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T H E B A D P L U S

T E A C H E R R E S O U R C E G U I D E

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Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs

University of Michigan

Anonymous

Arts at Michigan

Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund

Bank of Ann Arbor

Bustan al-Funun Foundation for Arab Arts

The Dan Cameron Family Foundation/Alan and Swanna Saltiel

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

DTE Energy Foundation

The Esperance Family Foundation

David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund

Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP

JazzNet Endowment

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Masco Corporation Foundation

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.

THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. and P. Heydon)

The Mosaic Foundation [Washington, DC]

National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts

Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Endowment Fund

Rick and Sue Snyder

Target

TCF Bank

UMS Advisory Committee

University of Michigan Credit Union

University of Michigan Health System

U-M Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

U-M Office of the Vice President for Research

Wallace Endowment Fund

This Teacher Resource Guide is a product of the UMS Youth Education Program. Researched, compiled, and edited by Carlos Palomares and Cahill Smith.

Special thanks to Savitski Design and Omari Rush for their contributions, feedback, and support in develop-ing this guide.

SUPPORTERS

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Photo: John Christenson

T H E B A D P L U SREID ANDERSON bass - ETHAN IVERSON piano - DAVID KING drums

T E A C H E R R E S O U R C E G U I D E 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0

U M S Y O U T H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M

GRADES K-12

1 1 A M - 1 2 N O O N

FRIDAY

FEBRUARY 5

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LYDIAMENDELSSOHN

THEATRE

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ATTENDING THE PERFORMANCE6 Attending the Show8 Map + Directions9 The Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre

THE BAD PLUS11 Who is The Bad Plus?12 In Their Own Words: A Conversation with The Bad Plus15 Discography18 Further Resources

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JAZZ20 What is Jazz?

Jazz in Grove Music•What is Jazz? by Jason West•

23 Elements of Jazz28 Brief Hisotry of Jazz + The Style of Jazz

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES36 Internet Resources39 Recommended Reading

ABOUT UMS41 University Musical Society43 Youth Education Program45 Send Us Feedback!

Short on time?If you only have 15 minutes to review this guide, just read the sections in black in the Table of Contents.

Those pages will provide the most important information about this performance.

5UMS 09-10

AT T E N D I N G T H E P E R F O R M A N C E

Photo: BigHassle

6 UMS 09-10

TICKETS We do not use paper tickets for

Youth Performances. We hold school reserva-

tions at the door and seat groups upon arrival.

DOOR ENTRY A UMS Youth Performance

staff person will greet your group at your bus

as you unload. You will enter through the

main entrance (south) of the League Building.

BEFORE THE START Please allow the usher

to seat individuals in your group in the order

that they arrive in the theater. Once everyone

is seated you may then rearrange yourselves

and escort students to the bathrooms before

the performance starts. PLEASE spread the

adults throughout the group of students.

DURING THE PERFORMANCE At the

start of the performance, the lights well

dim and an onstage UMS staff member will

welcome you to the performance and provide

important logistical information. If you have

any questions, concerns, or complaints (for

instance, about your comfort or the behavior

of surrounding groups) please IMMEDIATELY

report the situation to an usher or staff memer

in the lobby.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH One hour (ap-

proximately) with no intermission

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE When the

performance ends, remain seated. A UMS

staff member will come to the stage and

release each group individually based on the

location of your seats.

SEATING & USHERS When you arrive at

the front doors, tell the Head Usher at the

door the name of your school group and he/

she will have ushers escort you to your block

of seats. All UMS Youth Performance ushers

wear large, black laminated badges with their

names in white letters.

ARRIVAL TIME Please arrive at the Men-

delssohn Theater between 10:30-10:50pm to

allow you time to get seated and comfortable

before the show starts.

DROP OFF Have buses, vans, or cars drop off

students on westbound (north) side of North

University Avenue in front of the Michigan

League Building. If there is no space in the

drop off zone, circle the block until space

becomes available. Cars may park at curbside

metered spots or in the visitor parking lot

behind the power Center. Buses should wait/

park at Briarwood Mall.

DETAILS

AT T E N D I N G T H E S H O WWe want you to enjoy your time with UMS!

PLEASE review the important information below about attending the Youth Performance:

TICKETS

USHER

7UMS 09-10

BUS PICK UP When your group is released,

please exit the performance hall through the

same door you entered. A UMS Youth Perfor-

mance staff member will be outside to direct

you to your bus.

AAPS EDUCATORS You will likely not get

on the bus you arrived on; a UMS staff mem-

ber or AAPS Transportation Staf person will

put you on the first available bus.

LOST STUDENTS A small army of volun-

teers staff Youth Performances and will be

ready to help or direct lost and wandering

students.

LOST ITEMS If someone in your group loses

an item at the performance, contact the UMS

Youth Education Program (umsyouth@umich.

edu) to attempt to help recover the item.

AAPS

SENDING FEEDBACK We LOVE feedback

from students, so after the performance please

send us any letters, artwork, or academic

papers that your students create in response

to the performance: UMS Youth Education

Program, 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor,

MI 48109-1011.

NO FOOD No Food or drink is allowed in

the theater.

PATIENCE Thank you in adavance for your

patience; in 20 minutes we aim to get 1,300

people from buses into seats and will work as

efficiently as possible to make that happen.

ACCESSIBILITY There is a barrier free access

located at the North University entrance to

the building, with elevator access to the main

floor of the theater level. Wheelchair seating is

available on the rear of the main floor.

Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre is equipped with

assistive listening devices. Earphones may be

obtained upon arrival. Please ask an usher for

assistance.

ENTRANCES + ELEVATORS The Lydia

Mendelssohn Theatre is located in the

Michigan League Building on the University of

Michigan’s central campus. The main entrance

is off of North University, in front of the

Michigan League Building. Elevators for access

to the both the Main Floor and Balcony are

located in the middle of the Michigan League

along the main hallway.

8 UMS 09-10

M A P + D I R E C T I O N SThis map, with driving directions to the Mendelssohn Theatre, will

be mailed to all attending educators three weeks before the performance.

MAP

Bussing/Transportation Directions The Bad Plus Youth Performance

Fri, Feb 5, 2010, 11am-12pm, Mendelssohn Theatre

1. Drop-Off Zone is on the North side of N University from Thayer to Fletcher. If no space is available in the Drop-Off Zone, circle the block (see above) until space becomes available. Please arrive between 11:30am-11:50am.

2. Mendelssohn and Mall Bus Parking driving directions on the next page.

3. The best Visitor Parking: Palmer Dr. Parking Structure behind Power Center: $1.10/hr

4. Need Day-of Help? Call Omari on his cell phone: 734-730-9202.

9UMS 09-10

LY D I A M E N D E L S S O H N T H E AT R E

VENUE

LOCATED WITHIN the Michigan League

building on the central campus of the

University of Michigan, the Lydia Men-

delssohn Theatre is an intimate, shoe-box

theatre seating 658. Decorated with solid

oak paneling that creates an atmosphere

of elegance and charm, the Mendelssohn

Theatre is perfect for smaller conferences.

Just down the hallway in the Michigan

League are similarly designed, tasteful

private dining rooms and a large ball-

room. The Mendelssohn Theatre is also

used extensively for theatrical produc-

tions and solo recitals.

Opening on May 4, 1929, the theatre

was designed by the Chicago architec-

tural firm of Allen Pond & Pond, Martin

& Lloyd. In 1995, new carpeting and

seats were installed, and the proscenium

curtain was replaced. Its lighting equip-

ment is modern.

The Mendelssohn Theatre is one of the

few theaters in the United States to have

a “cyclorama,” a curved wall at the back

of the stage. The cyclorama improves

sound in the theater and can be used for

creative lighting effects.

Notwithstanding an isolated effort to es-

tablish a chamber music series by faculty

and students in 1938, UMS regularly be-

gan presenting artists in the Lydia Men-

delssohn Theatre in 1993, when Eartha

Kitt and Barbara Cook graced the stage

for the 100th May Festival’s Cabaret Ball.

Today, the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre is

used primarily for theatrical productions

and song recitals.

LYDIA MENDELSSOHN

THEATRE

911 North University Ave

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

(734) 763-333

Emergency Contact

Number:

(734) 764-2538(Call this number to reach a UMS staff person or

audience member at the performance.)

10 UMS 09-10

T H E B A D P L U S

Photo: Ladysmith

11UMS 09-10

THE BAD PLUS is a collective made

up of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist

Ethan Iverson, and drummer David

King. The group dug its roots in the

wood-paneled, sump-pumped base-

ments of the Midwest. King and Ander-

son hooked up as teens in their native

Minnesota, bouncing between junior

high rock bands and long nights listen-

ing to John Coltrane and The Police.

Soon after, Anderson met Wisconsin-

reared pianist Ethan Iverson and formed

an alliance – sort of. The threesome

played for the first time in 1990.

Nonetheless, it is only after spending

their formative 20s apart — King as

member of the seminal indie jazz group

Happy Apple, Iverson as the musical di-

rector for the Mark Morris Dance Group,

Anderson as a prominent up-and-coming

player on the New York jazz scene —

that they reunited in late 2000 to play a

weekend club date in Minneapolis. The

chemistry was immediate and obvious.

They planned a second gig and a one-day

recording session for the indie jazz label

Fresh Sound and The Bad Plus was born.

In the studio as well as onstage, The Bad

Plus proudly foregoes convention in favor

of curiosity and craftsmanship – recogniz-

ing and respecting the rules while ripping

them to shreds. They “bring together

a lot of different influences, without

drawing any lines around one style or

another,” says Anderson. “We don’t cre-

ate barriers. It’s all brought together with

a very open mind. We’ll try anything, as

long as it makes good music.”

The trio challenges the common pre-

conceptions about high art versus pop

culture by juxtaposing compositions from

20th century rock and pop artists with

those of 20th century classical artists. The

mix of highly familiar rock and pop pieces

alongside some not-so-familiar 20th cen-

tury classical compositions represents the

band’s egalitarian approach to all forms

of music, regardless of source, genre or

style. To their way of thinking, quality

and integrity can be found at any point

along the continuum.

“The 20th century is filled with music by

great composers, but it’s a mistake to as-

sume that all of those composers are lim-

ited to classical or jazz or other types of

music that are commonly considered to

be ‘high art,’” says Iverson. “There were

rock and pop songwriters of that same

period whose work was just as significant

as the work of the classical composers.

They’re all part of a continuum of great

music, and as such, they’re all worthy of

recognition and respect.… recognizing

the value of every aspect of 20th century

music, regardless of the genres in which

their composers specialized.”

“We really care about classical music, and

we also care about the more improvi-

sational forms like rock, pop and jazz,”

says Iverson. “I believe that we can pay

composers like Ligeti and Stravinsky and

Babbitt the respect they deserve, and we

can also recognize composers like Kurt

Cobain and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters

and David Gilmour as poets at the same

time.”

