The Contested Origins, Criticism, Performance Practice, And
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
CAUGHT BETWEEN JAZZ AND POP: THE CONTESTED ORIGINS, CRITICISM, PERFORMANCE PRACTICE, AND RECEPTION OF SMOOTH JAZZ Aaron J. West, B.M., B.S., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS December 2008 APPROVED: John P. Murphy, Major Professor Eileen M. Hayes, Minor Professor and Interim Chair of the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology Mark McKnight, Committee Member Graham Phipps, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music Sandra L. Terrell, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies West, Aaron J., Caught Between Jazz and Pop: The Contested Origins, Criticism, Performance Practice, and Reception of Smooth Jazz. Doctor of Philosophy (Musicology), December 2008, 273 pp., 10 figures, 30 musical examples, bibliography, 210 titles. In Caught Between Jazz and Pop, I challenge the prevalent marginalization and malignment of smooth jazz in the standard jazz narrative. Furthermore, I question the assumption that smooth jazz is an unfortunate and unwelcomed evolutionary outcome of the jazz-fusion era. Instead, I argue that smooth jazz is a long-lived musical style that merits multi-disciplinary analyses of its origins, critical dialogues, performance practice, and reception. Chapter 1 begins with an examination of current misconceptions about the origins of smooth jazz. In many jazz histories, the origins of smooth jazz are defined as a product of the jazz-fusion era. I suggest that smooth jazz is a distinct jazz style that is not a direct outgrowth of any mainstream jazz style, but a hybrid of various popular and jazz styles. Chapters 2 through 4 contain eight case studies examining the performers of crossover jazz and smooth jazz. These performers have conceived and maintained distinct communicative connections between themselves and their audiences. In the following chapter, the unfair treatment of popular jazz styles is examined. Many early and influential jazz critics sought to elevate jazz to the status of art music by discrediting popular jazz styles. These critics used specific criteria and emphasized notions of anti-commerciality to support their theoretical positions. In Chapter 6, the studio recordings and live performances of smooth jazz are discussed. Critics frequently complain that most smooth jazz recordings feature glossy packaging and pristine studio editing, resulting in a too-perfect product. Although this aesthetic is the result of a unique series of interactions, recordings do not represent the complete musical nature of smooth jazz. Live performances contain important, but typically neglected aspects of smooth jazz. Live performances enable performers to extend solos, interact, and communicate directly to the audience. While recordings are a useful source for musical analysis, smooth jazz, like other styles of jazz, is an improvisatory music that utilizes multiple sites of production and cannot be accurately judged on recordings alone. Copyright 2008 by Aaron J. West ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have encouraged and supported me throughout this long process. First, I would like to thank my advisor, John Murphy. Your attention to detail and tireless dedication has been an inspiration. Thanks, also, to Eileen Hayes, who offered me new ways to deal with old issues. Thank you, Mark McKnight. You supported me with your kind words and provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime working environment. Also, I am appreciative of the library staff at the University of North Texas: Donna Arnold, Jean Harden, Ralph Hartsock, Marta Hoffman-Wodnicka, Andrew Justice, Morris Martin, Arturo Ortega, and Bob and Daisy Rogers. They not only work to make this library one of the finest in the world, they have supported my endeavors for years. My colleagues and friends, Rebecca Ringer, Cynthia Beard, Bill McGinney, Stacey Ewing, and Tim Murray have been a part of this process from the very beginning. I send thanks to my family: Matthew, Andrew, George, and Sandra West. Their belief in me has never wavered. Lastly, thank you to my incredible wife, Janelle. Without your help I could never have finished this degree. We share this achievement. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES...................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1 Chapters 1. THE ORIGINS OF SMOOTH JAZZ: MISCONCEPTIONS IN MAINSTREAM JAZZ SCHOLARSHIP......................................................... 6 Origins of Crossover Jazz: Soul Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Pop, and Soul Music .................................................................................. 10 Soul Jazz............................................................................................ 11 Soul, Pop, and Rhythm and Blues ................................................... 18 2. BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE FAR OUT THE FAR IN: CHRONOLOGICAL CASE STUDIES IN SMOOTH JAZZ (1960s).............21 Ramsey Lewis: Forging New Dialogues with His Audience............ 23 “The ‘In’ Crowd”.................................................................... 25 Lewis’s Communicative Methods.........................................28 Bringing the People In: The Jazz Crusaders and the Synthesis of Jazz Sensibility with a Popular Repertoire ................................ 33 Marginalized by the Mainstream Jazz Community ............. 36 Mixing Jazz Sensibility with a Pop Repertoire.....................40 Forging New Categories: Wes Montgomery.................................... 49 Beginnings of a Partnership: Wes Montgomery and Creed Taylor...............................................................................50 “Goin’ out of my Head”......................................................... 56 3. BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE FAR OUT THE FAR IN: CHRONOLOGICAL CASE STUDIES IN SMOOTH JAZZ (1970s) ............ 66 Grover Washington, Jr.: Methods of Improvisation....................... 66 Inner City Blues and Its Influence........................................ 69 iv Washington’s Use of Call and Response in “Mister Magic” ......................................................................................... 74 Washington’s Use of Melodic Guide Tones in “In the Name of Love” ...........................................................................80 George Benson: Combining Pop, Jazz, and Blues...........................84 Success in Mainstream Jazz, Crossover Jazz, and Rhythm and Blues ........................................................................ 85 George Benson’s Improvisational Style: Combining Blues with Jazz ........................................................................ 93 4. BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE FAR OUT THE FAR IN: CHRONOLOGICAL CASE STUDIES IN SMOOTH JAZZ (1980s & 1990s) ................................................................................................................... 100 Sound and Style: The Hybridic Nature of David Sanborn ............ 100 Critical Appraisals of Sanborn’s Sound and Style.............. 102 The Inseparable Elements of Sound and Style: “Straight to the Heart” ...................................................................... 106 Thriving Outside of Jazz History: Spyro Gyra and Fourplay......... 111 Origins of Spyro Gyra .......................................................... 115 Origins of Fourplay............................................................. 120 Compositional Processes .................................................... 123 Communicative Methods: Lead “Vocals,” Style, and Covers ....................................................................................... 126 Ears that Work: Classifying the Critical Discourse Surrounding Kenny G .................................................................................... 132 Kenny G’s Popularity and its Ramifications....................... 134 Scholarly Criticism.............................................................. 138 Journalistic Criticism...........................................................141 Creative Criticisms...............................................................147 Criticism from Musicians ................................................... 150 Public Criticism....................................................................154 5. THE CRITERIA AND CONCEPTS USED IN ELEVATING, DEFINING, AND DEFEDING JAZZ IN HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.......................... 166 Jazz Becoming “High Art” ............................................................. 169 Criteria Used in Support of Jazz as High Art .................................177 “True Jazz” vs. Commercial Music .................................................187 v The Exclusion of Smooth Jazz from the Standard Jazz Narrative ...................................................................................................195 Conclusion......................................................................................202 6. SITES OF MUSIC PRODUCTION: THE DIALOGUES OF SMOOTH JAZZ RECORDINGS AND LIVE PERFORMANCES.........................................204 Style and Genre..............................................................................206