×

 

VOTI - voices of the industry

LIAM NOBLE’S ADVICE FOR JAZZ STUDENTS #8: H IS FOR HARMONY

 

 

Harmony drives me crazy.

 

My ambition was, and is, to be the least “harmonic” pianist in jazz. I like to see chord changes as a rhythmic sequence: whilst standard songs like “Body and Soul” are originally like a kind of simplified Da Capo aria (discuss), we are not dealing with Mozart anymore, wonderful though he (mostly) is.

 

The old fashioned aria sets up a “situation”, creates tension in the middle, comes back to the beginning with some kind of sense of resolution and…stops. Jazz takes that structure and loops it, a slow burn that gets more intense as it goes, as it goes nowhere, but just sits better and better in the same place. There’s no arc, no learning.

 

In a jazz sequence, a chord is therefore partly a rhythmic moment, the intensity of which varies depending on its position in the form. It’s like a big crotchet. When Sonny Rollins overlaps the harmony between one chord and another on, for example, his solo on “Tune Up”, he is syncopating.

 

I think harmony is a material, it’s not the structural, fundamental element it’s often seen as, but is rather absorbed into the rhythmic structure. This opened a lot of doors for me; it also explained why half of my record collection doesn’t relate to harmonic theory at all. And yet, it’s an invaluable and sophisticated tool. I’m not anti harmony in the same way I’m not anti garlic, but there’s a difference between the garnish and the main dish.

 

Harmony is a beautiful jewel box full of glittering premonitions. Harmonic theory is an invitation to create, but it’s not the finished piece. Harmony runs out, reaching both a critical aural density and a finite number of configurations. Melody and rhythm are infinitely variable: whatever flexibility harmony has, it’s completely reliant on melody and rhythm.

 

Take an idea. Play it, play it again, play it with a change, repeat these three steps, then play it with another change, make that the new idea, repeat, leave space, then repeat all this. Once you can feel the music this way, harmonic savvy will both intensify it and refine its curves.

 

That’s where the party’s at.

 


 

about Liam Noble

After studying music at Oxford University, and jazz at the Guildhall in London, Liam Noble started to build a reputation of note playing with Stan Sulzmann, Anita Wardell, John Stevens and Harry Beckett. His first CD, a solo entitled “Close Your Eyes” was released in 1994, and contained a mix of standards, originals and improvisations. This mixture of approaches has characterized his music ever since.

 

In 1997 he joined the Bobby Wellins Quartet, the rhythm section of which continues today as the Liam Noble Trio, recently documented on the 2009 CD “BRUBECK”, gaining an almost unprecedented 5 star review in The Guardian.

 

In 2001, “In The Meantime”, released on Basho Records, explored longer compositional forms and unorthodox improvisational structures, and April 2002 saw a commission from Birmingham Jazz resulting in a song cycle based on Japanese Death Poetry. Noble plays keyboards and samples throughout, marking a new foray into electronica inspired by artists such as Aphex Twin and Arto Lindsay.

 

In 2004, following a Cheltenham Festival gig the previous year, Liam recorded the acclaimed “Romance Among The Fishes” on Basho Records with guitarist Phil Robson and the New York rhythm section of Drew Gress and Tom Rainey on bass and drums respectively.

 

Liam’s working relationship has continued with Tom Rainey in the free improv trio, “Sleepthief” with Ingrid Laubrock, with an album released in September 2008, and a second, “The Madness Of Crowds” in 2011. Other frequent collaborators have included Christine Tobin, Paul Clarvis and Julian Siegel. His growing reputation as a free improviser has also resulted in recent performances with Mary Halverson, Marc Ducret, Mat Maneri, Evan Parker, Okkyung Lee and Peter Evans.

 

In June 2011 he was featured on a recording by Zhenya Strigalev with Larry Grenadier, Tim LeFebvre and Eric Harland. His newest project is an expanded trio with Chris Batchelor and Shabaka Hutchings. As a kind of summation of the diverse areas in which he works combined with a compositional eye for structure, this new group was highly praised at its premiere performance at the Cheltenham Jazz festival in 2012.’

 

His newest recording is a solo CD, due for release in early 2015 on Basho Records, which features an eclectic mix of improvisations, as well as versions of music by Edward Elgar, Joe Zawinul and Rodgers and Hammerstein.

 

Liam holds posts as Lecturer in Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire and Trinity College of Music. He has published 4 volumes of transcriptions of the Bill Evans Trio, and a book of original compositions “Jazz Piano; An In Depth Look at the Styles of the Masters”, both published by Hal Leonard.

