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Jodie L. Martin
University of Adelaide
@jodie__martin
What characteristics define and distinguish those who have the ‘spirit of jazz’?
How is it measured?
Who possesses/is possessed by the ‘spirit of jazz’?
Legitimation codes: bases of measures of achievement
Legitimation codes: bases of measures of achievement
Legitimation codes: bases of measures of achievement
Epistemic relations:
Between socio-cultural practices and their object or focus (that part of the world towards which practices are oriented); and
Social relations:
Between socio-cultural practices and their subject, author or actor (who is undertaking actions or making claims to knowledge)
Maton (2013 Ch2)
Maton (2007: 97)
Lamont & Maton (2008, 2010)
Skills, techniques, acquisition of musical knowledge
Musical dispositions, attitudes, personal
expression
Lamont and Maton 2008/2010
ER+
ER-
SR+ SR-
Skills, techniques, acquisition of musical knowledge
Musical dispositions, attitudes, personal
expression
genius ‘on the wall’ famous hip
I’m sick of being told by old non-musicians that I’m young therefore I don’t understand “their” music
(J. D. Martin 2012)
old
young
musician non-musician
Maton (2013)
Maton (2013)
knowers
knowing
Maton (2013)
musicality
musicianship
Subjective relations can be understood as emphasising the relative musicality of actors, that is their dispositions, inherent qualities and personal expression.
Interactional relations emphasise the relative musicianship of actors and how musical knowers learn about and enact music.
J.L. Martin, Forthcoming
stronger weaker
subjective relations (SubR)
musicality of esteemed knowers, such as virtuosic musicians, genius
musicians are anonymised,
performers’ qualities downplayed
interactional relations (IR)
experience through education, instruction from experts, technique, analysis, immersion
techniques, experiences downplayed
Emphasis on musical aptitude and sensibility:
Elliot Mason can only be described as a musical prodigy [norm; cap].
The ‘golden child’ [norm] of the bebop era was saxophonist Charlie Parker, still considered one of the “most important [norm] and influential [norm] improvising soloists in jazz [cap]...”
The creativity [cap] and brilliance [norm] evidenced by early jazz musicians, such as Tatum, is echoed today by that of artists like Mehldau and Metheny.
SubR
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Emphasis on musical knowing through performance in some sense
He has been pushing the boundaries of guitar playing and improvisation [norm] in general since the early 1970s.
Mason is a technician [cap] on the instrument, being an experienced [cap] commercial [cap] player as well as an accomplished [cap] improviser.
IR
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Emphasis on musical knowing through performance in some sense
For six months through high school he played five or six nights a week in a pop band while continuing to absorb jazz influences from records.
As well as performing with the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra, he has performed with acts as varied as Bette Midler, Jessica Simpson, The Maria Schneider Orchestra, Willie Nelson and the Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau.
IR
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Maton (2013)
This command [cap] of advanced [val]
improvisational techniques coupled with a
strong sense of musicality [cap] makes him
an impressive [qual; inorm] musician to
behold and one of the most formidable
[cap] trombonists/bass trumpeters in the world today. Further still, he manages to
have [ten] a completely unique [norm]
musical voice.
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social
born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Mason’s ability [cap] to include structure
within his melodies whilst using various
harmonic substitution devices demonstrates
a very important fact about his playing:
there is evidence of “the most profound
lyricism” [bal] [SubR+] (Husband n.d) in
everything he plays [icap]. No matter how
dissonant his phrases seem […] each of
them reveals a deep sense of melody
[SubR+] [val; icap]. This musicality [cap]
[SubR+] is clearly evident in the way in
which Mason uses motifs and repeated
melodic ideas throughout his
improvisations.
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social
born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Again, the continuity of this phrase
throughout his improvisation gives
additional structure to the solo. This
sets Mason apart from many players
[norm], as there is musical purpose
behind each of his phrases, which seek
to engage the listener rather than
alienate [-prop] them [IR+].
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social
born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Regardless of the instruments he plays,
and perhaps most importantly, Mason is
an exceptionally musical player [SubR+],
not just an impressive technician [cap]
[IR+].
