Advanced Lesson Plan for Young Performers Initiative: Rockin In Rhythm BEFORE THE VIDEO

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1 Advanced Lesson Plan for Young Performers Initiative: Rockin In Rhythm NOTE TO TEACHER: This lesson plan is designed to encourage focused listening as well as individual and group recognition of the contrast between an original jazz recording and a recording of a newer arrangement of that tune. This exercise challenges the young listener to be an attentive, focused listener, searching to hear fragments of original material in a newer arrangement. The video is of UWEC Jazz Ensemble I playing Rockin In Rhythm. The original Duke Ellington composition is found in the Youtube recording Rockin In Rhythm BEFORE THE VIDEO 1. Prepare the Youtube video of Duke Ellington s 1964 Rockin In Rhythm and the UWEC Jazz I video. 2. Discuss the background of this jazz classic with your band. Here is some basic information about the tune to share with the band prior to listening: Rockin In Rhythm, first recorded in 1931, was written by Duke Ellington during his band s Cotton Club engagement run. He said the composition was as close as an arrangement gets to sounding spontaneous. It was meant to be danced to and indeed, was a precursor to many swing tunes played by the big bands of the 30 s and 40 s. The tune switches from major to minor and back again, as it showcases flashy technique in all the sections and some great soloing as well. The original had a long piano introduction--probably stemming from Duke s habit of using his piano as a way to get tardy band members back up on the stage from a break) this introduction became known as Kinda Dukish. Here is the basic framework of Rockin In Rhythm: 0:00 Duke begins his minute and a half solo introduction. (TEACHER: you could start at 1:20) 1:20 Duke begins to call to his band, leading to the introduction lick 1:30 Reeds play the opening theme which begins with 3 short descending notes (A1) 1:38 Reeds play the blues long note lick, answered by the trombones (A2) 1:46 Reeds play the Do-dit a diddle dot part of the phrase (A3) 1:55 Trombone bravura solo 2:12 The whole A section repeats 2:40 The minor B section starts with a repetitive low brass line, introducing the clarinet solo. 3:00 Duke plays the original introduction lick to set up the trombone solo. 3:20 The PEP SECTION (2 trumpets and the trombone) plays the Wah theme 3:46 Cat Anderson begins to improvise in the upper register on trumpet over the final shout 4:22 The band breaks to half-time and the final statement as Duke directs out front.

2 DURING THE YOUTUBE VIDEO 3. TEACHER: Now show the Youtube video of Rockin In Rhythm AFTER THE YOUTUBE VIDEO 4. Following the Youtube video, review the highlighted themes mentioned earlier. DURING THE UWEC VIDEO Just prior to showing the video of UWEC Jazz I playing Bill Cunliffe s arrangement of Rockin In Rhythm, explain that this video is of a newer arrangement of the original classic. Here s a little information about the arranger: Bill Cunliffe is known as a jazz pianist, composer and arranger based in Los Angeles. During his stint as pianist with the Buddy Rich Band a famous big band drummer he was asked by Buddy to write an arrangement for the band of Rockin In Rhythm. Cunliffe did so, but he chose to make quite a few changes and used fragments of the original, changed the groove/style, removed the pep section (2 trumpets and a trombone, with wah-wah mutes featured in front of the band), and added new material. Let the students know they may take notes, as there will be written (or verbal) questions following the video. Today s challenge: to compare and contrast the old and the new versions. Play the video of UWEC Jazz I playing Rockin In Rhythm. AFTER THE VIDEO TEACHER: A. Have the students do the compare/contrast paper individually OR B. Have the students do the paper in small groups OR C. Have a group discussion using the compare/contrast questions.

3 NAME COMPARE AND CONTRAST DUKE S ORIGINAL WITH CUNLIFFE S ARRANGEMENT OF ROCKIN IN RHYTHM 1. In the original, the piano played a long introduction. In the new arrangement, there was no piano introduction. Why might this be? 2. In the original, the reeds had much of the melody. In the Cunliffe arrangement: a. What section carried most of the melody? b. Was the material complete or fragmented? c. Describe when in the Cunliffe arrangement you heard melodic material from the original. 3. The pianist played an unaccompanied solo in the Cunliffe arrangement. The melodic material played by the pianist was taken from what section of the original? 4. Compare and contrast the style(s) or groove(s) of the older and newer versions. 5. Ellington said that Rockin In Rhythm was as close as an arrangement gets to sounding spontaneous. a. Do you agree? What made his composition sound spontaneous? b. Do you think the new arrangement sounded spontaneous? If so, how? 6. Which arrangement did you like better? Why?

4 TEACHERS ANSWER GUIDE: 1. Best answer would be that Duke was leader of the original band and used the intro as a way to get the band s attention. In the Cunliffe version, the leader was Buddy Rich, thus the drums had more responsibility. 2. a. The trumpets took up most of the reeds original melodic material. The piano also played some melodic material. b. Mostly fragmented. c. See below (bolded) for exact descriptions of where material was found. NOTE: these are only SOME of the examples of the original melodic material found in the newer arrangement. 3. The piano player used Duke s introduction lick and then played a slowly accelerating stride-piano version of the PEP SECTION wah-wah theme. 4. Duke s version was basically up-tempo swing, with a half-time coda. Cunliffe used swing, funk, and ½ time grooves. 5. Open-ended question. 6. Open-ended question. TEACHER: Here is a very basic and brief breakdown of the Cunliffe arrangement which you may use before, during or after the students have answered the above questions. The piece starts with 3 short notes directly from Duke s opening theme, but as jazz critic Bill Kohlhasse of the Los Angeles Times put it, the tune hides from itself until exactly one minute into the piece, when the trumpet section states part of the original tune clearly. Up until then, the listener hears very modern half-time sounds coming out of the band, and parts of phrases hinting at the original. Once the trumpets lay out the theme, the tenor sax takes an extended solo. Following the solo, there is a grand pause after which the acoustic bass plays all alone. This bass solo sets up a group of solos coming out of the sax section. When the piano enters, it is with Duke s intro lick, and then the pianist takes the PEP SECTION wah melody for himself, at a slow tempo, accelerating to the end of the solo (albeit struggling against the insistent steady beat of the audience clapping along!). The sax soli is next, then brass and a short trumpet solo before recap occurs with fragments of A1 and A3. The ending is highlighted with a short drum solo and a final chord. NOTE: The bolded sections are marked as such to draw attention to the most obvious commonalities between the original composition and the UWEC Cunliffe arrangement. 0:00 3-note R in R theme and fragments (A1) :12 Drum hi-hat solo :16 Trombone/bari sax bass-line riff, joined by horn chords and sax soli lick :34 T Trumpets play A1

5 1:00 Trumpets play A3 1:20 Trumpets A1 again 1:24 Tenor Solo 2:53 Bass solo with no accompaniment, sets up a completely different groove 4:00 Drums enter to augment half-time feel, setting up multiple sax solos/duels 6:37 Piano unaccompanied plays Duke s original stride introduction lick but here takes it himself and slows the tempo way down, and plays the PEP SECTION Wah melody at a slow tempo before gradually building it back up to the original tempo. 8:00 Piano solo ends, sax soli with mostly new material 8:34 Trombone section enters with harmon muted trumpets 9:00 Short trumpet solo 9:07 A3 theme enters in ensemble 9:34 A1 is heard for a final time 9:43 Drum solo cueing the final note