Derick Cordoba Dissertation
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© 2017 Derick Cordoba LITURGICAL JAZZ: THE LINEAGE OF THE SUBGENRE IN THE MUSIC OF EDGAR E. SUMMERLIN BY DERICK CORDOBA DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fuLfiLLment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Music with a concentration in Jazz Performance in the Graduate CoLLege of the University of IlLinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017 Urbana, IlLinois Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Lawrence Gray, Chair Professor GabrieL SoLis, Director of Research Associate Professor Tito CarriLLo Professor Erik Lund ABSTRACT This dissertation discusses the Lineage of Liturgical jazz with a particuLar focus on Edgar Eugene “Ed” SummerLin (1928-2006). This Lineage stretches back into the Late 1950s, but has LargeLy been unexplored beyond a seLect few high-profiLe artists. I trace the evoLution of Liturgical jazz from several composers’ earLiest attempts to the present day. ALthough the Liturgical jazz movement began in the Late 1950s, it was primariLy a product of the turbuLent 1960s in America. This was a period of great change and expLoration not onLy in jazz but in organized reLigion as weLL. A deep and frank discussion emerged as to what Liturgical music shouLd and wouLd be alLowed to sound Like. These decisions at the highest LeveLs of denominations had ramifications that are stiLL being feLt today in the churches of America; however, the primary focus of this dissertation is on the formative period of Liturgical jazz during the 1960s and earLy 1970s. These years give a basis for better understanding and appreciating the deveLopment and defining features of Liturgical jazz. SummerLin is a figure that is often cited as a pioneer in Liturgical jazz, but no one has offered a history of his Life, his music, or why his Liturgical music was so revoLutionary. This dissertation gives an extensive history of SummerLin and his music. It also creates a cLear timeLine of the earLy formation and evoLution of this subgenre of jazz. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wouLd Like to offer special thanks to Karen SummerLin, who was so generous in giving me access to her Late husband, Edgar E. SummerLin’s music and fiLes which made this dissertation possibLe. Karen was also generous with her time in granting me interviews and in connecting me to so many peopLe who worked with and Loved Ed Summerlin. I wouLd Like to thank Jeff SummerLin, James Lee Roy SummerLin, and WiLLiam SummerLin for talking to me about their father and brother. I wouLd also Like to thank alL the amazing musicians who took time out of their busy performing and teaching scheduLes to speak with me about their friend, coLLeague, and teacher and who graciousLy shared contacts with me of others who knew and worked with Ed SummerLin or who were invoLved in Liturgical jazz: SamueL AdLer, Steve BLons, Dan CariLLo, Ron Carter, Bruce ColLier, Ray GalLon, GabrieL Garrick, Frank Griffith, Don Heckman, SheiLa Jordan, Jonathan KLein, PauL Knopf, Steve Kuhn, Chuck Mahronic, John MouLder, Bob Norden, Adam Nussbaum, Morgan PoweLL, Robert Rasmus, Marvin Stamm, Frank Tirro, Thomas WirteL, Jeffrey Wisotsky and Deanna Witkowski. I wouLd Like to thank alL the members of my committee for their support of this project, insights, and encouragement throughout the research and writing of this dissertation: my director of research Dr. GabrieL SoLis, my chair Professor Lawrence Gray, Dr. Erik Lund, and Professor Tito CarriLLo. This work simpLy wouLd not have been possibLe without their support. I also wouLd Like to send my sincere appreciation to MichaeL SiLetti for his insightfuL commentaries and editorial heLp. iii I wouLd Like to offer special thanks to my famiLy who sacrificed a Lot to heLp me see this project to its compLetion: my wife Tanya, my son Joe, my son JuLian, my parents Joe and Eugenia, my in-Laws Lisa and MitcheL, alL of whom heLped in so many different ways over these years. FinalLy, I wouLd Like to thank God who inspired these artists to create their works. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………….………………………………………………….…….1 CHAPTER 2: EARLY BACKGROUND……………………..…………………………………………….50 CHAPTER 3: LITURGICAL JAZZ SERVICE…….……………………….……………………………...78 CHAPTER 4: LITURGICAL JAZZ PERIOD……..……………………….………………………….…105 CHAPTER 5: NON-LITURGICAL WORK ……………………………………………………………..143 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION....…………………………………………………………………………...178 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………………………...181 APPENDIX A: ED SUMMERLIN DISCOGRAPHY………………………………..