1. Chapter 31 Early Jazz Styles

2. Origins of Jazz 2 Origins of jazz cannot be chronicled
Not recorded; improvised, oral tradition
Rooted in American South
(New Orleans)
Combined characteristics of European and African music
West Africa
Jazz roots from
Communal, everyone takes part
Griots transmitted songs about their people and history 2

3. African Music Elements
Call and response
leader sings and group responds
Polyrhythms
multiple rhythm patterns played simultaneously
Repetition of rhythm patterns
provides stability amid polyrhythmic activity
Harmony
by-product of melodic combinations, not chords
Scales
5 and 7 tone scales
Instruments
wide variety and use of percussion

4. Listening Guide: “Village Celebration,” Mende tribe of Sierra Leone
Recorded in 1962
African tribal music
Moderate tempo
No structured repeating sections
Quadruple meter with polyrhythms
Instruments: segbure (gourd rattle with bead netting sewn around outside); sangbei (wooden drum with metal rattles attached); mouth organ
Voices: male vocal leader; villagers respond
Lead vocals are improvised and villagers probably danced as they sang responses
Listen to an excerpt from this recording:
Listening excerpt from CD 5, track 26,
p. 295

5. Ragtime Syncopated (ragged) rhythms – African influence
Sectional formal structure – European influence
Ragtime

6. Ragtime Used as music for cakewalks in 1890s
Played on banjos, fiddles, or by bands
Piano became preferred instrument
Ragtime is notated, not improvised
Notable composers were Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb
Scott Joplin 4

7. Listening Guide: “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin
Composed in 1899
Piano ragtime music
Tempo di marcia (march tempo)
AABBACCDD form
Solo piano
Duple meter
Rags were played on Mississippi riverboats and in
homes and nightclubs
Listen to the A and B sections (repeated) from this
selection:
Listening excerpt from CD 6, track 1,
p. 296

8. Blues 5 Developed from field hollers and work songs in rural South
Singers accompanied themselves with guitar
Text is personal, full of feeling, not always sad
Loose structurally and rhythmically; easy to improvise lyrics
Twelve-bar harmonic progression with four bars for each section
(3-line verse:AAB)
Typically quadruple meter 5

9. Blues Elements for Relaxed Feel
Uneven beat subdivisions
Lowered 3rd and 7th scale steps -blue notes
Singers slide from note to note

10. Bessie Smith: Empress of the Blues
Singing career in minstrel shows, nightclubs, & theaters
Collaborated with jazz musicians in 1920s and 1930s
Recorded close to 200 songs
Bessie Smith
Photograph by Carl van Vechten

11. Featured Listening: “Lost Your Head Blues” by Bessie Smith
Recorded in 1926
Classic blues
Five choruses of twelve-bar blues
Bessie Smith with cornet and piano
Quadruple meter with uneven beat subdivisions
Listen to the first chorus (AAB) of this song:
Lyrics
I was with you baby when you didn’t have a dime.
Now since you got plenty money you have throw’d your good gal down.
Listen for blue notes and sliding between notes
Listen for call and response between voice and
cornet
Listening excerpt from CD 2, tracks 20-24, pp

12. Postcard of New Orleans, early 20th century
Jazz
Centered in New Orleans
Flourished in Storyville district
Dance halls, gambling places, brothels
Jazz also known as Dixieland
Postcard of New Orleans, early 20th century 7

13. New Orleans Jazz Combos
Small groups: front line and rhythm section
Front line played the melody
1 or 2 cornets, clarinet, trombone
Rhythm section maintained beat and accompanied
string bass, guitar or banjo; sometimes piano & drums
Collective improvisation among front line members most important feature

14. Jazz Migration
Several factors, including closing of Storyville, led to migration of jazz musicians
Chicago became next important jazz city
Focus shifted to individual soloists 8

15. Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong, from New Orleans, became leading soloist
His style became embodiment of swing
Credited with development of scat singing – singer improvises nonsense syllables in place of words
Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as early influence
Louis Armstrong

16. The Swing Era 9 Mid-1930s to early 1950s Larger ensembles organized
Moved out of saloons to ballrooms and dance halls
Radio broadcasts disseminated style to large audience
New York became new jazz city 9

17. Big Band Swing Sound versus New Orleans Jazz Band
Big Band Swing 1930s-40s 3-4 trumpets 3-4 trombones 3-4 saxophones Piano String Bass Drum set
New Orleans Jazz 1920s 1 trumpet 1 trombone 1 clarinet Piano (guitar or banjo) String Bass Drum Set 10

18. Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Born in Washington, DC
Studied art & music, including ragtime
Band performed at Harlem’s Cotton Club
Called his band an orchestra; toured the US and Europe
“It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” recorded in 1932
DC residents selected Duke Ellington for their commemorative quarter; 2009 release scheduled

19. Listening Example on CD 6, track 2,
Listening Guide: “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” by Duke Ellington
Composed in 1932
Swing jazz
AABA song form
Voice, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, piano,
banjo, bass, drums
Quadruple meter
Trumpets have mutes to diminish sounds
Listen to the entire song; notice the scat singing
Lyrics
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.
It don’t mean a thing all you’ve got to do is sing.
It makes no difference if it’s sweet or hot.
Just keep that rhythm give it ev’rything you’ve got.
Listening Example on CD 6, track 2,
p. 302

20. Other Swing Band Leaders
Fletcher Henderson
Count Basie
Cab Calloway
Benny Goodman
Harry James
Glenn Miller
Artie Shaw
Tommy Dorsey
Woody Herman