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social
born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Maton (2013)
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
Allan Holdsworth is one of the greatest [norm], yet most underrated [norm] guitar players of our time. He has been pushing the boundaries of guitar playing and improvisation [norm] in general since the early 1970's. He is famous [norm] for his work in the jazz-rock (or 'fusion') genre, a style of music that emerged in the late 1960's. Holdsworth's playing is characterized by his unmistakable [qual] sound [icap], virtuosic [val] and innovative [val] technique [icap] and his amazing [norm] ability [icap] to create intricate [comp] 'sheets of sound' on an instrument that does not easily lend itself to doing so [icap].
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
In my opinion Holdsworth has been underappreciated [val-] by many; it would seem his music is too complicated [comp-] for most rock audiences and ‘too rock' for most jazz audiences. Conversely, there are those from both schools who have realized the unfathomable brilliance [qual] that surrounds his music [inorm]. Allan Holdsworth is an innovator [cap] of the highest order and his music defies genre.
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
It needs to be acknowledged that while the techniques outlined within this text are some of the key aspects of Allan Holdsworth’s sheets of sound model, they are just theories and examples. The genius [cap] is in their application.
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Appraised Explicitly positive Absent/negated
Album an eclectic range of material that includes the
celebrated [val] work of Thelonious Monk,
1930's show tunes, country and traditional
songs as well as Frisell originals.
none of the instrumental
pyrotechnics [comp-] found in the
recordings of Frisell's jazz guitar
contemporaries [inorm]
Recording “essentially” is a “straight-ahead all-star [val]
blowing date”
does not have the sound of a
straight-ahead all-star [val] blowing
date,
What can be
heard
patient [val], interactive improvisations,
‘a genteel [val] bout of casual [iqual], open-
ended exploration of familiar themes'
free of flashiness [comp] and well-
worn [imp] clichés [val].
Sidemen equal members [cap] in Frisell's journeys of
discovery
not merely providers of pulse [norm]
Improvisations Can be described as a ‘search for connections,
for tiny revelations of melody, rhythm, or pure
sound texture.’ (Woodward 1989: 9)
do not employ rapid licks or technical
virtuosity [comp],
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Lastly I discovered that Frisell’s unique
[val] approach could only have come
about through a highly developed
musical ear
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Lastly I discovered that Frisell’s unique
[val] approach could only have come
about through a highly developed
musical ear and a thorough knowledge
of the instrument [icap].
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Lastly I discovered that Frisell’s unique
[val] approach could only have come
about through a highly developed
musical ear and a thorough knowledge of
the instrument [icap]. Which is doubtless
a result of many years of study and
hard work [ten],
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Lastly I discovered that Frisell’s unique
[val] approach could only have come
about through a highly developed
musical ear and a thorough knowledge of
the instrument [icap]. Which is doubtless
a result of many years of study and hard
work [ten], providing me with an insight
and focus as to what is required to play
at this level of mastery [cap].
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Having to sit down and spend countless
hours [ten] with someone’s recordings
and learning not only the notes they play
but also the nuances and feeling they put
into the music is an incomparable [val]
learning experience that produces results
unattainable by any other means.
SubR+
SubR-
IR+ IR-
social born
trained cultivated
affect judgement
appreciation i = invoked - = negative
force focus
Maton (2013)
Lamont, A., & Maton, K. (2008). Choosing music: Exploratory studies into the low uptake of music GCSE. British Journal of Music Education, 25(3), 267-282.
Lamont, A., & Maton, K. (2010). Unpopular music: Beliefs and behaviours towards music in education. In R. Wright (Ed.), Sociology and music education (pp. 63-80). Basingstoke: Ashgate.
Maton, K. (2013). Knowledge and knowers: Towards a realist sociology of education. London: Routledge.
Martin, J. L. (forthcoming). Musicality and musicianship: Specialisation in jazz studies. In K. Maton, S. Hood & S. Shay (Eds.), Knowledge-building: Educational studies in Legitimation Code Theory. London: Routledge.
Jodie L. Martin, University of Adelaide
@jodie__martin, about.me/jodiemartin
