The V chord in a II-V-I progression in major key
Assume we are in the key of F. Then II = Gm7, V = C7 and of course I = Fmaj7.
If we want to include the 9th in the V chord then we have V = C9 = C E G Bb D. All of those note are in the scale of F major.
The question is why sometimes in Jazz people play a flat D, that is why they substitute C9 with Cb9?
Indeed it sounds nice since this b9 note goes nicely into the root but harmonically it is not within the notes of the scale.
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From your question, I guess you're coming from the theory point of view. It's being said more and more. Theory attempts to explain what's happening. NOT theory came first, so things ought to fit into its parameters.
If the latter was the case, we'd still be playing early madrigals; Bach, Beethoven, Schonberg, Debussy, et al, would never have emerged. Surely, the main reason we feel that something works is that it sounds good. It isn't always possible to pigeon-hole particular aspects, even though we seem to be programmed to need it done.
The main 'reasoning' here is that music needs (to us) to resolve, and moving each note in a chord as little as possible is a good way for this to happen. Almost like - you know the sounds you're expecting, but the chord before is so very close, but not quite there. A bit of a tease - dissonance, maybe.
C E G Bb Db. To resolve to F A C E involves C and E staying put, but the E can move one semitone to F. Bb coming down one semitone to A. Db dropping one semitone to C. G moves a whole tone - unless a jazzer would play the F as Fmaj9 ! Very little movement all told, but the blend of penultimate chord notes sounding good.
It simply causes a little more tension and gives a bit more payoff for a resolution. Any V7 will want to desperately resolve to I. Adding a ♭9 adds more tension between the root of the V and the ♭9 and gives a bit more weight to the resolution.
On a typical resolution from C9 to FMaj7 you have:
C->C
E->E
G->F
Bb->A
D->C
On a typical resolution from C♭9 to FMaj7 you have:
C->C
E->E
G->F
Bb->A
Db->C
The resolution is the exact same to the tonic, but the C♭9 has a slightly shorter distance to resolve back to the C being viewed as a stronger resolution.
As for what to play over it, Mixolydian ♭2 would be fine however with a chord like this you would want a little extra tension so playing just Mixolydian and chromatically going from D to C may yield a rather interesting result.
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