In The end, The Bad Plus seeks to level

the playing field. “We’re not going to

treat one kind of music like high art and

another like disposable entertainment,”

says King. “We’re making music to

engage the audience,” Anderson says,

“and to challenge the audience and our-

selves with an energy aimed at everyone

involved having a mutual experience

through the music.”

Compiled from:www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/Prog/ www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/The-Bad-Plus/ http://imnworld.com/artists/detail/76/bad-plus-the http://bighassle.com/publicity/a_bad_plus.html www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/For-All-I-Care/ www.thebadplus.com/

W H O I S T H E B A D P L U S ?

ABOUT

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I N T H E I R O W N W O R D S :A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H T H E B A D P L U S

ABOUT

THE THREE MEMBERS of The Bad Plus

tackle a wide range of topics in recent

conversations following the completion

of PROG. Here are some of the highlights

of these talks:

EARLY DAYS

DAVID — When we met at 15, Reid and I

were leaning toward progressive rock and

some fusion stuff. But by the next year

we were deeply entrenched in Coltrane

and free jazz. We’d go to every concert

that came to town. High school was the

transition from prog-rock to free jazz and

bebop and everything.

ETHAN — I was in a hermetically sealed

chamber in high school. I wasn’t inter-

ested in classical music or rock and roll

or anything but jazz. First I loved boogie

woogie, then early jazz. Eventually I got

my first Monk record and that really

made an impression and I slowly started

to figure out Miles Davis. When I met

Reid at 16 or 17, I had a strong interest

in free jazz-- so my history of jazz is that

of jazz history.

REID — Dave and I met in 1986 when I

went to try out a bass amp at his house.

We’ve been friends ever since. We bond-

ed over the music that we liked. We

both could play already. When you’re

that age, you’re looking for other kids

who can play. From that moment on we

were inseparable. I met Ethan in 1989

when I spent one year in Eau Claire, Wis-

consin, going to the university there. He

was a high school kid at the time. We

became friends and made music together

as much as we could.

FIRST TIME (1990)

ETHAN — We were all so determined to

be individuals that we didn’t have a com-

mon perspective yet.

DAVID — Ethan came in as a heavily

opinionated cat. I was into the ironic late

80s downtown thing. Reid has always

been in the middle. It was a fun session

but that was it.

REID — We were young and completely

inexperienced and we were fighting. It

was uneventful except for the fact we’re

still playing together.

NEXT TIME (2000)

REID — We came together as mature

musicians and three leaders with some

pretty definable sounds, even at that

point. It was clear to me that we had

found what we wanted to do.

ETHAN — We put together a gig with

the three of us. And from the first set, I

felt that here was a way of playing very

high level music that didn’t really refer-

ence normal jazz. I’ve always tried to be

a musician that knew jazz but didn’t play

normal jazz. It never occurred to me that

rock would be part of the solution.

DAVID — We got together for this gig

in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I was

living. The response and our connec-

tion were very strong. There was an

immediate feeling like the temperature

had changed. A few weeks later I came

up with the name The Bad Plus and we

booked our next gig.

COVERS

DAVID — Ethan at first was very shy

about it because he doesn’t know any

rock music. We mentioned “Smells Like

Teen Spirit.” He’d never heard of it, and

a light bulb went on. Reid and I could

approach this material with honesty and

our memories of cruising along with our

chicks and Ethan could approach it like

he does — like an android.

REID — Dave and I had been talking

about this idea since we were kids,

fantasizing about how cool it would be

to be in an improvising band that played

Led Zeppelin.

ETHAN — There was a practical consid-

eration. While we were all writing, it

didn’t mean we could figure out two sets

of original music for the first gig. That’s

what jazz musicians always do: they have

a couple of new tunes and fill out the

set with standards and blues. When we

needed two sets in The Bad Plus, one of

them suggested playing a rock cover. I

never liked it when jazz musicians play

rock tunes, but since it felt like a collec-

tive already, I said to myself, “What the

hell, I’ll go down with a sinking ship for

one song, who cares?”

The Bad Plus, May 31. Photo: Michael Dvorak, courtesy of The Banff Centre

14 UMS 09-10

DAVID — Playing covers never has been a

gimmick. It starts as a tune we like. We

don’t believe that music has to end with

Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Ar-

ranging and playing covers sharpens our

knives. Every one of them has its own

flow, a very unique arrangement, and is

approached with a different palette.

ETHAN — Once we actually started doing

it I could immediately feel the energy, the

heat from the idea. And of course later

on I realized that whenever I heard jazz

musicians play rock tunes they treated

them as if they were playing a jazz stan-

dard from the 40’s. The musical materials

that we have always used while playing

the rock songs are more out of the avant-

garde…our harmonic approach comes

more from Stravinsky than Bill Evans, so

somehow our treatments of rock and

pop are starker and have more strength.

REID — The covers give us an incredible

amount of freedom because they’re very

sturdy structures to hang our sound on;

to support the intentions of The Bad

Plus. When we do a cover it becomes

our music, in a way.

COMPOSING

ETHAN — The first piece of music that I

wrote is preserved in a musical notebook

from 5th grade. It’s called “Mod-

ern.” Composition is something I have

talent for, but here everyone is such a

good composer that I take a little bit of

a backseat. There is no requirement for

me to come up with a bunch of stuff. I

could never write as good a melody as

Reid can so there’s no point in compet-

ing there. I can write endless amounts of

music on demand but it’s nice that in The

Bad Plus I don’t have to.

REID — I think I was afraid to start

composing. Once I did, at 27, it felt

like I knew what I wanted to do. I can

definitely stand behind the first pieces I

wrote. I had been carrying a sound in

my head for a while and then, finally, out

it came.

DAVID — Of the three of us as a

composer, Reid has the most detailed

aesthetic. He is basically a frustrated pop

songwriter. He can write some incredibly

complicated music, but he really is a pop

songwriter that plays bass.

REID — Regardless of the fact that we

play in a band together, Ethan and Dave

are two of my favorite composers from

our generation. In that respect it’s very

powerful for us to be a committed band

because it keeps things in perspective.

The bar is always very high in terms of

what you need to deliver.

SOUND

REID — A big part of our sound is our

equality within the band. Each one of us

is playing music we have a stake in. It’s

group music — music that only sounds

like the three of us. There’s a basic level

of trust. Not only of trusting that every-

body’s taking care of business at every

moment, but that your own ideas are

going to be treated with respect and also

confronted by exceptional imaginations.

ETHAN — Three factors make our

sound: first, all three instruments are

upfront in the mix. That’s the most

important thing. Then the harmony is

basically simple to begin with. We use

complex harmony but our starting point

is almost always one of simple har-

monic clarity. The third would be our

tremendous rhythmic acuity, especially

from Dave.

DAVID -— There is deep personal freedom

involved. There is the idea that you can

bring personal esthetics together and

create a new one. There’s no bending to

the will but there’s also a deep trust and

support. But it’s a strange, invisible line

that none of us fully understands: three

alpha personalities coming together and

expressing what we want in the moment

but also caring about each other beyond

the normal thing. It’s like riding on some-

thing that’s bigger than you. This band

is about embracing that kind of energy;

being able to say things like that with a

straight face. We believe in the human

spirit, in the idea that there is so much

weight to intention. Unapologetic inten-

tion. We put our full weight behind every

idea. We believe in every minute of it.

IRONY

DAVID — In this band irony exists much

less than people think. There is very lit-

tle irony. We’re hearing the beauty of

the music and our intent is very serious

and very strong. When we play Black

Sabbath’s “Iron Man” we’re not wink-

ing...You put a Black Sabbath record

on and in their genre it’s like putting a

Coltrane record on. It’s the real deal. To

us it’s not funny.

REID — Nothing is ever played with an

ironic intent. I hate ironic music. If irony

is ever a part of our music, it only exists

as part of a much more complex emo-

tion which is ultimately not ironic. We

deliver our music with absolute earnest-

ness, always.

ETHAN — There is no way we can claim

that there is no irony in The Bad Plus,

because there is. It’s just that we mean

it, too. That’s the problem. Let’s look

at Tom Sawyer: the outrageousness of

what we’re doing is certainly informed by

the knowledge of transgression. For me,

the type of irony that we’re going for

is like Nabokov, where some new piece

of art is formed on the ruins of a lot of

knowledge and deep irony. But we mean

“Tom Sawyer.” We mean “Iron Man”. It’s

for real.

Courtesy IMN

15UMS 09-10

D I S C O G R A P H Y

ABOUT

AMID RELENTLESS TOURING the band crafted material for 2003’s These Are the Vistas. The album contained riveting originals

alongside sharp readings of Nirvana, Aphex Twin, and Blondie. Said Esquire magazine, “Can one album single-handedly make jazz

relevant again? Should you care? One listen to The Bad Plus’s These Are the Vistas will make you care.” Two more albums fol-

lowed in rapid succession – Give in 2004 and Suspicious Activity? in 2005. Worldwide touring continued, which further cemented

the trio’s reputation as being passionate and powerful.

2 0 0 1

T H E B A D P L U S

F R E S H S O U N D

Knowing me Knowing

Blue Moon

1972 Bronze Medalist

The Break Out

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Labyrinth

Scurry

Love is the Answer

2 0 0 3

T H E S E A R E T H E V I S TA S

C O L U M B I A

Big Eater

Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And the Bears

Off Your Ass

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Everywhere You Turn

1972 Bronze Medalist

Guilty

Boo-Wah

Flim

Heart of Glass

Silence Is The Question

2 0 0 1

A U T H O R I Z E D B O O T L E G

S E L F R E L E A S E D O U T O F P R I N T

Silence Is The Question

Knowing Me Knowing You

Guilty

My Funny Valentine (Excerpt)

Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And the Bears

Off Your Ass

Heart Of Glass

16 UMS 09-10

2 0 0 4

G I V E

C O L U M B I A

1979 Semi-Finalist

Cheney Pinata

Street Woman

And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation

Frog And Toad

Velouria

Layin’ A Strip For The Higher-Self

State Line

Do Your Sums/Die Like A Dog/Play For Home

Dirty Blonde

Neptune (The Planet)

Iron Man

2 0 0 3

B L U N T O B J E C T- L I V E I N T O K Y O

C O L U M B I A

We Are The Champions

And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation

Guilty

Do Your Sums/Die Like A Dog/Play For Home

Heart Of Glass

Flim

Silence Is The Question

My Funny Valentine (Excerpt)

2 0 0 5

S U S P I C I O U S A C T I V I T Y ?

