...instruments. As I understand, slavery was abolished in the year 1830, and I’m also aware of prejudice movements and racism was lively up to 1960’s or 70’s. To think at the time these young African American men were making moves such as being played on the radio and performing to massive crowds is very impressive. Bebop was the musical language that had a majority of everyone satisfied from what bebop had to offer which included fast tempos, discordant sounds and other different chord transactions that listeners were new to. Most importantly soloing on the frontline instruments became big and allowed artists and musicians to express themselves in a musical manor. “Dizzy” was known for his solos and skills of playing chords on top of chords with the trumpet making up his own sound and tempo. Creating new music came with audiences adapting to the renegade style and enjoying the bebop music that changed a lot in society which allowed others to be loose and enjoy what they do. The article talks a lot about how the sound of music or bebop makes a big change with the issues happening outside of music and reflects against society especially for African Americans. I see that bebop was more of a questionable piece to the...
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...Wonderful World” was played by six instruments: the violin, the flute, the drum, the double bass, the trumpet, and the harpsichord. All of these except the flute were played throughout the song. The flute was played at a specific time though. This song made new fans of all generations, all over the world Miles Davis (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was ahead of his time as he moved from bebop to a new style cool jazz. Miles Davis was the most prominent trumpeter in the cool jazz musicians. Many other jazz trumpeters derived from his style, and tried to emulate it. Miles Davis always drove the frameworks of what were the accepted styles in jazz, and was at the foremost part of this new style. The way Davis improvised was very different from the ordinary set for jazz trumpeters at that time, and this was why he had such an immense impact on the jazz music. His solos were often played in the middle register, where he could achieve the most tuneful melodies. Entering the 1940s, young jazz musicians explored a new jazz against a commercial swing jazz. It referred to bebop, a liberal playing style. Bebop has characterized the more complex harmonic progression and melody and up tempo improvisation and intense than the swing. Modern jazz...
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...Stephen Ververis All That Jazz Dr. Cornicello December 14, 2012 The Origins of Bebop Ever since the musical style of bebop arose in the mid-1940’s, jazz musicians from all generations were influenced by its musical style and rhythm. Along with its fast tempo, bebop is also characterized by having “more complex chord progressions and melodies with a strong concentration on the rhythm section”(historyjazz.com). Although not as popular as the jazz styles that came before it, bebop still created a well-defined audience. Since bebop’s origination was not a result of a single musician or band, bebop’s formation cannot be attributed to any single musician. There are many origins of bebop that made it relevant during its time. The early formation and history of bebop consisted of how the musical form was created and the numerous reactions that were caused by its existence. The musical style of bebop is like no other jazz style. Bands were usually smaller and included different types of instruments. Some influential players of bebop music were Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, and Thelonious Monk. These players created the foundations of bebop and continue to influence musicians of all genres. During the 1940’s, America underwent a number of drastic experiences that would change the American economy forever. One of these occurrences of the 1940s was World War II. Beginning in 1939, World War II required the assistance of all United States citizens and left...
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...style of music with a strong rhythm, originally of African American. Again, jazz music can be describe as a style of music rooted out of improvisation and features by syncopated rhythm, a constant beat pattern with a distinctive tone color and performance techniques. The term jazz became popular around 1915, though it started as early as 1900 but throughout the early period of jazz existence nothing was written down on paper or notated on jazz music due to the fact that jazz music was mostly dominated by improvisation. Moreover, only little of jazz music was recorded as at the early 1900 the only jazz music that was recorded was the original Dixieland band recorded in 1917. Since the development of jazz music, a variety of jazz music was created such as ragtime, swing, new Orleans, bebop, free jazz and cool jazz, jazz music has produce world great performance such...
