Contemporary Music Styles Jazz

Lecture Notes

JAZZ ERAS 1895-1920 Ragtime chiefly represented by pianist Scott Joplin 1920-1930 Classical Jazz (Dixieland or New Orleans Jazz) 1930-1945 Swing Era 1940-1950 Be Bop 1950-1960 Cool Jazz - West Coast Jazz 1950-1960 Hard Bop -East Coast or Funky Jazz 1955-1960 Modal Jazz 1960-1970 Free Jazz /Avante Garde & beginnings of Jazz Fusion 1980-2000 Fusions: Acid Jazz, nu jazz, Jazz Rap 2000- Straight-Ahead and Experimental Jazz REPERTOIRE: The Great American Songbook Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Lorenz Hart, Hoagy Carmichael etc. Traditional blues forms and melodies Compositions by jazz artists Contrafacts new melodies written over harmonic structure from older songs Anything from any source that presents a good vehicle for improvisation RAGTIME Syncopated or ragged melody over solid boom-chick time feel Ragtime is primarily a solo piano style immediate precursor of jazz Joplin the most successful composer Success measured in sheet-music sales Harmonically simple: primary chords, with occasional secondary dominants and passing diminished chords Jelly Roll Morton best known artist crossing over into Dixieland Play Track: Scott Joplin Elite Syncopations 1902

1920-1930 CLASSICAL JAZZ also known as Dixieland/New Orleans Jazz 1. Group improvisation 2. Rhythm sections in ensembles 3. Steady underlying pulse to which syncopated melodies and rhythm patterns are added 4. Reliance on popular song form and blues forms 5. A performer/composer aesthetic rather than a composer centred orientation, (because of recording industry) Harmony: maj6, min6, dom7 with 9 or #5 Improv based on arpeggios and scale segments, with blues inflections, Instrumentation: trumpet, clarinet, trombone, banjo or piano, tuba (as bass), washboard (as percussion); later acoustic bass and drum kit. Bessie Smith, King Oliver and Louis Armstrong Play Track: Cornet Chop Suey (tpt, cl, tb, pn, bj; uneven form) Louise Armstrong & His Hot Five Chicago 1926. 1930-1945 SWING Roots in Ragtime and Blues

Bands expanded in size - 14 or 15 piece focus is on the arrangement and the playing of the ensemble Solos are often tailored, and developed from gig to gig Changes in habits of the rhythm section: bass in 4 Modern hi-hat developed, and new drumming styles followed The Swing drummer remodelled the beat of classical Jazz Kick in 4 with the bass Technical competence of greater importance Melodic patterns based on scales and arpeggios, 8-note jazz scales Harmony: maj7, min7, dom7 with nat or alt 9 and 13 or #5 Dance band sound considered entertainment Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Tommy Dorsey, Lester Young, Charlie Christian, and Coleman Hawkins Play track: Count Basie Tickle Toe 1940 Clark Terry Mumbles

1940-1950 Be Bop - Bop Stronger theoretical underpinning developing primarily played by small groups (combos) typical combo is comprised of two horns (e.g., trumpet and saxophone) and rhythm section (piano, bass, and drums) Kick drum used more for accents than time keeping Ride cymbal, hi-hat on 2 & 4, bass in 4 becomes standard groove. the focus is on the soloist New breed of virtuosos strong improvisers at fast tempos Melodic minor modes become part of improvisation requires musical virtuosity and artistry to play it considered art music, considered elitist by some

 characterised by asymmetrical phrases ornate melodic lines with much solo improvisation complex rhythm patterns richer harmony 9ths in all chords, stronger dissonances, #4 or b5 becomes a crucial part of dom7 harmony and melody George Russell Lydian Chromatic Concept Rhythm changes Gershwins I Got Rhythm much used vehicle Charlie Christian, Thelonius Monk, Charlie (Bird) Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Play track: Charlie Parker Confirmation N.Y. 1950 Play track: Ella Fitzgerald How High The Moon/Ornithology N.Y.1946

1950-1960 Cool Jazz & West Coast Jazz Typically features more complex arrangements than bebop, and less emphasis is placed on virtuosity. Small ensembles featuring some non-jazz instruments (cello, French horn, flute) Carefully crafted contrapuntal sounds New timbral quality usually heard from the Saxophone - use few overtones and little to no vibrato European and Brazilian influence are often seen as well Artists: Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Miles Davis, Gil Evans & Stan Getz Play track: I Can't Believe That Youre In Love With Me Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Lee Konitz L.A. 1953. 1950-1960 The Third Stream Movement Composer-educator Gunther Schuller formed the Jazz and Classical Music Society Later coined the third stream title to describe a blending of jazz and classical music. Early examples: Igor Stravinskys 1918 Ragtime,; Paul Whitemans recording of George Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, and Bix Beiderbeckes In a Mist, Stan Kentons Innovations Orchestra of 1950 and 1951 was an ambitious attempt to have a classical jazz orchestra. Clarinetist Eddie Daniels Breakthrough from 1986 is a rare classic in this idiom. Play Solfeggietto/Metamorphosis 1950-1960 Hard Bop - East Coast or Funky Jazz HB was at the forefront of jazz and went through its most concentrated growth and development from 1951-1958 reflected and contributed to the beginnings of the 1950s-1960s civil rights movement. a reaction to cool jazz was a return to music that was more Afro-centric, more blues based Hard swinging syncopated blues based