…………………201 APPENDIX B: LITURGICAL JAZZ SERVICE AND JAZZ MASS DISCOGRAPHY ………...205 v Chapter 1 Introduction Preface Saxophonist, cLarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator Edgar Eugene “Ed” SummerLin, born September 1, 1928, was a seminal figure in the deveLopment of Liturgical jazz, having composed the first Liturgical jazz service in 1959. In his formative years, he was firmLy rooted in the bebop tradition, but one always Looking to push boundaries, he embraced the work of Ornette CoLeman and the conventions of the avant-garde scene. SummerLin used his skiLLs as a performer and arranger, and the personal and creative reLationships he forged with extraordinary jazz pLayers in New York, to create contemporary Liturgical jazz works firmLy in the jazz tradition of the 1960s. These jazz services were not a service of jazzed-up hymns, but were compLete services of worship incLuding original music grounded in sound theoLogy. By the mid- 1960s, when others had entered the Liturgical and sacred jazz arena, SummerLin incorporated the innovations of avant-garde jazz and contemporary cLassical music into his Liturgical jazz services. During the Late 1960s, when others were turning to more pop-oriented styLes for Liturgical music, he embraced jazz, congregational participation, and muLtimedia expLorations in worship. As a composer, he contributed jazz compositions to the canon for congregations who were Looking to update their seLection of hymns. As an author, SummerLin was a tireLess advocate for incLuding contemporary jazz in congregational worship. When Summerlin stopped creating Liturgical jazz in the earLy 1970s he took the same energy and zeal for jazz and appLied it to creating a jazz program at City CoLLege of New York. He was no Longer preaching jazz to congregations, but to coLLege students with the same eye on 1 innovation. SummerLin buiLt a jazz program with a facuLty which wouLd be the envy of any university in the nation, comprised of jazz musicians such as Jaki Byard, John Lewis, SheiLa Jordan, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, and Joe Chambers. He also brought in artists Like GiL Evans, Jim HalL, and Ornette CoLeman for residencies at the City CoLLege. Many of the students he mentored, incLuding Ray GalLon, Adam Nussbaum, and Dan CariLLo, remain fixtures in the New York jazz scene along with countless others who Learned about jazz from SummerLin. Despite SummerLin’s achievements, he has received very Little attention outside his immediate circLes. His contributions to Liturgical jazz in particuLar have been ecLipsed by Mary Lou WiLLiams’, John CoLtrane’s, and Duke ELLington’s sacred jazz shadows. The earLy Lineage of Liturgical jazz has also been misrepresented and obscured over the decades. Works Like Geoffrey Beaumont’s 20th Century Folk Mass have often been cited as the first Liturgical jazz work despite the many and obvious fLaws in that characterization. There has always been a reLuctance to give SummerLin the credit he is due. His Liturgical jazz service and subsequent recording Liturgical Jazz are pioneering works in the genre. His innovations in the 1960s in Liturgical jazz are unmatched in pushing worship boundaries and in their alLegiance to jazz as an art form worthy of sanctified spaces. Research Objectives This dissertation discusses the Lineage of Liturgical jazz with a particuLar focus on Edgar Eugene “Ed” Summerlin (1928-2006). This Lineage stretches back to the Late 1950s, but has LargeLy been unexpLored beyond a seLect few high-profiLe artists. I trace the evoLution of Liturgical jazz from several composers’ earLiest attempts to the present day. ALthough the 2 Liturgical jazz movement began in the Late 1950s, it was primariLy a product of the turbuLent 1960s in America. This was a period of great change and expLoration not onLy in jazz but also in organized reLigion. A deep and frank discussion emerged as to what Liturgical music shouLd and wouLd be alLowed to sound Like. These decisions at the highest LeveLs of denominations had ramifications that are stiLL being feLt today in the churches of America; however, the primary focus of this dissertation is on the formative period of Liturgical jazz during the 1960s and earLy 1970s. These years give a basis for better understanding and appreciating the deveLopment and defining features of Liturgical jazz. SummerLin is a figure that is often cited as a pioneer in Liturgical jazz, but no one has offered a history of his Life, his music, or why his Liturgical music was so revoLutionary. This dissertation gives an extensive history of SummerLin and his music. It also creates a cLear timeLine of the earLy formation and Lineage of this subgenre of jazz and the roLe that SummerLin pLayed in it. Literature Review Whereas sacred jazz has received much schoLarLy and commercial attention, very Little has been written about Liturgical jazz. When the subject of Liturgical jazz has been broached it has LargeLy occurred as a side note to an artist’s biographical data. A dissertation by AngeLo Versace, "The evoLution of Sacred Jazz as refLected in the music of Mary Lou WiLLiams, Duke ELLington, John CoLtrane and recognized contemporary Sacred Jazz Artists," attempts to create a broad view of sacred jazz through these artists as weLL as contemporary sacred jazz composers Ike Sturm and Deanna Witkowski. WhiLe the title gives the impression of a project simiLar to my 3 own, there are significant differences. Versace does not go into any depth on Ed SummerLin nor does he offer a substantial Lineage of the Liturgical jazz works. ALso, he does not expLore the Liturgical jazz works specificalLy; rather, he casts a wide net when referring to “sacred jazz” works and compares the “sacred jazz” genre to gospeL music.