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...rhythms and notes that are written on the pages. The music goes almost perfectly with the score and there is no room for relaxation between notes. With jazz piano however, you move with the music. Within the rhythms, you get to swing to your own style. Jazz piano is much more lose and free. Also with jazz, a lot of the times, you improvise the music meaning that it’s not written down and the player comes up with the notes and rhythms in his or her head as he or she is playing. As it might seem that all jazz is the same, it’s actually all very different. There’s an unlimited amount of the different kinds of jazz because everyday new types are being invented. Some styles that are known to us today include: Dixieland, Big Band, Swing, Bebop, Cool or West Coast, Hard Bop, Third Stream, Progressive Stream, Modal,...
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...Jazz, taking its roots in African American folk music, has evolved, metamorphosed, and transposed itself over the last century to become a truly American art form. More than any other type of music, it places special emphasis on innovative individual interpretation. Instead of relying on a written score, the musician improvises. For each specific period or style through which jazz has gone through over the past seventy years, there is almost always a single person who can be credited with the evolution of that sound. From Thelonius Monk, and his bebop, to Miles Davis' cool jazz, from Dizzy Gillespie's big band to John Coltrane's free jazz; America's music has been developed, and refined countless times through individual experimentation and innovation. One of the most influential musicians in the development of modern jazz is John Coltrane. In this paper, I examine the way in which Coltrane's musical innovations were related to the music of the jazz greats of his era and to the tribulations and tragedies of his life.John William Coltrane was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, on September 23, 1926. Two months later, his family moved to High Point, North Carolina, where he lived in a fairly well-to-do part of town. He grew up in a typical southern black family, deeply religious, and steeped in tradition. Both of his parents were musicians, his father played the violin and ukulele, and his mother was a member of the church choir. For several years, young Coltrane played the clarinet...
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...implies a pursuit of “new” expressions of “classic” jazz. In this case… mostly jazz from the 1950’s. (style) Wynton has an overtly strong interest in composition over improvisation sometimes and resists excessive importation from competing musical styles like classical and rock. His work with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra upholds the works of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington as exemplars of the jazz tradition, and downplays the importance of such developments as fusion and the avant-garde. The influence of Ellington on Marsalis's compositional style, musical values, and jazz career calls attention to a historical approach. Marsalis does beyond traditionalism; however, in works such as “Express Crossing”. "Express Crossing" is a collage of elements from twentieth-century jazz and concert music. These elements include the following: 1.Modernist dissonance 2.Modernist irregular time signatures 3.Modernist tempo changes 4.Dixieland harmonic progressions 5.Train simulations that recall early jazz and boogie-woogie blues 6.Bebop-style improvisation....
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...music to escape the discriminatory practices apparent in the south. New Orleans is one of the most diverse cities in the American south with over 8 ethnic groups always in contact with one another. New Orleans is a city that is unique because it allowed African Americans to perform their music in public, and this caused cultural influences to mix and styles to form between musicians. One such place is Congo Square in New Orleans it is seen as “perfect example of the kind of urban space that led to the development of jazz both as a form of music and racial expression” (Berthiaume). Jazz is deeply connected with urban areas, during its early days, cities were growing with large enclaves of African American people. Areas like Harlem in New York become hotspots for African American culture and a stepping off point for Jazz to become popular amongst people in the city. The emergence of Jazz into popular American culture is largely due to the invention that came about during its development. Prior to the 1920’s to listen to music you would have to either be able to play music or hear it live. With the invention of the radio and the phonograph, music was widely available to be played in people’s homes for the first time. Segregation limited the ability of African American performers to gain contracts, and thanks to prohibition being enacted they performed in speakeasies, which were not regulated by law. (Issitt) This spread the music to a new audience and these factors combined to make...
