Jazz History 4

Twelve-tone system

A technique of composition in which all 12 half steps in an octave are treated as equal. A method used by Schoenberg in the form of a "tone row," which all 12 tones are placed in a particular order, forming the basis of a musical composition. No tone is repeated within a row. The tone row becomes a "tonal reservoir," from which the composition is drawn. (TL;DR: technique to organize atonal musical structures) Some players in Free Jazz feel free enough to avoid a key center and play with an atonal feel, which is different than 12 tone system; Free Jazz players have no base.

Free improvisation

Also known as "free form" or "the new thing;" element of free jazz movement; a descriptive term that emphasizes the complete improvisational nature of free jazz Free form is not defined by the harmonic or rhythmic forms prescribed by earlier jazz practices

Sun Ra

-Chicago Style of Free Jazz -American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher -First expression of new avant-garde school of jazz in Chicago -Worked as an arranger and pianist for Jesser Miller and Henderson -Career began as leader in 1953 w/ organization of a quartet that was later expanded into a big band called Arkestra -Seen by others as simply a charlatan; often criticized as not being "universal" -Seen as musical scientist -Incorporated intergalactic persona -First composer in Chicago to employ techniques of collective improv in big-bad composition-balances composition and improv

Ahmad Jamal

-Contemporay/ piano legacy -Piano Player -connects bop mainstream with more contemporary players -known best for work with trio

Joe Zawinul

-Keyboardist, also plays sax Also worked with Davis on Bitches Brew Formed Weather Report with Wayne Shorter Davis' album, "Birth of Cool," had inplace on music of Zawinul

Chick Corea

-Piano player; created Return to Forever, formerly led by Davis -Music demonstrates a virtuosic skill in both technique and ensemble -themes are angular and complex rhythmically but accessible to the listener -Chick Corea's current group, Origin, is mostly acoustic and boasts cultural influences (Afro-Cuban) -seen as a balance between up-tempo jazz and commercial rock styles

Wynton Marsalis

-Trumpet player/ trumpet legacy -Classically trained -comes from musical family -player of the straight-ahead style and voice of neoclassical jazz -Worked under Art Blakey -advocates jazz as "classical music" -blasts styles that do not fit mainstream definition

Keith Jarrett

-contemporary/ piano legacy -piano player -good solo player -draws connection to Art Tatum -background with Davis -most notable standard-bearer -

Modal jazz

-harmonic flip side to bebop -bebop harmonies are frequent and numerous; modal jazz is -characterized by infrequent chord changes\ -unlike bebop, harmonic rhythm of modal jazz has chords that may not change for many measures -in general, a jazz style that typically has slow-moving harmonies and older modal scales. The chord relationships are generally not typical of major/minor system -Coltrane extended the traditional harmonic chords of modal jazz until they no longer functioned tonally

Joe Lovano

-neoclassical era -saxophonist/ saxy legacy -no as young as other lions -gained notice in the 1990s -sits as bop player but is capable of playing free excursions -responsible for many of the compositions on small-group records

Joshua Redman

-often associated with lions who helped define 1990s mainstream -started playing music very young and started looking for individualistic voice -sax player inspired by Coltrane -very versatile; plays any member of sax family -virtuosic playing is matched by knowledge of jazz predecessors -

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

1960s jazz rock band; Michael Brecker was an original member

Young Lions

In the United States neo-bop is associated with Wynton Marsalis and "The Young Lions," although they have also been referred to as post-bop. Neo-bop was also embraced by established musicians who either ignored the avant-garde and fusion movements, or returned to music based on more traditional styles after experimenting with them. -supported revival of earlier jazz -complaint of neoclassical musicians was that in their reverence for a past jazz style, they had been robbed of their individual voices.

Yellowjackets

Inspired by jazz fusion groups such as Weather Report and Return to Forever Formed in 1980 harmonic punches and melodic lines of band are reminiscent of Weather Report Later on moved into acoustic direction

Weather Report

Jazz Fusion Group Involved Joe and Shorter

Effects

Jazz Fusion era; -Electric devices used to alter sound -one of the main reasons for change from upright bass to electric bass

Modern bands

Jazz bands of modern era led by new bandleaders

Sequence

Jazz fusion era a melodic phrase that is repeated several times, each time successively higher or lower

Sequencer

Jazz-fusion era an electronic device that stores a musical series of notes to be played back later. Sequencers can be used to build up a performance by storing several musical sequences, one after another

Backbeat

Jazz/fusion era in a 4/4 measure, the second and fourth beats are sometimes referred to as the backbeats; a song that has strong accents on those beats is said to have a backbeat

John McLaughlin

British Guitarist; performed on Bitches Brew -Created sound of rock on Bitches Brew -After stint with Davis, he formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra -worked on Indian-styled albums with group, Shakti -known for formidable acoustic guitar playing -used the volume and metallic color of rock performers -influenced current generation of guitar players

Ingrid Jensen

Canadian jazz trumpet player Influenced by Art Farmer

Elektric Band

Chic Corea album with many more electronic instruments that replaced musicians Also name of jazz fusion band led by Chick Corea Album showed trend of Corea's influence of electronic instrumentation -

