part 3 the growth of vernacular traditions chapter 13: jazz 1930-1960 america’s musical landscape...
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Part 3The Growth of Vernacular
TraditionsChapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
America’s Musical Landscape 5th edition
PowerPoint by Myra Lewinter MalamutGeorgian Court University
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
2© 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Jazz 1930-1960 Jazz reached a peak of popularity in the mid-1930s
The Great Depression receded; this was an optimistic period America’s involvement in World War II lay ahead
Sweet Jazz was widely familiar by then People craved more adventurous listening
Prohibition ended; real jazz was performed in a pleasanter atmosphere than the illegal speakeasies of the 1920s Crowds flocked to hear big bands
By 1935 big band music resounded from radios, recordings, juke boxes, dance halls all over the United States
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Swing Black jazz musicians added instruments to their
small combos
Developed the vibrant sound known as big band jazz, or swing
Swing was such an appealing new sound to whites and blacks of every stratum of society
Jazz and popular music came together for a time Swing was the popular music of the 1930s
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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“Big Band” and “Swing” Although early big bands started out with
five or six players
As time went on, the standard became twelve to eighteen players in three sections of instruments
Brass Reeds Rhythm
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Instruments: The Brass Section The brass section
consisted of Trumpets trombones
trombone
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Instruments:The Reed section The woodwind section is called the
reed section
Woodwind instruments used in a big band are played with a reed
A reed is a small flexible piece of cane used on the mouthpiece, to vibrate
Saxophones and sometimes clarinet were used in a big band
clarinet
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Instruments:The Rhythm Section Guitar and/or double
bass Piano drums
Jazz double bass player
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Swing:“Swing” and its meanings Swing eighths
Strings of eighth notes performed in uneven rhythm
Alternating long and short notes of subjective rather than measured length
This contributes to the flexible give-and-take, or expressive rubato, within the steady jazz beat
“Swing” also refers to a mood, a lilt, a magical effect of great jazz
When all elements of a jazz performance come together and work, the music swings
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Swing Eventually the big, or swing, bands experienced the stimulating
interaction between black and white musicians characteristic of many developments of jazz
Recording companies and commercial radio stations still segregated popular music intended for blacks and whites
But African American music inevitably became more familiar to and popular with a widening audience
White people traveled to Harlem, New York City (a black neighborhood) to hear outstanding black jazz musicians jam = improvise
People were intoxicated by the indefinable trait called swing
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Swing:The Art of Arranging Early jazz combos functioned well with free improvisation,
but larger groups of players… Needed structured arrangements
Written or thoroughly worked out in rehearsals Often based on New Orleans originals
Sounding similar to New Orleans and Dixieland jazz Large combos, more sensuous orchestration, structure Big band members had more formal musical training Big band harmonies were more adventurous Only brief solo improvisations; structured pieces
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Music: Arrangers Jelly Roll Mortin, ragtime and jazz pianist, was one of the first
bandleaders to provide arrangements for his band, from the 1920s
Fletcher Henderson, pianist (1897-1952) wrote influential arrangements that later jazz bands emulated
Made his large groups sound as if improvising In fact, left room for limited improvisation
Transformed the large “sweet” dance band into a jazz band Skillfully alternating the independent use of each instrument
section with outstanding solos Henderson’s innovations were copied by dance bands of the
big band era, and high school and college jazz bands today
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Music: The Kansas City Jazz Scene Musicians from Chicago, New York, New Orleans and
elsewhere found Kansas City a hospitable environment for gradually developing a distinct jazz style
Kansas City Jazz was stylistically more pared-down, lighter, more airy, less dense, more relaxed than New Orleans or Chicago jazz
Kansas City arrangements were based on simple musical phrases called riffs, which were repeated over and over
Count Basie dominated this jazz scene
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Music:Count (Bill) Basie (1904-1984) Basie defined jazz as “music you can pat your foot to”
One of the most popular of all big band arrangers, Basie’s instrument was piano
His refined “less is more” piano style proved that space or silence is as important to music as sound
Basie’s band was admired for its rhythm section
Guitar, bass and drums produced perfectly balanced sound
Basie’s unique piano style gave further reason for some to consider his ensemble the best swing band of all
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Listening Example 46Taxi War Dance
By Count Basie
and Lester Young (1909-1959)Listening guide page 215
Instruments:
Four trumpets, three trombones, three saxophones, piano , guitar, double bass, drums
Hear Basie on piano, and Lester Young on tenor saxophone
Basie introduces a rolling figure in the lower piano range, which continues as trumpets make brief, emphatic comments,accompanied by trombones anddrums
Hear Lester Young come in with his relaxed, swinging saxophoneimprovisation, which he extendsand develops
Trumpet and piano riff return,trombone solo accompanied byrhythm section
The piece continues….