Harmonically adventurous ii-V subs, seeming unrelated chords Improvisers begin to explore avenues less obviously connected to the changes the idea of playing outside the changes Much greater proportion of repertoire written by performers specifically for jazz performance Jazz Messengers, Max Roach, Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Jon Henricks, Charles Mingus, Clifford Brown Vocalese - lyricist (esp. Jon Hendricks) takes a recorded jazz solo writes words for it. Often, the syllables go by so fast that singing them is a real challenge, creating additional excitement beyond the melodic line itself or the lyrics. Trio: Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross Play track: The Jazz Messengers - A Night in Tunisia 1959 PTO 1955-1960 Modal Jazz Leading figures Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Charles Mingus, Bill Evans & John Coltrane Some compositions were based on a greatly simplified harmonic progression eg So What, Impressions Structures rested on modal, scale based themes and patterns Quote: "There will be fewer chords," Davis explained to his band at the time, "but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them." Key albums Milestones 1958 & Kind of Blue 1959 Play track: Milestones from album Kind of Blue Epitome of new expression for combo jazz. Bill Evans / quartal harmony Play Footage: So What Miles Davis So What Miles Davis Quartet Live on The Steve Allen Show 1964. 1960-1980 Free Jazz/Avante Garde (beginnings of Jazz Fusion) Performances do not conform to established musical structure, tonality, harmony or rhythm Negates artistic styles that were formally valid by attempting to destroy feelings of structure and tonality. Random improvisation Traditional instruments played in non-traditional ways Leading instruments are saxophones, complex drumming Some non-trad instruments introduced: sitars, amplified thumb pianos, police whistles, etc.

Play track John Coltrane Giant Steps N.Y.1960 Tempo: 292 BPM Form: 16 bar tune Devices: many chord changes played at blistering speed; modulates every bar Scale(s): major, blues, pentatonic, melodic minor Improvisation features manipulation of scalar patterns (e.g., 1235) Developmental Techniques: running the changes

Play track John Coltrane Mars Interstellar Space 1980-2008 Notables; Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redmond, Herbie Hancock, Cubans Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Michel Camilo,

Essence of Jazz Extensive use of improvisation with a tendency to play longer lines as opposed to licks and motifs Swing feel - drums Walking line - double bass Rhythmic and melodic syncopation Upward movement in the circle of 4ths (segments of the clock) Extensive use of the [ IIm7 V7 ] and [ IIm7 V7 I ] and [ IIm7b5 V7 Im7 ]

Use of the 7th chords as a basic starting point leading to chord extensions and chord substitutions Common Aspects - Harmonic Material Use of 7th chords plus chord extensions, alterations and substitution very little use of basic triads. Key changes are common. Diatonic progressions employed extensively - especially in the circle of fourths (clock segments). The IIm7 V7 (I ) is considered to be the cornerstone of jazz harmony. It follows that IIm7b5 V7(b9) in minor keys is used extensively. Blues progressions used extensively but the simple 3 chord blues is more often than not expanded to a 5 chord blues, and often even more complex. I Got Rhythm progression used extensively (simply called Rhythm Changes). Extensive use of b5 substitution. Play track: Rhythm-a-ning Thelonius Monk 1964 Common Aspects - Melodies Ranging from blues and simple uncluttered diatonic, to complex and technically difficult; dissonant, using chord extensions, alterations and chromaticism. Rhythm Extensive use of the swing drum feel with walking bass (four to the bar) Extensive use of syncopation All Latin styles plus rock 8ths and 16th and New Orleans second line drumming are used Extensive use of 3/4 and6/8 feels plus use of odd time signatures

From extremely slow ballads to extremely fast swing and latin and every tempo in between

Form 32 bar A A B A 32 bar A B A C form 12 bar blues

Common Aspects - Timbres Horns dominate, especially sax and trumpet with piano next in line Diverse as trombone, fiddle, harmonica, flute, mandolin, banjo. Guitar and organ Double bass and drums dominate as the rhythm section. Drums often extremely active and forceful Often used line-ups 1. Organ (foot-pedal bass), guitar and drums 2. Piano, double bass and drums 3. Sax, trumpet, piano, double bass and drums 4. Sax, bass and drums The Jazz Musicians Clock - The Circle of Fourths Clarify directionality of Cycle of Fourths/Fifths. Diatonic segment (ie B E A D G C F for C major) contains the ii-V-I, the relative minor ii-V-I, and the IV chord cf. Autumn Leaves Tri-tone substitution clarified. Rhythm Changes adapted for jazz (In the song, the first A section finishes like the second.) I Got Rhythm 1930 Music by George Gershwin lyrics by Ira Gershwin A || Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Ab7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 || || Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Ab7| Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 || || Am7 | Gm7 | D7 | C7 | Dm7 | Cm7 | G7 | F7 | ||

|| Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 G7| Cm7 F7 | | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Ab7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 ||

32 bar AABA form important characteristics repeated I-VI-ii-V (or substitutes) in the first four bars of the A sections bridge follows a pattern called a secondary dominant sequence