“Modal Citizen” is a newer jazz ensemble chart composed by Peter Sciaino and published by Excelcia Music Publishing. It is written for developing jazz ensembles (Grade 2) but is heavily inspired by the modal jazz style made famous by artists like Herbie Hancock.

The title itself is a clever play on the phrase “model citizen,” replacing “model” with “modal,” which refers to modal jazz — a style of jazz based on musical modes and scales rather than constantly changing chord progressions. Modal jazz became especially popular in the late 1950s and 1960s through musicians such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Famous modal jazz works include Davis’s Kind of Blue album and Hancock’s Maiden Voyage.

“Modal Citizen” was specifically inspired by Hancock’s Maiden Voyage and similar jazz fusion/modal compositions. The chart opens with a smaller trio texture featuring alto saxophone, trumpet, and guitar before gradually layering in the rest of the ensemble. As the piece develops, the harmonies expand and create the floating, atmospheric sound that modal jazz is known for. The piece also includes written improvisation sections for alto sax and trumpet over accessible modal changes, making it an excellent educational introduction to modal improvisation for younger jazz musicians.

Stylistically, the chart blends modal jazz with Latin-rock and contemporary jazz fusion grooves. Instead of relying on fast-moving chord changes typical of swing-era jazz, the music stays centered around scales and tonal colors, allowing performers to focus on groove, phrasing, tone, and melodic creativity.

For audiences, “Modal Citizen” serves as both an entertaining performance piece and a tribute to the influential modal jazz movement that transformed modern jazz in the 20th century..