I’m starting to recognize that within the jazz genre, I’m a bit of a sucker for simple chord structure. Songs that might be described as “hypnotic.” Think of the Yusef Lateef track from week 370, or Garage à Trois in week 56, or Ahmad Jamal way back in week 6.
It’s tempting to write off simple chord structure as unimaginative, especially in the world of jazz, where technical wizardry is a badge of honour and chord complexity is sometimes an end in itself. Jamal was a perfect example; spurned by critics in his time for being too simple.
For me, if “simple” music is done right, it can be beautiful. And if the listener is willing to listen closely to the details, that simplicity reveals itself to have slight variations and gradations that add to the beauty.
New Zealand’s Lucien Johnson’s recent album is aptly named for the moon’s phases, and this song, the record’s opening track, is named for the deceptively simple circle that most of us glance at without a second thought. As we’ve already learned, the moon is more magnificent than most people give it credit for, and Johnson’s “Magnificent Moon” is a worthy namesake.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The combination of instruments – the brightness of the harp, dark moodiness of the vibraphone – is a nice reflection of the moon’s light/dark dualism.
2. Johnson’s saxophone mediates the lighter and darker sounds with his soft playing style, reminiscent of Christian Scott’s whispering trumpet.
3. The structure is hypnotically simple, with just one chord throughout, interrupted by brief, two-bar changes that seem to promise a new phase, before waxing back to home base.
Recommended listening activity:
Looking really closely at the back of your hand and realizing you don’t actually know it that well.