A Love Supreme

Coltrane album -emotional recording -changed ways of Coltrane's playing -Based on his spiritual experience of playing jazz

The Bad Plus

Contemporary Trio group Includes Reid Anderson on Bass, David King on drums, and pianist, Ethan Iverson sound is of the hard bop school w/ free elements also infused sound of pop and rock influence Taking material and turning it into jazz- Karma Police

Maria Schneider

Contemporary/ part of Modern band movement classical trained in theory and composition best known for work as composer and band leader first joined jazz legacy of composers as an assistant to GIl Evans has written for various bands and conducted jazz orchestras around the world Collaborated with Gil Evans

Herbie Hancock

Earlier on worked w/ Miles Davis Quintet jazz fusion part of piano legacy Produced albums with Rockit band Also was in group, the Head Hunters piano prodigy not particularly of mainstream but is one of its leading champions struck balance between jazz mainstream and comemrcial world known for "Watermelon Man"

Ornette Coleman

First popularly known leader of avant-garde movement Jazz saxophonist and violinist; Drew sharpest line between traditional jazz idiom and his new expression, which coined by the name of "free jazz;" known as leader of avant-garde movement -One of the most controversial players -Caused polarization amongst audience due to disregard for tradition -Refused to comply to restrictions imposed by rhythm and meter, chord progression, and melodic continuity -Contrary to popular belief, was able to play both melodically and rhythmically -very melody-oriented - metrically invented phrases are placed over a free rhythm with no identifiable chord progression -First player to move all the way into harmonic freedom - Fault of off-putting nature of faulty intonation lies with well-tempered scale of European classical music -Harmolodic Theory- gave new balance between the traditional music elements of melody and harmony

Bobby McFerrin <3

Freakin' amazing Makes percussive sounds with voice and body able to re-create all the essential parts of a jazz standard by himself divides time between melody and bass line to give impression that both are continually present

Free Jazz Controversy

Free Jazz artists specify that they play "emotions" -considered most radical musicians -Free-form players thrive on controversy -because free jazz does not adhere to rules, always asked if it actually is jazz Fusion groups used Swing and straight eighths

Pat Metheny

Guitarist Blended rock, jazz, and Latin influences Had well-known album, Metheny Group, which gained him a wider audience than other jazz musicians Had jazz background- kept with lyrical tradition

Wayne Shorter

In Weather Report with Joe Sax Player Worked with Miles Davis

Sheets of sound

Term coined by jazz critic Ira Gitler to explain new improv style of Coltrane; Coined on review of Coltrane album, Soultrane; Coltrane employed extremely dense improvisational yet patterned lines consisting of high speed arpeggios and scale patterns played in rapid succession: hundreds of notes running from the lowest to highest registers

Art Ensemble of Chicago

The Experimental Band's Joseph Jarman developed as a leading composer for AACM with rock and blues background -Joined forces with other musicians to form Art Ensemble of Chicago -1969, AEC moved to Paris General descriptors of works: 1. An emphasis on collective interaction 2. Wide Range of Tone Colors 3. The Exploration of Sound and Structures 4. A suspension of fixed rhythmic support -use of tonal color, instrumental technique, language, and traditional jazz styles may be presented in unexpeced ways

Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross

Vocal jazz group/contemporary began in 1950s developed degree of high art that involved taking old jazz records and setting lyrics to them

Michael Brecker

Well-known throughout career; sax player and EWI player Also played EWI Half of Brecker Brothers Sax Player In group Steps Ahead and Dreams before forming own brand with brother Branched off on his own;

Irakere

a Cuban band founded by pianist Chucho Valdés; Latin jazz fusion

Avant-garde

a term that refers to composers and performers who break away from traditional practices and push for radical change; used primarily to describe post-bop jazz -to stand against the status quo

Arrhythmic

not rhythmic; without rhythm or regularity.

Cecil Taylor

pianist of Free Jazz that did not have expensive background in blues bands like Coleman -Contribution was an integration of conservatory technical facility and European-based compositional practices. -Considered avant-garde expression of 3rd Stream -Music is effective fusion of classical compositional practices and jazz improv -Music can be heard as either classical or jazz -Does not reveal traditional jazz idioms -Music often requires stamina from listeners -intensity is trademark of music; Blended the improvisatory nature of jazz with the instruments and melodic approach of classical music

Harry Connick, Jr.

pianist/vocalist/composer success with soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally sees role in traditional revival of jazz

Smooth Jazz

popular genre of music that grew out of jazz and is influenced by rhythm and blues, funk, rock and roll, and pop music styles Kenny G

Chance Music

promoted by John Cage; music based on chance or random relationships such as that occur in the throwing of dice -free in terms of harmony, timber, and meters, but finds its cohesion in the intellectual restrictions imposed by the composer

Jam bands

rock bands that featured musical improv over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns this type of improv was not common of rock bands; Grateful Dead Pink Floyd Phish Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Dave Matthews

Neo-Classical School

school of jazz that appeared in the 1990s that looked for "new" expressions of "classical jazz" -also a time of looking back at bebop at its historical center

Diana Krall

singer/pianist crossover form the world of jazz to popular music background embraces both jazz and pop standards

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis Jazz Fusion Album Launched careers of other musicians, such as Chick Corea, Wayner Shorter, and John Mclaughlin -Davis gave rhythm section main role -large rhythm section offered soloists wide but active expanses to solos -Harmonies function modally and move slowly as opposed to a more tonal fashion seen in Mainstream jazz

Synthesizers

an electronic musical instrument, typically operated by a keyboard, producing a wide variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies.

jazz/rock fusion

assimilation of rock music to develop new idioms, sounds, and concepts in rock music; popularized during 1960s Used newer electronic instruments and greater amplification; new rhythms borrowed from rock

Atonal

attribute of Free Jazz music a la Coleman; not written in any key or mode.

