Jazz Music - semester 2

Beginning of jazz

when African people were brought to America as slaves, they sang to keep their spirits up

How did African-American slaves influence jazz?

they used jazz to communicate to other slaves, keep spirits up during work, and spirituals eased the pain of slavery.

How did blues influence jazz?

used bent sounds called blue notes - similar to the human voice, all and response patterns - music becomes a conversation.

How did ragtime influence jazz?

syncopation, brought together European and African traditions.

How did the New Orleans style influence jazz?

introduced collective improv, brought together European and African traditions, style = lively.

How did swing influence jazz?

only time when jazz and popular music were the same (jazz equaled pop music for the time), danced to it, big bands became popular, and introduced the rhythm section.

How did bebop influence jazz?

War years made smaller groups, less dancing and more listening (jazz becomes art), more complex

How did the cool jazz movement influence jazz?

more relaxed and restrained, developed in the West Coast.

What was New Orleans influence of Jazz?

It exalted the blending of arts and customs in jazz.

What did Louis Armstrong do to affect jazz?

born in New Orleans, first great Jazz soloist, groundbreaking trumpeter and inventor of scat singing.

What were New Orleans style of jazz called in the 1910s?

This type of jazz is often called classic jazz or traditional jazz.

Who were important swing musicians?

Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman.

When was swing jazz popular/developing?

1920s to 1930s.

When was Bebop popular/developing?

1940s.

Who were important bebop musicians?

Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie "Bird" Parker, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis.

When was cool jazz popular/developing?

1940s (same as Bebop)

Who were important cool jazz musicians?

trumpeter Miles Davis and arranger Gil Evans.

What time period was jazz developing drastically?

1900 - 1920

What is hard bop?

first modern styles, combined bebop, soul blues, R&B, and gospel influenced.

What is R&B?

Rhythm and Blues (gospel related).

When was hard bop popular/developing?

1950’s

What was free jazz?

a short theme before veering off into unpredictable directions, relies on the musicians improv skills, personal outlook and emotions.

When was free jazz popular/developing?

1950s and 1960s

What is jazz fusion?

a type of jazz that builds on the tradition of borrowing from other styles of music. Fuse different jazz concepts together with ideas particularly from rock, funk and R&B.

When was Jazz Fusion popular/developing?

1960s

How did Latin America influence jazz?

Created Afro-Cuban style, bossa nova and mixed cultures (fusion jazz as well).

What is Contemporary/smooth jazz?

combines improv, and R&B, most commercially successful since swing.

When was Contemporary/smooth jazz popular/developing?

Jazz in the 1950s

big band era fades (bc WW2 and financial instability), Charlie Parker dies very young, Nat King Cole (popular singer, composer and pianist) becomes first major African-American on TV as a star host on NBC.

Jazz in the 1960’s

Miles Davies created his second quintet, with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and 17-year-old prodigy drummer Tony Williams. The American Civil Rights movement spread out all over the world after the 1964 Civil Rights Act of the U.S. The Woodstock art and musical Festival is held in NYC, despite Vietnam protestors.

Jazz in 1970s

Miles Davis retires in 1975, contemporary jazz styles emerges, fusion jazz develops

Jazz in 1980s

Miles Davies returns from retirement (experiments with fusing jazz, funk and hip hop), Wynton Marsalis becomes the first artists to win Grammy awards in both Jazz and Classical music - 1984, Musicians benefit from technological advances like synthesiser, MTV, personal computers, compact disc and the WWW.

Jazz in 1990s

Jazz at Lincoln Center was established, under guidance and artistic direction of Wynton Marsailis, JLC is dedicated to jazz performance, education and history. Retro-swing movement catches fire.

Jazz in 2000s

19-hour documentary, Jazz is directed by Ken Burns on PBS, jazz artists release music via the internet as major labels scale down or completely eliminate their jazz departments.

What is in a basic drum set?

Bass, Snare, Floor tom-tom, Mounted tom-tom, High-hat cymbal, Ride cymbal.

What is a rhythm section made of?

It is made up of piano, bass, drums, and sometimes a guitar.

What are four basic jobs of a drummer in a jazz band?

1. Keeping time, 2. Working with the other instruments of the rhythm section, 3. Giving cues, 4. Soloing occasionally.

What skills does a drummer need?

rhythm, using both hands and feet to play

What are the two types of basses?

Acoustic (cello like) and Electric (guitar like)

What are the three basic jobs of a bassist in a jazz band?

1. Keeping time, 2. Provide the foundation for harmony that underlies any song, 3. Soloing occasionally.

What is a piano (what can it do)?

they are a versatile instrument, playing the melody, harmony and rhythm, accompanies and solos.

What are the five basic jobs of a pianist?

1. Keeping time, 2. Providing foundation for the harmony, 3. Frequently playing melodic lines and harmonies, 4. Used for composing music, 5. Soloing occasionally.

What is Improvisation?

the ability to play music spontaneously by ear, use rules of music theory and carefully listen when creating them, they are especially used in solos.

What are three ways jazz musicians alter melodies during improvs?

Rhythmic, Melodic and Harmonic Improvisations.

What jazz styles mostly use improvisation?

bebop and cool jazz.

What are bebop improvs like?

they are fiery

What are cool jazz improvs like?

tempos are slower and the overall feeling is more relaxed.

What techniques do Jazz vocalists use?

borrowed from earlier forms of African-American music like spirituals, work songs and blues.

What is the significance of “Satchmo”, by Louis Armstrong?

the first invention of scat singing, he created a song and lyrics on the spot.

What is Scat singing?

Altering the lyrics to a song the same way instruments improvise notes.

What is Tin Pan Alley?

In 1885 many music publishers decided to centralise their industry in an area of NYC, called this because of the constant sound of pianos coming from publishing houses.

Who helped develop rules and regulations of copyright laws?

Tin Pan Alley.

What are some companies that protect copyrights of music composition?

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated), SESCA (Society of European Stage Authors & Composers).

What is Broadway Theater?

a play/musical that takes place in one of thirty nine large professional theatres in Manhattan.

What are Musicals?

the use of music, lyrics, spoken dialogue, dance, costumes, and sets to entertain and inform their audience.

What is the highest award in Broadway Theater shows?

the Tony Awards

What is a Vaudeville?

shows with live performances featuring music, comedy, acrobatics, Shakespear and magic, entertained Americans through radio and TV in the late 20th Century.

What is the significance of Oklahoma! ?

changed musical theatre by using costumes, dancing, singing and speaking lines in a way that focused on character development like no other play before.

What are some Musicals created by the composer/lyricist team of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein?

Oklahoma! - 1943, Carousel — 1945, South Pacific — 1949, The King and I — 1951, The Sound of Music — 1959

What are movie soundtracks?

they contain the movie’s music, sound effects and dialogue, they are sometimes made from prewritten music, or composers are hired to create entirely new pieces. Music by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart are in many movies around the world.

What is the best selling soundtrack of all time from?

Saturday Night Fever

What are four basic ways music can be used in TV?

1. To enhance commercials, 2. Televised music performance, 3. To enhance programming, 4. As part of music video channels.

When did Nat King Cole have his own TV show?

In 1956 he became the first African-American to host his own TV show!

What is MTV?

the first television series to be dedicated to music videos