Brubeck recording- What chord is this?

[Bardolph]

I'm working on transcribing the piano intro to Strange Meadow Lark by Dave Brubeck. There's a chord about 16 seconds in and I'm not sure what it is. I think I'm hearing this correctly, starting from the bottom note- Bb(just below middle C) D F# G A D. I hear it as a D chord with a 4 stuck in there and a Bb on the bottom, but I'm not sure what to consider the root. Am I correct in thinking this would best qualify as a Bbmaj13+5? Not a chord you hear horribly often...

[Ed Fuqua]

I'd wait for Durrl to chime in, but that kind of looks more like a polychord? Gminor and Dmajor triads....

[Johnny L]

Polychord...dang that's badass

[msw]

Gmin (maj 7) with a 9th in first inversion.

[Johnny L]

Both suggestions make me wonder what chords precede and follow it

[msw]

It is just one suggestion: Bb (third) D the (fifth) F# the (maj 7) A the (ninth) G the (root) {"first inversion" means voiced with 3rd in the bass}

[Johnny L]

Oh I meant yours and Ed's two-headed chord but hey thanks for the breakdown of the spelling!

Your Gm(maj7)add9 certainly looks "cleaner" but I'm intrigued by the notion of two key centers on the very same beat

oh o.k. "first inversion" I'm gonna have to remember that trick

[msw]

I am not sure a polychord implies two different key centers. A typical polychord implies a scale or certian tensions (color tones)for that particular chord.
An example: D/C7 is a dom. with the 9th 13 th and the #11
Bb/C is a Csus
D/F7 is a Fdom. with a natural 13 flat9
D/Eb a particular diminished sound
Gb7/C7 is a dom. with flat 9 sharp 11
Ab/C7 is a dom. with flant 9 flat 13
You might already know this stuff so I apologize in advance if you do. I admire your curosity and drive!!

[Bardolph]

If it helps I made a little excerpt recording and a visual. The chord I'm talking about is at the very end.

[Johnny L]

Originally Posted by msw

I am not sure a polychord implies two different key centers. A typical polychord implies a scale or certian tensions (color tones)for that particular chord.
An example: D/C7 is a dom. with the 9th 13 th and the #11
Bb/C is a Csus
D/F7 is a Fdom. with a natural 13 flat9
D/Eb a particular diminished sound
Gb7/C7 is a dom. with flat 9 sharp 11
Ab/C7 is a dom. with flant 9 flat 13

Ah o.k. msw now I see what you mean. Hmm this almost seems to be another example of an "eye of the beholder" situation like in how to analyze what's really going on with My Funny Valentine.

You might already know this stuff so I apologize in advance if you do. I admire your curosity and drive!!

Hey thanks I appreciate that! My motivation, though, is entirely selfish...trying to get as much money's worth as possible from my experience at Lynn Seaton's jazz camp, even after it's over (it's probably the Capricorn in me)

The cool part about all this music theory is that so much of it is interrelated and deductions from the complex to the simple can be made. I guess one could argue that because of this, once you know how to spell the major scale you should already know almost everything from the outset LOL...but I'm just not that fast and appreciate whatever you see fit to offer.

I know now from seeing Lynn work his magic and the kids who knew this stuff work theirs that the more intimate one is with it all the more wonderful music one can express at a moment's notice

[Tomasito]

I'm having a hard time hearing the G in the voicing. Perhaps because it's the note of the melody immediately before this chord it lingers in your ear? Or it is there and my ears are just tired. Minus the G, isnt this just a D/Bb? Or at a pinch D(b13) (I don't like that though, I'm hearing the function as more of a VIIdom, as though the bass note could just as easily, if less tastily, be the third, an f sharp.)

[Bardolph]

Where's the "Ask Dave Brubeck" forum when you need it?

[msw]

The changes are:
EbM7/Ab7 9-#11-13/G7b13/C7sus/F13/Bb7/EbM7#11/AbM7/Db7/G7b13 To the mystery chord....C7 9/#11/13

[Marcus Johnson]

That's a beautiful tune. I've been trying to get my duo partner to play that one for awhile, for when people come up and request "some Brubeck".

[Bardolph]

Originally Posted by msw

The changes are:
EbM7/Ab7 9-#11-13/G7b13/C7sus/F13/Bb7/EbM7#11/AbM7/Db7/G7b13 To the mystery chord....C7 9/#11/13

Wow, thanks. That's a great progression, I love Brubeck stuff. C does make the most sense come to think of it, seeing as it's in the context of the key of Eb.