C O L U M B I A

Prehensile Dream

Anthem For The Earnest

Let Our Garden Grow

The Empire Strikes Backwards

Knows The Difference

Lost Of Love

Rhinoceros Is My Profession

O.G. (Original Gentleman)

(Theme from) Chariots Of Fire

Forces

MORE INFORMATION ON RECENT ALBUMS In May 2007, the band released Prog. The disc opens with the first of four covers

included in the ten-song set: a melodic, yet churning rendition of the Tears for Fears 1985 synth-pop classic, “Everybody Wants to

Rule the World.” The arrangement juxtaposes lush piano lines with throbbing bass and drum undercurrents. The trio’s take on Da-

vid Bowie’s classic “Life on Mars” is part atonal rock, part symphony, part cabaret jazz. Further into the set, their reading of Rush’s

art-rock anthem “Tom Sawyer” opens with the well-known riffs and melody line originally crafted by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson,

but interjects some frenetic piano and drum combinations along the way that take the song to an even more heady place than the

original. As with the Tears for Fears cover, Burt Bacharch’s “This Guy’s in Love with You” gets under way in melodic fashion, but

Anderson, Iverson and King – individually and as a unit – experiment with tempo and dynamics to stretch the song’s sensibilities to

a point that redefines the essence of the song.

After the success of Prog, the trio, never content to stand still, moved on their next challenge with For All I Care, their first album

with vocals. “The Bad Plus has always reworked contemporary songs,” said Anderson, “the next logical step was do so with the

added clarity of a voice.” But For All I Care is more than just an album pairing a singer with a backing band. The recording is

17UMS 09-10

2 0 0 7

P R O G

H E A D S U P / U N I V E R S A L /

D O T H E M AT H

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Physical Cities

Life On Mars

Mint

Giant

Thriftstore Jewelry

Tom Sawyer

This Guy’s in Love with You

The World Is the Same

1980 World Champion

2 0 0 9

F O R A L L I C A R E

J O I N E D B Y W E N D Y L E W I S

H E A D S U P / U N I V E R S A L /

D O T H E M AT H

Lithium

Comfortably Numb

Fem (Etude No. 8)

Radio Cure

Long Distance Runaround

Semi-Simple Variations

How Deep is Your Love

Barracuda

Lock, Stock and Teardrops

Variation d’Apollon

Feeling Yourself Disintegrate

Semi-Simple Variations (Alternate Version)

inspired in part by the collaborative recording by John Coltrane and vocalist Johnny Hartman, released in 1963. “Coltrane’s quartet

had already developed a group language, and then they enlisted this incredible singer without changing the language of the

band,” says King. “In that same sense, this is still very much a Bad Plus record.”

It was going to take a very special singer who could fit into the band’s style without disrupting the group’s internal balance. Wendy

Lewis, a longtime associate of The Bad Plus and a fixture in the Minneapolis alt rock scene, steps in and takes the trio’s ongoing

experimental ride to a new level of exploration and sophistication. Her haunting voice adds a fresh and powerful dimension within

the fabric of the group. “Wendy is like another instrument with intense, compressed energy,” says King. Her storytelling propels

The Bad Plus’ music into an exciting new place.

The philosophy behind the album is cleverly implied in its title. While For All I Care may sound like an expression of apathy, it is

anything but. The phrase is lifted from Cobain’s “Lithium,” but in the context of this recording, the overriding message is that The

Bad Plus – collectively and as individuals – embraces and appreciates all forms of music, enough to showcase any and all of them in

a single recording.

WATCH

IMNWORLD

http://imnworld.com/news/detail/185/

the-bad-plus-and-wendy-lewis-video-

from-the-cedar-in-minneapolis

Streaming video of The Bad Plus and

Wendy Lewis video from The Cedar in

Minneapolis on April 25th as well as

interviews with the band members.

READ

DO THE MATH

http://thebadplus.typepad.com/

Do The Math is a blog written by Ethan

Iverson with occasional contributions by

Reid Anderson and David King. There

are monthly performance updates,

occasional video blogs, and photos of

the band, but the greater emphasis at

DTM is celebrating all inspired music and

culture, regardless of style. The archives

going back to September 2005 can be

accessed by going to December 2007

and scrolling back.

18 UMS 09-10

F U R T H E R R E S O U R C E S

EXPLORE

LISTEN

IMNWORLD

http://imnworld.com/artists/detail/76/bad-

plus-the

STEREOGUM

http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/the_

bad_plus_cover_rush_005083.html

NPR

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.

php?storyId=15182358

Npr has several interviews and concert

recording available through the bands

NPR page.

HERE + NOW

www.hereandnow.org/2009/06/run-down-615/

The Bad Plus Featured on Here and Now: “Moving Past Jazz ‘Standards’”

Recently, several jazz groups have

ventured outside the great American

songbook for inspiration. Here and Now’s

jazz aficionado James Isaacs brings us

songs by Nirvana, Wilco, Rufus Wain-

wright, and Bob Dylan reinterpreted by

The Bad Plus, Dave Douglas, Jim Hall and

Bill Frisell.

JAZZTIMES

http://jazztimes.com/guides/artists/6287-

bad-plus

“The Bad Plus: Great White Hypes?”

John Murphy. April 2004 - http://jazz-

times.com/articles/14545-the-bad-plus-

great-white-hypes

“The Bad Plus: Saying It Proud, But Way

Too Loud.”

Bill Milkowski, April 2004 - http://jazz-

times.com/articles/14544-the-bad-plus-

saying-it-proud-but-way-too-loud

“The Bad Plus: These are the Bad Plus”

Stuart Nicholson, April 2003 - http://jazz-

times.com/articles/14139-the-bad-plus-

these-are-the-bad-plus

19UMS 09-10

J A Z Z

Photo: John Christenson

20 UMS 09-10

ABOUT

W H AT I S J A Z Z ?

THE BAD PLUS, as stated above, has “forced critics, fans and everyone in between to re-think their perceptions of jazz, rock, and

music in general.” In this section, we will look at common definitions of jazz. Before you read this section, ask yourself, “what is

jazz?” What sounds and artists come to mind? Then, listen to some Bad Plus samples available online. Would you call the music of

the Bad Plus jazz? If you are confused, don’t worry, you are not alone!

KENNEDY CENTER JAZZ LESSON Jazz almost defies definition. There are many types and styles of jazz. As we get further and

further away from the beginnings of jazz, many elements fuse together to add to the confusion. Jazz was more of a separate entity

years ago, but now we have jazz-rock, latin jazz, acid jazz, fusion and many others.

The definition of jazz depends on to whom you talk. Jazz has been called “America’s Classical Music” and America’s only true art

form. The dictionary has several definitions ranging from those with very strict confines, to those that are more inclusive and gen-

eral in nature. However, most agree on several points:

It developed around the turn of the century.1.

It was created mainly by Afro-Americans.2.

It contains elements of European and Afro-American culture.3.

Source: www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Lesson1.html

21UMS 09-10

ABOUT

T H E E N T RY F O R J A Z Z I N G R O V E M U S I CThe next two articles attempt to answer the question “What is Jazz.”

THE TERM “JAZZ” conveys different

though related meanings: 1) a musical

tradition rooted in performing conven-

tions that were introduced and devel-

oped early in the 20th century by African

Americans; 2) a set of attitudes and

assumptions brought to music-making,

chief among them the notion of per-

formance as a fluid creative process

involving improvisation; and 3) a style

characterized by syncopation, melodic

and harmonic elements derived from

the blues, cyclical formal structures and

a supple rhythmic approach to phrasing

known as swing.

Writers have often portrayed the history

of jazz as a narrative of progress. Their

accounts show jazz evolving from a bois-

terous type of dance music into forms of

increasing complexity, gradually rising in

prestige to become an artistic tradition

revered around the world. Certainly, at-

titudes towards the music have changed

dramatically. In 1924 an editorial writer

for The New York Times called jazz ‘a

return to the humming, hand-clapping,

or tomtom beating of savages’; in 1987

the United States Congress passed a

resolution designating jazz ‘an outstand-

ing model of individual expression’ and ‘a

rare and valuable national American trea-

sure’. In keeping with this general theme

of progress, historians have emphasized

innovation as a primary force driving jazz

forward, identifying new techniques,

concepts and structures that presumably

helped push the music to ever higher

stages of development.

But tracing lines of evolution and innova-

tion in jazz reveals only part of a story

much broader in scope and more com-

plex in structure. For if some musicians

have sought to make a mark as adventur-

ous innovators, many others have viewed

themselves as stalwart bearers of tradi-

tion. If some have struggled as uncom-

promising creative artists whose work

reaches only a small, select audience,

others have flourished providing enter-

tainment for the masses. And if jazz has

undeniably accrued status and respect

over the years, it has also consistently

provoked controversy. The term itself has

often carried negative associations, which

is partly why Duke Ellington and other

musicians spurned the label, and why

Max Roach once told an interviewer, ‘I

resent the word unequivocally’.

Several factors account for the volatil-

ity of jazz as an object of study. First,

its musical identity cannot be isolated

or delimited. Although often used to

designate a single musical idiom, ‘jazz’

(like the signifier ‘classical’) refers to an

extended family of genres, with all mem-

bers sharing at least some traits in com-

mon yet none capable of representing

the whole. Second, the varying functions

of jazz have made it difficult to perceive

as a unified entity. Jazz can be back-

ground sounds for social recreation, lively

accompaniment for dancing or music

that invites close listening and deep con-

centration – and the same performance

might operate on these different levels

simultaneously. Third, the subject of race

has generated heated debate over jazz

and shaped its reception. While jazz is a

product of black American expressive cul-

ture, it has always been open to musical

influences from other traditions and since

the 1920s has been performed by musi-

cians of varying backgrounds throughout

the world. In different eras, for example,

commercially successful white musicians

such as the bandleader Paul Whiteman

and the saxophonist Kenny G have been

identified by large segments of the public

as major exponents of jazz. Many others,

however, view these two as standing

outside the tradition altogether and con-

sider jazz to be a form of ‘black music’

in which black Americans have been the

leading innovators and most authoritative

practitioners. www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/45011

22 UMS 09-10

ABOUT

W H AT I S J A Z Z ? G O O D Q U E S T I O N . . .B Y J A S O N W E S T

WHAT IS JAZZ? According Wynton

Marsalis, jazz is music that swings. Ac-

cording to Pat Metheny, jazz is not the

music of Kenny G. According to Web-

ster’s, jazz is characterized by propulsive

syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensem-

ble playing, varying degrees of improvisa-

tion, and often deliberate distortions of

pitch and timbre.

Certainly, the question is a highly sub-

jective one. Ask 100 different people

“What is jazz?” and you’re likely to

get 100 different answers. The debate

becomes even more confusing given the

fact that the history of jazz is relatively

well documented.

It’s no secret that jazz music started in

the black ghettos of New Orleans at the

end of the 19th century. In the 1920s

jazz moved up river to Chicago and New

York as African Americans migrated

north in search of a better life. The 1930s

saw the evolution of swing bands like

those lead by Duke Ellington and Count

Basie. At the same time great soloists

emerged, virtuosi like Louis Armstrong,

Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. In

the 1940s bebop hit, personified in the

music of Charlie Parker. The Mozart of

his day, Bird took all of the melodic and

harmonic information available and crys-

tallized it into bebop. But, even in 1955,

at the time of Bird’s death, most people

could answer with confidence when

asked, “What is jazz?”

Why then, less than half a century later,

can’t we agree on a working definition?

Part of the reason is because jazz has al-

ways been and remains today a living art

form, ever changing and ever growing.

