1.

Bauer Timbral and Phonemic Analysis of Scat Singing

Bauer explains that using different phonetic devises access wide

palette of vocal timbres and helps vocalists to not only embellish the
melodies but also help the vocalists ideas flow (305.) Bauers analysis of
scat-solos goes beyond the chord-scale theory analysis and demonstrates
that vocalists use these phonetic devices to alter their tone and timbre
similarly to how instrumentalists will dull their sound or make it sharper
or brighter depending on the desired effect. One example Bauer uses to
demonstrate this point is Louis Armstrongs scat solo on Heebie Jeebies.
Bauer uses phonetic symbols base on the Trager-Smith phonemes to transcribe
the syllables that Armstrong uses in his solo. According to Bauer,
Armstrongs use of vocables illustrates how vocal timbre contributes to
the musics movement and shape (309.) Indeed, Armstrongs unique vocables
draw attention to specific areas of the song form and indicate areas where
Armstrongs solo will build and eventually climax.

Additionally, the use of those specific syllables helps

strengthening the 6/8 feel over the rhythm section. Bauers second
example analysis Betty Carters scat solo over Babes Blues. Bauer
uses the repeated se of the /w/ vocable to demonstrate how she uses the
timbre of that vocable to reinforce large-dimension connections (315).
He indicates how Carters phonetic modifications help the repeating
melodic sequences gain momentum in her solo, which again contributes to
the overall shape.
Word Count: 248

2. Givan, Schenkerian Analysis of Swing Improvisation

Givan uses the traditional Schenkerian style of analysis and applies

it to swing music in his study. A significant portion of his study aims to
demonstrate what composer and critic Andre Hodier called paraphrase
improvisation, which was a very common way of improvising over standards

during the swing era. Using Schenkerian analysis, Givan shows that the
improviser will maintain the songs primary pitches in the solo (indicated
by stemmed and beamed notes in both he top and bottom staff,) will running
lines and embellishments around them. For example, In Givans Schenkerian
analysis of Django Reinhardts solo on Paramount Stomp, the stemmed
noteheads indicate pitches that are most important which are consonant,
comparatively high in the register, metrically emphasized, and, in limited
instances, related by phrase to the head melody (42.) Givan shows that the
stemmed noteheads are almost always a foreground consonance. The notes
which embellish the important pitches are usually chromaticisms, stepwise
motions into or out of the important pitches, enclosures, and other scalar
or arpeggiated elaborations of the head melody.
While Djangos solo exhibits typical, unified pitch structures which
sit well with Schenkerian principles, another example Givan uses
demonstrates that not all swing era artists have a solo approach that
comports as well with the Schenkerian perspective. Givan explains that
Lester Youngs solo on Oh, Lady Be Good! articulates non-tonic harmonies
in eleven of the solos total sixty-four measures (50.) By comparison this
solo does not have an obvious, overarching structural design like Djangos
solo did.

Word Count: 256

3. Benadon, Time Warps in Early Jazz

Benadon provides a way to look at an improvisers time feel in a

solo using the idea of flux and shift. These two types of time
transformation demonstrate how the local or global tempo can be
adjusted by the soloist and the band. In a flux, a soloists will convert
metric subdivisions of notes into unmetered ones. A flux can add that
sense of extra expressiveness to a phrase and create a sense of floating
over the established pulse.

In a shift, a soloist may play something

completely out of tempo with the rest of the band, like adding lines

that are in a slower or faster tempo over the established rhythmic

template.
For an example of shift, Benadon uses Sobbin Hearted Blues. In
it, Louis Armstrong fills the spaces between Bessie Smiths vocal lines
with spars, rhythmically loose phrases (10.) The motives he uses float
freely around beats tow and three of the established 4/4 meter and do
not follow the beat provided by the accompaniment. Benadon shows that we
can actually look at these fills in terms of a different tempo. In other
words, where the bands tempo may be at 71 b.p.m, it would make more
sense to look at Louis Armstrongs fills in 90 b.p.m. This way, we can
line up the measures of the bands accompaniment with Louis lines and
find where the beats meet together. For flux transformations, Benadon
demonstrates how Coleman Hawkins accelerates and decelerates the tempo
to fall behind or in front of the tempo. Again, the effect is a
perceived expressiveness. Unlike shift, flux generally adheres to the
global tempo overall. Benadon indicates areas of flux using arrows
marking deceleration or acceleration and numbers indicating the number
of milliseconds between the rhythm played in tempo and the line that
Hawkins plays.
Word Count: 300

4. Alper, analysis of "What is this thing called love" played by nine

pianists

Alper uses historical style comparison via chord-scale theory to

analyze the similarities and differences in these nine pianists approach
of the What is This Thing Called Love. To put these similarities and
differences in a larger historical perspective, he choses artists from the
early swing era to the more modern era. He begins with Wilson and shows his
stride style with the tune and how he approached reharmonization and
interpretation of the head. He goes on with Art Tatum and argues how his
overall approach was similar to Wilsons, with certain differences

facilitated by Tatums technique. He then jumps to Bud Powell who did not
use reharmonization explicitly but rather maintained the basic chord
progressions so that he was free to use bebop language in a continues
eight-note stream. Ahmad Jamal, Wilson, Tatum, Bud Powell reappear in the
later analyses, demonstrating how traditional language leaks into the
playing of more modern players.
The other examples demonstrate the use of the same type of
reharmonizations, alterations to form and arrangement, the use head melody
in the solo, pedal point ideas, and other common tools developed over
time.

Alper shows that even Jarrett does not shy away from ideas utilized

by Tatum and the bebop scale approach used by Powell.

Alper explains that

despite the differences, theres no doubt that these performances came

from the same artistic lineage.
Word Count: 246