Jazz Lect Notes

7/28/2019 Jazz Lect Notes

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Contemporary Music Styles Jazz Lecture Notes

JAZZ ERAS

1895-1920 Ragtime chiefly represented by pianist Scott Joplin

1920-1930 Classical Jazz (Dixieland or New Orleans Jazz)

1930-1945 Swing Era

1940-1950 Be Bop

1950-1960 Cool Jazz - West Coast Jazz

1950-1960 Hard Bop -East Coast or Funky Jazz

1955-1960 Modal Jazz

1960-1970 Free Jazz /Avante Garde & beginnings of Jazz Fusion

1980-2000 Fusions: Acid Jazz, nu jazz, Jazz Rap

2000- Straight-Ahead and Experimental Jazz

REPERTOIRE:

The Great American Songbook Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, HaroldArlen, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Lorenz Hart, Hoagy Carmichael etc.

Traditional blues forms and melodies Compositions by jazz artists Contrafacts new melodies written over harmonic structure from older

songs

Anything from any source that presents a good vehicle for improvisation

RAGTIME

Syncopated or ragged melody over solid boom-chick time feel Ragtime is primarily a solo piano style immediate precursor of jazz Joplin the most successful composer Success measured in sheet-music sales Harmonically simple: primary chords, with occasional secondary

dominants and passing diminished chords

Jelly Roll Morton best known artist crossing over into Dixieland Play Track: Scott Joplin Elite Syncopations 1902


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1920-1930 CLASSICAL JAZZ also known as Dixieland/New Orleans Jazz

1. Group improvisation 2. Rhythm sections in ensembles 3. Steady underlying pulse to which syncopated melodies and rhythm

patterns are added 4. Reliance on popular song form and blues forms 5. A performer/composer aesthetic rather than a composer centred

orientation, (because of recording industry)

Harmony: maj6, min6, dom7 with 9 or #5 Improv based on arpeggios and scale segments, with blues inflections, Instrumentation: trumpet, clarinet, trombone, banjo or piano, tuba (as

bass), washboard (as percussion); later acoustic bass and drum kit.

Bessie Smith, King Oliver and Louis Armstrong Play Track: Cornet Chop Suey (tpt, cl, tb, pn, bj; uneven form)

Louise Armstrong & His Hot Five Chicago 1926.

1930-1945 SWING Roots in Ragtime and Blues

Bands expanded in size - 14 or 15 piece focus is on the arrangement and the playing of the ensemble Solos are often tailored, and developed from gig to gig Changes in habits of the rhythm section: bass in 4 Modern hi-hat developed, and new drumming styles followed The Swing drummer remodelled the beat of classical Jazz Kick in 4 with the bass Technical competence of greater importance Melodic patterns based on scales and arpeggios, 8-note jazz scales Harmony: maj7, min7, dom7 with nat or alt 9 and 13 or #5 Dance band sound considered entertainment Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Ella

Fitzgerald, Tommy Dorsey, Lester Young, Charlie Christian, and ColemanHawkins

Play track: Count Basie Tickle Toe 1940 Clark Terry Mumbles

1940-1950 Be Bop - Bop

Stronger theoretical underpinning developing

primarily played by small groups (combos) typical combo is comprised of two

horns (e.g., trumpet and saxophone) and rhythm section (piano, bass, anddrums)

Kick drum used more for accents than time keeping Ride cymbal, hi-hat on 2 & 4, bass in 4 becomes standard groove.

the focus is on the soloist New breed of virtuosos strong improvisers at fast tempos Melodic minor modes become part of improvisation

requires musical virtuosity and artistry to play it considered art music, considered elitist by some


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characterised by asymmetrical phrases

ornate melodic lines with much solo improvisation complex rhythm patterns

richer harmony 9ths in all chords, stronger dissonances, #4 or b5 becomes acrucial part of dom7 harmony and melody George Russell Lydian Chromatic

Concept Rhythm changes Gershwins I Got Rhythm much used vehicle

Charlie Christian, Thelonius Monk, Charlie (Bird) Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy

Gillespie.Play track: Charlie Parker Confirmation N.Y. 1950Play track: Ella Fitzgerald How High The Moon/Ornithology N.Y.1946

1950-1960 Cool Jazz & West Coast Jazz

Typically features more complex arrangements than bebop, and lessemphasis is placed on virtuosity.

Small ensembles featuring some non-jazz instruments (cello, French horn,flute)

Carefully crafted contrapuntal sounds New timbral quality usually heard from the Saxophone - use few

overtones and little to no vibrato

European and Brazilian influence are often seen as well Artists: Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Miles Davis, Gil Evans &

Stan Getz

Play track: I Can't Believe That Youre In Love With Me Gerry MulliganQuartet with Lee Konitz L.A. 1953.

1950-1960 The Third Stream Movement

Composer-educator Gunther Schuller formed the Jazz and Classical MusicSociety

Later coined the third stream title to describe a blending of jazz andclassical music.

Early examples: Igor Stravinskys 1918 Ragtime,; Paul Whitemansrecording of George Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, and Bix

Beiderbeckes In a Mist,

Stan Kentons Innovations Orchestra of 1950 and 1951 was an ambitiousattempt to have a classical jazz orchestra.