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Music:Benny Goodman (1909-1986) White clarinetist and bandleader
Brought big band music to national attention through his recordings and radio programs
Goodman’s unprecedented inclusion of African American soloists in his band was appreciated
But his exploitation of contributions of black musicians sometimes caused resentment
Many of Goodman’s best arrangements were by Fletcher Henderson, who never earned all the money he should have
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Bands:Glenn Miller (1904-1944) An outstanding arranger, by 1940 he recorded forty-five songs that
made it onto the top seller charts Not even Elvis Presley or the Beatles matched this record!
Miller developed a distinctive irresistible sound A clarinet supported by four saxophones
Enlisted during World War II in the Army Air Forces Band Updated military music for troops to enjoy Disappeared in a small military plane (friendly fire?)
Music includes “Moonlight Serenade” “In the Mood”
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Music:Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) A noted arranger and successful instrumental soloist on piano
It was unusual for a woman to be successful in the developing world of jazz
Arranged for Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington Became Ellington’s staff arranger
Contributed to all the evolving styles of popular piano music
1996: Honored with the first of an annual series of Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festivals at the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Big Band Music: Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) A great jazz pianist, it was said that…
Ellington used his jazz band as his real “instrument” Exploring its entire range of sounds with unprecedented
imagination and creativity, using precise orchestration
Born in Washington, DC, formed a dance band in New York City By 1927 his band had become the ten-member famous Duke
Ellington Orchestra, playing… Hot New Orleans jazz at the popular Cotton Club in Harlem Hired the best musicians, exploited their unique sounds in
his gifted orchestrations Wrote for the special talents of specific musicians
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Duke Ellington Juxtaposed instruments in nontraditional
combinations
Using them in the extreme limits of their range
Transforming sounds of instruments, sometimes effectively obscuring their identification
Recognized as a serious composer, in addition to jazz Ellington produced symphonic works
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Duke Ellington: Symphonic Works “Black, Brown, and Beige” (1943)
“Latin American Suite” (1968)
Large-scale sacred works incorporating dancers, choruses, gospel singers, his own band
Drawing from American musics including field hollers, Shaker hymns, fiddlers’ dance tunes, minstrel songs, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, New Orleans jazz, and especially blues… Ellington created a particular American tapestry of mood and
style
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Duke Ellington: Later Years During the early days of rock and roll, Ellington’s
jazz was heard less often
But at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival his orchestra made a tremendous hit
Leading to a best-selling album, Ellington at Newport
And to prestigious new concert dates
From then, Ellington’s fame soared to unprecedented heights
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Listening Example 47Mood IndigoBy Duke EllingtonListening guide page 219
Tempo: Slow and bluesy; danceableInstruments: Five trumpets, three trombones, five saxophones, (two
tenor, two alto, one baritone), two clarinets, bass, drums, and Duke Ellington at the piano
Hear the chromatic melodies, bitonal harmonies (juxtaposing one key over another), and dreamy mood that make this piece easy to listen to
Brief piano introduction, then muted sax, accompanied by walking bass improvises on the famous melody, barely suggesting tune fragments.Trumpets finally introduce the lovely theme, playing in a warm and mellow style rather than brilliant or virtuosic as in standard dance pieces. Bass supplies support, and muted saxdelicately embellishes.
