Jazz is a unique, self-expressive form of American music created originally by African-Americans from elements of the blues, gospel music and military band music. Jazz is created when musicians spontaneously transform Melodies, Rhythms and Sound as they perform; they seek to become both composer and performer at one and the same time To achieve this goal, jazz musicians strive first to master an instrument, and then to use that instrument as a tool for creating their own original music instead of recreating someone else's music Level of mastery the musicians achieve determines to a great extent, the quality of the music they create Historically, jazz began when New Orleans marching band musicians started memorizing church hymns, marches, rags, blues the popular music of the day and playing those melodies as they marched. "Paraphrasing" first occurred when musicians began to deliberately change a melody as it was being performed by o Decorating the melody o Keeping the rhythm but changing the notes o Adding "Blue Notes" Once musicians began paraphrasing tunes it wasn't long before they sought other ways to "personalize their music" something that, especially during the 1920s and 30s, became highly prized. To personalize their music successfully, jazz musicians learned to manipulate the Components of Sounds: express emotion or create drama Tone Color: The Quality of the sound, its richness in Overtones o Bright: Edgy, penetrating, sharp, pointed o Clear: Pure, crystal, bell-like, cool, liquid o Dark: heavy, thick, smoky, dusky, husky o Distorted: altered in some way Brass players will often use mutes or plungers for this purpose. Brass and reed players may hum into their instruments to distort the sound. Pure distortion actually became so interesting by itself that electronic amplifiers, built from the 1960s onward, had built-in distortion controls. Loudness: The amount of Energy a sound has, its Intensity o May begin at a soft level and gradually get louder o May begin at a loud level and gradually get softer o May suddenly jump from one level to another o Cool Jazz almost never rises above a moderate level (ex. Bill Evans- drummer uses brushes to play very lightly and the bass player plucks only a few notes) o New Orleans Jazz never dropped below a moderate level o Billed as a novelty number filled with barnyard sounds," the Livery Stable Blues was the "A" side of the 78-rpm record on which it was issued. o Livery Stable Blues spawned a dance craze becoming one of the most popular recordings of its day o A Big Band, like Count Basie's may employ a much wider range of loudness than any other ensemble. Pitch: the note being played, i.e. how the pitch vibrates Important Musicians/Artists/Bands: Roy Elridge, Miles Davis, George Shearing, Art Tatum (1989-1956), The Dirty Dozen (Feets Don't Fail Me Now), Bubber/Coody (played for Duke Ellington), Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzegerald, Mel?, Alphabet Band, Thad Jones Pop Goes the Weasel Songs: I Got Rhythm, My Foolish Heart (Bill Evans) AA Music from 1865-1894 A A ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) = phrase B A ( 5 6 ) ( 7 8 ) = tell a story C B ( 9 10 ) ( 11 12 ) = describe situation Junior Wells: Stormy Monday Blues (traditional) Tells a story: days of week Then is situational Mississippi Delta Bordered on west by Arkansas and on east by ... Contains some of the richest farmland in Mid America, from Memphis to Vicksburg Blues musicians traveling west: Texas Blues (Charlie Patton) Traveling east toward Georgia & Carolinas: Piedmont Minstrel Shows: black entertainment for people without entertainment; in order for black people to get in, white people have to OK them (racism) Jim Crowe o Bumbling, Slow-witted buffoon o Represented by Bert Williams o Typical black face makeup for vaudeville Zip Coone o Stereotype of an urban dandy o Counterpart of Jim Crowe Sam Lucas Uncle Remus James Blands Ernest Hogan: all coons look alike to me Ads for traveling Minstrel Shows: Rabbit Foot Minstrels Sexism + Racism Ragtime Considered to be most sophisticated and popular form of 19 th century black music Originally meant "collision" between a straight forward left-handed accompaniment and syncopated melody Piano, band arrangements Joplin's red back book (Maple Leaf Rag sold over 1 million copies) Multi-theme compositions Popular because... American households, both black and white, believed that piano playing, particularly by young women, was a sign of good breeding Concert band music was extremely popular and the bands turned to rags to fill out their concert programs Dance music: performed by dance bands & pianists Formed significant part of the traveling Minstrel Show Inevitability of Jazz At turn of 20th century, New Orleans 10% AA AA (black) + Creoles (Caribbean): 2 distinct populations Ragtime is hot music Shift from Victorian toward modernism Victorian: from order, decency, self-control, yet they had minstrels Rise of industrialism Influx of blue collar immigrants Rural to city Feminism emerges: they could drink, smoke, dress comfortably, and have sex before marriage; Intellectuals in philosophy, lit, painting, music psychology Bohemian