Jazz (Wikipedia) an original American musical art form originating around the early 1920s in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. It is characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. Jazz has been described as "America's Classical Music". Louis Armstrong
Origins of Jazz & American Popular Music Delta Blues & Tin Pan Alley
The Influence of the Blues American Roots Music d1, ch.4 Mississippi Delta Blues Son House (1902-1988) Robert Johnson (1909-1938) - influence on Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton & Cream Pine Top Smith & Boogie Woogie (1930 s) - led to rock&roll 1930 s - the influence of radio - dramatized in O Brother Where Art Thou (2002) Disney - Blue Rhythm (1931)
- The Blues Scale - America s original contribution to music - derived from the ubiquitous Pentatonic (five-note) scale by adding one note, making it a six-note ( Hexatonic ) scale - probably originated as an elaboration of African folk-melody made by slaves - became the basis of many popular music styles, including Blues (1920s), Country-Western (30 s & 40s), Rock & Roll (1950 s) Pentatonic scale Blues scale http://www.musicez.com/theoryns10.html
Tin Pan Alley Popular Music at the Turn of the (20th) Century - New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. - originally a specific place, West 28th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. -the name "Tin Pan Alley" was originally derogatory, a reference to the sound made by many pianos all playing different tunes in this small urban area, producing a cacophony comparable to banging on tin pans. - continued until the 1940 s-50 s when recordings took over from printed sheet music as the dominant form of pop music distribution. - some of the leading names: - Scott Joplin (1867-1917) Ragtime Music The Entertainer Maple Leaf Rag - Irving Berlin (1888-1989) Alexander s Ragtime Band, God Bless America White Christmas - George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
One Froggy Evening (Chuck Jones, 1955) - Tin Pan Alley style songs, (Hello Ma Baby, The Michigan Rag) - no spoken dialog - The Citizen Kane of animated film. - Steven Spielberg disc 74 - audio commentary - music only track - Making of It Happened One Night
Hot Jazz and Stride The 20s & 30s
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) - born 1901, new Orleans, Louisiana -1922 moved to Chicago, joined the King Creole Jazz Band - 1925 formed his own band, Louis Armstrong Hot Five$ -1929 moved to New York City, later toured Europe
Fleischer Bros Studio - founded 1921, New York City - silent series Ko-Ko Cartunes$ - early sound series included Popeye and Betty Boop$ - early series of jazz music cartoons, with live-action performances by Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway I ll Be Glad When You re Dead, You Rascal You (1932) disc 114 Louis Armstrong s Hot Five in live-action performance at the beginning, later combined with animation
Early Jazz - Cab Calloway - born 1907, Rochester New York - 1920 s first formed his own style of singing & dancing in Chicago - 1930, hired as the house orchestra for Cotton Club in Harlem - 1931 hit song, Minnie the Moocher Minnie the Moocher (1932) Old Man of the Mountain (1933) disc 114
RAYMOND SCOTT (1908-1994) -Composer and bandleader, New York City -1931 after graduating from Julliard School, began his career as pianist for CBS radio house band. - 1936 formed his own band, the Quintette, to play his own descriptive jazz - busy, clever arrangements of quirky tunes with humorous titles like Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals, New Year s Eve in A Haunted House and The Girl at the Typewriter$ - in the 1950 s became a pioneer in electronic music, inventing one of the first synthesizers. - also invented an electronic device to sequence tones from the synthesizer - the first sequencer (track: Circle Machine demonstration ) War Dance for Wooden Indians - from Happy Landing (1938) Powerhouse on Hit Parade (1955) "Being introduced to the music of Raymond Scott was like being given the name of a composer I feel I have heard my whole life, who until now was nameless. Clearly he is a major American composer." David Harrington, Kronos Quartet
PowerHouse (Raymond Scott, 1936) - in 1941 Warner Bros. bought the publishing rights to Scott s music - paved the way for Carl Stalling to use these melodies in Warner s animated films - PowerHouse is the most used of Scott s tunes in Warner Bros. - 35 cartoons. - official WB montage: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=r3fln0iq9sq - Has also appeared on The Simpson s, Ren & Stimpy, Animaniacs, and is the bumper theme for The USA Cartoon Network - rock band Rush in 1978 La Villa Strangiato quotes Powerhouse. (@8:00) Early To Bet (Robert McKimson, 1951) disc 1000-4 Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century (Chuck Jones, 1953) disc 1000-2
The Swing Era The 40s
Swing Jazz - dance-able music - moderate tempos - large ensembles (18-20 players) - melody oriented - vocalists Benny Goodman, The King of Swing (1909-1987) All the Cats Join In (Make Mine Music, 1946) After You've Gone (Make Mine Music, 1946)
Bebop The 50s
BeBop Jazz - virtuoso instrumental performance - fast tempo - extended chord structures - small ensembles (3-4 players) - non-vocal Oscar Peterson Norman McLaren - Begone Dull Care - National Film Board of Canada, 1949
BeBop Jazz John Coltrane Giant Steps (2001) dir. Michal Levy
BeBop Jazz Dizzy Gillespie Charlie Parker The Three Little Bops (WB, 1957) dir. Friz Freleng
BeBop Jazz Dizzy Gillespie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kavapwp8hte Date with Dizzy (UPA, 1956) dir. John Hubley
The 60s West Coast Jazz Free Jazz
The 60s - West Coast Jazz & Free Jazz - as Rock & Roll took over radio & popular music, jazz became both more and less mainstream MORE Mainstream - West Coast Jazz (aka Cool Jazz) - less frenetic than bebop, calmer, more cool - more composed, more classical - originated in Los Angeles & San Francisco - Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond - Take Five - Vince Guaraldi - Charlie Brown Dave Brubeck - Take Five.mp4 Vince Guaraldi Trio - Outra Vez.mp4
The 60s - West Coast Jazz & Free Jazz LESS Mainstream - Free Jazz - more frenetic than bebop - less composed - Collective Improvisation (Ornette Coleman) - abandoned main structures of jazz - melody & chord changes - emphasis on performer rather than composer - originated in New York City - jazz counterpart to 60s concept album - Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Miles Davis Ornette Coleman - The Adventure.mp4 (opening) John Coltrane - The World According to John Coltrane.mp4 (opening)