Minimalism within jazz-inspired composition portfolio

Abstract

This dissertation is an attempt to link two styles - Minimalism and jazz - which philosophically and aesthetically may seem contradictory. On one hand, Minimalism embraces concepts such as harmonic stasis and repetition. A piece may stick to the same chord for two minutes. A part may repeat a rhythm for the entirety of a work. On the other, jazz is the style in which a chord in a composition is rarely voiced the same by the same player from one performance to the next (let alone different players), harmonies are substituted, chords are stacked and extended, and the same composition is interpreted in a myriad of ways by different players. It would thus not be completely erroneous to think of jazz as more maximalist in nature, than minimalist. Still, musically it is a link which has been consolidated by many composers and performers in compositions and live performances alike, the latter typically being a less cerebral manifestation of this link than the former. It would suffice to mention Bill Evans as an example, who championed the use of rootless voicings and would effectively reduce a 13th chord consisting of seven notes to two or three notes without compromising its harmonic effect. The author’s initial premise is thus a concept which seems to work practically more than it does theoretically. With this in mind, this dissertation will seek to explore the commonalities between the two worlds and exploit them for compositional purposes. Applying the vastness of the jazz idiom and its harmony to minimalist settings and processes could yield unique results with interesting features.