lifestyle Pleasure-seeking valued Mass entertainment Prof insustry: motion picture, radio, phonograph: provide opportunity Red light districts to regulate prostitution 1st was St. Louis: most important... New Orleans Black = men, tan = women; high yellas very light skinned Primitivism: not repressed by rules of modern society 1908: Jazz movement in New Orleans New Orleans in 1908 o Purchased by President Thomas Jefferson from the French in 1803, ew Orleans was officially incorporated into the US as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1813 o The Tenderloin District also known as Storyville o The only known photo of Buddy Bolden, the first "King" of New Orleans trumpet players is as much an enigma as the man. o Joe "King" Oliver. The last KING of New Orleans trumpet players. Hot competition for Oliver's title of KING came from cornetists like Freddie Keppard (left), pictured here with Creole clarinetist Sidney Bechet. Oscar Papa Celestin Bunk Johnson Manuel Perez Mutt Carey Kid Rena Nick La Rocca Paul Mares New Orleans Brass bands circa 1915 Henry Allen's Algiers Brass Band The Eureka Brass Band The Young Tuxedo Brass Band The Onward Brass Band "Papa" Jack Laine lead one of the more successful white marching bands of the era Creoles and Italians often worked together in Laine's band as seen in this photo with Alcide "Yellow" Nunez on clarinet and the Mello brothers, Leonce and Manuel on trombone and trumpet. Yellow light skin Original Superior Orchestra had Bunk Johnson on cornet, who had played second Cornet with Bolden himself. Armonds J. Piron's society dance orchestra featured Peter Bocage on cornet, Louis OLD MAN cotrelle on drums and Lorenzo Tio on clarinet. This is the same Peter Bocage who played violin with the Original Superior Orchestra. Buddy Petit was one of the better cornet players in New Orleans following WWI . He was only known locally and never left the Crescent City. The clarinet players in this 1920 photo, Edmond Hall, went on to international recognition working with Louis Armstrong's all starts in the 1940's and 50s. Stalebread Lacoume's Spasm Band in 1899. Spasm bands often used harmonica lead along with a wide assortment of folk instruments inclusing zithers, soapbox guitars. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band known as the ODJB made the first jazz record in 1917. Band included Tony Sbarbaro, Eddie Edwards, Nick La Rocca, Henry Ragas, Larry Shields. The tradition of band music, and in particular, marching bands, persists to this day in New Orleans. What was the cultural and musical background of NO in the 1890s? Was Louie really a firecracker baby? No, he was not born on the fourth of July in 1900. Born August 4, 1901. Ashamed of being born a "bastard" He thought, If he could pick a birthday that would make me so special, despite everyone knowing he doesn't have a legal father, people would respect him. What were race relations like when Louis was born? Louis Armstrong 1901-1971 Arrested for shooting a gun Is put in a colored Waifs home Given a cornet and starts playing Dec 31, 1911 Louis In New Orleans from 1919-1922 Music on the Mississippi 1919 Louis starts working on a steamboat there was a season for steamboats Make more money making boats pleasure boats than to transport cotton up river Louis sweat a lot, put grooves in his trumpet, but he was doing damage when he did that Telegram from Papa Joe 1992 Jazz funerals Trumpet's job to take the melody and paraphrases in an interesting way, other instruments' jobs to change it up and play their own methods accidental harmony Louis with Fate Marable's band Louis with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band 1923... records a number of pieces that will be his greatest recordings and Louis' debut Carroll Dickerson Orchestra Erskine Tate's Little Symphony Louis goes from Cornet in New Orleans, then plays trumpet in Chicago, because it's more popular there Louis with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra in New York, 1924- Virtuoso Soloist Coleman Hawkins is seated third from the left. Doesn't like it in New York, after a year, goes back to Chicago... history really starts to get made: The Hot 5, featured Johnny St. Cyr on banjo, Kid Ory on trombone, Louis on cornet, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, and Lil Armstrong (composer, arranger, and pianist). Hot 5 was a recording band First great jazz soloist, first to scat sing, first to sing differently than how the composers intended (voice improvisation) Broadway Show (Fats Waller): In 1929, Black and Blue became the first racial protest song to achieve national popularity probably because of Louis' impassioned performance. The music was composed by Thomas (Fats) Waller. In addition to the Hot 5 recordings, Louis had his own band in Chicago that performed regularly at the Sunset on Chicago's "South Side." This band included Earl "Fatha" Hines on piano and trombonist Honore Dutrey both regular members of his recording band. First example of an African-American musician to appear on the cover of a nationally published music folio Early 1930's. o Armstrong's solos were widely admired and memorized by other trumpet players. By 1930 Louis had begun leading a big band Toured with 50 people in the band, Louis is the star Calls himself Satchmo Went to Europe but Germans hated American Jazz, associated AA with jews Louis was in a lot of films A little gumbo and a little grass! 