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...Jazz and Rap What is known today as “pop” or popular music evolved in American society at the end of 19th centry. Pop music, which accounts for the majority of the music, is a mix of many different styles of music, such as jazz and rap. Although jazz and rap originate from two different groups of people, the African-American and South African, they are both musical art forms and related to African people. However, there are some obvious differences, which are reflected in instruments, musical styles and effects on the audience. First of all, different instruments have different effects on jazz and rap. Considering many genres of jazz, many instruments are used, such as piano, violin and guitar. “Meanwhile, the central instruments remained central, with the exception of the clarinet, and new approaches developed for the trombone, saxophone, piano, guitar, string bass, and drums”(Kernfeld 167). On the other hand, rap has no specific instruments to be used. Instead, making vocal imitations of instruments or body beat, which have the same effects as a drum, is the core of rap music. In addition, musical styles differ between jazz and rap. Heavy rhythms characterize the free-style poetry of rap. “Rhythm is such a key element to making a song sound great, the rhythm is actually where the lyrics begin for many artists-the rhythm is the first thing they come up with, before they even have words for the song”(Edwards p113-116) Moreover, the free-style rap is full of battle...
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...Since the age of 12, Miles Davis’s life was driven by his passion and love of music. Born in 1926 into a middle-class home, Miles Davis had the opportunity to take his first trumpet lesson from a family friend named Elwood Buchanan. When he was not taking lessons, Davis spent his time practicing relentlessly and studying complex concepts of music theory (Frankl, 21). Miles Davis took advantage of his musical resources and eventually became an iconic jazz trumpeter and bandleader. As an active jazz musician for over 50 years, Miles Davis was able to contribute a stylistically diverse body of music compositions to the jazz community and the world (Gridley, 261). Miles Davis impacted the development of modern jazz by creating a novel trumpet playing style, producing numerous noteworthy recordings and spreading his enthusiasm and appreciation for jazz music. Miles Davis’s colorful trumpet style and sound was very distinct and unique. Thus, many other trumpet players during the cool and hard bop periods admired Davis sound and were influenced by it. Davis was known to use a Harmon mute without the stem in order to soften the instrument’s loud sound down to an intimate whisper (Frankl, 14). At the Newport Jam Session in 1955, Davis became highly recognized for his Harmon mute solo in the song “Round Midnight.” His improvisation had a beautiful sound conveyed a sense of sadness and loss (Frankl, 14). In addition to producing beautiful sounds with his trumpet, Davis used periods of...
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...My concert review is on Dave Scott Jazz Ensemble. They perform regularly on Mondays at Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar down in The Gas Lamp Quarter on 5th and F Street. If you’re a native to San Diego, you will know who Dave Scott is. You can see Dave on KUSI-TV news as the weekend meteorologist. Dave is also a well respected jazz musician and songwriter. He plays the trombone and studied under Bill Watrous, a Grammy Award winner who has worked with the likes of Quincy Jones, Maynard Ferguson, Johnny Richards, and Woody Herman. Dave also lends his vocal talents to a few of the jazz pieces in his ensemble such as “Once in a Dream”, “Night is Young”, and “Ready for a Sunny Day”. Dave’s jazz ensemble is a quintet and includes Bill Shreeve on sax, Lynn Willard on piano, Gary Nieves on drums, and Justin Grinnell on bass. Dave will also sometimes have guest appearances from some featured performers such as Hollis Gentry on sax, Tommy Aros on Latin Percussions, and Pat Fitzpatrick on electrical bass. Some of the songs were composed and arranged by Dave Scott or Bill Shreeve. I was able to catch their performance this Monday night on August 4th. I was able to listen in on a few pieces during my one hour and thirty minutes there. One of the pieces was titled “Blue Cheer.” The piece was highlight with the solo play of the saxophone player, Bill Shreeve. I found out after the performance that this piece was arranged and composed by Bill himself. It explains the dominant play...
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...Unit 5 – Socio-Political and Economic Environment March 11, 2012 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to identify a cultural artifact that best represents the society in which we live today. This paper will analyze in detail the jazz saxophone. This paper will examine its origin, it development, and its roots in American jazz. This paper will also explore the changes this artifact will have on future generations. Socio-Political Economic Environment If there were a single cultural artifact that this represents the culture in which we live, today that artifact would be the saxophone or as it is known to most musicians as the jazz sax. The saxophone and jazz are synonymous with a culture that was developed in the United States in the early 20th century. Although this instrument is enjoyed by people all over the world and is used in all forms of music today, it is best known as an integral part of jazz music (The-Saxophone, 2012). Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1838 in Belgium. Sax was the son of an instrument maker and by the age of six, was an expert musical instrument maker (The-Saxophone, 2012). He produced such instruments as the flute and clarinet and learns to play them by testing the ones he made. Sax studied both instruments at the Brussels Conservatory. As a skilled musician, Sax was aware of a tonal disparity between certain instruments. He noticed that there was a disparity between the strings and wind instruments and the...
