JMU Andrew Connell Jazz Music in America Exam #3

Modal Jazz

• Improvisation based on modes instead of traditional chord progressions

• More open melodic exploration and extended solos

• Fewer chord changes

• Extended single chords

• Greater freedom in soloing

John Coltrane - Three career phases

1959 = fascination with harmony/chord changes, apprenticeships with Miles & Monk

1960-1964 = opposite direction, classic quartet, modal jazz

1965-1967 = avant guard/free jazz

John Coltrane

• tenor/soprano sax

• still towers over jazz

• 20+ min solos

Coltrane’s Classic Quartet

McCoy Tyner - Piano

Jimmy Garrison - Bass

Elvin Jones - Drums

Re-popularize soprano sax

• Coltrane's use of this instrument revived its popularity

• Particularly in modal pieces like "My Favorite Things."

• Prior to this Sidney Bechet was the only name really associated with Soprano Sax

Coltrane Spirituality

• Coltrane and many other artists explored spirituality

• This introspection and spiritual journey became intertwined with the idea of what a Jazz artist is

• A Love Supreme

A Love Supreme

• John Coltrane's concept album

• Explores themes of faith and dedication

• Massively popular and prime example of the Modal Jazz genre

Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement

• During the Civil Rights Movement, Jazz served as a voice for racial equality and a soundtrack to the civil rights era, emphasizing freedom and protest.

• Just as people were questioning the conventions of society, musicians were questioning the conventions of jazz

Louis Armstrong During the Jazz Civil Rights Movement

• Louis used his fame to break racial barriers

• Famously criticized President Dwight Eisenhower in an interview for refusing to send troops into Little Rock, Arkansas to guarantee the safety of nine black children attempting to enroll in the local high school ("Little Rock Nine")

• Armstrong cancelled his music tour in the Soviet Union, saying he wouldn't defend the US constitution abroad if it wasn't properly enforced at home

"Alabama" by John Coltrane

• Famous composition written by Coltrane in response to the 1963 Birmingham Baptist Church bombing that killed 4 young black girls and injured many others.

• Wrote the composition to MLK's eulogy

Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln

Max Roach - Drummer

Abbey Lincoln - Vocalist

• Did “Freedom Now Suite”

  • Jazz Civil Rights album

  • Combined jazz with spoken word and vocals to address racial injustices

Avant Garde (Free Jazz)

• Often a reflection of societal upheaval (e.g., Civil Rights, counterculture movements)

• Departure from traditional jazz forms

• Highly experimental improvisation

• Atonal melodies

• Complex harmonies

• Pushes the boundaries of musical structure

• Collective Improv

Societal Changes in the 1960s

• Vietnam protests

• Civil rights movement

• Protest from the norm and these things inspired Jazz

Avant garde ensemble roles

• having different kinds of ensembles

• instruments playing different roles

• experimenting with sound

• no standard to follow

Avant-garde aesthetics of sound

• breaking down idea of bass/drum/piano rhythm section

• changing roles around

Freedom From Musical Conventions

-Breaks away from the traditional preset rhythms, harmonies, & song forms

-Redefined the way the ensembles were played and instrumental roles

-Aesthetics of sound: Genre showed you don't have to have the same format of piano and bass comping for solos etc. etc.

-"They just played with sound a lot"

Ornette Coleman

• Alto Saxophonist

• Leader of the Avant Garde genre

• Sounded like Charlie Parker in high school

• Innovates experimental ways to play, highly controversial

• Doesn't believe you have to be stuck in the traditional Jazz forms

• Known for his trademark plastic saxophone (claims he just liked the sound of it)

Ornette Coleman's Quartet

• Don Cherry: Pocket Trumpet

• Charlie Haden: Bass

• Billy Higgins: Drums

• Ed Blackwell replaced Higgins on drums in later iterations of the quartet

Albert Ayler

• Tenor saxophonist (Avant Garde)

• Unique style

• Influenced with John Coltrane

Cecil Taylor

• Pianist (Avant Garde)

• “Whats wrong with expressing rage in music”

• Extremely spastic and energetic playing

• Dave Brubeck influences

Sun Ra

• Made his own myth that he wasn’t from the Earth

• Band leader for the Myth Science Arkestra

• Pianist/keyboard

• Afro-Centric philosophy

Miles Davis' 2nd Great Quintet

• Tony Williams (Drummer): Joins Miles at 17

• Ron Carter (Bass)

• Herbie Hancock (Pianist)

• Wayne Shorter (Tenor Sax): “the idea man”

Controlled Freedom

• The way that Miles' 2nd Great Quintet was described as playing

• A mix of Avant Garde experimentation whilst still holding onto Jazz traditions like steady rhythm and harmony

• Wayne Shorter becomes main composer

Jazz Fusion

• Influenced by rock and r&b

• 1960s

• Electric Instruments and Effects: Synthesizers, electric guitars, and pedals

• Studio Technology: Multi-track recording and editing became integral

• Pioneered by Miles Davis

• Drums getting bigger

Precursors and Influences of Jazz Fusion

• R&B artists like Ray Charles

• Soul jazz & the Harmon organ

• Many rock bands in the 60s were playing with improvisation

• Connections to the blues

Controversy Over Jazz Fusion

• Due to the electric instruments, many Jazz purists saw it as pop music more than Jazz

