REVIEW SESSION, EXAM 1 MUSIC 331: History of Jazz, Summer 2012
Short Answer Questions
Development of jazz in New Orleans Storyville brothels, opportunities for musicians Black Codes (1894) racial reclassification, Creoles classified as black Funeral Parades sad on way, upbeat on way back, improvisation, March/brass band influence Changes in Chicago jazz (vs. New Orleans jazz) More of a cool feel Complex harmonies, influence of French Impressionism Older white musicians, younger white musicians (influenced by transplanted NO musicians), NO musicians Characteristics of the Swing Era (can include reasons why it ended) Associations with big bands and dance Popularity of bandleaders Instrumentation: sections of saxes, trumpet, trombone, rhythm Arranging: block chord voicings, call and response sax/brass, soli
Significance of Jelly Roll Morton 1st important jazz composer Blended composition and improvisation Horn-like solos Virtuosic, link between Ragtime and Stride Significance of Louis Armstrong 1 st important jazz soloist, move away from collective improvisation Singing scat singing, imitating sounds of instruments, nonsense syllables Developed swung eighth notes Told stories through solos
Significance of Duke Ellington Wrote for individual players in big band setting Jazz composition classical influence, extended works Exotic book, tone poems, concertos, sacred book, etc. Voicing across sections Collaborations with Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Blanton Significance of Count Basie Piano boogie-woogie influence, sparse, stride influence, riff-based Kansas City swing 12-bar blues, more improvisation, riff-based, head arrangements, focus on rhythm All American Rhythm Section influenced development of jazz swing feel
Terms
Improvisation Composing and performing at the same time Swing feel Chord progression Rhythmic concept associated with constant tempo, lilt and spirit, swung eighth notes, syncopation, etc. Series of chords that form the basis of the song Walking bass Comping Ride rhythms Bass plays quarter notes (4 per measure), melodic contour to the line Short for accompaniment, left hand in piano, guitar and other chordal instruments Ride cymbal patterns, used for driving rhythm
Syncopation Rhythmically stressing off beats (either 2 & 4 or 2 nd eighth note of a pair) Swung eight-notes 12-bar blues Timbre AABA form Country blues 2 nd 8 th note is slightly shorter than 1 st in pair Kind of form, chord progression, basis of many jazz songs, urban/classic blues, needed for ensemble playing Sound quality, different instruments, different techniques, use of mutes or bow (arco) Song form from Tin Pan Alley, repetition and novelty, B section called bridge Music of itinerant male musicians, primarily from Mississippi Delta region, guitar and harmonica, more open-ended harmonic structure, AAB text form
Classic blues Ragtime Tin Pan Alley Storyville Harlem Stride Scat singing Female nightclub singers, vaudeville influence, 12-bar blues form, AAB text form, ensemble playing Genre of music from late 19 th c./early 20 th c. that emphasized syncopation, primarily for piano, 2-beat in left hand (March influence), groupings of 3 in right hand, sectional form (march influence) Music publishing industry based in area of NYC, use of song pluggers, AABA form, many TPA songs adapted by jazz musicians Area of New Orleans, red-light district, cradle of jazz, racial mixture Piano style that emphasized virtuosity, developed in NYC, cutting contests competition between players Vocal style, developed by Louis Armstrong, uses nonsense syllables to imitate sounds of instruments
Artists
Artist Genre Instrument Robert Johnson Country blues Guitar, voice Bessie Smith Urban/classic blues Voice Scott Joplin Ragtime Piano/composer Joe King Oliver New Orleans Jazz Cornet/Trumpet Sidney Bechet New Orleans jazz Soprano sax/clarinet Charlie Christian Swing/Benny Goodman Guitar/electric guitar
Artist Genre Instrument Chick Webb Swing Drums Bix Beiderbecke Chicago jazz Cornet/trumpet James P. Johnson Fletcher Henderson Stride/ Harlem Stride Swing Piano Piano/composerarranger/bandleader Billie Holiday Swing/melodic paraphrasing Voice Ella Fitzgerald Scat singing/ swing Voice
Artist Genre Instrument Coleman Hawkins Swing Tenor Sax Benny Goodman Mary Lou Williams Swing Swing Clarinet/bandleader Piano/composer-arranger Freddie Green Swing/Count Basie Guitar Walter Page Swing/Count Basie Bass Jo Jones Swing/Count Basie Drums
Listenings
Example #1 Primary Artist: Count Basie Musical Characteristics Swing feel walking bassline, drummer plays on cymbals, guitar on all 4 beats, etc. Kansas City swing improvisation, head arrangements, riffbased, 12-bar blues Boogie-woogie influence in introduction
Example #2 Primary Artist: James P. Johnson Musical Characteristics You ve Got to be Modernistic Harlem stride, virtuosic French impressionist influence Sectional form