Jazz For Listeners Midterm

Art Tatum

- Pianist - almost legally blind but great improvisor who worked out arrangements by adding and changing chords - played with powerful stride style

All Woman Bands

- Sweethearts of Rhythm - sexism was happening - belittled and accused of not being able to swing and musical expression secondary to looks

Julian (Cannonball) Adderly

- alto sax - warm and inviting sound

Lee Konitz

- alto sax - student of Lennie Tristano - played with light dry airy tone - did not sneak quotes from pop tunes like bebop players - almost all notes in his lines slurred together - his style typified cool jazz

Paul Whiteman

- band leader of Paul Whiteman's orchestra - King of jazz - helped advance career of George Gershwin

Blues

- based on 3 chords - 12 measures (bars) in length

Bebop

- bebop players often wrote original tunes using accompaniment chord progressions of popular tunes (aka CONTRAFACTS)

Why Bebop Came About

- big bands on decline - singers became more of a commercial force - this generation searching for more assertive mode of expression

Blues

- black folk music - performing blues involved drop and scoops of pitch and unique phrasing - guitar and banjo were first instruments used in blues and jazz

Improvisation Types

- blues - rock and roll - rap - bluegrass - country

Kansas City Jazz Style

- blues oriented - arrangements based on short musical phrases called Riffs (theme statements or sometimes back grounds for solos) - Head Arrangements were Riffs created on the spot

John Hammond and Jazz Talent Scout

- born into wealthy Vanderbilt family - worked as disc jockey + tour manager and scout for Benny Goodman - Financed jazz recording sessions when record sales were down - discovered Count Basie

American/Popular song

- chorus is 32 bars - AABA structure

Artie Shaw

- cool contrast to Goodman's hot - Broke up his band several times throughout his career

Gerry Mulligan

- cool jazz sax, composer, and arranger - sound was soft and dry - lines simpler and more direct - created stir by starting a couple of pianoless quartets when he moved to CA (bc piano provides chords which act as an anchor by providing the harmonic base) - his music became known as West Coast Jazz

Bix Beiderbecke

- cool playing style - subdued playing manner

Styles of Jazz

- dixieland - swing - bebop - post bop - cool jazz - fusion - avant garde

Earl Hines

- early jazz pianist who influenced the piano playing styles of 30s and 40s - sound was brassy because of physical force he had when striking the keys - piano styles historically significant and paved way for modern jazz pianist who solo with same conception used by trumpeters and saxophonists

Art Blakey

- exemplified elements of hard bop

Coleman Hawkins

- father of Modern Tenor Sax - C melody popular because it was a non transposing instrument - After 20's, all sax used Bb and Eb - Demonstrated more interest in harmonic chord progression and just sticking with embellishing the melody

New York

- first known big band led by Fletcher Henderson (known as one of fathers of Swing big band sound) - Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong played in Henderson's band

Dexter Gordon

- first tenor sax to be recognized as bebop player - deep dark sound - aggressive style

Horace Silver

- got start in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - took inspiration from gospel church music and soul

Wes Montgomery

- guitarist - style of voicing line in octaves

Harp Bop Definition and Elements

- hard bop is variation of Bebop which incorporates several elements which included Funky Jazz along with Straight Ahead Swing - trends of hard bop include: - drummers play with more activity - tone colors are darker, weightier and rougher - chord progressions are less and frequent identical to those of pop tunes - there is less of the start and stop quality which leaves the Listener off balance - there is a hard driving feeling that pushes relentlessly with emphasis on consistent Swinging - piano comping has more variety in rhythms and chord voicing

Elements of Music (harmony)

- harmony (consists of more than one note occurring simultaneously) - harmonic progression and chord progression

Ragging & Ragtime

- ragging was practice of creatively altering and syncopating an existing piece of music - ragtime characteristics were polyrhythms, rhythmic polarity between treble and bass, multisectional forms, and syncopation

Mainstream Jazz

- remained central to the jazz experience through the remainder of the century - within mainstream were several musical currents, cool jazz, chamber jazz, modal jazz, and hard bop - within hard bop was soul bop

Elements of Music (rhythm)

- rhythm (dictated by tempo, meter, and feel) - tempo= whether music is fast or slow - meter= what count is - feel= the effect it has on physically