Subsequently, after Bird took bebop to

its logical conclusion, musicians like Miles

Davis and Ornette Coleman invented

new forms like modal playing and “free”

jazz. In the 1960s musicians began

incorporating R&B, rock and new electric

instruments into their jazz. John Coltrane

gave us “sheets of sound.” The Modern

Jazz Quartet mixed jazz and classical

music. Everything exploded and suddenly

jazz was all over the place.

In their effort to market these musical

voyages, major record companies have

added to the mystification, bombarding us

with labels to ponder: Contemporary jazz,

mainstream jazz, smooth jazz, alternative

jazz, avant-garde jazz, Latin jazz, fusion,

etc. At present, it seems that there are

almost as many names for jazz as there

are jazz groups. Still puzzled? Me too.

But not to be worried. Once again, each

one of us is left with our own purely

subjective views on jazz. My guess is that,

if asked, even musicians - the men and

women who are currently dedicating

their life to creating this music - would

likely disagree on the meaning of jazz.

So perhaps a better question is: What do

you like? From Jelly Roll Morton to Lee

Morgan, from James P. Johnson to John

Zorn, the answer is out there, preserved

on record for our learning and listen-

ing pleasure. Yes, experiencing all the

different styles of jazz is a daunting task,

but the rewards are great; and the more

you listen, the more you’ll find similari-

ties within the styles. What’s more, jazz

elements can be heard outside of its own

genre - in rock, R&B, Latin music, African

music - the list is endless.

Yet, one thing is sure: Jazz remains

America’s only original living art form.

Today, its influence envelops the globe.

It’s expressive. It’s enriching. Call it what

you like - jazz is here to stay.

www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15802

23UMS 09-10

IMPROVISATION - perhaps jazz’s most essential ingredient

A) Improvisation is spontaneous composition, that is, each musician “makes up” what he/she is playing as he/she is

playing it (easier said than done).

B) Jazz improvisation is very similar to regular conversation (see Jazz Improvisation/ Conversation analogy sheet).

C) In order to improvise, a musician needs to:

1) be able to technically play his/her instrument well

2) have an understanding of music theory (the way notes and chords go together)

3) have the ability to play by ear (i.e., the ability to play the music one “hears” in his/her head without reading

music) As jazz is usually a combination of partly planned (i.e., written) and partly spontaneous (i.e., improvised)

music, most jazz musicians have the ability to read music and play be ear.

4) have a musical vocabulary covering a wide variety of styles (i.e., be familiar with various styles of jazz, as well

as blues, rock, pop, classical, etc.)

RHYTHM

A) Basic definition:

1) according to the American Heritage Dictionary, rhythm is a regular pattern formed by a series of notes of

differing duration and stress

E L E M E N T S O F J A Z Z

ABOUT

IMPROVISATION

RHYTHM AND GENERAL SWING FEEL

SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH JAZZ

HARMONY

FORM

24 UMS 09-10

2) that part of the music which concerns how long or short each note is played

3) the beat of the music

4) that part of the music that makes the listener want to tap his/her foot

5) the “feel” of a tune (song); a tune’s “groove” (i.e., rock, funk, swing, salsa, etc.)

B) Jazz rhythms can range from simple to extremely complex; however, underlying even the most complex rhythms per-

formed by each individual musician in a jazz group is an underlying pulse (the beat), that which makes the listener able

to tap his/her foot with the music. While most jazz utilizes a steady pulse (beat), certain styles of jazz are played “freely”

with no steady beat.

C) Tempo: the speed of the pulse (beat)

1) the speed at which the listener (or the player) taps his/her foot is the tempo of that particular version of a tune

2) tempos in jazz range from very slow (ballads) to extremely fast (tunes that are “burning”)

D) Syncopation

1) the accenting of beats that are normally not accented

2) stressing the notes that are on the up beat (i.e., when one.s foot is in the air - or up position . when tapping

normally with the beat of the music)

E) Swing

1) a difficult-to-define rhythmic concept

2) for the musician, the definition of swing, among other complexities, is a manner of playing a steady stream of

notes in a long-short-long-short pattern

3) for the listener (as well as the player), swing refers to the music.s buoyancy, rhythmic lilt, liveliness, and cohesiveness

4) if a jazz performance has constant tempo (not slowing down or speeding up), rhythmically cohesive group

playing, syncopation, and an upbeat feeling, it’s swinging

F) Through listening to jazz recordings (as well as live jazz), practice, and performance, jazz musicians internalize the

rhythmic element so completely that it is as natural for them as breathing.

G) The often subtle and varied use of a multitude of simple and complex rhythms, all interwoven extemporaneously into

one cohesive sound, is, perhaps more than any other element, what makes jazz, jazz.

25UMS 09-10

SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH JAZZ

A) Jazz musicians play their instruments utilizing the complete gamut of tone colors (tonal quality) that their instruments

will allow.

B) Unlike classical players who usually strive for a clear, “pure” tone, jazz players strive for a tone that is generally more

“vocal” in nature, i.e., jazz musicians will bend pitches, “growl,” “whine,” play “raunchy,” “dark,” “light,” “airy,”

“raspy,” “bluesy,” “throaty,” “nasally” (anything the human voice can do to express emotion and then some) in addition

to playing clearly.

C) Today, jazz can be (and is) played on virtually any instrument, including the human voice; the most common instru-

ments associated with jazz (in order of basic precedence) are:

1. saxophone

2. trumpet

3. piano, bass, and drums (known as the rhythm section)

4. guitar

5. clarinet

6. trombone

7. flute

D) Each instrument has its own general tone color (e.g., a saxophone sounds different from a trumpet, guitar, flute,

piano, etc.) and each musician has his/her own particular sound on that instrument.

1) although, say, a saxophone still sounds like a saxophone no matter who’s playing it, most jazz musicians and

aficionados can distinguish one saxophonist from another by his/her tone alone

a. in the same way, we can distinguish one human voice from another

b. even if we hear someone speak whom we haven’t talked to in months, we usually can distinguish-

who it is even after just one “hello” on the phone: that’s how distinctive one particular voice can be;

that’s how distinctive one saxophonist’s sound can be

2) a jazz musician’s particular sound is part of his/her signature, part of what distinguishes him/her from another

3) what attracts the listener is not just what a particular jazz musician plays (i.e., how he/she improvises), it’s also

the way he/she plays (i.e., his/her particular sound)

26 UMS 09-10

HARMONY

A) Two or more notes played at the same time constitutes harmony; also known as a chord (also known as a “change”

among jazz musicians).

B) Jazz chords are usually four to seven notes played simultaneously.

C) Each chord and each chord voicing (the way the notes are arranged) depicts a different emotion, e.g., happy, sad,

angry, hopeful, etc. (most can’t be labeled as the emotion they convey is beyond wording and different for every listener;

“music is in the ears of the beholder”)

D) A series of chords (known as a chord progression or simply the “changes”) accompanies the composed melodies of

and improvisation-on tunes (songs)

1) although there are some chord progressions that are used over and over for several different tunes, most

tunes have their own distinctive chord progression

2) jazz musicians (primarily pianists and guitarists since they are the ones who play chords) have the autonomy

to voice chords (put the notes in a particular order from bottom to top) the way they want, add notes to chords,

and substitute other chords for the original ones, all in order to make the music “hipper,” i.e., more up to date,

better sounding, more “happening,” and more personal

E) Comping

1) definition: the rhythmically syncopated playing of chords

2) pianists and guitarists comp the chords

3) the term comping comes from two words: to accompany and to compliment; that is precisely what pianists

and guitarists do: they accompany and compliment the soloists. Guitarists and pianists, when it is their turn,

improvise solos as well; when soloing, pianists usually comp chords with their left hand, accompanying their

own right hand solos.

FORM

A) Most jazz tunes utilize a recurring chord progression that serves as the structure of the tune; the way in which the sec-

tions of the progression are grouped determines the form of the tune.

B) Form can be considered a tune’s “musical blueprint,” allowing each musician (and educated listener) to keep his/her

place in the structure.

C) Each different section of a chord progression is assigned a different letter.

1) for example: if a tune is 24 measures long and is divided into three eight-measure sections with the first two sec-

tions containing a set of identical chords and the last section containing a set of different chords, the form is AAB

2) for example: if a tune is 32 measures long and is divided into four eight-measure sections with the first two

sections containing a set of identical chords, third section a different set of chords, and the last section the same

as the first, the form is AABA .

27UMS 09-10

D) In a jazz performance, the form of a tune, i.e., all the chords of the tune in a predetermined sequence (such as AAB,

AABA, ABAC, etc.) will be repeated over and over; each time through is called a chorus.

E) For each chorus, something different happens; the most common sequence is:

1) first chorus: the melody instruments (e.g., the horns) play the head, that is, the composed melody of the

song. Sometimes, not often, the head will be repeated for the second chorus; this is usually up to the players

involved.

2) middle choruses (undetermined number): each musician in turn improvises a solo using the form as his/her

guide, knowing the chord progression of each section (the chords provide the impetus for what notes can be

played by the improviser); each soloist can improvise for as many choruses as he/she desires

3) last chorus: the head again (called the “out” head as the musicians are taking the tune “out,” that is, ending

the tune)

F) Often before the first chorus (the head), there is an introduction; often after the last chorus (the out head), there is

an ending.

G) The most common forms found in jazz include AABA, ABAC, 16-Bar Tune, and 12-Bar Blues.

H) Who does what during each chorus is called the arrangement.

1) arrangements can be determined prior to the performance and are often written

2) Generally speaking, the larger the ensemble, the more written notes (melodies, harmony parts, background

accompaniment parts, etc.), the less room for improvisation.

a. arrangements are written and published for jazz bands of all sizes and levels from elementary school

to professional

b. most are written for the standard “big band” instrumentation of five saxes, four trumpets, four

trombones, and four “rhythm,” i.e., piano, bass, guitar,13 and drums (incidentally, most high school

jazz bands utilize this instrumentation); more to come on big band music in lesson #4 when discussing

the swing era

3) arrangements can be determined by a brief “talk over” prior to a performance or even on the spur of the mo-

ment (this is called a head arrangement)

a. usually occurs in the small group (quintet or smaller) setting

b. when occurring at an informal jam session, who does what when is directed by common practice

intuition, and visual cues (e.g., head nods, looks, etc.)

Source: www.jazzinamerica.org/LessonPlan/11/2

28 UMS 09-10

B R I E F H I S T O RY O F J A Z Z +S T Y L E S O F J A Z Z

ABOUT

OUTLINE

Jazz Heritage/The Roots of Jazz

AFRICAN ROOTS

CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN MUSIC

EUROPEAN INFLUENCES

NEW ORLEANS/THE BIRTHPLACE

GEOGRAPHIC FACTS

DEMOGRAPHIC

CREOLES

CREOLES OF COLOR

SLAVES/FREED SLAVES

CULTURAL INFLUENCES

The Blues

ORIGIN

FORM

COUNTRY BLUES

URBAN/CITY BLUES

Early Jazz

PIANO STYLES

RAGTIME

HARLEM STRIDE PIANO

NEW ORLEANS DIXIELAND

CHICAGO DIXIELAND

SWING

BEBOP

Beyond Bebop

COOL

AVANT- GARDE/FREE JAZZ

FUSION

JAZZ HERITAGE +

THE ROOTS OF JAZZ

Jazz is a music that grew from roots that

stretched from Africa to Europe to Ameri-

ca. Each contributed its own individual

cultural and musical traditions that came

together in many different places, but

was centered in the city of New Orleans.

