traditional jazz
DESCRIPTION
lecture notes for Traditional JazzTRANSCRIPT
JazzDefinition Difficult:Encompasses Many Styles: Dixieland, Swing, Bop, Hard Bop, Cool, Third Stream, Avant-Garde, FusionMajor Component: Improvisation (spontaneous composition)
Jazz
Other Components: Swing Feeling, Abundance of Syncopated Rhythms
Some Jazz has Very Little Improvisation
Traditional Jazz
Known as: Dixieland, Trad Jazz, New Orleans Jazz
The First Jazz Artists came from New Orleans, although African-Americans in many cities were playing in a Syncopated Style Using Improvisation.
New Orleans
Multi-National City (French, Spanish, US)
• French began building 1718; by 1719 147 slaves; by 1722 many Freemen of Color
• Given to Spanish 1763; Returned to French 1801
• By 1810 5,000 Freemen of Color
Creoles
“Original Settlers of New Orleans”Creoles of Color a mixture of African-French (Quadroons, Octoroons)Distinct Social Class“Black Codes” laws with gradually eroded the Creole Class
Storyville 1897-1917
Five Sq. Mile Red-Light District
“Sportin’ Houses” often had music
Closed by Navy during WWI
Storyville
Parades & Brass Bands
Outdoor Music, Parks, Pavillions
Fraternal Organizations had Bands
• Onward Club, Tuxedo Club
Funeral Parades
Dances (Quadrilles, Waltzes, Ragtime)
Dirtier Dances, the Slow Drag
Buddy Bolden
“Legendary” First Jazz Band
First Band to Combine Blues & Ragtime 1895
No recordings exist
1907 committed to Mental Institution
Buddy Bolden
Jazz Emerges From Band Music
Instrumentation: Trumpet, Clarinet, Trombone, plus Rhythm Section
Rhythm Section: Drums, Bass Instrument (String Bass, Tuba), Chordal Instrument (Piano, Guitar, Banjo)
Trumpet/Cornet
“Brass” Instrument
1st Important Solo Instrument
Role: Melodic
“West End Blues”
Clarinet
“Woodwind” Instrument
Role: Ornate Passages Around the Melody
“Muskrat Ramble”
Trombone
“Brass” Instrument
Role: Ornate Bass Line
“Muskrat Ramble”
String Bass
String Instrument
Role: Bass Line
Or Tuba
“Brass” Instrument
Role: Bass Line
Used Outdoors
Bass Line
Drums
“Percussion” Instrument
Role: Rhythm
Piano
Role: Supply Harmony (Chords)
Banjo/Guitar
Role: Supply Harmony (Chords)
Banjo is louder, suitable for larger bands
Guitar is softer, suitable for intimate settings.
Banjo & Guitar
Dixieland Jazz Format
Collective Improvisation
• Trumpet played the melody
• Clarinet created ornate passages around the trumpet
• Trombone created fancy bass line
• Rhythm Section supplies rhythm, chords, bass line
Dixieland
New Orleans Style was mostly collective improvisation
Everyone Played all the Time, except for short breaks (two Bar)
Collective Improvisation (ODJB)
Modern Collective Improvisation
Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB)
First Jazz Recording 1917, “Dixieland Jass Band One-Step” & “Livery Stable Blues”
From New Orleans, Played in Chicago, Recorded in New York
Traveled to London & Europe
Styles Changed While They Were Gone
ODJB
“Dixieland Jass Band One-Step”
ODJB
ODJB
New Orleans Musicians
Joe “King” Oliver, Trumpet, Band Leader
King of Trumpet in New Orleans
Moved to Chicago in 1918
Mentor to Louis Armstrong
Creole Jazz Band
Recorded in 1923
King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band
New Orleans Musicians
Kid Ory, Trombone, Band Leader
1st African-American Jazz Band to Record, 1921 in Los Angeles
Joined King Oliver’s Band in Chicago
New Orleans Musicians
Jelly Roll Morton, Piano, Band Leader, Composer, Arranger
His Band: The Red Hot Peppers
1st Important Jazz Composer
Jelly Roll Morton
Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong
1st Important Jazz Soloist
Broke Away From the 100% Collective Improvisation New Orleans Format
International Reputation by the 1930s
His Band: Hot Five & Hot Seven
Developed Swinging 8th Note
Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five
“Muskrat Ramble”
Louis Armstrong
Able to construct Solos for Trumpet by itself
“West End Blues”
Louis Armstrong
1st Jazz Singer
Influenced many singers
1st Recorded “Scat Singer”
Louis Armstrong
Scat Singing: using vocables, instead of words, to improvise with the voice
“Scat-De-Dat”
Louis Armstrong
Followed King Oliver as #1 New Orleans Trumpet Player (1918-1922)
1922 Chicago as 2nd Trumpet in Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band
1924 New York with Fletcher Henderson’s Band
Louis Armstrong
1925 Returned to Chicago (Hot Five)
1930s Fronted Swing Band, Movies, Radio
Late 1940s- led Dixieland Bands, Toured for State Department
1950-1971, Television, Movies, Pop Records
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
By 1960 it would be difficult to find anyone in the world who did not know Louis Armstrong
Armstrong & Civil Rights Mvt.
Considered by some an Uncle Tom
Brown vs. Board of Education 1954
“Separate but Equal”
9-17-57 interview called President “two-faced” and “no guts”
Eisenhower sent in paratroopers to Little Rock, AR to integrate the school 9-24-57
Louis Amrstrong: Stamp
Chicago Style Jazz
New Orleans Musicians in Chicago Influence Young European-American Musicians
The Austin High Gang (Austin H.S.)
Future Stars Begin Jazz Careers
• Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Gene Krupa
Chicago Style Jazz
Amount of Collective Improvisation Decreases
Importance of Improvised Solos Increases
Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931)
1st Important European_American Jazz Soloist
Trumpet/Cornet
Bix Beiderbecke
Davenport Iowa (River Town)
Went to Chicago
Recorded in 1924 w/Wolverine Orchestra
1927 to New York w/Paul Whiteman Orchestra, the most important syncopated dance band in the country
Bix
“Jazz Me Blues” New Orleans Lucky 7
Bix & Paul Whiteman
Started in California moved to East Coast
First Recording 1919
Known by Most Americans 1930-1950
Bix’s Drinking Problems Increased
“San” Paul Whiteman
Bix Compared to Armstrong
Louis Armstrong• Virtuoso, Full Brassy
Hot Tone• High range• Exuberant
Bix• Competent Player• “Cool” Tone• Normal Range• Introspective
“Muskrat Ramble” “Jazz Me Blues”
Dixieland Today
Dixieland Jazz has been “Popular” Since 1940s
Still Around Today
Costumes usually include Striped Vests, Arm Bands, Period Hats
English Trad Jazz Bands Appeared on American Pop Charts 1962
Dixieland Today
Even High School Bands
Dixieland Format
• Trumpet, Clarinet, Trombone & Rhythm Section
• Melody with Collective Improvisation
• Improvised Solos by Everyone
• Collective Improv. Chorus at the End
“Mustrat Ramble” Dukes of Dixieland
Dixieland: The Big Picture
• 1st Style of Jazz
• Originated in New Orleans
• 1st Jazz Stars were from New Orleans
• Dixieland bands were small combos
Dixieland: The Big Picture p2
• Swing Style Replaced Dixieland in the 1930s
• Dixieland Experienced Renewed Popularity in the 1940s as an Alternative to Bop
• Dixieland Bands Still Exist
• Still Trumpet, Clarinet, Trombone & Rhythm Section