• People thought jazz was selling out to become commercial

Miles Davis, Bitches Brew

• Groundbreaking album that defined jazz fusion

• Featured long tracks with layered rhythms and dense textures

• One of Miles' most popular works to this day

• Mixed opinions: Many critics felt that Miles' "sold out"

Miles Davis’ “Lost Quintet”

• Wayne Shorter

• Chick Corea

• Dave Holland

• Jack DeJohnette

• “Bitches Brew”

Herbie Hancock - Headhunters

• Famous Funk-driven fusion group

• "Chameleon"

• Drums

• Miles Alumni

Chick Corea - Return to Forever

• Brazilian Jazz Band

• Combined Latin, classical, and jazz elements

• Made the song "Light as a Feather"

• Keyboard

• Miles Alumni

John McLaughlin - Mahavishnu Orchestra

• Guitarist

• Inspired by Indian music

• Made the song "Miles Beyond"

• Miles Alumni

• Fusion

Weather Report

• Jazz fusion band

• Considered one of the defining acts in the genre

• Known for their innovative and complex sound

• Made the song "Teen Town"

Weather Report Band Members

• Wayne Shorter (Tenor Sax): Known for his experimental harmonies and legendary compositions

• Joe Zawinul (Keys): Austrian keyboard player who comes to America, master synthesizer player, organic sound

• Jaco Pastorius (bass): Revolutionized electric bass, known for fretless playing style

Mario Bauza

• Trumpet & Saxophone

• First Latin big band

• Afro-Cuban Jazz pioneer

Machito

• Maracas & vocals

• Brother in law to Mario Bauza

• Helped popularize Afro-Cuban Jazz with Mario

• Machito & his Afro-Cubans

Chano Ponzo

• Percussionist

• Collaborates with Dizzy Gillespie to create a big band

Dizzy Gillespie & Cubop

• Becomes fascinated with Afro-Cuban Jazz after meeting Mario Bauza

• Partners with Chano Ponzo and creates big band

  • “Manteca”

Pedrito Martinez

• Percussionist (Afro-Cuban Jazz)

Brazilian Jazz

• Bossa nova and samba styles introduced a relaxed, lyrical quality to jazz

• blends rhythmic elements of Brazilian music like samba with improvisational qualities of American jazz

• Unique, laid-back sound

Bossa Nova

• A style of Brazilian music derived from samba but placing more emphasis on melody and less on percussion

• Emphasis on guitar

Joao Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim

• Founders of Bossa Nova

• Joao Gilberto: Guitarist & vocals

• Antonio Carlos Jobim: Guitar

  • May be the most recorded musician in the world

Stan Getz

• American Tenor Saxophonist

• Brought Bossa Nova to the U.S. through the Getz/Gilberto album

Airto Moreira

• Percussionist

• Revolutionary for his unique style and large variety of instruments

• Played with Miles, Cannonball, Weather Report

• Redefines what a percussionist is

• Joins Chick Corea's band "Return to Forever"

• Married to Flora Purim, a singer

Wayne Shorter, Native Dancer

• Collaboration album with Milton Nascimento

Hermento Pascoal

• Brazillian Jazz royalty

• Known for being able to play any instrument

• Prolific for his ability to make music out of nature

• “Universal Music” - pulls from all

• Has a group named “O Grupo”

  • Rehearsed constantly

O Grupo

• Hermento Pascoal's group

• Known for rehearsing 5 days a week, 6 hours a day, for 12 years

Kieth Jarrett

• Leader of the Neo-Classism movement

• Pianist - only really likes acoustic

• Joins ECM Records and puts them on the map

• Known for his solo improvisational concerts where he would perform and often come up with everything on the spot

American & Scandinavian Quartets

• Kieth Jarrett's music groups

• American did Free Jazz stuff

Musical & Philosophical Ideas of Neo-Classism

• Fusion had become commercial, so Neo-Classism was inspired to return to acoustic instruments

• Return to the conventions of hard bop

• Swinging rhythms, playing the blues, and contrafacts were all elements of this style

• "Paying tribute but not necessarily going back in time"

Wynton Marsalis

• Trumpet

• Figure head of the neoclassical movement

• Tours with Miles Davis' rhythm section

• Very inspired/compared to Miles

• Signs w/ CBS records and wins Grammies in both Classical and Jazz music

• Highly critical of the state of Jazz and Miles' Jazz Fusion work

• He's basically a "moldy fig" who protested experimental Jazz

• Young Lion

Young Lions

• Name for the young musicians in the 1980s who the record companies tried to hire and basically industry plant

• The new generation of players

Repertory Movement

• Groups like the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra focus on preserving classic works

• The studying, preserving, and performing the many different styles of Jazz music

Controversy Over Wynton Marsalis

• Becomes music director for Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

• Very little electric Jazz was played as Wynton hated this form of music

• Mostly only classic Jazz was played at these performances

Carla Bley

• Composer & bandleader (Avant Garde & Neo-Classism)

• Piano

• Known for her unique and humorous style

• Steve Swallow

  • Carla Bley’s husband

  • Bass Player/Composer

Esperanza Spalding

• Bassist & vocalist

• Blends Jazz w/ classical elements

• Won Grammy for "Best New Artist", beating the likes of Justin Bieber for the award

• Worked with Wayne Shorter

• Made the song "But Not For Me" (2018) w/ Fred Hersch

Fred Hersch

• Pianist, Composer, and Bandleader

• Multiple decades worth of success

• Made the song "But Not For Me" (2018) w/ Esperanza Spalding