This lesson will examine those individual

cultures and their contributions to this

music we call Jazz.

AFRICAN ROOTS African culture and life

is centered around the tribe or village.

They identified with that particular tribe

and participated in all of its functions. It

was and is definitely, to use a 1998 word,

interactive. Everyone participated in some

way. This was very true with the musical

activities of the tribe. No one sat back

and just listened. African music was very

functional and tied to everyday events

in the village. They did not build concert

halls, but rather, gathered wherever

music was needed. There are songs for

every type of occassion from births to

deaths, from marriages to clearing a path

to chopping down a tree. Music serves

as a kind of social glue that binds people

together. Although there were what we

might call “professional” musicians that

did travel from village to village, they

were an addition to the musical life of

the village. The participatory nature of

the African culture can be seen today in

Black churches and Pentecostal churches

throughout the United States.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN MUSIC

1. It involves the body. Clapping, sway-

ing to the beat, pounding a stick on the

ground, dancing, etc. are all examples of

how people participated. And remember

everyone joined in, not just the musicians.

2. Everyone sang. This is also another

manifestation of using the body.

3. Although there are many different

types of African instruments, chordo-

phones, idiophones, aerophones, to

name just a few, the predominant instru-

ment was the drum. Drums came in all

sizes and shapes. Made from gourds,

hollowed out logs, an animal skin

stretched across the opening, they were

the foundation of African music. At the

heart of African music is rhythm, and it

is this aspect of the music that we find in

jazz. Not exact African rhythms, but the

emphasis on rhythm. African drummers

created polyrhythms and cross rhythms

that gave the music its driving force. To

demonstrate this establish a beat, then

divide the class in half and have one half

clap twice to one beat and the other half,

three times to one beat. This is a very

“tame” polyrhythm. Two against three.

It is the presence of very complicated

polyrhythms that gives African music

its sometimes seemingly unorganized

sound. Nothing could be further from the

truth. Each drum had a very set rhythm

that when heard by itself was very clear,

but when added to many other drums

with their own set rhythms, produced a

very complex musical tapestry.

29UMS 09-10

4. The musical scale that is found in most

African music is the pentatonic scale.

(On a piano play C D E G A) This is a five

note (pent) scale that is also found in the

music of Japan, Scotland, Mexico, Peru,

and many more.

5. There is something in a lot of African

music that we identify by the name:

call and response. This practice involves

a leader singing or chanting a melody

and the rest of the group responding in

a prescribed way. This can be found in

Jazz and in a slightly different fashion in

many churches.

6. The vocal characteristics of African

music included all types of voices, all

kinds of vocal manipulation, raspy tone,

buzzes in the voice, falsetto and bend-

ing tones. In other words there was no

attempt at finding and producing a pure

vocal sound. People expressed them-

selves vocally with whatever came out.

This characteristic can be heard in almost

every blues singer you can name.

EUROPEAN INFLUENCES The main

influence that we can attribute to Europe

lies in the area of instrumentation and

harmony. The effect of this will be seen

much clearer a bit later. Harmonically,

the diatonic scale which is prevalent

in Western music was an expansion of

the pentatonic scale found in African

music. The classical/Western concept and

practice of chords and chord progressions

was also a major area of influence. In the

area of instrumentation, the instruments

that we would consider to be symphonic

in nature, trumpets, trombones, clarinets,

etc. would eventually find there way into

the hands of individuals who did not

necessarily have the classical/European

background.

NEW ORLEANS/THE BIRTHPLACE

GEOGRAPHIC FACTS - New Orleans

seems tailor-made for the birthplace of

jazz due to many factors, one of which

was where it was situated. New Orleans

lies at the end of the Mississippi River

which provided a ready-made highway

for not only people to come to New

Orleans, but for jazz to be exported from

the city. The Mississippi River touched

many states including several slave states

which factored into the diverse popula-

tion. New Orleans was a bustling seaport,

a center of commerce that was a gate-

way to thje Caribbean. These geographic

facts certaily had a tremendous influence

on all aspects of New Orleans life as we

will soon learn.

DEMOGRAPHIC - New Orleans is trul;y a

unique city. Having been under the flags

of Spain and France before it became

a part of the USA, there were many,

many different ethnic groups that were a

part of the city’s makeup. Each of these

groups contributed to the overall culture

of the city.

CREOLES - Again, there are several

definitions of the word “creole”. For our

purposes Creoles were people of French

or Spanish ancestry who were born in the

New World. They were highly educated,

provided the best for their children,

including music lessons and supported

the musical and cultural activites of this

bustling city.

CREOLES OF COLOR - One custom that

was French in origin allowed the men

to keep mistresses. Many chose light

skinned women of mixed blood that

were plentiful in the South. This pro-

duced a kind of lower class of “black”

creoles. In fact in Louisiana there was a

very explicit way of categorizing “black”

creoles based on the amount of Negro

blood that one had . For instance, 50%

white, 50% black was a mulatto.

The black creoles, because they resulted

from the union of Creoles and light

skinned women, originally were accepted

into white society and had the same

rights and privileges. Around 1894, the

Louisiana Legislature passed a law that

said that anyone with African blood was

considered a Negro. The ultimate result

of this law was that the “black” creoles

were pushed out of white society and

eventually became fused with the black

culture This fact more than any other

provided the impetus for the new music

we call jazz.

SLAVES/FREED SLAVES - As we all know,

slaves were uprooted from their home-

land and brought to this country with

literally nothing but the clothes on their

backs. However, within themselves they

brought their culture including their mu-

sical practices and heritage. ( Remember

the African roots of the vocal tradition

and the emphasis on rhythm.) New

Orleans was a haven for escaped slaves

and freed slaves. They met on Sundays in

a place called Congo Square. There they

were allowed to dance, sing, play drums

and generally participate in their African

culture. Of course, many people came

and just watched.

CULTURAL INFLUENCES This where it

all comes together. New Orleans at the

turn of the century was a bee hive of

musical activity. Symphony orchestras,

opera companies, musicales, brass bands

and a myriad of other musical ensembles.

There was also a tremendous party at-

mosphere that continues to this very day.

This atmosphere provided a tremendous

amount of work for musicians, especially

in the red light district of New Orleans

called Storyville. The presence of several

brass bands and the fact that many

Army bands were de-activated in New

Orleans provided many cheap musical

30 UMS 09-10

instruments that found their way into the

hands of blacks who previously had no

access to them.

The Creoles and “black” Creoles (before

they lost their status) were the trained

musicians. They were the orchestra

players, they gave their children music

lessons. They were in the mainstream of

musical activity. The blacks (slaves) on

the other hand were not a part of this

but had their own traditions that ,at least

for now, were largely vocal. Except for

Sunday at Congo Square drums were

not allowed because the white masters

associated drums with rebellion.

When the “black” creoles began to

come into contact with the black slave

culture there was a coming together of

two separate and distint musical styles

and cultures. This amalgamation of styles

over time had a direct influence on how

the music was played. The African field

holler, the call and response, the rhythmic

emphasis, the highly interactive nature

all found their way into Jazz. The next

few lessons will examine in detail several

different styles of jazz and you will be

able to see how these events affected the

music and how it is still affecting it today.

THE BLUES

The first thing to understand about the

blues is that it is as much how as what

you play or sing. The second thing is that

the blues will be here long after we all

are gone. It is one of the most venerable

forms of music that we have, There have

literally been thousands of blues that

have been written and recorded, and

many more that have simply been played.

When musicians get together, especially if

they have not performed together, on of

the first things they will do is play a blues.

ORIGIN No one really knows where the

blues came from. There are some that

say it was from the work song, some

from the field holler, some from the ring

shout. It is in general agreement that the

blues as such, did not come from Africa

but was developed in this country. It

began as a purely unaccompanied vocal

solo. Early accompaniments were played

primarily on a banjo or guitar and were

very primitive. (A good example is Robert

Johnson.) As the blues developed a stan-

dard pattern of lyrics and a basic chord

progression began to take shape.

FORM The most standard form of the

blues is 12 measures long. There are 8

bar blues and 16 bar blues but most are

12 bars long. Each chorus (one complete

playing) is divided into 3 phrases of four

bars each. The most basic blues uses only

3 different chords that provide the basis

for endless variations over which soloists

play melodies. The lyrics of the blues

also follow a standard practice. The first

two lines are the same and the third is

different. One theory on the evolution

of the lyrics is that during the repeat ot

the first line, the singer could be making

up the third line. This is also connected

to the call and response that we talked

about earlier. It should be pointed out

here that many, many blues lyrics had a

double meaning that, more often than

not, had sometning to do with sex.. Be-

cause the lyrics rarely took up the entire

four measures, an instrumentalist usually

completed the phrase. This instrumnental

completion is called a fill.

In the blues we see one of the great-

est manifestations of African musical

practices or characteristics. This is vocal

tone and includes the bending of notes

so prevalent in African music. It is the

bending of notes that gives the blues its

flavor. It is like playing or singing in the

cracks of the notes on a piano key-

board. Remember our diatonic scale that

Western music uses all the time? Well in

order to simulate blues tonalities within

this scale we have to alter several of the

notes. These are called the “blue notes”.

Books have been written on the origin,

deliniation, use, etc. of these notes but

for us it is enough to know that the”

blue notes” in a diatonic scale are made

by lowering/flatting the 3rd, 5th and 7th

degree of that scale In the case of the

C scale it would be E-flat, G-flat, and

B-flat. These are “approximations” of the

“blues” tonality but the only way to ap-

proach it given the scale we have to work

with. The blues is a major style of music

today and has been incorporated into

many other styles including rhythm and

blues, and rock and roll.

There are two basic blues styles that

we will examine: country blues and city

blues. There are many other names for

blues styles but a basic understanding of

these two will provide a solid foundation

for further investigation.

COUNTRY BLUES Accompaniment: Very

sparse, usually a guitar.

Lyrics: Usually dealt with the hardships

of life.

Vocal Style: Expressive but very unde-

veloped

Rhythm: Very free, no set patterns.

Location: Work camps, rural areas.

Singers: Usually men.

It is easy to see how all the musical char-

acteristics fit the other social and cultural

aspects of the music. The same holds

frue for the Urban blues.

31UMS 09-10

URBAN/CITY BLUES Accompaniment:

Piano or instruments.

Lyrics: More sophisticated, problems of

the heart, love, etc.

Vocal Style: More refined.

Rhythm: 12 bar structure, more comntrolled.

Location: Vaudeville, concert/club settings.