Walking bass = A steadily movingpattern in the plucked string bass, with melodic and rhythmic implications
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Women in Jazz Women desiring to play jazz in the 1930s
and 1940s faced nearly insurmountable odds
It was assumed they lacked the strength, temperament, or talent of the men
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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All-Woman Bands Back then, they were referred to as “all-girl” bands
These bands flourished during World War II Men were away at war
People grew accustomed to women in nontraditional roles
International Sweethearts of Rhythm The most impressive of the all female bands
Diverse makeup Mostly black; also Chinese, Indian, Hawaiian, white
Ignored by white audiences, film makers, print media, who would not take women jazz performers seriously
They were a hit at Harlem’s Apollo Theater and Savoy Ballroom
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Reactions against Big Band Music 1940s—A new generation of young Americans unfamiliar with early
jazz danced to big band music Older people enjoyed big band music, too
Big bands based their music upon marches, hymns, and Tin Pan Alley songs which the older folks liked
Reactions against big band music set in at the same time Because arrangements grew more complex, emphasizing
rhythm and swing rather than melody The source tune sometimes was unidentifiable The swing crowd preferred the simple songs to the new
challenging instrumental arrangements
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Reactions against Big Band Music: Popular Music and Vocalists Early jazz had important reciprocal relationships with popular song
They improvised on popular song melodies and harmonies Many songs of the 1920s and 1930s were jazz-flavored Big bands played arrangements of Tin Pan Alley songs
In the 1930s big bands began to work with vocalists
Big band style assumed the role of accompaniment Ella Fitzgerald (1918-1996)—Known for scat singing Rudy Vallee and Bing Crosby—Famous crooners,
thanks to microphone technology and recording engineers
Frank Sinatra
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Reactions against Big Band Music: Orchestras By the mid-1940s the favored lush string sound
of an orchestra replaced big bands for accompanying vocalists
Crowds came not so much to dance as to hear the popular singers
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Billie Holiday (1915-1959) Born Eleanora Fagan and known as Lady Day, Holiday trod softly
between the worlds of jazz and pop
Interpreted blues songs as a great jazz singer
Her way of “microphonizing” her voice was innovative Used microphone—a new enhancement—to alter her voice
and add expressive effects
The ballad “Strange Fruit,” by Jewish songwriter Abel Meeropol (1903-1987), expressively sung by Holiday, was based upon a picture of a lynching
Holiday was a tragic figure who died a pauper
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Bebop: Background In the early 1940s a few virtuosic black musicians revolted against
the domestication of jazz and 1930s swing bands
They reacted against polished performances of written, rehearsed “jazz” and created a new style known as bebop
They resented Limitation to the short stylized solos of big band music Dependence on written arrangements Lack of freedom to improvise Disproportionate financial rewards granted to less creative
and less innovative white musicians
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Bebop Bebop musicians created a tight, difficult, virtuosic
music
A return to the ideals of early jazz—improvisation, virtuosity, close interaction between soloist and combo
Bebop is considered the first truly modern jazz
Performed-- like early jazz, and like concert music of its era-- by small ensembles of virtuoso musicians
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Bebop: Characteristics Stark, clear, technically demanding instrumental lines
Angular melodies with large unpredictable leaps
Solos so rapid-fire that they were too fast to dance to
Rather than following a prearranged or familiar harmonic progressions, bop musicians challenged each other to chart new harmonic paths and make them work Dissonant chords startled listeners’ ears; improvisation on
harmony instead of melody was new and puzzled listeners
The best bebop musicians achieved a revolutionary sound that changed the course of jazz
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Bebop: Instruments Typical bebop combo:
Trumpet, saxophone, double bass, piano, percussion
Trumpet and sax—melody instruments—sometimes started by playing a pop, blues, or original melody in unison
Then alternating with increasingly complex improvisations, supported by other players
Double bass marked the beat Sometimes took melodic responsibility by playing walking
bass
Piano and percussion supplied unexpected, irregular accents
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Bebop: Charlie “Bird” Parker (1920-1955) An amazing saxophone virtuoso,
