MISHA GRAY'S PREHISTORIC JAZZ QUINTET
Genres: Hard Bop, Post Bop • United Kingdom

"In 2008, a flute made from a vulture’s wing bone was discovered in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany. Carbon dating suggests that the instrument is 35,000 years old. The position of the holes on this flute correspond to the pentatonic scale. This means that the pentatonic scale has been with humans for longer than writing, agriculture or the formation of civilisation. The mysterious, natural and beautiful sound of the pentatonic scale has been resonating deep within our souls throughout the ages. Oriental, African and Indian classical music rely heavily on the pentatonic scale, but in modern music the scale is present across most musical styles. Coltrane’s embrace of the Eastern musical styles was based on the freedom and spirituality that he could achieve through the pentatonic and modal explorations. This inspired me to write a series of extended compositions, tonal poems and structured improvisations, looking at how the core of music read more...