Singers: Usually women:

Please remember that we are speaking

in generalities for the most part and you

can find examples of the exact oppo-

site if you look long enough. This fact

applies to any style of music that you

want to name. There are many, many

fine blues singers, both past and present

but I might suggest Robert Johnson for

Country Blues and Bessie Smith for City

Blues. Enjoy!!!

EARLY JAZZ

PIANO STYLES RAGTIME - Ragtime is a

style of music that was played by many

different types of groups but is known

primarily as a piano style and it is in the

area of piano that the style has survived.

It is a highly syncopated style of music

that was centered in Sedalia, Mo. It is

considered by many to be outside the

realm of jazz because, in large part, the

music was written down and not impro-

vised. Much of the music, was published

and was responsible for the sale of many

pianos due to the fact that the piano

was the center of family entertainment

at the turn of the century. Anyone could

purchase the “sheet music” and learn to

play their favorite rags.

Characteristics: 1. More written than improvised.

2. Usually played on a piano.

3. Highly syncopated.

4. The form of classic ragtime follows

the form of a standard march wherein

there are equal, repeated strains of 16

measures.

5. The rhythm of ragtime is 2/4 .

Perhaps the greatest known composer

of rags was Scott Joplin. He composed

hundresds of rags including “Maple

Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer”. The

movie “The Sting” used his music as a

background score and led to a revivial

of sorts. His music is readily availabe on

CD. Another very famous ragtime player

and composer was Jelly Roll Morton. In

addition to his solo piano playing he had

a wonderful group called the “Red Hot

Peppers” not to be confused with the

more current Red Hot CHILI Peppers

HARLEM STRIDE PIANO Harlem stride

piano or simply stride, was the first jazz

style to develop somewhere other than

in the South. Its “inventor”, James P.

Johnson was born in New Jersey and the

music had its greatest success in uptown

New York City: Harlem. The “stride” in

the title came from the ;practice of play-

ing the bass note and chords in the left

hand by “striding” over the keyboard to

accomplish this. It was played at “rent

parties” where the tennant threw a party

to raise the next month’s rent. These

parties would go on all night long until

enough money was raised. There were

often more than one piano player since

the music never stopped. This led to a lot

of “cutting” contests where each player

would try to outdo the preceeding player.

It also provided a good setting for a lot of

experimentation.

Characteristics: 1. It was an extension of ragtime.

2. Stride players applied the style to any

tune they wanted to play.

3. Unlike ragtime, stride was more impro-

vised than written.

4. Stride was generally played at much

faster tempi than ragtime, which

demanded a higher level of technique

and execution.

Generally considered to be the most

exciting stride player was Thomas “Fats”

Waller. From 1935 to 1943 he was one

of the hottest entertainment properties

in the country and had careers enough

for 3 men. Only Louis Armstrong was

more popular. Fortunately his legacy is

immense: over 500 records as a soloist,

accompanist and small group member.

An examination of the man and the

music is well advised.

NEW ORLEANS DIXIELAND The party

atmosphere of New Orleans provided

many opportunities for musicians to play.

In addition many dixieland bands played

for funerals in a very unique way. Going

to the cemetery the music was slow and

dirge-like, while after the burial the music

was joyous .

The makeup of the New Orleans dixie-

land bands was fairly standard and ar-

rived at due to the playing circumstances.

Since they played outdoors a great

deal and had to march, all the instru-

ments had to be portable. The standard

instrumentation is : trumpet(or cornet),

clarinet, trombone, banjo, drums and

tuba(Sousaphone). All of these could be

played while walking and they all had a

specific part to play. Not a written part

as such but a particular function. The

cornet(trumpet) played the melody, the

clarinet played a melody (countermelody)

32 UMS 09-10

above the trumpet, the trombone was re-

sponsible for the low harmony parts, the

banjo provided the chords, the tuba the

bass notes and the drums, the beat. They

all improvised together in a fashion called

collective improvisation. The cornet, clari-

net and trombone were known as the

front line. The rhythm of NO Dixieland

was a steady 4/4 with every beat receiv-

ing the same amount of accent. Solos

as such were not that prevalent and it

would not be until Chicago Dixieland

that this was to change.

CHICAGO DIXIELAND When Storyville

was closed many musicians migrated

to many other parts of the country. In

Chicago the music began to change in

several ways. The instrumentation was

slightly different because no longer

was a lot of the playing done outdoors.

Therefore all the instruments didn’t need

to be portable. The piano replaced the

banjo, the string bass replaced the tuba,

a saxophone was added and collective

improvisation fell by the wayside. There

was also a drastic change in the rhythm

from flat four 4/4 to 2/4. This in part,

was due to the fact that by adding a

piano player who played in the ragtime

style of 2/4 the other members of the

group were exposed to this new rhythmic

feeling which was not as stiff. The other

major change was in the improvisation.

Collective improvisation was out and the

individual soloist was in. As you will see,

one man, Louis “Pops” Armstrong was

largely responsible for this change.

SWING There has never been a more

popular style of jazz than swing, and

today there is a tremendous ressurgence

of interest in this style. Today just as in

the 40’s, it is centered around dancing.

The Swing Era has also been dubbed the

BigBand Era. It was during this time that

literally hundreds of bands were playing

for thousands of dancers in every city,

town and hamlet. The “name” bands

had very individual sounds that could be

heard on the radio every night into the

wee small hours of the morning. Their

leaders became as famous as movie stars

and had fiercely loyal followers.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

1. Larger groups. Sections of instruments.

Saxes, trumpets, trombones and rhythm.

2. Use of written arrangements with less

space for improvisation.

3. No collective improvisation due to the

number of players.

4. Most bands usually had a featured

vocalist. (Frank Sinatra)

5. Each “name” band had an identifying

feature.

6. The total package was important:

dress, music stands, risers, backup vocal

group, etc.

There were two very distinct “classifica-

tions” of big bands. White and black.

Each one had different characteristics

and styles of playing. The white bands,

Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie

Shaw, Glenn Miller received the bulk of

the publicity, air time and movie foot-

age. These bands were made up of very

accomplished players who were excel-

lent readers. The emphasis was on the

ensemble rather than on the individual

soloist. These bands had a national repu-

tation and toured extensively. One of the

most important people in these organiza-

tions was the arranger.

He was the person responsible for the

sound of the band by how he would

arrange the music for the individual

players. Of course he had to satisty the

leader of the band who may or may

not have given him guidelines to work

within. With a band of good readers the

arranger could experiment with various

techniques and provide a steady stream

of new music. This was an important fac-

tor in maintaining a band’s popularity.

The black bands came from a different

background that was largely more rural

than urban. These bands, Count Basie,

Andy Kirk, Benny Moten, etc. began as

territorial bands. Bands that played and

stayed in one certain locale. Oklahoma

City, Dallas, Kansas City, which at that

time were much more rural than today,

were centers for territorial bands. The

musicians in these bands were not good

readers if they could read at all. They did

not have the benefit of teachers, concert

halls and the like. They were much more

connected to the black vocal tradition of

the blues and gospel music. The music

of these bands was based largely on the

blues and “riffs” and were also known

as “riff” bands. (A riff is a short melodic

statement that began life as a back-

ground for players waiting their turn in

jam sessions and would be played just

to keep their “chops” fresh and harkens

back to the call and response pattern

found in African music.) The black ter-

ritorial bands put a greater emphasis on

swinging and soloing than their white

counterparts. There were however, sev-

eral black bands that were quite polished

and in a different category than the

territorial bands. The bands of Fletcher

Henderson and Jimmie Lunceford are

two such bands.

One of the seeming paradoxes of the

big band era was the fact that a number

of really excellent soloists emerged from

it. Coleman Hawkins, Benny Goodman,

Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, Gene

Krupa, Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges

to mention a few. The big band set-up of

written arrangements and less solo space

would seem to indicate the opposite.

33UMS 09-10

The importance of radio to the swing

era cannot be over-emphasized. It was

through nightly broadcasts that the

bands would develop an audience so

that on their tours their concerts and

dances would be jam packed. It was not

an uncommon sight for a dance hall in

the middle of nowhere to have 4 or 5

thousand people in it on a Saturday night

to dance to one of the “name” bands.

BEBOP Bebop was the first style to be

classified as “modern” jazz. Like other

styles it did not suddenly burst on the

scene but developed gradually from the

swing era. It was not as popular as swing

and at the time caused great disagree-

ment among fans and players alike. In

the study of jazz, styles that follow one

another are often the excact opposite

of the preceeding style. Such is the case

with bebop.

Bebop differed from swing in many ways

that fall under the broad categories of per-

formance practices and aspects of style.

The following fall under performance

practices.

1. The preferred size and instrumentation

of the bebop group was the small combo

and not the big band.

2. The clarinet and rhythm guitar did not

make the transition to bebop and were

rarely seen or heard.

3. Bebop tempos were much faster

which led to a greater display of technical

virtuosity on the part of the players.

4. Where the big bands had elaborate

arrangements, the bop quintet usually

played the heads (melody) in unison.

5. Where the big bands were for dancing

and catered to the dancers, bebop was

almost strictly for listening and had none

of the trappings of the big band.

In the area of stylistic changes there were

many.

1. Bebop melodies were extremely com-

plicated, full of notes that seemed to leap

wildly and were unsingable.

2. Harmonies were also much more in-

tense and varied than in the swing era.

3. Improvising took on a new importance

and led to very long solos.

4. The general feeling of bebop was

frantic to say the least.

5. The rhythm section became more

responsive to the soloists and was not

concerned with keeping time for a bunch

of dancers. They supported the soloist

and freely used accents called “bombs.”

The main innovators of the new music

were “Dizzy” Gillespie, trumpet; Charlie

“Bird” Parker, Alto Sax; Thelonius Monk,

piano: Bud Powell, piano; Charlie Chris-

tian, Guitar: Kenny Clarke on drums.

Bebop began to crystallize in the 40’s at

a place in New York Citry called Minton’s

Playhouse. It was at after hours jam

sessions at Minton’s that these players

experimented with the new music. There

was also a dark side that involved the

heavy use of drugs by many of the play-

ers. This resulted in a lot of bad press,

especially when its greatest practitioner,

Charlie Parker, died at the age of 34 from

a lifetime of drug use.

Bebop is still a viable style and can be

heard on many Cds and in live perfor-

mance. It is a special kind of jazz that not

eveyone can play because of the high

demands on creativity and execution.

We say it generally separates the men

from the boys and the sheep from the

goats. There are several excellent videos

and books on each of the “inventors”

and I would highly reccommend that you

check them out.

BEYOND BEBOP

This lesson will briefly identify the charac-

teristics of several styles that came after

bebop. All of them are quite significant

and should be studied in depth for a more

comprehensive understanding of each.

COOL Cool was somewhat of a reaction

against Bop and using our yardstick of

the following style being the opposite

of the preceeding one we find this to be

quite true in every category. Cool is the

least well defined jazz style. It was an

attitude as well that called for keeping

emotions in check and being “cool”. It

is sometimes referred to as “West Coast

jazz. This due mainly to the fact that

many players were situated on the West

Coast but it was played everywhere.

