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Jazz GreatsA Reading A–Z Level V Quick Reader

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Jazz GreatsLevel V Quick Reader© 2004 Learning Page, Inc.Written by Linda Johns

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Written by Linda Johns

Photo Credits:Front cover, title page, pages 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15: © William P. Gottlieb; back cover: © ArtToday; pages 3, 5, 13, 18 (top), 19: Library of Congress; page 4: © Bettmann/CORBIS; page 6: © PACHA/CORBIS; pages 16 (bottom), 17, 21: © Jacky LaPage;page 18 (top): © Lenny Bocina/www.alwaysontherun.net; page 20:© Robert Holmes/CORBIS; page 22: Courtesy of Gulf High School,New Port Richey, Florida/www.gulfhigh.org.

CorrelationLEVEL V

Fountas & Pinnell RReading Recovery 25

DRA 40

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Table of Contents

The Roots of Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Louis Armstrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Ella Fitzgerald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Duke Ellington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Other Jazz Greats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Jazz Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Explore More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

The Roots of Jazz

Can you name a kind of music that wasinvented in America? It’s a kind of music thatgets people moving. It can be fast and wild, or it can be slow and melodic. It’s even older thanrock and roll.

Think of a trumpet, saxophone, clarinet,drums, and other instruments blending together.Think of a beat that gets your foot tapping andyour hands clapping.

Did you think of jazz? If you did, you’reabsolutely right. Jazz music began in the UnitedStates in the early 20th century. But its roots goback to before the Civil War.

Early jazz was mostly upbeat music meant for dancing.

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Jazz is built on a long tradition of African-American music. Some of it is inspired by themusic that slaves created while living in slavequarters in the southern United States. AfricanAmericans who were slaves found that music wasone of the only ways to express their thoughts,ideas, and their desire for freedom. Another styleof music called blues music also came from thisAfrican-American tradition. Blues and jazz stylesof music often blend and overlap with each other.

Some of the music was full of sadness; some of it was full of joy. Sometimes people used theirvoices as instruments, and sometimes they madetheir own instruments, such as an early version ofa banjo. Some of the songs were memorized andpassed along from plantation to plantation. Muchof the music was improvised; people invented itas they went along.

Today, improvisation is still at the heart ofjazz. Musicians get together and “jam,” or makethings up as they go along. They might start witha song they all know, but each musician adds alittle bit here and a little bit there, and soon theyhave a song that’s completely unique.

Today, many of the great names in jazz areAfrican Americans. Let’s meet a few of the mostfamous jazz performers.Early African-American music led to jazz, rock, blues, and hip-hop.

Jazz performers often improvise together in a kind of joyful game.

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Louis was the first person to record scatmusic. Scat is when the singer uses the voice asan instrument, singing syllables instead of wholewords. It might sound like nonsense, but a goodsinger makes scat sound incredible.

What inspired Louis to invent scat singing?Well . . . he dropped his sheet music during arecording session! He couldn’t remember thewords, but he knew he had to keep going, so he started singing syllables. Louis’s scat stylesounded great, and soon other jazz musicianswere copying it.

Louis Armstrong

Many people consider Louis Armstrong to bethe greatest musician of the 20th century. Somecall him the “Father of Jazz.” He didn’t inventjazz music, but he played it in a way that madepeople fall in love with it. His music madepeople happy—they’d never heard someone play a trumpet like he did.

Louis Armstrong started out playing a faststyle of jazz called Dixieland. Later heexperimented with many different styles.

Louis Armstrong was from a poor family inNew Orleans, Louisiana. As a child he’d standoutside dance clubs and listen to the lively music being played inside. When he was thirteenyears old, he bought a second-hand cornet, akind of horn. When he was in his twenties, Louisswitched to playing trumpet.

While singing scat, the singer becomes part of the band.

Louis Armstrong was rarely without his trumpet.

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Ella Fitzgerald

Louis Armstrong may have invented scat, butElla Fitzgerald took that style of singing and didamazing things with her voice. Ella’s voice washer instrument.

“Music’s my language,” Louis once said. Hetraveled all over the world with his trumpet. Hecouldn’t speak other languages, but everyoneunderstood Louis Armstrong when he blew onhis horn.

Armstrong’s performances were enjoyed by audiences of allraces and nationalities.

Louis Armstrong

Born: 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana

Instrument: Trumpet, vocals

First recording: Age 22

First band: Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five

Popular songs: “Hello, Dolly,” “What aWonderful World,” “Mack the Knife”

Died: July 6, 1971, in Queens, New York

Ella Fitzgerald

Born: 1917 in Newport News, Virginia

Popular Songs: “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”

Awards: Thirteen Grammy Awards; NationalMedal of Arts for Lifetime Achievement (1987)

Died: 1996

Ella went on to sing at popular clubs all overthe country—and all over the world. She was aregular at the Savoy, one of the hottest jazz clubsin New York City. She started singing with bebopbands, a kind of jazz that first became popular inthe 1940s. Bebop has a beat that makes you wantto move, and Ella’s voice moved with the beat.The whole time she was singing bebop and scat,Ella improvised. She got on stage with some ofthe best jazz musicians in the world and jammed.

