History of JazzA m e r i c a ’ s C l a s s i c a l

M u s i c

MILES DAVIS &JOHN COLTRANE

Lecture Seven

Listening Example: Trane’s Blues by J. Coltrane; performed by the Miles Davis Quintet

Miles DavisChanged his sound, and the sound of jazz, several times during his nearly 50 year career

•self-discovery and pioneering

• inspiration to others

Raised in East St. Louis; trained by Elwood Buchanan, symphonic musician in St. Louis

Developed Buchanan’s sound

•subtle, less brassy

•no vibrato

Listening Example: Moon Dreams by C. MacGregor & J. Mercer, arranged by G. Evans; performed by the Miles Davis Nontet

Miles Davis: Trumpet Style

soft, hollow, plaintive trumpet tone; no brassy sound

complete avoidance of vibrato; straight, unwavering tone

extensive use of Harmon mutepreferred low to middle range; used

high notes on selected occasions

Listening Example: It Never Entered My Mind by R. Rodgers & L. Hart; performed by the Miles Davis Quintet

Miles Davis: Improvisatory Tendencies

• melodic lines skillfully crafted; theme and variation approach

• dramatic devices used:

• holding notes longer than expected emphasizing dissonant notes

• intricate syncopated rhythms

• extensive use of space

• avoided jazz clichés; sounded new and fresh

• economic; used only what was necessary to get his musical point across

• reflective “cool” nature of playing; lived through same attitude

• appropriate understated use of vocalistic effects

• sparing use of technique; rarely played long dense melodies

• more lyrical approach; could use angular, abstract melodies if neededListening Example: In Your Own Sweet Way by D. Brubeck; performed by the Miles Davis Quintet

Miles Davis1944: first break as sub in Billy Eckstine’s Band in St. Louis; met Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker

1944: accepted to Julliard (classical track); dismissed from school for practicing jazz

1944-7: played with various NYC jazz musicians

1947-8: member of Charlie Parker’s band

1948-9: experimenting and pioneering; led to Birth of the Cool, new jazz style created by Davis

1950-3: various performances & recordings; problems with drug dependency surface

1953-5: stops narcotics use; first successful band with Sonny Rollins

1955-6: breakthrough years, artistically and commercially

Miles Davis Quintet: 1950sMiles Davis - trumpet

John Coltrane - tenor saxRed Garland - piano

Paul Chambers - bassPhilly Joe Jones - drums

one of the most successful jazz ensembles ever

• commercially: sold thousands of recordings, played sold-out concerts world-wide

• artistically: model of greatness for 1950s, featured two most influential improvisors after Charlie Parker

Listening Example: Four by M. Davis; performed by the Miles Davis Quintet

Miles Davis & Gil Evans1957: Davis and arranger Gil Evans to record Porgy and Bess; had worked together during Birth of the Cool sessions in late 1940s

1960: Davis/Evans Third Stream recording Sketches of Spain

•scored accompaniment for brass, woodwinds, and percussion

• inspired by Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra by Joaquin Rodrigo

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

Breakthrough recording of jazz based on modes

Modes were the basis of harmony pre-Bach. Instead of scales, changing chords and key centers, Medieval

music based on single key centers, which did evolve to today’s major/minor tonality system.

Davis is first significant jazz musician to use these modes as a

basis for jazz

Listening Example: So What by M. Davis; performed by the Miles Davis Quintet (1959)

Miles Davis Quintet: 1960sMiles Davis - trumpet

Wayne Shorter - tenor saxHerbie Hancock - piano

Ron Carter - bassTony Williams - drums

• these musicians would go on to become important leaders on their respective instruments

• combined traditional cool and hard bop styles with modal and free jazz elements

Listening Example: E.S.P. by M. Davis; performed by the Miles Davis Quintet (1965)

Miles Davis &Fusion Jazz

After 1968, Davis moves away from cool/bebop traditions to a jazz/rock oriented

style

Not first jazz musician to fuse rock elements with free and modal jazz

With two albums, In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, he established a new direction for

jazz/rock, or fusion, and inspired many musicians on that path

Listening Example: Spanish Key by M. Davis; performed by Miles Davis & Friends (1969)

Miles Davis: Summary• changes his sound and

subsequently, the sound of all jazz during his 50 year career, leading the way or inspiring others

• created original, substanital trumpet style, evident from first recordings in 1940s with Charlie Parker to his last recordings of hip-hop jazz in early 1990s