There were a lot of white musicians

involved in the movement which was

the opposite of the Bebop movement.

However ther were players of both ethnic

backgrounds that were important to this

style. One of these was Miles Davis. One

of the most important figures in the his-

tory of jazz. He was the leader on some

recording sessions that became known

as the “Birth of the Cool” sessions. The

album by the same name is one of the

classic jazz albums of all time.

CHARACTERISTICS - As the name might

indicate all musical ingredients were now

cool, reserved, controlled, etc.

INSTRUMENTATION -The Cool move-

ment featured larger groups like nonets

(9), octets (8), septets (7), etc. The actual

instrumentation included instruments

that were not common to jazz, like flute,

French horn, flugelhorn and tuba.

TEXTURE/TIMBRE: Not only were the

instruments of a “softer” nature, but

how they and the other normal instru-

34 UMS 09-10

ments were played was different. Players

tended to play softer, in the middle

range of the horn with less vibrato and

VERY controlled. The emphasis was on

a light and buoyant sound Drummers

used brushes instead of sticks in keep-

ing with the “cool” attitude. The music

was more arranged and had a polished,

smooth sound.

Tempo: Tempos were generally slower

and more relaxed.

Solos: Solos were more melodic, easier to

understand and follow.

Some of the major players were Gerry

Mulligan, Chet Baker, Bud Shank, the

Modern Jazz Quartet, Lester Young,

Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz.. Many

of whom had come from the big bands

of Count Basie, Stan Kenton and

Woody Herman.

AVANT- GARDE/FREE JAZZ Possibly

one of the least popular styles in the

history of jazz is this one. Experimental,

dissonant, abrasive, are all adjectives for

the avant-garde style. In this style there is

a conscious attempt to push the enve-

lope of all the musical elements. Many of

the groups did not use a piano in order

to free them from normal harmonic

progressions. Individual instruments were

played in a fashion unlike anything that

had gone before. Squeeks, squawks,

multi-phonics(playing two notes at a

time), altissimo playing (the extreme high

register), rhythmic freedom, harsh tone

quality, all can be found in the avant-

garde. One of the most influential players

is saxophonist Ornette Coleman. His

album “Free Jazz” is where the move-

ment got its name. Another important

player is pianist Cecil Taylor. His style of

playing concentrated on obtaining tex-

tures rather than recognizable melodies.

Another player who is as major hallmark

in the history is tenor saxophonist John

Coltrane. One of his style periods was

avant-garde and he pushed the tenor

saxophone to new extremes. He was

a very charasmatic person who had an

influence on many, many players. He also

was an innovator in the style of playing

called modal jazz. This was a different ap-

proach to playing that featured a much

slower harmonic rhythm (fewer chords)

that allowed the soloist to concentrate

on melodic invention. (This style was

before the avant-garde)

FUSION This term covers a wide range

of styles including jazz-rock, funk, pop-

fusion, avante-garde fusion, etc. Again

one of the innovators in this style was

Miles Davis. His album “Bitches Brew” is

another pivotal album in the history of

jazz. Not only was it a fusion of rock and

jazz but one of the first albums to use

electric instruments (electric bass, Fender-

Rhodes piano, electric guitar) instead of

acoustic instruments. In some cases two

or more pianos or basses were used at

the same time. There were several players

on “Bitches Brew” that went on to long

and distinguished careers, among them

pianists Chic Corea and Joe Zawinul, gui-

tarist John McLaughlin and tenor saxo-

phonist Wayne Shorter. There are some

general characteristics that distinguish

funk and rock from jazz.

1. Fewer chord changes.

2. More repetition of both chords and

melodic phrases.

3. Chords are less comlpex.

4 Drums play simpler, repetive patterns.

5. Much less improvisation.

There are many, many important players

and groups in the various fusion styles.

Some of them are Chic Corea’s Return to

Forever and The Electric Band, Weather

Report, The Mahavishnu Orcherstra, Her-

bie Hancock and the Headhunters. Some

of the more current groups include Pat

Metheny, the Yellowjackets and Spyro-

Gyra. There are an increasing number

of groups that play a tremendous range

of music thereby making it difficult to

put them in any one category. There are

certainly is enough variety out to satisfy

the most discriminating of fans.

Source: www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/

Lesson3.html

www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Les-

son4.html

www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Les-

son5.html

www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Les-

son6.html

www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Les-

son7.html

35UMS 09-10

J A Z Z E D U C AT I O N A L R E S O U R C E S

Photo: Michael Dvorak

36 UMS 09-10

I N T E R N E T R E S O U R C E S

EXPLORE

KENNEDY CENTER ARTS EDGE

Spotlight: Celebrating Jazz - www.

artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

tent/3944/

Rhythm & Improv, Jazz & Poetry -

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

tent/3654/

Lesson Overview: The musicality of words

is an important element of poetry, and

many poets carefully consider the sound

of the words on the page. Students will

listen to and analyze jazz music, spe-

cifically considering sound, rhythm, and

improvisation. Students will identify jazz

characteristics in poems by Yusef Komu-

nyakaa, Sonia Sanchez, and Langston

Hughes, and will incorporate these ele-

ments in their own original poetry.

You Keep Making Stuff Up! - http://

artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

tent/3811/

Lesson Overview: Improvisation exists in

many musical genres, from jazz to Salsa

to Afro-Cuban music. It is a concept

and skill that often seems daunting to

the novice and music-lover alike, but it

doesn’t take an expert to learn to impro-

vise. In this lesson, student will explore

the basics of improvisation, listening

to jazz and other genre excerpts and

identifying elements of improvisation in

these genres. Students will learn to play

and sing the accompaniment and melody

for an original song about improvisation.

Finally, students will perform the song as

an ensemble, taking turns to improvise

on the music.

Jazz in Time - www.artsedge.kennedy-

center.org/content/3949/

Overview: Developed for middle and high

school audiences, this interactive timeline

follows the development of this great

American art form. Divided by decade,

the timeline highlights events that helped

shape jazz and illustrates the styles of

each period through music and images.

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER

http://jalc.org/jazzED

The Jazz at Lincoln Center mission is to

engage listeners, performers, and educa-

tors of every age with a continuum of

experiences in appreciation and perfor-

mance that reflect the virtuosity, creativ-

ity, and inclusive spirit of jazz.

Online Education: Learn to play it, hear

it, and teach it from your classroom or

your living room, anywhere in the world.

Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame

Online: chronicles the life and art of

each of the Hall’s inductees through

dynamic interactive timelines, extensive

musical selections, rare photographs and

archival footage. - www.jalc.org/hallof-

fame/

Education Events Online - www.jalc.

org/jazzED/streamin/index09.asp

Education Events Online brings select

Master Classes, Jazz Talks, clinics, and

Jazz 101 courses to you and your stu-

dents, free of charge.

JAZZ FOR YOUNG PEOPLE™ ONLINE

www.jazzforyoungpeople.org

Intended primarily for 4th-9th graders,

the multimedia kit is designed for both

musicians and non-musicians an provides

flexible lessons that can be taught in one

semester-long unit or in shorter, indi-

vidual units.

This educational website supplements

the Jazz for Young People Curriculum

with original audio and video clips, classic

photographs, engaging biographies, and

dynamic activities that enliven jazz for

students of all ages.

NEA

Jazz in the Schools - www.neajazz-

intheschools.org/

NEA Jazz in the Schools is a web-based

curriculum and dvd tool kit that explores

jazz as an indigenous american art form

and as a means to understand american

history.

In partnership with the National Endow-

ment for the Arts (NEA), Jazz at Lincoln

center has produced a free educational

resource for high school teachers of

social studies, history, and music. NEA

Jazz in the Schools explores jazz as an

indigenous American art form and as a

means to understand American his-

tory. This web-based curriculum and

DVD toolkit includes a teacher’s guide

of five curricular units with teacher tips,

37UMS 09-10

cross-curricular activities, and assessment

methods. Each kit also includes student

materials, a timeline poster, and audio

and video resources.

Each of the five lessons contains an

opening essay, video, music, photo-

graphs, discussion questions, and other

resources. Each lesson contains practi-

cal suggestions for effective ways to

use the materials. We hope that these

lessons serve as an exciting jumping off

point for you and your students to learn

more about jazz and its unique connec-

tion to our nation’s past and present.

Please accept this invitation to bring the

wonders of jazz to a new generation of

Americans!

These lessons are designed as units; five

units serve as a week-long curriculum. If

you plan to teach a lesson per day, you

might find that there is more material

than can be taught in one class period.

This allows you to pick and choose the

items that best suit your students, your

curriculum design, and your teaching

goals. You might draw on an entire in-

dividual lesson or components of several

lessons. Alternately, you could spread the

units, or elements from the units, across

the semester.

Note that each lesson fulfills National

Curriculum Standards for social studies,

history, arts education, civics and govern-

ment, and geography.

To link the NEA Jazz in Schools curricu-

lum to your class, you might draw on the

following themes:

The struggle for civil rights •

The pluralistic character of American •

culture, especially in cities such as

New Orleans

Arts and culture as a reflection of •

historical events

Jazz as a metaphor for American •

identity

The effect of technology on Ameri-•

can culture

The increasing urbanization of •

America

Arts and music as a means of self-•

expression

Each unit contains: •

A Lesson Essay written by scholars •

in the fields of jazz and history; hy-

perlinks on the website direct you to

music examples and photos included

in the guide

A Major Artists section featuring •

short biographies of important jazz

artists of each era

Lesson Objectives focusing on Ameri-•

can history and jazz

The National Curriculum Standards •

met by this curriculum

Suggested Steps for Teaching the •

Lesson

Discussion Questions •

Student Activities •

Additional resources including •

recordings, videos, books, and

websites; we encourage you to

seek out other recordings and live

performance opportunities for your

students

A Student Assessment with 10 •

multiple-choice questions; essay

questions can be developed from

discussion questions if you need

further assessment

A Glossary providing definitions for •

musical terms

The interactive timeline features events

from the essays that can be viewed by

multiple categories: culture, technology,

music, history, and geography.

The Listen page contains music clips for

the entire curriculum. The list can be

sorted by lesson, track number, artist,

song title, or date by clicking at the top

of each respective column.

The Artist page contains biographies,

audio clips, and related web resources for

each of the major artists.

THE THELONIOUS MONK INSTITUTE

OF JAZZ www.jazzinamerica.org/

The mission of The Thelonious Monk

Institute of Jazz is to offer public school-

based jazz education programs for

young people around the world, helping

students develop imaginative thinking,

creativity, curiosity, a positive self image,

and a respect for their own and others’

cultural heritage.

The National Jazz Curriculum: Located on

the Web at www.jazzinamerica.org, his

Internet-based jazz curriculum is avail-

able to every 5th, 8th, and 11th grade

public school social studies and American

history classroom in the United States.

This is the first jazz curriculum to use cur-

rent Internet technology and be offered

free of charge on a national basis. It also

represents the most significant and po-

tentially wide-reaching jazz/social studies

education program ever undertaken by

an arts organization.

