Polymodality In Jazz

Polymodality in Jazz Polymodality is a term that has been rarely mentioned in the jazz literature, in the same way it has been infrequently practiced as a compositional tool by jazz arrangers and composers. Very few books mention either polymodality, polytonality or its related terminology, and when done, is sometimes to describe a different concept from the one discussed in this research. A clear example of this, is the use of the term polymodality by George Russell in his book Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. Russell uses the term to describe how chords and scales can generate vertical and horizontal modality, in his principle that reorganizes western theory with the Lydian mode at the center of it (instead of the major scale).
As Russell, Jaffe uses the term to describe a concept that does not conform to what post-tonal composers meant by polytonality. “Polytonal chords or passages involve the coexistence of material from different tonal sources” Jaffe explains. But beyond this ambiguous definition his examples show passages where polychords are used throughout a section without maintaining the modal layers. For Jaffe, polytonality is a section or passage formed by non-diatonic polychords, regardless if the modality is carried out through the different chordal units. Jaffe’s definition contradicts the concept explained earlier in this
Perhaps, the few clear but succinct descriptions in jazz literature in this regard, are contained in three different books. The first one is David Liebman’s book A Chromatic Approach to Jazz Harmony and Melody, where in the glossary he defines bitonal as “two keys at the same time.” Frederick Sturm’s book Changes Over Time: The Evolution of Jazz Arranging, is the second book that provides a definition for bitonal also in the glossary; “the simultaneous appearance of two different keys or tonalities.” Finally, Russell Garcia’s book The Professional Arranger Composer, defines polytonality as “writing in two different keys simultaneously.” Garcia even issues a value judgment, when regarding polytonality he claims “to be used with discretion! (some modern legitimate composers have unsuccessfully based their whole style on this device).” The Professional Arranger Composer is the only one of these three books that provides a two-measure example of homophonic