1942, goes back to roots, New Orleans style, drops big band, goes back to Hot 5... Earl Fatha Hynes, Barney Bigard, Arvell Shaw, Corey Cole, Jack Tegarden He loved Swiss Kriss, an herbal laxative New Orleans, terrible movie but good music Recording with Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald Louis Armstrong was called the Uncle Tom; would not be an ambassador until president fixes Civil Rights issues First true genius of Jazz Only jazz artist to make Top 10 in every decades from the 1920's through the end of the 1980's Field Effect Transistor: FET precursor of computer chips Chicago-Style: The Story of White Jazz in Chicago and New York during the 20's White jazz musicians about 5 years behind black jazz musicians The New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1922 (aka NORK) New Orleans: Paul Mares, Leon Roppolo Trombonist George Brunies remained leading player of Chicago in NY Austin High Gang, calling themselves Husk O'Hares Wolverines, performing at the White City Dance Hall in 1926. Frank Teschemacher was only real competition for Benny Goodman Midway Gardens Orchestra These masters of Chicago-style went on to enjoy major playing careers in NY in the 30's: o Jack Teagarden o Jimmy McPartland o PeeWee Russel o Art Hodes (white player who plays boogie woogie piano) o George Brunies o Dave Tough o Eddie Condon (opened club on 52nd called Condon's) o Muggsy Spanier o Bud Freeman o "Crazy" Joe Sullivan (stride piano) o Gene Krupa (most famous drum soloist) o Jess Stacy o Benny Goodman (most famous) Popular Jazz tune of the 20's: China Boy Most famous exponent of White Chicago-style jazz: Bix Beiderbecke (not from Windy City) ...from Davenport, Iowa 1925: Bix & The Rhythm Jugglers record for Gennett Records (1st rec) Musicians: Don Murray, Howdy Quicksell, Tommy Dorsey, Bix, Paul Mertz, Tommy Gargano; The mic was a giant cone, no bass drum, the louder the instrument the farther they must be from the mic Bix joined Frankie Trumbauer who led the Arcadia Ballroom Orchestra in St. Louis (1925) Early in 1927, Jean Goldkette's Orchestra, featuring Bix and Tram, became the first white band to ever beat the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra in a Battle of the Bands at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Soon black trumpeters like Rex Stewart were learning Bix's solos notefor-note from recordings to find what he was up to. Bix & Trumbauer: Singin' the Blues; Swing Era saxophonist Lester Young, known as "The Prez," carried a similar collection these 78 rpm recordings with him to listen to "I liked their stories," he often said. Bix Tram, jazz violinist Joe Venuti and guitarist Eddie Land, the core of jazz in the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, along with arranger Bill Challis, were "recruited" several times by Paul Whiteman to join his orchestra. Paul Whiteman, the self-proclaimed "King of Jazz." Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" Lang, Crosby, Bix, Teagarden, Venuti (Paul Whiteman's band) Bix did manage to return to NY, but his drinking and hard living had taken its toll he left Whiteman, but found it difficult to find work in the rapidly changing NY jazz scene. Finally on August 6. 1931, at age 28, Bix died of lobar pneumonia... duration of 3 days. Harlem and the Renaissance: Hub of African American Culture in the 20's and early 30's Drawing in Two Colors by Winold Reiss The Crisis: important magazine; edited by W.E. Dubois Where was Harlem located and what was it like during 20's and 30's? Surrounded by Little Italy, Little Columbia, Little Africa Bustling community of homes, schools, churches, and businesses located "uptown" north of Central Park. Regent Theater; parallel to NO, except they were working in the movie houses playing piano, instead of in brothels Harlem Opera House: dicty- AA acting ubove their status- go to lunch with string quartet playing Black & Tans (Men & Women) so that white men could have fantasies about AA women Black community developing sense of pride in Harlem Brown stone houses; filled with all musicians, or all poets Religion is very important in that community: o Abyssinian Baptist Church o Basement churches; make a joyful noise Who was the most important musician in Harlem between 1910-1919? What were his contributions? James Reese Europe: Composer, conductor, band leader o Clef Club: taught people instruments, put on shows o MD (Musical Director) for Vernon and Irene Castle (top white entertainers who did dance routines); he conducted orchestra and wrote music o Him and some musicians join army and go to Europe (he's a leutenant... first AA officer to ever command white military unit in battle) ...becomes assigned to military band headquarters in France o Hell Fighter's Band (military attachet to general in charge of troops) o Laid groundwork for jazz musicians later on o o o o o Prohibition's Impact 1919: Prohibition (18th