 

Liam Noble’s website

1. CONNECTSMUSIC MICROSITE SUPERLINK
FREE personalised Microsite with flexible ‘super-smart’ URL
Your customised music link-in-bio
The only music link you need
Your online music sales, streaming, and identity all in one place
2. HOW TO
Click on ‘Create Artist Microsite'
No coding or design skills needed
Free quick and easy to create
Connects to directory where everyone can find you
Be shared on ConnectsMusic features and social media
3. SHARE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
The perfect PR support
Connect audiences to all your music with one flexible sharable link
Select a music release, click 'share button' to auto-copy
Share your SUPERLINK URL to all online platforms featuring your selection
Your audience can enjoy your featured sounds, then click outside selection to explore all your additional music, videos and bio on your Microsite
ConnectsMusic Industry Support, Gigs, Features:

GABIDDON

 
Jul 6, 2023
  The Jam House

Chris Corcoran Trio

 
Jun 23, 2023
  The Bear Club

Larkin Poe

 
Oct 21, 2023
  Roundhouse

M83

 
Jun 29, 2023
  Roundhouse

Tomorrow”s New Quartet

 
Jun 24, 2023
  The Bear Club

LEGENDS OF SOHO: Gary Crosby Quartet

 
Jun 15, 2023
  Crazy Coqs

Lee Fields

 
Jul 5, 2023
  The Jazz Cafe

WITHIN SIGHT BY ELLEN RENTON

 
Jun 9, 2023
  Roundhouse

Hannah Horton and Tony Kofi Quintet

 
Jun 9, 2023
  Chichester Jazz Club

BILAL

 
Jul 18, 2023
  The Jazz Cafe

Jazz Dynamos: ‘Jazz ‘n’ 80s’ featuring Lucy Randell

 
Jun 21, 2023
  Crazy Coqs

Club del Rio

 
Jun 28, 2023
  The Bear Club

HAMILTON LOOMIS

 
Jul 19, 2023
  The Jam House

Courtney Pine

 
Aug 4, 2023
  The Jazz Cafe

Nuadha Quartet in Fishguard

 
Jun 2, 2023
 

Deborah Carew Swing Duo

 
Jun 10, 2023
  Green Note Basement Bar

Dan Hadfield as Gary Barlow

 
Jun 29, 2023
  The Glee Club Glasgow

NANNA RADLEYS

 
Jul 21, 2023
  The Jam House

Rickie Lee Jones

 
Jun 28, 2023
  The Jazz Cafe

DETROIT SOUL COLLECTIVE

 
Jul 28, 2023
  The Jam House

Olly Sarkar Continuum

 
Jun 9, 2023
  The Bear Club

Emma Rawicz Trio

 
Jun 7, 2023
  Crazy Coqs

Big Mama’s Door

 
Jun 10, 2023
  The Bear Club

Tuesday Jam

 
Jun 20, 2023
  Newcastle Arts Centre

SEAN GIBBS BIG BAND

 
Jun 2, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

STEVE BANKS QUINTET ‘EMBOLDENED’ TOUR

 
Jun 14, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

Ray Gelato + Hannah Horton Quartet

 
Jun 24, 2023
  The Swinging Cat Jazz Club

LOZ SPEYER’S TIME ZONE

 
Jun 7, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

Jason Rebello & Tim Garland

 
Jun 16, 2023
  World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens

The Pete Honegan Band ft. Jenny Ingram-Brown

 
Jun 15, 2023
  The Bear Club

Emmeline

 
Jun 15, 2023
  Roundhouse

Circa Waves

 
Jun 9, 2023
  Roundhouse

Greg Foat

 
Jun 23, 2023
  Ronnie Scott's

ARETHA & THE SOUL SISTERS

 
Sep 22, 2023
  The Jazz Cafe

TONY KOFI QUARTET PLAYS MONK

 
Jul 22, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

Heathen Apostles

 
Jul 25, 2023
  The Sunflower Lounge

JONNY MANSFIELD QUINTET

 
Jun 15, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

DEE BYRNE: OUTLINES

 
Jul 4, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

Kevin Morby

 
Jun 7, 2023
  Roundhouse

RED LEMONS

 
Jun 23, 2023
  The Jam House

The Errol Linton Quintet

 
Jun 24, 2023
  Crazy Coqs

CIVIL WRONGS

 
Jun 15, 2023
  The Jam House

Marco Marconi Quartet

 
Jun 16, 2023
  The Bear Club

Polly and James – Music for the soul

 
Jun 10, 2023
  Crazy Coqs

ASHA PARKINSON’S KALPADRUMA

 
Jun 28, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

Paul Edis Trio

 
Aug 2, 2023
  Vortex Jazz Club

Clark Tracey Quintet ft Alex Clarke

 
Jul 1, 2023
  The Bear Club

Solid Soul

 
Jun 3, 2023
  The Jam House

ANGELO STARR

 
Aug 3, 2023
  The Jam House

Lera Lynn

 
Jun 4, 2023
  The Jazz Cafe
Artists Connects Pages
artists
venue
media
What's On
live and streamed
Industry Nuggets
Top Tips
Info you need to know
VOTI
features
Interviews with Heavy Hitters
Watch & Listen
Features
selected music and videos
by creators for creators and their audience - music community at its core