Some people call Ella Fitzgerald the Queen of Scat. In 1979 she was named one of the mosttalented American performers who has everlived. In 1987, she won the National Medal ofArts. Listen to her sing “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” andyou’ll hear why she’s the Queen of Scat.

Ella started singing at jazz clubs in Harlem, in New York, when she was just seventeen yearsold. She wanted to be a tap dancer, and she’dentered a talent contest at the famous ApolloTheater. When her dancing didn’t woo thecrowd, she started singing instead. It was herfirst time singing in public, and she won thetalent contest.

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The Apollo Theater, where manyAfrican-American performers gettheir start, even today. Right: ArnettCobb and Walter Buchanan on theApollo stage

Ella captured many hearts with her warm, versatile voice.

One of his most popular songs is “Take the ‘A’ Train,” a song he wrote about taking the New York City subway to his home in Harlem.Another well-known song is “It Don’t Mean aThing,” a song with lyrics that say “It don’t meana thing if it ain’t got that swing.”

Duke wrote more than one thousand songsduring his life. Some of them were complicatedjazz symphonies written for entire orchestras. The symphony Black, Brown, and Beige is aboutthe history and music of African Americans.

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra is one of the best-known bands in jazz history. They touredmany countries. The music that Duke Ellingtonwrote has been played by countless bands allover the world.

Duke Ellington

His name was Edward Ellington, but ever sincehe was a teenager, people called him “Duke.” Hedressed with style and always looked elegant, andhe brought style and sophistication to his jazzmusic, too.

Duke’s childhoodpiano teacher gave uptrying to teach himwhen he was onlyseven years old. So he decided to teachhimself how to playthe piano. Later, hetaught himself to readmusic, too.

Duke Ellington started performing in jazz clubswhen he was eighteen years old. When he wastwenty-four years old, he moved to New York andstarted playing at the Cotton Club in Harlem.

Duke was a composer who wrote music thatwas more melodic than most jazz music in the1930s and 1940s. He was an exceptional pianistand bandleader, known for his “swing” style.

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Duke Ellington

Born: 1899 in Washington, D.C.Career: Composer, bandleader, and pianist.Band: Duke Ellington and His OrchestraWell-Known Songs: “Take the ‘A’ Train” Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award, NARAS*;Presidential Medal of Freedom (1969)Died: 1974 *National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Miles Davis was atrumpet player and asongwriter. His parentssent him to the famousJuilliard School of Musicin New York. Theywanted their son tostudy classical music.

But Miles loved jazz. New York City was a greatplace to hear some of the best jazzin the world. Soon he startedjamming with some of thegreat jazz bands of the 1940s.

In 1945, Miles Davis made one of the first bebop recordings. Later, he invented his own styleof jazz and called it “cooljazz.” In the 1950s, cooljazz was popular—andcool. Miles continued toexperiment with differentkinds of music. He waslater influenced by rock music.

Other Jazz Greats

You’ve met three of the biggest names in jazz—Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and EllaFitzgerald. There are many other jazz artists fromthe past, some of which we’d like you to meet.

Billie Holidaysang the blues.She did amazingthings with hervoice. Sometimesshe sang slowlyand you couldhear sadness inher voice. Othertimes she sangbouncy, energeticsongs.

Billie toured in the late 1930s with a popularband led by Artie Shaw. All the musicians inArtie Shaw’s band were white. Many times, shewas not allowed to stay at the same hotel as therest of the band. Many restaurants would not lether eat with the rest of the band. She was one ofthe most popular singers in the United States, yetBillie Holiday met racism in many of the citiesshe visited.

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Miles Davis (right) and Kenny Garrett jamming

Billie Holiday recorded “Strange Fruit,”a heartbreaking song about racism.

John Coltrane playedtenor saxophone duringthe 1930s and 1940s inthe swing and bebopstyles. Like manymusicians of the time,he had troubles withdrug and alcohol abuse.But John was fortunate to overcome thosetroubles in the 1950s. He strongly believed thathis religion and faith in God had helped himthrough his addictions. After conquering theseproblems, John devoted his music to expressingspirituality and faith.

John Coltrane’s musicis complex, yet smoothand moving. His mostfamous recording, “ALove Supreme,” is gentleand prayerful, yet itmoves with sophisticatedrhythms. Later in his life,

John began to experiment with more free-formimprovisation that moved away from traditionalrhythms and melodies. Some of John’s many fansdidn’t like this music. But this experimental stylewas the beginning of modern free-form jazz.