• created large body of high-quality recordings which serve as models for contemporary musicians in the footsteps of Armstrong, Parker, Young

Miles Davis: SummaryJazz Styles Created or

Heavily Influenced by Davis

1944-9: Bebop

1949-91: Cool Jazz

1959-91: Modal Jazz

1964-91: Free/Modal Jazz

1969-91: Fusion

1980-91: Techno Jazz

1990-1: Hip-Hop Jazz

Artists Influenced and/or Introduced by Davis

Saxophone: Sonny Rollins, Gerry Mulligan, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers, Benny Maupin

Piano: John Lewis, Red Garland, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Marcus Miller

Bass: Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Dave Holland

Drums: Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, Ary Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Tony Williams, Al Foster

Guitar: John McLaughlin, George Benson, Larry Coryell, John Scofield

John Coltrane

“Music and life are all about style. To Coltrane, music was something more: playing was his research, his intellectual challenge, his means of investigating, as well as expressing his spiritual moods.”

- Miles Davis

Listening Example: Take the Coltrane by E.K. Ellington; performed by Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and Friends

John Coltraneborn in North Carolina; moved

to Philadelphia in 1943studied saxophone & music

theory at Ornstein School of Music

drafted into Navy 1945, discharged in 1946

switched to tenor sax in 1948played in bands of Eddie Vinson, Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Bostic and

Johnny Hodges

John Coltrane1955: Miles Davis hired Coltrane on recommendation from drummer Philly Joe Jones

1955-6: Miles Davis Classic Quintet; international acclaim to Coltrane; his hard bop, R&B style style contrasted well with Miles Davis’ restrained cool style

April 1957: Davis fired Coltrane after argument about Coltrane’s drug use and irresponsibility; escalated into a backstage fist fight

Coltrane returns to Philadelphia, confronted drug problems by going cold turkey at his mother’s home

1957: Coltrane made first “solo” recordings; rejoined Davis in 1958; evident that Coltrane is ready to step out completely and forge his own path

Listening Example: Big Nick by J. Coltrane; performed by Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and Friends

John ColtraneColtrane forms his own group following recording session of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue

Rivals the artistic achievements of Davis’ quintet; surpasses Davis as most influential jazzer of 1960s

John Coltrane - tenor and soprano sax

McCoy Tyner - piano

Jimmy Garrison - bass

Elvin Jones - drums

Listening Example: Giant Steps by J. Coltrane; performed by the John Coltrane Classic Quartet

John ColtraneColtrane’s musical persona

evolved after 1960

• studied music theory books

• influenced by avant-garde saxophonist John Gilmore

• Coltrane’s music takes on political overtones

• compositions explored religious themes

Listening Example: Acknowledgement by J. Coltrane; performed by the John Coltrane Classic Quartet

John ColtranePerformance Practice Characteristics

“Sheets of Sound” - jazz critic Ira Gitler coined this phrase as if Coltrane “enveloped listeners in sheets of sounds, a wall of notes cascading down on his audiences.”

“The Sweep” - attempt to encompass a wide range of effects centered around sustaining note in bass and piano, long linear drum patterns and long sweeping runs covering the entire range of saxophone

“The Cry” - higher register on tenor sax; create rising melodies, squeezing out notes on the high end, as if crying or shrieking

Listening Example: Take the Coltrane by E.K. Ellington; performed by Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and Friends

John Coltrane: Legacy• devised new approach to saxophone playing built upon

Hawkins and Young schools

• bluesy, scalar approach of Young

• aggressive, dense big-sound of Hawkins

• influenced technique, improvisation and dedication to jazz than any other musician from 1960s onward

• developed and popularized modal jazz (after Miles Davis introduced concept)

• leader in rise of free jazz in 1960s

• popularized soprano saxophone

Listening Example: The Feeling of Jazz by B. Troup, E.K. Ellington & G. Simon; performed by Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and Friends

Avant-Gard or Free Jazz

Next Lecture:

Listening Example: Rick Kick Shaw by C. Taylor; performed by the Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and Friends

SourcesCollier, Tom. History of Jazz. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., Dubuque, Iowa: 1997

Gridley, Mark C. Concise Guide to Jazz, fifth edition. Pearson-Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ: 2007

Hasse, John Edward, ed. Jazz: The First Century. William Morrow Publishers, New York, NY: 2000

Rosengarten, Lewis. Jazz in Short Measures. Authors Choice Press, Lincoln, NE: 2001

Zorn, Jay D. & August, June. Listening to Music, fifth edition. Pearson-Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ: 2007