Contrapuntally Inspired: Voice Leading, Texture and Rhythm in the Music of Ben Monder

This dissertation examines the use of counterpoint in the music of New York guitarist Ben Monder, arguing that specific contrapuntal elements inform his musical expression and contribute to his unique voice in contemporary jazz. Published pedagogical literature on jazz composition emphasizes big band arranging over small ensemble writing and has not adequately addressed the scope of jazz compositional practices since the 1960s. Consequently, innovative approaches such as Monder’s have been neglected and suitable frameworks for analyzing his contributions have not been developed. Synthesizing Walter Piston’s notion of opposition and Ernst Toch’s interest in textural shifts as a form of contrast with attention to Monder’s development of intervallic voicings and voice leading broadens my framework for analyzing contemporary jazz counterpoint. In particular, my analysis emphasizes non-imitative polyphony consisting of opposing elements within a texture (melody, harmony, rhythm, metre) and contrast between textures (shifts). Score analysis, transcription and a personal interview with Monder form the basis for examining select compositions and related improvisations in solo, duo, trio or quartet settings featured in his recordings Flux (1996), Dust (1997), Excavation (2000), Oceana (2005), and Hydra (2013). Analyses reveal a varied use of contrapuntal devices, including voice leading of intervallic voicing structures in chorales, a freer treatment of dissonance in pedal point, polytonality, polyrhythm, polymetre, and textural shifts. Guitar solos illustrate an often-overlooked contrapuntal link between composition and improvisation through motivic development. Most significantly, Monder’s extensive treatment of contrapuntal techniques shapes the form and identity of his compositions. This comprehensive approach to counterpoint and his emphasis on notation over improvisation in multi-movement compositions set him apart from his peers and gain him recognition from musicians and critics alike. His unique position within contemporary jazz circles challenges the prevailing tendency among jazz scholars to overlook composers in favour of improvisers who are assumed to have been the driving forces of jazz history. This study, then, builds on a growing direction in jazz scholarship that challenges existing narratives of jazz history and practice. It also serves as a stepping-stone for establishing counterpoint as a rich analytical, pedagogical, compositional and improvisational resource in contemporary jazz practice.D.M.A