Jazz Chapter 9

What you will learn Describe the beginnings of jazz Identify the musical characteristics that make jazz a uniquely American music Distinguish among various jazz styles and eras Identify significant jazz musicians

Bridge Chromatic Bebop Dorian mode Fusion Jazz Polyrhythmic Break vocabulary Jazz Polyrhythmic Break Scat singing Swing Bridge Chromatic Bebop Dorian mode Fusion

The African Roots of Jazz From 1619-1800’s slaves were brought to America from Africa Music there was functional (not artistic): works songs, spiritual songs, healing songs, etc. Owners let them keep their music to keep them “happy” African slaves sang spirituals and work songs, dance tunes, and blues

The African And EUROPEAN roots of jazz Traits of jazz from Africa Rhythm, especially polyrhythm and syncopation Juxtaposing two or more rhythms Expressive vocal quality European roots Brass bands of the 1800’s Instruments (clarinet, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, saxophone) Harmony and chord progressions

What is Jazz Jazz A musical form distinguished by its reliance on improvisation and its rhythmic urgency The word did not appear until 1917 Both art (Europe) and function (Africa)are essential to jazz Skill and inventiveness of performers is emphasized

“STRIDE” Piano A distinctive trait of early jazz Built on a steady oom-pah Left hand – timekeeping bass Right hand – shifted accents as it embellished the tune These early pianists made the piano an important part of the jazz band Keep off the Grass (1921) James P. Johnson

Ferdinand “jelly Roll” Morton (1885-1941) Great legend of early jazz; Pianist and bandleader Helped unite the styles that formed jazz Perfected the New Orleans Dixieland jazz style that had collective improvisation His group “Jelly Roll” Morton and His Red Hot Peppers introduced a driving swinging sound “Black Bottom Stomp” (1926)

Listen and Ponder What instruments do you hear being played? There are three main improvised solo sections - identify the order of the instruments that play them There are four short breaks A measure or two where everyone stops playing except the soloist Name the breaks by instrument in the order they are played

Dixieland jazz New Orleans(Dixieland) bands were small groups or combos Clarinet, cornet, trombone, and drums – each with a specific role Trumpet/cornet – melody Clarinet – embellishes the melody Tuba/bass – bass line Piano/banjo – provide chords and rhythm Drums – keep steady tempo and provide rhythm “Tiger Rag” – The Original Dixieland Jazz Band The first band to make a jazz recording Original Dixieland Jazz Band

Dixieland Performance practices Everybody plays all the time – except for solos Embellished the melody of existing song Collective improvisation – everyone improvises at the same time Improvisation based on embellishing the melody Usually learned by ear Unlike classical musicians who want a clear tone, jazz musicians will bend the pitches

The Mississippi Connection In the early 20th century, jazz musicians headed north up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers on riverboats looking for work and more freedom They settled in Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, and Kansas City Each city developed its own jazz sound Jazz began to draw a wider audience by becoming dance music White musicians began to play jazz

Louis Armstrong (1898-1971) Played trumpet and sang; legendary Set standard for jazz soloists Introduced scat singing: A form of vocal improvisation on nonsense syllables Began on trumpet at age 13 Joined King Oliver’s band in 1922 First to insist on staying where he played In 1957 criticized the government's failure to enforce Civil Rights “When the Saints Go Marching In” “What a Wonderful World” “Hello Dolly” – knocked the Beatles out of first place on the charts

Sectional organization During the 1920’s, jazz evolved into a sectional form with the full ensemble alternation with solo sections “Hotter than That” (1922) Example of the new style of hot jazz with sectional organization Performed by Louis Armstrong Composed by Lil Hardin, Armstrong’s wife, one of the few females working in jazz Intro – 8 Bars Trumpet & Rhythm; Clarinet Break (2) – 32 bars Clarinet & Rhythm; Vocal Break (2) – 32 bars Voice and Guitar – 32 bars Voice/Guitar Duet – 16 bars alternated 2 bar breaks Etc......

