was crucial because it eliminated the tension inherent in the traditional major scale, allowing the harmony to become "decorative rather than functional" for the soloist. This approach provides rhythmic flexibility and allows the player to think vertically, exploring the full range of possibilities within an individual modeL.
This video is essential for anyone wanting to understand the history and theory behind the shift to post-1950s jazz, including why "So What" is considered one of the most iconic records in jazz1....

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