considered by some as the most influential of all jazz musicians Introduced new rhythmic, melodic,
improvisational techniques Known for his fiercely rapid tempo
and unrelenting emotional intensity
Jammed in Harlem’s clubs with pianist Thelonius Monk (1921-1982) and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Bebop: John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie (1917-1993) Improvised rhythms of a complexity unprecedented in
Western culture Reached notes no one knew the trumpet could play Devised harmonic changes defying the accepted rules of
harmony
Gillespie enjoyed African Cuban rhythms and sounds Included them in pieces such as “Manteca”
Comfortable with a variety of jazz styles and techniques, less zealous than Parker, Gillespie was an active performer until shortly before his death
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Listening Example 48KoKoPerformed byCharlie Parker (alto saxophone)Dizzie Gillespie (trumpet, piano)Max Roach (drums0Curley Russell (bass)Listening Example 48
Tempo: Extremely rapidHear solos interspersed with chorus in AABA form, as well as the
virtuosity, musicianship, and compatibility of these outstanding musicians
At a session to record the swingstandard “Cherokee,” by Ray Noble,Parker and Gillespie improvised half-heartedly on the tune until Parker,tired of the familiar melody, decidedto improvise instead on the chords.Instead of beginning with the usual reference to the standard tune, Parker used bits of his own melodicmaterial, skillfully weaving them overand through the unusual chord changes of “Cherokee.” Theresulting historic recording—one of Parker’s greatest solos—is based on no prewritten melody at all.
Parker’s “KoKo” is not related to Duke Ellington’s earlier piece of thesame name.
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Bebop: Audience At the time Parker and Gillespie were leading the bebop revolution
A recording artists’ strike caused a ban on commercial recordings of popular music for about two years
After the ban, audiences, not understanding bebop, were nonplussed by its sophistication and complexity
Bebop is important music
Challenged and stimulated musicians and listeners
Ushered in the age of modern jazz Meant for listening more than dancing; a concert music
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Jazz as Concert Music A number of composers have written classical and popular music
Applying classical knowledge to popular pieces Or refusing to distinguish between classical and popular music
1940s: Jazz musicians absorbed influences from classical music Jazz had become music for serious listening
1950s: Jazz was performed frequently in concert Black and white jazz musicians took an intellectual approach
And so did listeners Jazz criticism became a recognized field
Some jazz composers collaborate with poets, choreographers, classical musicians, producing serious concert works
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Jazz as Concert Music:Jazz Composition The essence of jazz is improvisation
The challenge for musicians wishing to combine classical and jazz techniques is creating a balance between
What was written
What was improvised by the soloists
What an ensemble achieved collectively
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Jazz Composition
There were precedents for requiring performers in the classical tradition to improvise During the Baroque period (1600-1750)
Composers wrote the melody and bass lines of a piece Harmonies were to be filled in by lute or keyboard
Early Classical period (1750-1825) Soloists improvised one or more cadenzas in a solo
concerto
Church organists Expected to improvise music that connects one part of a
service, or one verse of a hymn, to another
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Classical Improvisation as Compared with Jazz Improvisation Classical musicians improvised within established guidelines
Jazz as classical music was a new concept
Symphonic jazz of the 1920s was concert music with some of the flavors of jazz
Big band arrangements approached the concept of composed music but were hardly original compositions
But by the 1940s, jazz composers were writing original jazz compositions
At that point jazz entered the world of art music
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Jazz as Concert Music:Duke Ellington and Classical Music As a classical composer, Ellington wrote
Tone poems Ballet suites Concerto-like miniatures for star sidemen Sacred music Topical revues Film scores Extended jazz works A comic opera, Queenie Pie, for public television
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Jazz as Concert Music: Duke Ellington, a Prolific Composer Ellington has been referred to as America’s most prolific composer
of the twentieth century Composed almost 2,000 pieces Composed in a large variety of musical forms
Serious compositions often reflected American black experience 1943: Black, Brown, and Beige, Carnegie Hall premiere
