Metheny has never really been a fusion player, He's one of the best modern jazz players (a contemporary extreme Major->Minor and Minor->Major Master) and most of the time plays in common time signatures, or straight time signatures with a turnaround time signature, etc...don't get me wrong, he's one of my favorite players, writers, and musicians...and I've seen him maybe 3-4 times before he was 25...and my all time favorite live modern jazz solo's is Q&A from the Trio album...but...there is no 'fusion' here, especially once you understand how simple the bulk of his tunes are.
cxblahnumberblahnumber has it right with Dance of the Maya...and he might not even know why.
I can't tell you how many times I've turned musicians onto TMO or Mclaughlin in general with Dance Of The Maya...you know how I do it...we listen to the tune, I tell them it;s in 10/4 but it's counted in subdivision of 3 3's and a 1. I count it as we go 123, 123, 123, 1, 123, 123, 123, 1...etc...then you hear Goodman blanket the fuck out of 123, 123, 123, 1, 123, 123, 123, 1...etc...then the half time blues section with 1 2, 1 2, 1 2, 1,,,1 2. 1 2, 1 2, 1...1 2. 1 2, 1 2, 1...then Cobham starts digging deeper and deeper in the groove with John holds a single low tone...then I say...."dig this, now John solo's, he's the one who wrote the tune...and knows exactly how to tear it apart!" This is where 'confusion' leads to 'fusion'. DOTM is one of the best examples out their for people to eith understand fusion, or not.
There is absolutely NO Minor->Major or Major->Minor style comtemporary Jazz in this tune (or TIMF album),
This is probably the first real fusion tune...sure Coryell, Rypel, and Miles Davis had things going, but they didn't leave any blisters. Dance of the Maya is the eshelon tune from the eshelon of Fusion albums.
In comparision...you should change your subject title from 'fusion' to 'modern jazz' or 'center tone jazz" and "fusion" doesn't apply.
If you need help playing this, I'll give you the chords, playing over it is going to cost you...I do teach on Skype...here's the tune...
Dance of the Maya...
This was the very first Mclaughlin tune I tried figuring out, mainly due the the lack of hyper-speed in learning their other tunes. Over the last 25 years it has become my favorite.
This is the head. I've see it tabbed many complicated ways, and wrong, but the way I learned is the way he played it (after watching videos, etc...).
[code]
Section A:
E-------------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------
G--------7-------7-----------6--------5--------4-----------2--
D-----6-------5-----------5--------3--------3-----------0-----
A-------------------------------------------------------------
E--0--------4-------4--5--------2--------3--------3--1--------
Section B:
E----------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------------
G--------7-------7-----------6--------4--------4-----------7--------6--
D-----6-------5-----------5--------2--------3-----------5--------5-----
A----------------------------------------------------------------------
E--0--------4-------4--5--------1--------3--------3--4--------5--------
E----------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------
G--------12-------------11--------10--------9-----------7--
D-----10------------10---------8---------8-----------5-----
A----------------------------------------------------------
E--9---------9--10----------7---------8--------8--6--------
Section C:
E----------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------------
G--------7-------7-----------6--------5--------4-----------7--------6--
D-----6--------5----------5--------3--------3-----------5--------5-----
A----------------------------------------------------------------------
E--0--------4-------4--5--------2--------3--------3--4--------5--------
E----------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------
G--------9-----------8--------11--------10-------------13--
D-----7-----------7--------9---------9-------------11------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E--6--------6--7--------8---------9---------9--10----------
Section D:
---12---11----10----9----8----
------------------------------
---12---11----10----9----8----
---11---9-----9-----7----7----
------------------------------
---11---8-----9-----6----7----
Easier Section D (that falls in line similar to the other sections):
E------------------------
B------------------------
G--12---11---10---9---8--
D--11---10---9----8---7--
A------------------------
E--11---10---9----8---7--
Easier Section D:
E--12---11---10---9---8--
B------------------------
G--12---11---10---9---8--
D--11---10---9----8---7--
A------------------------
E--11---10---9----8---7--
[/code]
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