Jazz History
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Summer Clinic Halewynstichting 2015 – classes of Maarten Weyler Any questions? Send an e- mail to [email protected] Jazz History Limitation The history of jazz is the evolution of a musical genre that developed in a relative short time over all the continents of the world. Therefor we need to restrict the items we will develop in this syllabus: the main focus is upon the history of jazz in the U.S.A. and will only, by exception, consider its development in Europe and other regions. The origins of jazz must be situated in the Northern part of the American continent. Wherever there was an intense contact between slaves, coming from the West of Africa, and (white) colonists there was the birth of new musical styles.1 The contact of black slaves . And mainly English and French colonists in Northern-America created jazz . And ‘Latin’ people (s.a. Spanish, Portuguese) created Latin-styles The different development depended f.i. on the way migrants organized their plantations. English and protestant plantations were mostly small and stimulated the cross over; speaking ‘Latin’ and Christian plantations were vast and limited the reciprocal contacts and so the original culture of the slaves could persist longer. Religions will continue to play a main role in the development of jazz… There was an influence of voodoo on Jerry Roll Morton up to Dr. John and we find influences in titles during the Post Bop period (“Ju Ju”, W. Shorter). There is an input of Hindu in the Mahavishnu project of John Mc Laughlin (“Shakti”). Gospel-orientated influence can be found in the music of Miles Davis and during the Hard Bop period (“The Preacher”, H. Silver – the Messengers), there is Zen in the music of Monty Alexander and Scientology in the music of Chick Corea and Gary Burton. Abdullah Ibrahim (former Dollar Brand) used Islam as an inspiration and more recently you can find Buddhism (“Nam myoho renge kyo…”) in the music of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Buster Williams, Larry Coryell... 1 So called crossfurtilisation. JAZZ CLINIC 2015 INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF JAZZ 1 Summer Clinic Halewynstichting 2015 – classes of Maarten Weyler Any questions? Send an e- mail to [email protected] Genealogy Tree2 Jazz In looking for similarity I have chosen, for each style, compositions based on the 12 bar blues. For some of the styles this is kind of difficult (for ex. Free Jazz), but this way you will have an insight in both jazz history and the evolution of blues progressions in jazz. Predecessors of jazz… preparing for easy to remember compositions COUNTRY BLUES Blind Lemon Jefferson “Hangman’s Blues” * Remarkable: the chord changes are not always ‘correct’– some beats/measures are added or missing in our ‘standard’ 12 bar blues changes – the melodic structure is following the aab scheme – at the end of each sentence there is a ‘melodic’ response – the lyrics are not always clear and understandable RAGTIME Scott Joplin “The Entertainer” * The structure is rather simple – 4 bar introduction – the A-part has a 16 bar structure following an a a’ a b form – in the last far bars in the b-part you recognize the line cliché of a blues ending and which will appear in the Rhythm Changes form – non improvised music and ‘written out’ for piano Jazz starts here… EARLY JAZZ Louis Armstrong “West End Blues” * Introduction is ‘swinging without a rhythm section’ and played by L. Armstrong – in the later accompaniment you hear piano and ‘percussion’ (sic?) – no bass – the piano is providing both chords and bass line – other instruments are trombone, cornet and clarinet – the first soloist plays mainly ‘synchronized by the measure’ – then comes a clarinet/scat solo – Armstrong, the scat singer, is more melodic developed and more swinging than the clarinet player – during Earl Hines’ piano solo you notice he plays ‘over the changes’ and that he anticipates his playing (usage of octave parallels and vibrato for a legato sound) – remark the architectonic construction of Armstrong’s solo (one long note kept during 4 measures – laid back figures in some 16th note passages, anticipating the arrangement) – formula of the coda SWING Count Basie “The Count’s Blues” * The main ensemble is big band – theme is only played one – thereafter the band functions more as a rhythm section + soloist – each soloist plays for 2 choruses – the rhythm section swings with a walking in the bass part, four to the floor as played by the guitar, sporadically you hear the piano – Basie plays a solo in the Boogie Woogie idiom – for the closing themes written arrangements are more frequently used 2 The lesson concerned mostly the explanation of this genealogic tree… JAZZ CLINIC 2015 INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF JAZZ 2 Summer Clinic Halewynstichting 2015 – classes of Maarten Weyler Any questions? Send an e- mail to [email protected] BE BOP Charlie Parker “Blues for Alice” (1951) * Instrumentation is limited to rhythm section (without guitar) and two horn players –the main melody is a