Ben Webster

- romantic player of the highest order - wide tonal and emotional range

Woodwinds

- sax - clarinets - flutes

Swing

- steady beat - constant tempo - arising and falling of MELODY

Types of Rhythms

- swing - latin - waltz

Sonny Rollins

- tenor sax - master of Bebop and hard bop - tone was hard and tough

Modern Jazz Quartet

- their music sometimes called chamber jazz (name derived from classical chamber music) - MJQ was cool jazz modernist group that could connect with bebop yet maintain the cool jazz sound

Clifford Brown

- trumpet player - could play long lines - killed in car crash

John Birks (Dizzy) Gillespie

- trumpet player - would quote popular songs and classical melodies in his improvisations - introduced the Afro Cuban element to modern jazz

Miles Davis

- trumpet player and band leader - used Harmon Mute - master of paraphrasing melodies

Brass

- trumpets - trombones - tuba - french horn

Rhythm

the arrangement of the beat, tempo, and meter in time

Meter

the grouping of the meter (beats) - 4/4, 3/4, 6/8. 5/4

Tempo

the speed at which the beats pass

Chorus of Blues

typically 12 bars

End of Swing Era

- American Federation of Musicians ordered musicians to stop recording for record companies bc they wouldn't contribute to unions pension fund - 2 different types of music became popular, Bebop in Jazz and Rhythm and Blues (AKA R&B) - cost of maintaining and operating big bands became more expensive - ballrooms started declining - young listeners attracted to more accessible sounds

Cool Jazz Artists and Groups

- Art Pepper - Chet Baker - Chico Hamilton - Bud Shark - The Modern Jazz Quartet - Paul Desmond

Kansas City Musicians

- Bennie Moten (band leader) - Jay McShan (singer) - Andy Kirk (band leader) - Count Basie (born in NJ) - Mary Lou Williams (pianist, arranger) - Charlie Parker (Inventor of Bebop)

Jazz Age Vocalist

- Bessie Smith considered city blues singer - Cab Calloway

New Orleans Notables

- Buddy Bolden (cornetist) was one of earliest jazz musicians - Freddie Keppard turned down opportunity to make first jazz recording - King Joe Oliver a mentor to Louis Armstrong -Lillian Hardin and Armstrong married - Kid Ory Original Creole Band was first African American New Orleans Group to make a record

The Great White Bands

- Casa Loma Orchestra became first white swing band

Woody Herman

- Clarinetist and Sax - talent was ability to organize and sustain ensembles which had exceptional arrangements - Band = "Woody Herman's Herd"

Charlie Parker

- Father of Bebop - nickname was Bird - played sax - used Double Time figures would are scalier runs played at twice the tempo of the tune - sound was dry and biting

John Coltrane

- Giant Steps an important recording - 3 improvisational periods (playing over difficult chord changes, Modal playing, free jazz style)

Harlem and the Cotton Club

- Harlem during 1926-1930 was one of most creative places in America - Savoy Ballroom and Cotton Club most prominent - Savoy Ballroom allowed blacks and whites - Cotton Club allowed only whites

Jazz Start

- Jazz got its start in New Orleans - people of color free in New Orleans at this time - Creoles of Color (part African and part French) - New Orleans had population of whites, Negros, and Creoles of Color

Arrangers of the 1920's

- Jazz had few formal arrangements in 1920's - Most orchestras had stock arrangements and small groups improvised of used "Head Arrangements"

Jazz Beginnings

- Jazz originated from brass bands and ragtime piano styles of the 1800's that were blended to satisfy social dancers - Slaves in the fields sang to communicate with each other (Field Hollers) - Jazz took harmony from Europe

New Orleans Notables (2)

- Jelly Roll Morton was first to notate jazz compositions and claimed to be creator of jazz - Sidney Bechet was one of first jazz musicians to spread jazz to Europe

Chicago Notables

- Joe "King" Olive and Creole Jazz Band was one of first jazz ensembles to make recordings for Gennett - Louis Armstrong moved to Chicago to play with King Oliver - Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings were some of most important in jazz recording history - Jelly Roll Morton recognized as first great jazz composer and arranger (integrated improvisation, contrast, and variety in compositions) - Morton used "Stop Time" (intermittent statement of the beat), breaks, varying rhythms, and outstanding improvised solos in compositions

Prominent White Bands Players

- Joe Venuti - Eddie Land - Red Nichols - Jack Teagarden

Glenn Miller

- Led most popular swing band in 30's and 40's - Trombonist - Bands signature sound was clarinet playing the melody an octave above 4 sax's

New Orleans Jazz Imitators

- Livery Stable Blues by Original Dixieland Jazz Band was first recorded jazz tune - Nick LaRocca falsely claimed to be creator of jazz

