Education

On Comping
Great Jazz Guitarists
Must Know Jazz Standards

On Comping

- By Jarvis Raymond
August 2009

“Comping” is jazz slang for accompanying. This often means a pianist, guitarist, organist, vibraphonist or other harmonic instrument playing the chords a soloist is improvising through. Ideally, comping should be an improvisation itself that implies the harmony, suggests alternate harmonies, and helps the soloist produce a better solo.

As with other facets of jazz studies, more concentration is often unduly put on notes than on other musical components. A student might know thirteen different voicings for Db+7#13b9 but be unable to successfully comp for a soloist. Although the notes are important, other factors such as duration, register, intensity and rhythm can be the difference between great and horrible comping.

The duration of the chords a comper plays can be the difference between helping and hindering a soloist. Playing shorter rhythms against a soloist who is playing long tones can help provide a rhythmic counterpoint. The converse is true as well, chords held longer will often work well against a soloist who is playing lots of short or fast notes. Arppeggiating or breaking up the notes in the chord can help fill out space during a ballad.

The register one comps in is also of great importance, as you will want to stay away from the range of the soloist. When accompanying a bassist who’s soloing its generally best to not comp in a low register. This can interfere with what the bassist is trying to communicate. Likewise, when comping for instruments playing in the higher range you’ll probably want to avoid playing voicings up there. This issue becomes more prevalent in situations in which two of the same instruments are comping for one another, such as two guitars. Generally the comping guitarist will play lower voiced chords while the soloist plays in a higher range.

Another often-overlooked factor for beginner compers is intensity. Many soloists will gradually build up their solos across several choruses. If the soloist is going for this effect, its your job to help it occur. Sometimes it can be helpful to think of a solo like you would a story – It should have a beginning, a middle and an end. As the story moves forward, it builds in intensity until it reaches a climax. From there things are resolved and the story ends. Not all soloists create solos in this fashion, just as not all writers use that format. However, as an accompanist you should be listening for this type of development and trying to help the soloist achieve the effect they’re trying to achieve. Volume plays a part in this too. In general your comping should not over shadow the soloist.

Rhythm is the most important aspect of comping. Although the comper is trying to help the soloist, they’re also a fundamental part of the rhythm section and its imperative that the chords they play relate to the time the bass player and drummer are laying down. As a comper you need to be listening to three things at once: the soloist, yourself and the rest of rhythm section. Every chord you play should solidly locked into the time and help contribute to the groove. This can be practiced by comping with a metronome on all 4 beats and on 2 and 4 (or 1 and 3 when playing in a straight 8th note feel).

Listening to great compers is probably the best teacher. Hearing their use of duration, register, intensity and rhythmic placement in relation to the soloist and rhythm section can be a great self-teaching tool. In addition to this, the more opportunities you can create to comp for soloists the better – at gigs, jam sessions and in the practice room. Generally a guitarist or pianist that can comp well will get more gigs than one that can just solo well.

"Detroit"

Detroit is a new composition by Los Angeles resident Gerald Wilson and his fourth release on Mack Avenue Records. This multiple part suite was written for a big band ensemble and was commissioned by the Detroit International Jazz Festival. Detroit was recorded by Wilson’s New York and Los Angeles big bands.

Wilson’s memories of Detroit differ from the current state of the city. Wilson spent his high school days there studying music. For Wilson, Detroit was a city of progressive social politics, integrated schools and regional and national jazz bands.

“Blues on the Belle Isle” is the opening section of this release. This bluesy up tempo tune uses dexterously voiced ensemble harmonies and features an agile violin solo before ending on a dissonant chord. “Blues on the Belle Isle” is followed by “Cass Tech,” which shares a similar harmony to the Benny Golson tune “Along Came Betty”. The title track of the release begins with a flute playing against lush ensemble horn voicings and a mournful melody. “Before Motown” provides some needed contrast by switching to a Latin feel with some soaring trumpet work. “Aram” is the final movement of Detroit. This capstone movement is a jaunting waltz that fades out with a saxophone solo.

Detroit stays solidly within the tradition of big band writing and avoids musically pushing the envelope. However, Wilson excels in this style and has managed a fitting tribute to the city. This release is an ideal choice for lovers of big band music and America’s Motor City.

"Echoes of Ethnicity"

Derrick Gardner is a freelance trumpeter, arranger and composer from Chicago. Gardner has played alongside jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie and has had his music performed by “The Count Basie Orchestra”. Gardner’s sextet “The Jazz Prophets” has been playing for over twenty years. Their latest release, Echoes of Ethnicity, showcases ten arrangements of original compositions and standards.

Echoes of Ethnicity features the work of “The Jazz Prophets” plus two. Brad Leali on alto saxophone and Brandon Meeks on bass join the group on this recording. This eight-piece ensemble allows for more interplay between musicians than is possible in a big band, while maintaining some of the big band sound. The challenge Gardner’s group contends with is the balancing of musical freedom versus control.

The opening track “4Newk” blasts off with an up tempo jagged unison melody in a groove that shifts between a latin feel and a swing beat. “Afro and Cubans” is arranged with interesting sonorities. “Mercury Blvd” is one of the more beautiful tracks on this release. Gardner’s trumpet playing and a closely harmonized horn section drive this R&B style tune. Throughout this recording percussionist Kevin Kaiser adds to the groove with afro-Cuban style percussion.

Derrick Gardner and the Jazz Prophets +2 often choose density and elaborate arrangements over spontaneity and looseness on Echoes of Ethnicity. However, sometimes the tradeoff is worth it. This ensemble uses its larger size to create dramatic climaxes and a wide variety of timbres and textures that is difficult for smaller jazz groups to reproduce.

"Cool Man Cool"

"Cool Man Cool" is a new recording by Grant Geissman with the guitarist playing fourteen original compositions. Geissman is known for his work as a studio musician, jazz guitarist and co-writer of the theme to the sitcom “Two and Half Men”. This album showcases a variety of different styles and ensemble settings.

The introductory track “Cool Man Cool” begins with finger snaps and bongos that leads into a swinging minor blues. The mood is very beatnik hipster and climaxes with an angular unison shout chorus. Following this track is “Chicken Shack Jack,” a blues tune featuring Jim Cox on organ and Tom Scott on tenor sax. Geissman plays some George Benson like single note lines before going into some bluesy bends and octave work.

“Chuck and Chick” is a notable because it captures trumpeter Chuck Mangione’s reunion with pianist Chick Corea, who used to play in Mangione’s quintet in 1965. Corea’s lush voicings beautifully accompany Mangione’s warm tone on this contemporary Latin number. Geissman switches to a nylon string guitar for this tune and takes a passionate solo.

Other styles are explored on this album as well. “Nawlins” uses a New Orleans style street beat feel. In “Minnie Lights Out” Geissman plays in 1930’s swing style showing off some Django Rheinhardt like guitar playing. “Dig Some Sides” is a straight ahead, burning, up-tempo bebop tune while “Cool Blooz” is a Chicago style blues shuffle. This final track features Geissman playing distorted electric guitar and some nice dobro slide guitar work by Dennis Brown.

Throughout this recording Geissman focuses on mood and feel over virtuosic playing or special effects. The writing is idiomatic to the musical styles and the production is excellent. "Cool Man, Cool" is a statement of Geissman’s musical diversity and “cool” guitar playing.

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Education

On Comping

Great Jazz Guitarists

Must Know Jazz Standards

Album Reviews

"Detroit"

"Without a Song"

"Echoes of Ethnicity"

"Cool Man Cool"