Subtitled “A Tone Parallel to the History of the Negro in America”
1945: Ellington’s orchestra was the only dance band selected to pay tribute to the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a memorial radio broadcast
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Listening Example 49Concerto for CootieBy Duke EllingtonListening guide page 227
Form: Meter: Four beats to the barTempo: RelaxedInstruments: Saxophones, clarinet, trumpets, trombones, bass, drumConcerto = Multimovement composition for orchestra and one or
more soloists; i.e., a piece consisting of several independent sections, or movements
A B A
Ellington wrote this pieceto feature the trumpeterCharles “Cootie” Williams
Despite the definition of aconcerto, Ellington choseto write this as a one-movement piece
Yet, this piece retains themasterful interplay between soloist and orchestra characteristicof a classical form
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Progressive Jazz:Stan Kenton (1912-1979) 1949: Pianist arranger Stan Kenton led a twenty-piece
orchestra in a jazz concert in Carnegie Hall
His tightly organized and beautifully balanced ensemble played with elegance and precision
Kenton named this music progressive jazz
Progressive jazz became the name of a new jazz movement
Another contribution Kenton made to modern jazz included serious exploration of Latin American drums and rhythms in his big band jazz
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Progressive Jazz Artists In the East:
Stan Kenton and Woody Herman
In the West: Dave Brubeck (b. 1910)
Pianist and classically trained composer who studied with French composer Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Brubeck used European art music effects that are Atonal = without a tonic Polytonal = with two or more tonics Complex rhythms, including jazz polyrhythms Irregular meters– five or seven beats per measure
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Listening Example 50Take Fiveby Paul DesmondPerformed byDave Brubeck Quartet(Piano, sax, bass, drums)Listening guide page 228
Meter: Quintuple, or five beats per measure, divided in the pattern one-two-three-four-five
Notice the piano marking the beginning of each measure with a low accented pitch while the sax and drum solos weave intricate patterns over the steady five-beat accompanying figure
Dave Brubeck’s Quartet(Brubeck as pianist, Paul Desmond on alto sax,Joe Morello as drummer, and David Wright on bass) Achieved unprecedented popularity and sales for a jazz recording with Desmond’s engaging piece“Take Five”
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Cool Jazz Closely related to and sometimes
indistinguishable from progressive jazz
Originated by composers reacting to bebop’s complexity
Jazz musicians organized larger bands including French horn, oboe
More elegant and less hot than bebop Reflected influence of European concert music
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Cool Jazz: Trumpeter Miles Davis (1926-1991) 1949-1950: Davis led the nine-piece orchestra that recorded
the album later titled Birth of the Cool
The album, a project of Davis’s, later made a major impact on jazz musicians and fans
In addition to cool jazz, Miles Davis explored
Expanding the melodic possibilities of jazz by basing melodies on modes rather than major, minor, or blues scales
Throughout his life, Davis experimented with creative ideas in jazz
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Listening Example 51BoplicityBy Miles Davis and Gil EvansPerformers: The Miles Davis NonetListening guide page 230
Listen for the trumpet and alto saxophone on top, the baritone saxophone and tuba on the bottom, and the horn and trombone in the center, accompanied by rhythm instruments
The diminished use of vibrato (a discreet variation in pitch that adds warmth and intensity to vocal and instrumental sounds), produced a drier, “cool” sound compared with the hot effects of bebop
An example of cool jazz,this piece demonstrates Miles Davis’s self-restraintand dramatic timing; silenceis as important as the notes
Hear how the music is slower-paced, less emotional, more cerebral,quieter than the impassionedsounds of bebop
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Hard Bop A style combining driving rock-related rhythms with the “amen
chords” of gospel
Created by certain black musicians in the late 1950s Derives from the blues; strong rhythms, bluesy phrasing Melodies are straight-forward Harmonies are simplified Rigid beat punctuated with strong backbeats Improvised around new, unknown melodies
Drummer Art Blakey (1919-1990) and his group the Jazz Messengers
Part 3: The Growth of Vernacular Traditions Chapter 13: Jazz 1930-1960
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Image Credits Slide 5: Trombone
© C Squared Studios/Getty Images Slide 6: Clarinet
©Getty Images Slide 7: Jazz Bass Player
© C Squared Studios/Getty Images Slide 33: Charlie Parker
© Corbis