New Orleans Styles and Jass Variants

- Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet started concept of individual jazz soloist - James P Johnson start "Stride" piano playing style - Johnson was father of Stride

Roy Eldridge

- jazz trumpeter considered link between swing era and modern jazz - fiery aggressive tone

Stan Kenton

- lead modern jazz big band - dubbed his music Progressive Jazz - arrangements for his band included complex jazz harmonies and was more concert oriented - feeling of classical music common in his music - started present big band instrumentation of 5 woodwinds, 5 trumpets, and 5 trombones (used in HS, colleges, and pro bands around the world now)

Benny Goodman

- led Jazz Oriented Big Band during 30's and 40's - played Clarinet - 1st band leader to integrate black and white musicians in his small group - King of Swing

Six Jazz Creating Conditions in New Orleans

- lose cultural boundaries (no ghettos) - active afro caribbean culture - vital musical life - good times atmosphere - numerous brass bands - strong dance tradition

Elements of Music (melody)

- melody (a series of notes) - strung together melodies become phrases - phrases made up of shorter groups called motifs

Cool Jazz

- modern jazz style that arose in US after WW2 - characterized by relaxed tempos and lighter tone - employs formal arrangements and incorporated elements of classical music - classical elements of counterpoint and fugue were present

Dave Brubeck

- most influential and important cool jazz musicians - compositions tuneful and improvisations simple - he explored and was innovator of using different time signatures and rhythms - one of 4 jazz musicians recognized on cover of time magazine

Swing

- most popular style in jazz history - Benny Goodman was king of swing - greater reliance on written arrangements during swing era than combos in early jazz

Syncopation

- musical accents come on and off beats - come on 2 and 4 (instead of 1 and 3)

Louis Armstrong

- often called father of jazz - nickname was Pops - another nickname was Dippermouth because his mouth was as big as a dipper - most widely imitated jazz improvisor prior to Charlie Parker - first jazz musician to refine a rhythmic concept that abandoned the stiffness to ragtime - employed eighth note patterns - could embellish or paraphrase a tune's melody popularized Scat Singing as Vocal Technique

Improvisation

- on the spot composition or making it up as you go - jazz improvisation can be (technical, theoretical, intellectual, intuitive, or emotional)

Chicago Notables (2)

- one of most important and famous was Bix Beiderbecke - Bixs' sounds was cool, influenced by Debussy and Ravel

Miles Davis

- one of most influential jazz musicians in history - performed regularly with Charlie Parker

Frank Sinatra

- one of original jazz crooners - performed and recorded with Harry James an Tommy Dorsey Orchestras

The Jazz Age

- opening of Roseland Ballroom (1919) was national institution for dance craze - "Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith was first African American Blues recording - Race Records catered to AfAm population

Types of Improvisation

- paraphrase (soloist utilizes the tunes melody as the basis of further development) - Formulaic (most common type where musician utilizes Licks) - Motivic (utilizes short and repeated motifs)

Thelonious Monk

- pianist and composer - improvisations convey sense that he is struggling to decide on every note and then he reaches a decision just barely in time to play it - known for combining tones that clash with each other - had cover picture on Time Magazine - true jazz original

Lennie Tristano

- pianist composer and bandleader - schooled in bebop but avoided playing - had high regard for JS Bach and encouraged students to learn his compositions and improvise in the Baroque Style

Rhythm

- piano - bass (time keeper) - drums (time keeper) - guitar

Sidney Bechet

- played soprano sax

Lester Young

- popular sax - nickname was Prez or Pres (bc president of sax) - style was light and cool

Regional Bands

- provided live music for areas of the country that were close to metro cities - many never recorded but provided entertainment

Bebop versus Swing

- uses small group instead of big band - average tempo faster - clarinet as solo instrument was rare - display of instrumental virtuosity was higher priority - melodies and harmonies more complex - comping used more than stride style with simple on the beat chording - bebop musicians enjoyed leaving phrases in tunes suspended or unresolved - bebop solos departed completely from the melodies and retained only the chord progressions - basic chords of bebop tunes were usually altered and additional chords added

Chicago

- was one of first paces jazz migrated to from New Orleans - chicago jazz had edgy rhythm with angry staccato solo work

Elements of Music (notes)

- whole note (= 4 beats) - half note (= 2 beats) - quarter note (=1 beat) - eighth note (=1/2 beat) - sixteenth note (=1/4 beat)

Ragtime

- written piano music put together using a rag - popularized syncopation - Scott Joplin known as "King of Ragtime"

Beat

a unit of praise