MUSI 432 Class 12 Study Notes

MUSI 432 Class 12 Notes: Between the Wars: Jazz and Popular Music Part 3

Hot Fives and a Seven

  • Key Songs:
    • "Big Butter and Egg Man" (5) featuring Mae Alix
    • "Potato Head Blues" (7)
    • "Struttin with Some Barbecue" (5)
    • "Hotter than That" (5) featuring Lonnie Johnson on guitar
    • "West End Blues" (5)

Important Venues in Chicago

  • Dreamland Café:
    • A late-night dance spot featuring singers, dancers, and comedians.
    • Led by Lil Armstrong; Louis Armstrong earned $75 a week in 1925, $20 more than his previous salary with Henderson in New York.
  • Vendome Theater:
    • Led by Erskine Tate, it featured a symphony orchestra presenting light classical music alongside jazz.
    • Armstrong played a memorable solo in the Overture from "Cavalleria rusticana" by Mascagni and achieved success with comic numbers like "Big Butter and Egg Man" and "Heebie Jeebies."
    • One notable recording is "Stomp Off, Let's Go" (1926) with Tate’s band.
  • Sunset Café:
    • Armstrong began performing there in April 1926.
    • Located across from the Plantation Café, a venue competing for audiences, led by Carroll Dickerson and featuring Earl Hines.
  • Savoy Ballroom:
    • A large Southside dance hall with a capacity of 6000 persons and elaborate decorations.
    • Featured two bands performing nightly; likely venue for Armstrong's performances of numbers like "West End Blues."
    • Distinction noted: Not to be confused with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, which had a capacity of 4000.

Singing and Vocal Style

  • Louis Armstrong's Philosophy on Singing:
    • "I just try to put the rhythm of instrumental playing into my voice".
  • Hit Records:
    • "Heebie Jeebies" gained immense popularity at the Vendome and sold over 40,000 copies for OKeh.
  • Innovations in Scat Singing:
    • Armstrong popularized scat with records like "Heebie Jeebies" and "Skid Dat De Dat," though he did not invent the style.
  • Showcase of Vocal Development:
    • Songs such as "A Monday Date" (with Earl Hines) and "Hotter than That" show Armstrong's vocal style developed using microphones.

Jazz in the 1930s

  • Impact of the Great Depression:
    • The economic downturn beginning in October 1929 had a catastrophic effect on the recording industry.
  • Shift to Radio:
    • Audiences turned to radio as a source of nearly free entertainment.
  • Demand for Dance Bands:
    • Dance events became affordable, creating a strong demand for live dance bands.
  • Dancing as an Escape:
    • Energetic dances like the Lindy Hop offered an exhilarating escape from daily life.

Swing Dance

  • Origins:
    • The Lindy Hop emerged from Black culture, especially at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, before gaining national popularity.
  • Characteristics of Dance:
    • Required both athleticism and creativity, with spectacular moves such as 'air steps' (man throwing partner over his head).
    • Professional group Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers specialized in this style.
    • A steady 4-beat musical style, known as swing, is essential for these dance forms.

Swing Bands

  • Instrumentation:
    • Typical 1930s dance bands included a rhythm section (piano, string bass, drums; guitar occasionally, with banjo used less frequently).
    • Reed section normally consisted of 3-5 saxophones and clarinets, and brass included 3 trumpets and 2 trombones.
  • Arrangements:
    • Arrangers created elaborate harmonized lines known as soli for the reed or brass sections; many arrangements combined complex written parts with space for improvised solos.
    • Bands also utilized head arrangements—riff-based pieces developed without written music.
  • Notable Band Leaders:
    • Included Paul Whiteman (1890-1967), Fletcher Henderson (1898-1952), Duke Ellington (1899-1974), Count Basie (1904-1984), Benny Goodman (1909-1986), Tommy Dorsey (1905-1956), and Glenn Miller (1904-1944).

Count Basie Orchestra

  • Background:
    • Led by William “Count” Basie, the orchestra emerged from Kansas City and was known for its hard-swinging style.
  • Musical Focus:
    • Many of Basie’s arrangements were based on blues and simple riffs, allowing for solos adapted to the dancers' moods and interests.
    • One notable work is "One O’Clock Jump," an example of hard-driving swing music.

Quintette du Hot Club de France

  • Founders:
    • Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) and Stéphane Grappelli (1908-1997) formed the ensemble in 1934.
  • Instrumentation:
    • Characteristic sound features 3 guitars, a violin, and a bass.
  • Notable Work:
    • "Minor Swing," recorded in 1937 exemplifies their unique style.

Jazz in Europe

  • A mention of the European Jazz scene, highlighting the influence of American jazz.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974)

  • Prominence:
    • A preeminent jazz composer with thousands of pieces to his credit.
    • Moved from Washington D.C. to New York City in 1923, establishing himself as a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Early History of Duke Ellington

  • Musical Influences:
    • Learned jazz partly through piano rolls featuring artists like James P. Johnson.
  • First Composition:
    • His initial piece, "Soda Fountain Rag," was written at the age of 14.
  • Career in NYC:
    • Worked at the Kentucky Club initially, then gained notoriety at the Cotton Club from 1927-1931.
    • Regular radio broadcasts from the Cotton Club contributed to the fame of Ellington’s band.
    • The Cotton Club was characterized as a black and tan establishment, employing Black musicians yet catering mainly to a White audience.

The Ellingtonians

  • Notable Musicians in Ellington’s Band:
    • Trumpet: Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams
    • Saxophone: Johnny Hodges, Benny Webster
    • Trombone: “Tricky Sam” Nanton, Juan Tizol
    • Bass: Wellman Braud, Jimmy Blanton
    • Piano: Duke Ellington himself

Ellington’s Style

  • Artistic Focus:
    • Notable for exploring tone color through varied instrumentation and mutes, creating the "Ellington Effect."
  • Harmonic Complexity:
    • Utilized intricate, often dissonant harmonies to craft atmospheric music with a percussive quality.
  • Philosophy:
    • Bubber Miley emphasized the importance of swing with the phrase, "If it ain’t got swing, it ain’t worth playin."

Ellingtonian Examples

  • Notable compositions include:
    • "Mood Indigo"
    • "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"
    • "Black and Tan Fantasy"
    • "Cotton Tail"

The Rise of Sound in Film

  • Technological Advancement:
    • Engineers discovered methods to record sound alongside film in 1927, marking a turning point for film music.
  • First Talkie:
    • The Jazz Singer, featuring Al Jolson, was the initial sound film.
  • Film Music Functionality:
    • Diegetic music is performed by characters within the film, while nondiegetic music (underscoring) is intended solely for audience perception and mood enhancement.
  • Max Steiner’s Contribution:
    • Steiner's score for King Kong (1933) established a blueprint for film scoring throughout the 1930s.
  • Notable Composers:
    • Besides Steiner, notable film composers included Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1887-1957), Alfred Newman (1900-1970), and Carl Stalling (1891-1972), integrating operatic and programmatic influences in their scores.