Includes: jazz curricula for three distinct

grade levels, as well as a lesson spe-

cifically dedicated to the blues and its

influence on jazz. The 5th, 8th, and 11th

38 UMS 09-10

grade sections each contain eight age-

appropriate class lessons to be taught as

an integral component of American his-

tory and social studies courses; they can

also be used as supplemental material for

courses in music history and appreciation.

Each lesson is aligned with the National

Standards in the areas of American His-

tory, Social Science, and the Arts.

Beginning with what jazz is and how it

began, each set of lesson plans examines

characteristics of various jazz styles and

highlights contributions of important

performers and composers. They also

explore the social, economic, and politi-

cal contexts within which jazz evolved,

providing an additional and engaging

modality for the study of American his-

tory. All pertinent content, audio and

video examples, student handouts, and

assessments are contained within.

SMITHSONIAN

Jazz Class - www.smithsonianjazz.org

Visit “Jazz Classes” to hear the elegant

Duke Ellington, the scat singer extraor-

dinaire Ella Fitzgerald, Louis “Satchmo”

Armstrong, and swingin’ Benny Carter.

There is also a cool Duke Ellington Inter-

active lesson. For those of you who want

to find out more about jazz, click on

“What is Jazz” to answer your questions.

Groovin’ to Jazz - www.smithsonianjazz.

org/class/groovintojazz/lessonplans.asp

Groovin’ to Jazz includes thirty-one

original recordings with lesson plans de-

signed for intermediate level (ages 8-13)

and middle level (ages 13-15) students.

Some lessons have worksheets to go

with them. Most lessons are designed

for teachers with limited resources and

space. You will need a computer with

access to the Internet so you can play the

recordings for your class. Some lessons

include links to websites with additional

activities or recordings. If you decide to

use the sixteen intermediate or fifteen

middle level recordings/lessons, you

should teach them in the sequence pre-

sented here because lessons build upon

each other and develop jazz skills.

Bibliography of Jazz books for Children

- www.smithsonianjazz.org/bibliography/

bib_start.asp

Download bibliographies created by by

Lois Kipnis, Director of Arts Education,

Friends of the Arts, Inc. www.FOTApre-

sents.org. There are bibliographies avail-

able: Grades Pre-Kindergarten to 6 and

Grades 6 to 12.

PBS

Jazz -www.pbs.org/jazz/classroom/

The resources offered here are designed

to help you use the PBS JAZZ video series

and companion Web site in music, social

studies, math, and language arts classes.

The lesson plans may also be adapted for

use as stand-alone resources. This site

includes Lessons and Activities for Grades

K-5, Lessons and Activities for Grades

6-12, and General Motors Music Study

Guide for Grades 5-8.

PBS has produced several programs that

touch on the music and the people of jazz.

Explore some of the best of PBS cultural

programming. www.pbs.org/jazz/links/

NPR

Jazz - www.nprjazz.org

Check out recent and classic perfor-

mances, interviews, news, and reviews

on public radio. Make sure the DJ at your

local NPR Jazz station is playing your

favorites.

Jazzset with Dee Dee Bridge Water

-www.npr.org/programs/jazzset/index.

html

Jazz Profiles - www.npr.org/programs/

jazzprofiles

Hosted by Nancy Wilson, this compel-

ling documentary series chronicles the

people, places, and events in jazz history.

By combining archival recordings, inter-

views, and narration, each program in

the series tells an informative story that

celebrates the music and the musicians of

this uniquely American art form.

Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz -

www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/

This Peabody-award winning show

produced by South Carolina Educational

Radio features Marian McPartland and

her guests reminiscing, improvising, and

swapping stories, songs, and techniques

about jazz each week.

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

www.northwestern.edu/jazz/education.html

From Northwestern University, this site

contains links to several jazz education

sites containing free music, pedagogy,

and lessons.

39UMS 09-10

R E C O M M E N D E D R E A D I N GThis page lists several recommended books to help reinforce jazz education through literature.

PRIMARY + ELEMENTARY GRADES

•HipCatbyJonathanLondon,WoodleighHubbard(Illustrator)

•MysteriousTheloniusbyChrisRaschka

•TheJazzFlybyMatthewGollub,KarenHanke(Illustrator)

•EllaFitzgerald:AYoungVocalVirtuosobyAndreaDavisPinkney

•DukeEllington:ThePianoPrinceandhisOrchestrabyAndreaDavisPinkney

•TheSoundThatJazzMakesbyCaroleBostonWeatherford

•JohnColtrane’sGiantStepsbyChrisRaschkaandJohnColtrane

•CharlieParkerPlayedBebopbyChrisRaschka

•DJandtheJazzFestbyDeniseWalkerMcConduit

•TheJazzyAlphabetbySherryShahan

•WhoBop?byJohnathonLondon

•BringonThatBeatbyRachelIsadora

UPPER MIDDLE + SECONDARY GRADES

•JazzMakers:VanguardsofSoundbyAlynShipton

•AmericanJazzMusicians(ACollectiveBiography)byStanleyMour

•JazzandItsHistory(MastersofMusic)byGiuseppeVigna

•TheGoldenAgeofJazzbyWilliamGottleib

•LouisArmstrong-ASelfPortraitbyRichardMeryman

•TheArtofJazzbyMartinWilliams

•TheNewGroveDictionaryofJazzbyBerryKernfeld

•SweetSingBluesontheRoadbyWyntonMarsalisandFrankStewart

•TheMusicofBlackAmericansbyEileenSouthern

•TheDukeEllingtonReaderbyMarkTucker

EXPLORE

40 UMS 09-10

A B O U T U M S

41UMS 09-10

U N I V E R S I T Y M U S I C A L S O C I E T Y

UMS

UMS IS COMMITTED to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experi-

ences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, the University Musical Society is now in its 131st season. With a

program steeped in music, dance, and theater performed at the highest international standards of quality, UMS contributes to a vi-

brant cultural community by presenting approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational and community activities

each season. UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national,

and international partners.

UMS EDUCATION &

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT MAILING ADDRESS

100 Burton Memorial Tower

881 North University Ave

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011

STAFF

Kenneth C. FischerUMS President

Carlos PalomaresProduction Manager

Claire C. RiceInterim Director

Mary Roeder Residency Coordinator

Omari RushEducation Manager

INTERNS

Emily Barkakati

Mark Johnson

Neal Kelley

Leonard Navarro

Bennett Stein

42 UMS 09-10

K-12 SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

Working directly with schools to

align our programs with classroom

goals and objectives

•13-yearofficialpartnershipswiththe

Ann Arbor Public Schools and the Washt-

enaw Intermediate School District.

•SuperintendentofAnnArborPublic

Schools is an ex officio member of the

UMS Board of Directors.

•UMShassignificantrelationshipswith

Detroit Public Schools’ dance and world

language programs and is developing

relationships with other regional districts.

•UMSisbuildingpartnershipswithorof-

fering specialized services to the region’s

independent and home schools.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS

Affecting educators’ teaching prac-

tices at the developmental stage

•UMSYouthEducationisdeveloping

a partnership with the U-M School of

Education, which keeps UMS informed

of current research in educational theory

and practice.

•Universityprofessorsandstaffare

active program advisors and workshop

presenters.

ACCESSIBILITY

Eliminating participation barriers

•UMSsubsidizesYouthPerformance

tickets to $6/student (average subsidy:

$25/ticket)

•Whenpossible,UMSreimbursesbus-

sing costs.

•UMSYouthEducationoffersperson-

alized customer service to teachers in

order to respond to each school’s unique

needs.

•UMSactivelyseeksoutschoolswith

economic and geographic challenges to

ensure and facilitate participation.

ARTS EDUCATION LEADER

One of the premier arts education

programs in the country

•UMS’speerartseducationprograms:Car-

negie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center.

•UMShasthelargestyoutheducation

program of its type in the four-state region

and has consistent school/teacher participa-

tion throughout southeastern Michigan.

•20,000studentsareengagedeachsea-

son by daytime performances, workshops

and in-school visits.

•UMSYouthEducationwasawarded

“Best Practices” by ArtServe Michigan

and The Dana Foundation (2003).

U M S Y O U T H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M1 0 T H I N G S T O K N O W

UMS

QUALITY

Every student deserves access to

“the best” experiences of world arts

and culture

•UMSpresentsthefinestinternational

performing and cultural artists.

•Performancesareoftenexclusiveto

Ann Arbor or touring to a small number

of cities.

•UMSYouthPerformancesaimto

present to students the same perfor-

mance that the public audiences see (no

watered-down content).

DIVERSITY

Highlighting the cultural, artistic,

and geographic diversity of the world

•Programsrepresentworldculturesand

mirror school/community demographics.

•Studentsseeavarietyofartforms:

classical music, dance, theater, jazz,

choral, global arts.

•UMS’sGlobalArtsprogramfocuses

on 4 distinct regions of the world—

Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Arab

World—with a annual festival featuring

the arts of one region.

43UMS 09-10

KENNEDY CENTER PARTNERSHIP

•UMSYouthEducationhasbeena

member of the prestigious Kennedy

Center Partners in Education Program

since 1997.

•PartnersinEducationisanationalcon-

sortium of arts organization and public

school partnerships.

•Theprogramnetworksover100na-

tional partner teams and helps UMS stay

on top of best practices in education and

arts nationwide.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

“I find your arts and culture work-

shops to be one of the ‘Seven Won-

ders of Ann Arbor’!”

–AAPS Teacher

•UMSYouthEducationprovidessome

of the region’s most vital and responsive

professional development training.

•Over300teachersparticipateinour

educator workshops each season.

•Inmostworkshops,UMSutilizesand

engages resources of the regional com-

munity: cultural experts and institutions,

performing and teaching artists.

TEACHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Meeting the actual needs of today’s

educators in real time

•UMSYouthEducationworkswitha

50-teacher committee that guides pro-

gram decision-making.

•TheCommitteemeetsthroughout

the season in large and small groups

regarding issues that affect teachers and

their participation: ticket/bussing costs,

programming, future goals, etc.

IN-SCHOOL VISITS & CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT

Supporting teachers in the classroom

•UMSYouthEducationplacesinterna-

tional artists and local arts educators/

teaching artists in classes to help educa-

tors teach a particular art form or model

new/innovative teaching practices.

•UMSdevelopsnationally-recognized

teacher curriculum materials to help

teachers incorporate upcoming youth

performances immediately in their daily

classroom instruction.

UMS Youth Education Programumsyouth@umich.edu | 734-615-0122 |

www.ums.org/education

44 UMS 09-10

S E N D U S Y O U R F E E D B A C K !UMS wants to know what teachers and students think about this Youth Performance.

We hope you’ll send us your thoughts, drawings, letters, or reviews.

UMS YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM

BurtonMemorialTower•881N.UniversityAve.•AnnArbor,MI48109-1011

(734)615-0122phone•(734)998-7526fax•umsyouth@umich.edu

www.ums.org/education