Jimmy Raney's polyrhythmic concepts (book preview part 1)

Rhythmic subtlety was key in my father's playing. He picked up on this originally from bebop masters such as Charlie Parker and Bud Powell and also bandmate Stan Getz and then incorporated the concepts wholely as the hallmark of his style. Such things as rhythmic displacement, polyrhythmic grouping and polymetric phrasing were a regular feature in their lines and particularly Jimmy's.

The first Just Friends 5/8 phrase is one I constructed from memory. If it's not an exact replication, it was very typical of the things he played. The second phrase is from a 1974 live duo recording at Bradley's. Originally played in key of D(?)The snippet is from last two bars of the form into the first bar of the top of the form:





scorch version





scorch version

These examples are additions to the polyrhythmic section of dad's unfinished book. There will be a few more updates/previews before the book is released.