ii-V7-I

What is the ii-V7-I progression?

I noticed it was a requirement as part of the audition for the army band, anyone care to explain?

The ii - V - I is the most common jazz cadence. The Roman numerals refer to chords. Say you're in the key of C. The ii, is a minor chord (due to the lowercase numeral) based on the second degree (due to the numeral being 2) of the key you're in. So the ii chord is Dm. Now the V chord is a major chord based on the 5th degree, G. The I is the major chord based on the first degree, C. These are usually extended to 7th chords at least to get Dm7, G7, Cmaj7. In Bb, it would be Cm7, F7, Bbmaj7. You should be able to figure the others out if you know your scales.

Wow, that's a lot more simple than I was figuring on.

Try the "ii" in ii-V7-I as a major II chord also. Secondary dominants, you gotta love em.

II-V7-I

It can also be used in latin-style jazz progressions.

Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 - F - Bdim - E - Am7 - A7

Throw in some congos and some shakers, and you've got yourself a part-ay!!!

Yeah, I like that progression.

I like the progression with one exception... the B dim. Could you post a soundfile of you playing this progression? To my ears, it's not sounding right... I like Bbmaj7 in place of the Bdim...

Dm7 - x, x, 0, 2, 1, 1
G7 - 3, x, 0, 0, 0, 1
Cmaj7 - x, 3, 2, 0, 0, 0
Fmaj7 - 1, x, 3, 2, 1, 0
Bbmaj7 - x, 1, 3, 2, 3, x
E - 0, 2, 2, 1, 0, 0
Am7 - x, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0
A7 - x, 0, 2, 0, 2, 3

played with a Latin rhythm

Play the progression in a Latin style using bar chords and alternating the bass between the root and the 5th. Bbmaj7 will work, but it doesn't have the resolution in the bass that Bdim7 does. Bdim7, in this case, is nothing more then a Bbdom.7th with the root sharped.

Exactly, it's bar chords, starting with the Dm7 on the 5th fret. The Bdim is a Bdim7 - (x 2 3 1 3 x)

I've wondered for years. Ironically, it's a cornerstone of my stuff. Never really realized or noticed it. ii V's are tonal centers. The dominant. I don't look at keys anymore. I look at tonal centers.

*For those of you who are new to this concept:

http://www.jimmybruno.com/downbeat.pdf

Wow, Chris, Bruno is exactly what I discovered, mine was a bit more round about way in more than 20 years of playing jazz.
That cycle is life. I do a meld of inside and outside playing, regardless of style or type of music. I even use outside in straight dog dirty country. My system (lack of a better term) is based on inside and outside playing. It's easier to bleed the outside into more tonal material or melodies. Outside playing (Jim Hall) is really difficult. Pat Metheny does a lot of in and outside stuff, but makes it easy to listen to.
Note the 5 outside. (ironically, pents, ironically, a major jazz and fusion trick.)
Who's Jimmy Bruno? A contemporary I've not heard. Probably, both workin' too much. Retirement is becoming boring.

If you have not heard Jimmy Bruno you've got to check him out, you won't be disapointed. Probably the best be-bop guitar player alive on the planet. He has probably 9 or 10 cd's out on BlueNote. There is also plenty of stuff to download on his web page.
http://www.jimmybruno.com