Bela Fleck

banjo player known for work with his band, Bela and the Fleckstones

John Coltrane

Naturally evolved toward free and free expression -has greatest avant-garde legacy -Saxophonist -Had dark, lush sound on tenor and soprano sax -Legacy includes beautiful tone, harmonic manipulation, and technical proficiency -bridged gap between bop and avant-garde era;Introduced spirituality in jazz in a way never explored before Influenced what would become an alternative to the neoclassical mainstream movement of the 1990s and 2000s

Jazz Canon

contemporary jazz has many prominent players who are strong advocates of the traditional voice of jazz original cannon began to be defined during original bop era Sound looks back as jazz as a whole Fought off rock movement

Drum Machines

electronic device used to create drum patterns similar to those played by traditional set or trap drummers

Giant Steps

first Atlantic album by Coltrane; hard driving like hard bop but melodic flights of album explore new harmonic relationships that would mature into a new freedom of jazz

Take 6

group of 6 men; started in 1988 arrangements are a cappella blend tradtional gospel, soul, pop, and jazz Gospel tradition

EWI

half synthesizer/half saxophone

harmonic rhythm

how fast the chords change

Free Jazz

is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s as musicians attempted to alter, extend, or break down jazz convention, often by discarding fixed chord changes or tempos; extemporaneous expression; involves discipline despite chaotic nature

Quincy Jones

jazz fusion era An American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, musician, television producer, film producer, instrumentalist, magazine founder, entertainment company executive, and humanitarian 1989 album, "Back on the Block," offered a wide cross section of styles meant to represent the many diverse musical areas in which he has worked during career;swings from rap to jazz fusion with singers such as Fitzgerald and rappers such as Melle Mel and Ice-T

New York Voices

jazz vocal group/ contemporary often compared to Manhattan Transfer

Cassandra Wilson

more recent jazz vocalist explored material from blues to rock to jazz

Anthony Braxton

multifaceted woodwind player; maintained careful balance between emotional and intellectual composition -free jazz era -Spent the mid-1960s with AACM -Each album of his is represented with an enigmatic geometric design that guides the performance -Has more specifically composed image than Taylor -Has performed fully improvised solo concerns that would be difficult to match in technique or intensity

Harmonics

the frequencies that collectively create a single tone; also used to refer to the higher chord tones in an extended chord Higher harmonics = extended harmony

Jazz Pop

the line between jazz and bop remains difficult to distinguish many figures, especially singers, remain controversial with relationship with mainstream jazz

Terence Blanchard

trumpet legacy -of neoclassical era -represents breadth of the young lines -trumpet player -crossed over into film writing with SPike Lee -great academic knowledge of music that places him in category with Hancock and Jones

Jon Faddis

trumpet legacy contemporary central figure among bop-inspired players -first in line to carry on Dizzy's trumpet tradition -know for an agile high range and fast execution of complex bop melodic lines

beat or breaker music

type of music for break dancing; type of music played later in the career of Herbie Hancock

David Sanborn

Sax player Jazz fusion era imported strong blues and rhythm and blues influence Does not think of himself as jazz figure, contrary to public belief offered a stylistic bridge by connecting commercial world of pop w/ jazz tradition

Manhattan Transfer

vocal jazz group/ contemporary employed jazz overtones and used many excels jazz instrumentalists on their records commercial arrangements

Esperanza Spalding

vocal legacy/ contemporary multi-instrumentalist and singer plays violin, oboe, clarinment, but excels on bass singing was originaly secondary to playing

AACM

Association for the Advancement of Creative Music -non-for-profit organization -devoted "to nurturing, performing, and recording serious, original music," according to its charter. It supports and encourages jazz performers, composers and educators. -AACM explored a new, more world-based music -Founded by Pianist, Richard Abrams, whose work focused largely on a group called the Experimental band -No permanent membership; changed to meet whatever composition and performance demands were required for concerts and recordings -influenced the art of avant-garde though groups such as Art Ensemble and individuals like Anthony Braxton Included: Leo Smith (Trumpet), Anthony Braxtion (Sax), LEEEEEEROY JENKINS (violinist) -in all, in AACM, musicians should be free to explore and not confined to traditional elements

Transition bands

Bands that have been playing for decades, despite various musical changes through eras of jazz; carried over from earlier periods bands include: Ellington, Basie, and Woody Herman Even after bandleader died, band continued other direction of someone else