Hello chaps,

I'm currently hooked on the killer tune 'Matrix' by Dizzy Gillespie:



I love the bluesy bridge at 0:56 and 2:26, but despite my efforts, have not be able to decipher the piano chords played.

Would anyone be willing to offer some pointers, please? I can get close-ish, but close just doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance,
James
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What I hear on 0:56 is:
Am7b5 Abdim Eb/G F#dim Fm7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7
Dm7b5 Galt Cm7 F7

Here's how the harmony sounds as I play it solo piano:

MIDI file

MP3 file

It's not what the piano on the recording is playing exactly but rather the changes as I hear them. Unfortunately I have more of a functional type of hearing rather than absolute...

Evgeny has pretty much nailed it. ,I'm editing after just running out to the piano ...that isn't a Ab7 b5 like I called it but an Ab dim. as he had written.

I'm pretty sure it's a Gb13+11 on the Gb dim. though. The Bb7 is more an Abmaj 7/Bb. I think the Eb7 and Ab7 are playing different voicings then the guitar melody....don't have those as I'd need the sound next to the piano to check 'em. They are altered though.

Also that Dm7b5 is a sus on the top with the G. Evgeny is like 95% there though..

Dave, thank you for rectifying those specific alterations. I can usually hear immediately the root of a chord and its function (iim, V, I, etc), however I need more listening and thorough double-check on the piano for the extensions and specific voicings... Wish I had perfect pitch to be able to hear each individual note and its pitch.

I don't have perfect pitch either...maybe relative ? I need to be next to the piano as well to check things....sometimes I'm a whole step off. I was hearing the G in the soprano as an F...so I was thinking more of Amb5 add F to Ab7+11...that's where that came from. When I checked it was the G..so yeah the Ab dim. was the chord.

I'm pretty certain that Eb/G is like a "Steely Dan" type thing where it's technically called Eb2 no 3rd/G.

To simplify (hopefully) , voiced starting from the Am7b5 going down:

LH-A, G...RH- C, Eb, G

Ab dim
LH -Ab, F...RH- B,D,G

Eb/G
LH-G, F...RH- Bb, Eb

Gb7+11
LH-Gb, E ....RH-Bb,C, Eb

Fm9
LH- F, Eb...RH- Ab, C, G

Abmaj7/Bb
LH-Bb, Ab...RH- C, Eb,G

I could write out a logical voice leading for the Eb7 to Ab7 but like I said..the keyboardist is not playing the melody in the soprano...the guitar is. The piano is playing altered chords against that melody.

the Dm7b5 sus
LH-D, C....RH-Ab,C, G

G7+5
Lh- G,F.... RH- B, Eb,G

Cm9
RH-C,Bb ...LH-D,Eb,G

F9
LH-F, Eb...RH A,D,G

See how that works out for you...it's basically what Evgeny played except with a few alterations...

Wow, beautiful!

Thank you very much for your help chaps - superb work!

No time to sit down at the keys now as I need to get read for work, however I shall look forward to trying these chords when I return in the evening.

Cheers,
James
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