Clarinetist Eddie Daniels Breakthrough from 1986 is a rare classic inthis idiom. Play Solfeggietto/Metamorphosis

1950-1960 Hard Bop - East Coast or Funky Jazz

HB was at the forefront of jazz and went through its most concentratedgrowth and development from 1951-1958

reflected and contributed to the beginnings of the 1950s-1960s civilrights movement.

a reaction to cool jazz

was a return to music that was more Afro-centric, more blues based Hard swinging syncopated blues based


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Harmonically adventurous ii-V subs, seeming unrelated chords Improvisers begin to explore avenues less obviously connected to the

changes the idea of playing outside the changes

Much greater proportion of repertoire written by performers specificallyfor jazz performance

Jazz Messengers, Max Roach, Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, CannonballAdderley, Sonny Rollins, Jon Henricks, Charles Mingus, Clifford Brown

Vocalese - lyricist (esp. Jon Hendricks) takes a recorded jazz solo writes words

for it. Often, the syllables go by so fast that singing them is a real challenge,

creating additional excitement beyond the melodic line itself or the lyrics. Trio:Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross

Play track: The Jazz Messengers - A Night in Tunisia 1959 PTO

1955-1960 Modal Jazz Leading figures Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Charles Mingus, Bill

Evans & John Coltrane

Some compositions were based on a greatly simplified harmonicprogression eg So What, Impressions

Structures rested on modal, scale based themes and patterns Quote: "There will be fewer chords," Davis explained to his band at the

time, "but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them."

Key albums Milestones 1958 & Kind of Blue 1959

Play track: Milestones from album Kind of Blue

Epitome of new expression for combo jazz. Bill Evans / quartal harmonyPlay Footage: So WhatMiles DavisSo WhatMiles Davis Quartet Live on The Steve Allen Show 1964.

1960-1980 Free Jazz/Avante Garde (beginnings of Jazz Fusion)

Performances do not conform to established musical structure, tonality,harmony or rhythm

Negates artistic styles that were formally valid by attempting to destroyfeelings of structure and tonality.

Random improvisation Traditional instruments played in non-traditional ways Leading instruments are saxophones, complex drumming Some non-trad instruments introduced: sitars, amplified thumb pianos,

police whistles, etc.

Play track John Coltrane Giant Steps N.Y.1960Tempo: 292 BPMForm: 16 bar tune

Devices: many chord changes played at blistering speed; modulates every bar

Scale(s): major, blues, pentatonic, melodic minor

Improvisation features manipulation of scalar patterns (e.g., 1235)Developmental Techniques: running the changes


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Play track John Coltrane Mars Interstellar Space

1980-2008

Notables; Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redmond, Herbie Hancock,

Cubans Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Michel Camilo,

Essence of Jazz

Extensive use of improvisation with a tendency to play longer lines as opposedto licks and motifs

Swing feel - drums Walking line - double bass Rhythmic and melodic syncopation

Upward movement in the circle of 4ths (segments of the clock) Extensive use of the [ IIm7 V7 ] and [ IIm7 V7 I ] and [ IIm7b5 V7

Im7 ]

Use of the 7th chords as a basic starting point leading to chord extensions and

chord substitutions

Common Aspects - Harmonic Material

Use of 7th chords plus chord extensions, alterations and substitution -very little use of basic triads.

Key changes are common. Diatonic progressions employed extensively - especially in the circle of

fourths (clock segments).

The IIm7 V7 (I ) is considered to be the cornerstone of jazz harmony. Itfollows that IIm7b5 V7(b9) in minor keys is used extensively.

Blues progressions used extensively but the simple 3 chord blues is moreoften than not expanded to a 5 chord blues, and often even more complex.

I Got Rhythm progression used extensively (simply called RhythmChanges).

Extensive use of b5 substitution.Play track: Rhythm-a-ning Thelonius Monk 1964

Common Aspects - Melodies

Ranging from blues and simple uncluttered diatonic, to complex andtechnically difficult; dissonant, using chord extensions, alterations andchromaticism.

Rhythm Extensive use of the swing drum feel with walking bass (four to the bar) Extensive use of syncopation All Latin styles plus rock 8ths and 16th and New Orleans second line

drumming are used Extensive use of 3/4 and6/8 feels plus use of odd time signatures


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From extremely slow ballads to extremely fast swing and latin and everytempo in between

Form32 bar A A B A32 bar A B A C form

12 bar blues

Common Aspects - Timbres

Horns dominate, especially sax and trumpet with piano next in line

Diverse as trombone, fiddle, harmonica, flute, mandolin, banjo.Guitar and organ

Double bass and drums dominate as the rhythm section. Drums often extremely

active and forcefulOften used line-ups

1. Organ (foot-pedal bass), guitar and drums2. Piano, double bass and drums

3. Sax, trumpet, piano, double bass and drums4. Sax, bass and drums

The Jazz Musicians Clock - The Circle of Fourths

Clarify directionality of Cycle of Fourths/Fifths.Diatonic segment (ie B E A D G C F for C major) contains the ii-V-I, the relativeminor ii-V-I, and the IV chord cf. Autumn Leaves

Tri-tone substitution clarified.

Rhythm Changes adapted for jazz

(In the song, the first A section finishes like the second.)I Got Rhythm 1930

Music by George Gershwin lyrics by Ira Gershwin

A || Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 || Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Ab7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 ||

A || Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 || Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Ab7| Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 ||

B || Am7 | D7 | Dm7 | G7 |

| Gm7 | C7 | Cm7 | F7 ||

A || Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 G7| Cm7 F7 |

| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Ab7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 ||

32 bar AABA form

important characteristics repeated I-VI-ii-V (or substitutes) in the first four barsof the A sections

bridge follows a pattern called a secondary dominant sequence

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Jazz Lect Notes