history of jazz notes

8/13/2019 History of Jazz Notes

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Jazz Basics 1/15/2013 12:14:00 PM

Jazz is the only art form created in the US

Inhibits people to be free

ImprovisationElements:

Improvisationo Spontaneous

Compositiono Reworked, retooled

SyncopationMelody:

Backbone of jazz is the Blues ScaleForm:

Typically a 12-bar blues Human voice and instruments were allowed to bend pitches

Eras:

Jazz starts around 1900

1900 Ragtime 1910 Blues 1920 Dixieland 1930 Swing 1940 Be Bop 1950 CoolSchool, West Coast (Cool Jazz) 1960 Post Bop, AvantGuard, Free Jazz 1970 Fusion 1980 ECM

1990 and on Current Trends


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History of Jazz 1/15/2013 12:14:00 PM

Started in New Orleans

Was a major port cityAmerican music conveys content thru melody (or notes)

Art Based on Melody

African music conveys content thru rhythm

Functional Based on Rhythm

***1917 Date of first jazz recording***

Minstrel Music most common for 80 years

List of Musical Influences:

African Music Blues Marches (Brass Bands) Minstrel Music Ragtime Classical Music Work Songs Church Music Folk Songs

Buddy Bolden 1stmusician celebrated for playing jazz

Jelly Roll Morton 1stto write down jazz music

Started playing piano for a brothel at the age of 14 in StoryvilleFreddie Keppard Creole trumpet player

Used Wah-wah mute Turned down opportunity to make the 1stjazz record

Original Dixieland Jazz Band Feb 26, 1917 1stJazz Recording

Victor Studio, NYC 5 White musicians from New Orleans lead by Nick LaRocca

o Livery Stable Blueso Dixieland One-Stepo Became a huge hit; sold more than 250,000 copies; more

than any other single record had sold to that point


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o ODJB called themselves the creators of jazzo Were extremely popular, and toured Europe


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Ragtime 1/15/2013 12:14:00 PM

Started late 1890s

Spread by sheet music

Tin Pan Alley

Music publishing district in NYC @ the turn of the century


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Blues 1/15/2013 12:14:00 PM

Started towards the end of Ragtime era

Sculpting meaning out of music

Blacks searching for a way to free themselves from minstrelsy

Built on 3 chords

12 bar sequences called choruses Allows infinite number of variations

Call and response

Can be about anything

Good or bad Meant to make listener feel better, not worse

Each performer is expected to tell a story


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Edward Kennedy Ellington (1899-1974)1/15/2013 12:14:00 PM

Nicknamed Duke Ellington

Irving Mills

Ellingtons Manager Kept 55% of Ellingtons income and publishing rights

Cotton Club (1927-1931) Harlem All white club 1stblack band leader with a Nation wide Radio Show (1929) Forced him to develop his style

o Composed for the person, not the instrumentBlanton/Webster Era Band (1939-1941)

Jimmy Blanton bass Ben Webster tenor saxophone

Rebirth @ Newport Jazz Festival 1956


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Swing 1/15/2013 12:14:00 PM

Swing started in NYC

Savoy BallroomTerritory bands couldnt tour extensively

Played around specific area


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Count Basie 1/15/2013 12:14:00 PM

From Red Bank, NJ

Started in Kansas City, MO

Discovered by John Hammond when he heard them on the radio in Chicago

Legend is that he drove to Kansas City to sign themMusic is Riff Basedmostly head charts (at first)

The Basie Rhythm Section becomes the model for how rhythm is played in

jazz

Freddie Green Guitar Joe Jones Drums Walter Page - Bass

Starting working with Billy Holiday (famous female singer)

Sweets Edison

Basies gig at the Famous Door becomes the turning point in the

development of the bands sound (summer of 1938)

Like Ellington, Basies band has a rebirth in the 50s

Featured arrangements of Neal Hefti, a much more sophisticated sound than

the 50s or 60s

history of jazz notes

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