Amendment); women got right to vote 3 Most Famous Clubs (Black and Tans) o Connie's Inn (1927) Lewis Armstrong o Small's Paradise o Cotton Club (1929) Duke Ellington Each had elaborate floor shows featuring singers, dancers, chorus lines and hot jazz for listening. Most famous ballroom: Savoy: Home of Happy Feet from 1926 to 1958 wood floor completely gave in, had to be replaced often Frankie Manning was one of the most highly regarded Lindy Hop dance specialists in Harlem. He was featured in several movies during the 30s and 40s that showcased Swing dancing Importance of W.E. DuBois, Langston Hughes and James Reese o W.E. DuBois: editor of Crisis major Harlem newspaper o Alain Locke: Impressario, finds talented people in Harlem, finds money to back them o Langston Hughes: one of the truly great poets and story writer o Zora Neale Hurston: Anthropologist, essayist; becomes secretary for crippled Charlotte Quick Mason o Dubbed Negrotarians by Zora Neale Hurston Van Vechten and Mason provided financial and spiritual support for numerous young black artists. o Carl Van Vechten: novelist, critic, photographer o Charlotte Van Der Veer: Quick Mason Important black musicians, dancers, singers, artists and entertainers: o Lyricist Andy Razaf, wrote lyrics to Black and Blue o Willie "The Lion" Smith and Thomas "Fats" Waller o Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald o James P Johnson The Father of Harlem Stride o Mr. Bojangles Robinson o Ethel Waters: singer and dancer; Sweet Mama String Bean o Earl "Snake Hips" Tucker o Adelaide Hall Poem by Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931) o Fans chopping up the smokes; metaphor for his solos o Objects seemingly moving slow; means he's drunk Edward Kennedy "DUKE" Ellington (1899-1974) While still in high school Duke lead his first band at Louis Thomas's cabaret in Washington DC. o Drummer Sonny Greer o The Kentucky Club; starts writing music o East St. Louis Toudalou (Duke's first theme song) o Has to replace Bubber Miley (trumpet) o Cotton Club Orchestra w/ violin player (Ray Nance) 1) The Early Years: at the Kentucky Club and Cotton Club 2) The Middle Period: The Road Orchestras of the 30's, 40's, and 50's 3) The Post-Newport Years: 1956 to 1974 The diverse styles of Duke's music are often referred to as his "books." They emphasized: o Impressionistic Tone Poems and Exotic Mood Pieces (aka Jungle Style): Creole Love Call, Mood Indigo and Black and Tan Fantasy o Mini-Concertos: Concertos for Cootie, Clarinet Lament, Boy Meets Horn, Buffet Flat o Popular and Romantic Love Songs: Sophisticated Lady, Prelude to a Kiss, In A Sentimental Mood, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, I Got It Bad (And that Ain't Good) o Extended Concert Pieces: a) Elaborate arrangements of Ellington compositions, some lasting nine or more minutes- Black Brown and Beige, Mood Indigo, and Sophisticated Lady o Arrangements of music composed by other composers: Stormy Weather, Louisiana, Black and Blue, Jingle Bells, Moon Glow, Indian Summer, etc o Adelaide Hall sang the featured wordless vocal on Creole Love Call, one of Duke's early Impressionistic works in the "Jungle Style." o Met gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reindhart o Ethel Waters (I Can't Give You Anything But Love) Billy Strayhorn o Met in 1939; Duke's alter-ego who would be his compositional partner/close friend for the next 28 years. o Contributed Take The A Train, which became Duke's second theme song, and numerous ballads including Lush Life and Chelsea Bridge. The Ellington Band was constantly on tour during the middle period. Duke's most famous band of this period-the mid 1940's included tenor sax soloist Ben Webster and trombonist Tricky Sam Nanton, shown soloing. o C-Jam Blues (1942) From 1940's Onward (Post Newport) Extended Concert Pieces Such Sweet Thunder Suite, Far East Suite Tone Poem conveys idea Mood Indigo o Duke is interested in composing for people, not instruments Johnny Hodges Sacred Music: sacred conserts in 1968 Ballet Music Night Creature Film Scores: Anatomy of a Murder, Paris Blues Ellington at Newport The 1956 Newport Jazz Festival Riot o Herb Jeffries, Alvin Ailey, Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry, Alice Babs o Otto Premminger, Billy Strayhorn and Duke woked together on the music for the film Anatomy of a Murder in 1959. o In 1961 director Martin Ritt featured Ellington's music in the score to the film Paris blues. Duke took advantage of the opportunity to record an album with Louis Armstrong who, along with Diahann Carroll was featured in the film. 1926: Mood Indigo (Exotic Mood Piece) 1927: East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (First Theme Song) 1927: Creole Love Call (First Wordless Vocal) 1940: Koko (Impressionistic Ton Poem) 1941: Take The A-Train (Second Theme Song) 1950: Mood Indigo (Concert version) o Theme o 1st solo clarinet o Muted brass + clarinet o Sax solo o Band w/ moving reeds o Leads to piano interlude o Band backs Paul Gonsalves Sax o Vocal solo leads to plunger trombone solo (Yvonne) o Piano interlude moves to o Band plays in - begins to set the return of the theme o Theme returns and piece ends