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...Music Appreciation “Our lives are constantly changing, with new avenues of the supertechnology highway opening every day. This technological resolution has a strong impact on our work and our leisure activities. It also conditions how, when, and where we listen to music” Yes, as our book immediately states, our lives have changed. We can now listen to music in almost any location on earth. The music we’ve created has evolved into a great number of genres, all with wonderful different sounds. But without the old, there would have been nothing for the new to build upon. Much, if not all music from the middle ages and before is religious. This is due to sponsorship from the churches at the time, which usually consisted of monophonic Gregorian chants. Towards the end of Romanesque era, however, began the rise of polyphony. This evolved into the motet, while secular music was coming about in France and Spain. Afterwards, we move on to the Renaissance, an era of exploration, science, and artistic awakening. Melodies made specifically for the voice began springing up, and expressive word painting became a common theme. Around this period, amateur secular music started to appear. Later, we would be in what is now known as the Baroque era. It was a turbulent time, of change in politics, science, and arts. This marks the introduction of Monody, as well as the genre of the Opera. In a way, an opera’s Librettist, who makes the main story of the work is like the author of a show, or movie...
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...Brooklyn College | History of Jazz Music | | | Inemesit Inyang Crump | 4/27/2012 | | In the world we live in today there many different types of music that comes from all types of people, countries and origins. Rock, blues, neo-soul, classical, hip-hop, techno and even heavy metal are just brief descriptions of the many genres of music. One genre of music that is most popularly known worldwide is Jazz. Jazz is one of the most historical forms of music in America, contributing to several cultural achievements and society. The history of jazz has an extensive timeline of history dating back to the early 1700’s and 1800’s which is also known as the slave era and the ragtime era. This unique form art has helped to unite people of all races, regions and national boundaries. Even though it is a form of entertainment, it has been used to widely voice sentiments on slavery, freedom, creativity, and American character both in the United States and also overseas. Jazz music consists of many forms such as European, ragtime, modal, afro-cuban jazz, fusion and many more. While many people argue that Jazz is not one of their favorite forms of music, it has been proven that it is one of the longest lasting forms of music dating back over 100 years. Jazz was born to African Americans, which were predominantly slaves. These African Americans attempted to express their culture and feelings using instruments to give other cultures an idea of their personalities. Even though...
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...Journal of American Studies, 45 (2011), 1, 113–129 f Cambridge University Press 2010 doi:10.1017/S0021875810001271 First published online 19 July 2010 Jazz as a Black American Art Form : Definitions of the Jazz Preservation Act JEFF FARLEY Jazz music and culture have experienced a surge in popularity after the passage of the Jazz Preservation Act (JPA) in 1987. This resolution defined jazz as a black American art form, thus using race, national identity, and cultural value as key aspects in making jazz one of the nation’s most subsidized arts. Led by new cultural institutions and educational programs, millions of Americans have engaged with the history and canon of jazz that represent the values endorsed by the JPA. Record companies, book publishers, archivists, academia, and private foundations have also contributed to the effort to preserve jazz music and history. Such preservation has not always been a simple process, especially in identifying jazz with black culture and with America as a whole. This has required a careful balancing of social and musical aspects of jazz. For instance, many consider two of the most important aspects of jazz to be the blues aesthetic, which inevitably expresses racist oppression in America, and the democratic ethic, wherein each musician’s individual expression equally contributes to the whole. Balanced explanations of race and nationality are useful not only for musicologists, but also for musicians and teachers wishing to use jazz as an example...
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