riceonthebass

Analysis of Charles Mingus’ solo on “My Jelly Roll Soul”

By:  Andy Rice

This tune has an unusual form.  It is fourteen measures and the last four measures of this solo is the first four in a section of trading back and forth between the bass and drums.

The first thing that jumps out at me after having transcribed this solo is his extensive use of a technique called pizzicato tremolo.  It is better to understand this technique by demonstration, but it is when both sides of one finger (usually the index) are used to strike the string in both directions very rapidly, much like tremolo with a bow involves moving the bow rapidly in both directions.   This occurs for the first time very briefly in the first measure and also in measure eight.  He really gets tremolo happy at the end when the trading begins, which leads me to believe he might be beginning to think more drummer-like as he starts to trade with drummer Danny Richmond.

Mingus employs glissandos and note bends in this solo, lending a vocal quality to it.  He does this in measures 4 and 5, when he plays the 9^th of the chord and he adds a little emphasis on these notes with a strong articulation, as well.  Another interesting point where he does this is at measure 17 where he so rhythmically precise that at first listen, you may not even notice the glissandos, but once I slowed this phrase down, I realized that the other notes I was hearing in there weren’t there.  He is just that much in control of his instrument.  In measure 24, he uses the Gliss in a typical bluesy way when he slides up into the 3^rd of the chord, giving it the sound of the blue note flat three resolving up to the natural 3.  He employs either a string bend or a shake in measure 11 at the end of a phrase, which is a sort of exaggerated vibrato.  A sort of “vocal” technique not often utilized in the world of jazz bass.

An interesting thing happens with articulation in measures 9-11.  He accents the phrase consistently on the and of 2 and 4 for those three measures.  Perhaps this is another sort of drummerism.  This is another fine example of his powerful rhythmic presence, nonetheless.  Another tidbit of articulation worth noting is his way of slurring into the beats much like a horn player would phrase a swing line, in measures 23 and 25.

As far as note choice goes, Mingus targets chord tones on strong beats a lot and often arpeggiates the one chord when the harmony returns to the tonic is in measures 5,9, 13 and 23.  At the point in the form where there 7^th chords moving chromatically downward, he implies those changes by partially arpeggiating the chords.

In conclusion, Charles Mingus has a very aggressive and expressive bass playing style.  He uses articulation and a very strong rhythmic concept to make is his presence known in any context that I have ever heard him in.  Often times it seems to me as if he is employing drumlike technique, he manipulates the strings of the bass in such a fashion that his solos often have a very vocal quality to them and His phrasing and note choice is very strongly rooted in bebop.