Dizzy Gillespie got his nickname from theway he bounced around, joking and dancing on stage. But the name could have easily beenapplied to his music as well. His music wasnoted for its speed, energy, and spontaneity. Inthe 30s and 40s, he collaborated with TheloniusMonk, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, andsaxophonist Charlie Parker. It was a timecrowded with innovators.

In 1953, someone accidentally fell on Dizzy’strumpet, bending the bell backward. Dizzy foundthat he liked the sound of the bent trumpet, andfrom then on, he had trumpets specially built inthat shape. His bent trumpet, plus his balloon-like cheeks, became his trademark. Near the end of the twentieth century, Dizzy was widelyknown and respected. He was even invited toplay at the White House.

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Dizzy’s distinctive trumpet helped him hear himself better.

Jazz Today

Who’s making jazz music today? The answeris: Lots of people!

The jazz style of music has influencedthousands of musicians—even those who do not play jazz. Classical music, rock and roll, andhip-hop all use jazz rhythms, melodies, andimprovisational styles. Jazz is also influenced by many other styles of music. Today, jazzperformers blend their music with Latin rhythmsand instruments, African drumming and singing,Middle Eastern melodies, and music styles fromaround the world.

Dave Brubeck is one of the most well-knownpianists of all time, as well as an accomplishedcomposer. He was bornin 1920 in California. Hisfather was a cattlerancher and his motherwas a pianist and music

teacher. Even though he played with local dancebands as a teenager, Dave began college with theidea of becoming a veterinarian. He worked as ajazz musician only to pay his way throughcollege. But his love of jazz finally made himdecide that he had to make music his life, and hebegan studying music and composition.

In 1958, he formed the famous Dave BrubeckQuartet. Their hit song “Take Five” was the firstever million-selling jazz tune. The music of DaveBrubeck is still relevanttoday, and he continuesto perform before hugecrowds and create newmusic into his 80s.

2019

The best way to hear jazz is at a live performance.

Jazz band is a popular activity for many highschool students today. Thousands of high schoolbands compete in a jazz festival in New YorkCity each year. The festival is called EssentiallyEllington, named after Duke Ellington.

There are many other jazz band festivals foryoung people. All over the United States, youngpeople are discovering the wonders of jazz.

One popular performer is Wynton Marsalis.He plays the trumpet and performs both jazz andclassical music. Wynton has won many Grammyawards and performed at sold-out concerts. The entire Marsalis family consists of talentedmusicians. Wynton’s father, Ellis, is a dedicatedpianist and music teacher who taught his sonsWynton, Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason to loveand play jazz.

Wynton works to inspire young people to love jazz. He performs in the Jazz for YoungPeople concerts at Lincoln Center in New York.

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Jackie LaPageWynton Marsalis (right) and his brother, drummer Jason Marsalis

Many students learn to love jazz through school jazz bands.

NEW JAZZ BAND PHOTO (on stage playing) TK

Glossary

bebop a style of jazz that stresses strongrhythms and beats with fast melodiesand improvisations (p. 12)

improvised made up as one goes along; createdinstantly (p. 5)

innovators people who help create, develop, or invent something (p. 17)

melodic highlighting the tune as opposed to therhythm or harmony (p. 4)

plantation a farm owned by a wealthy person orfamily where laborers or slaves do thework (p. 5)

quarters housing for laborers or slaves (p. 5)

scat singing that uses sounds and syllablesinstead of whole words (p. 8)

spontaneity using one’s feelings in the moment,rather than planning (p. 17)

woo win over; make someone like you (p. 11)

Index

Apollo Theater, 11

bebop, 12, 16, 18

blues, 5, 15

cool jazz, 16

Dixieland, 7

Explore More

At the LibraryThe best way to explore jazz is by listening

to it. Ask your local librarian to help you searchthrough the library’s record and CD collection.Your librarians, teachers, parents, or friends maylike and listen to jazz. They can help you pick outalbums.

On the RadioMany radio stations play jazz for all or part

of the day. Tune in and try to find one of thesestations. Listen to the announcer so that you canlearn the musicians’ names. See if you hear some of the musicians listed in this book.

On the InternetA. In the address window, type www.google.com.

B. In the search window, type a word or nameyou would like to look up, such as jazz, blues,Ella Fitzgerald, or Wynton Marsalis. Click on“Google Search.”

C. Read the colored links. Click on one that looksinteresting. When you want to explore morelinks, click on the “Back” arrow at the top left.

D. Try other searches, such as Dizzy Gillespie,Dave Brubeck, or Apollo Theater.

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free-form jazz, 18

improvise, 5, 6, 12, 18, 20

scat, 8, 10, 12

swing, 13, 14, 18

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