Chicago and The Emergence of Swing Refers to the special rhythmic character that jazz musicians add to the music Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952) Bandleader, composer, and arranger Progressive leader of big band jazz Pivotal in the development of Swing “The Stampede” (1926)

Henderson’s Band He enlarged the band and established the instrumentation that became the standard – 3 sections Brass – 3 trumpets and 2trombones Reed - 3 or 4 saxes(could double on clarinet) Rhythm – drums, piano, guitar, and double bass Emphasis on solo playing over arranged accompaniments

The big Band Era Swing was primarily dance music Big bands played music for kids to dance the jitterbug and Lindy Hop Legends of the big band era Benny Goodman Woody Herman William “Count” Basie Lester Young Duke Ellington Mary Lou Williams Woody Herman

Benny Goodman (1909-86) Clarinet virtuoso; classical education Called the “King of Swing” Born into poverty Heard by Ben Pollack at age 12 Pollack put him in his band His first recordings were made with Pollack’s band in 1926 Spent next 50 years recording and touring His band members became band leaders “Don’t Be That Way” Ben Pollack

William “Count” Basie (1904-1984) Piano player and band leader Born in New Jersey but settled in Kansas City Important to Kansas City sound Along with Ellington, most influential in establishing the Swing style Took over Benny Moten’s band in 1935 His star soloists went on to lead bands Music was ultra-relaxed and ultra swinging “One O’clock Jump”

The Rise of the Saxophone Lester Young Clarinet eventually gave way to the saxophone Lester Young (1909-1959) Member of Count Basie’s band Set standard for other musicians Inspired Charlie Parker Most professional jazz saxophonists double on clarinet when needed. “Shoe Shine Boy”

32 bar song form Trumpet & Rhythm; Clarinet Break (2) – 32 bars A large number of songs being written in 32-bar form ; became standard A A B A form Each section being 8 bars. Bridge A connective part of a composition Trumpet & Rhythm; Clarinet Break (2) – 32 bars Clarinet & Rhythm; Vocal Break (2) – 32 bars Voice and Guitar – 32 bars

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) Raised in a middle class family in Washington D.C. He showcased his musicians Made a jazz a sophisticated art form Music was often chromatic: Incorporating tones from a musical scale consisting entirely of half steps His work celebrated African-American culture Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom “It Don’t Mean a Thing” (1932) sung by Ella Fitzgerald Anticipated and summarized the entire swing era First to use the word swing

Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) One of the few women to succeed in jazz Great piano player Composer and arranger Arranged for Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington Played professionally by age 6 1931 – she joined the band Twelve Clouds of Joy Zodiac Suite: “Gemini” (1945)

The 1940’s and Bebop Bebop: A complex and sophisticated type of improvised jazz After World War II, the interest in jazz intensified Swing remained popular More freedom and improvisation; greater playing ability was needed Goal was to see how much they could stretch a composition while maintaining its basic formal structure Too fast for dancing; focus was back on jazz combos Leaders of bop started in Swing bands

John Birks ”Dizzy” Gillespie(1917-1996) Pioneer of Bebop Born in South Carolina Started in Swing bands Joined with Charlie Parker Later formed his own bands Added Latin elements to music “Night in Tunisia”

Charlie “Yardbird” Parker (1920-1955) Saxophone Works, such as “Confirmation” are now jazz standards, Grew up in Kansas City Joined the Jay McShann swing band in 1938 Started out on Bari Saxophone in high school New York night club named in his honor

Cool Jazz, Fusion, and Beyond New directions in jazz Reactions against the complexity of bebop Revived older forms Danceable blues became rhythm and blues – R & B Modal jazz – using different scales Dorian mode: A scale with the pattern of whole step, half, whole, whole, whole, half, and whole

Cool Jazz Reaction against the emotional intensity of bop Simpler melody and rhythm Miles Davis (1926-1991) The Miles Davis Sextet Leading jazz group of the time Influential albums – Birth of the Cool and Kind of Blue (birth of modal jazz) “So What” from Kind of Blue Davis perfected a style of trumpet playing that was restrained and moody

And Beyond The arrival of rock and roll (50’s), society was solely focused on it Began with the Beatles Jazz lost some of the mainstream popularity, but not forgotten Free jazz – stretched expression, atonal Ornette Coleman New tempos, meters, timbres from other cultures Fusion Combination of jazz and rock Miles Davis Introduced synthesizer to jazz music