through composed blues without riff – but Parker starts each chorus by using a riff – starting mainly at the 7th bar of each chorus, he plays more diatonically – listen to the double time figures in Parkers’ solo – the rhythm section plays in a style we still use today Thelonius Monk “Blue Monk” (1958) * A piano-trio – the main theme is still riff orientated but Monk is interpreting this freely – the usual order: theme, soloist 1, soloist 2, … theme is not used – see the ‘funny’ faces of the listeners – the bas solo was more ‘to save what was happening’… COOL Miles Davis “Israël” (1949) * A ‘little big band’ with mainly high and low horn players s.a. trombone, baritone sax vs. alt sax and trumpet + rhythm section (without guitar) – a minor blues! – Miles Davis’ solo is more relaxed compared to the previous period – the sound timbre of the alt sax (L. Konitz) differs completely with the sound of C. Parker – double time is still used – remarkable is the ‘heavy and busy’ arrangement HARD BOP Clifford Brown “The Blues Walk” (1955) * The main theme is again based on a riff – soloists mainly use the be bop idiom – solo’s are varied by playing over a background riff – drums are more prominent – sound and atmosphere are ‘back to the roots’ SOUL JAZZ Kenny Burrell “Chitlins Con Carne” (1963) * Typical is the easy, monotonous comping (drum style, repetitive bass line) – the main theme is ‘soulful’ since it is based on a riff – during the solos the comping remains repetitive and thus less interacting – the guitar is back and gets a principal role – the solo is simple and easy to follow since the soloist uses phrases which are more predictable in thematic development and construction – in this period there’s Motown in Pop… POST BOP Miles Davis “All Blues” (1959) * The accompaniment is not too varied (ostinato in bass part, as in Soul Jazz – bourdon in the horn section) – different solo’s are separated by an interlude – the melodic development in the solo remains horizontal – the accompaniment remains identic and does not really interacts with the soloist – no strong dynamic impulses in the playing of the soloist JAZZ CLINIC 2015 INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF JAZZ 3 Summer Clinic Halewynstichting 2015 – classes of Maarten Weyler Any questions? Send an e- mail to [email protected] FREE JAZZ Ornette Coleman “Free Jazz” (1961) * A piece for double quartet (2 horns + 2 x bass and drums) not obligatory using a harmonic chord scheme – freedom is important: no real rules about timbre, chord changes, relation between melody/chord – the total image is busy, dynamic and even sometimes chaotic CROSS OVER Joni Mitchell “The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines” (1980) * Fusion between pop, folk (singer) and jazz (rhythm section and its interaction) –‘new’ instruments such as electric bass – through composed blues melody – increased freedom of interpretation between soloist/chord changes/accompaniment (derived from Free Jazz) – although it is only a small group, the whole sounds very dynamic FUSION Miles Davis: Tutu (1986) * The jazz concert is similar to a pop concert– instruments are more pop (electric guitar and bass, synthesizers) – jazz has become an international cultural phenomena with players from all over the world – Miles’ podium behaviour was at least ‘uncommon’ – call/response with the flute is based upon riffs REBOP Keith Jarrett “Billie’s Bounce” (1988) * Back to bebop for the melody, originally written by C. Parker – now performed in a modern setting: ‘broken time’ or ‘chatter’ – it looks like the whole band is kind of talking to each other – more difficult accompaniment during the first choruses – the chord changes become again clear when the bass starts to play walking – drums are having much more freedom ACID JAZZ Stanley Jordan “Blues Grinder” (1992) * Back to ‘old’ styles (hard bop, modal etc.) – with a characteristic, monotonous accompaniment (cfr. soul jazz) – drums and bas are played by an electronic device and are pre-programmed – the Hammond organ is going back to older traditions, as in Soul Jazz and Hard Bop – solos seem to be new melodies – solos stick much closer to the chord changes – back to basics – this style made jazz again a popular music style and was more acceptable to the public/audience– in between the solos, the melody is often played again WHAT’S NEXT JAZZ? Bobby McFerrin “Bwee Dap” (2002) * Or: how one can ‘arrange’ or ‘organize’ a choir by using a riff for making the melody, accompaniment during solos etc. – in combination with call/response – this music does not need a notation or whatever – just some ideas or tips and the audience can ‘sing along’ – different aspects are illustrated (walking – solo – melody – riff) – how jazz and entertainment can function together JAZZ CLINIC 2015 INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF JAZZ 4 Summer Clinic Halewynstichting 2015 – classes of Maarten Weyler Any questions? Send an e- mail to [email protected] DISCOGRAPHY RABIH ABOU-KHALIL: Blue Camel (ENJ-7053-2) JULIAN “CANNONBALL” ADDERLEY: The Cannonball Adderley Collection, Vol.