class 11

MUSI 432 Class 11: Between the Wars: Jazz and Popular Music Part 2

The Blues

  • Definition and Structure of Classic Blues

    • Classic blues songs are typically in 12-bar form.

    • Often composed by professional songwriters, notably W.C. Handy.

    • Lyrics are predominantly structured in AAB form, where:

    • Each line occupies 4 bars of music.

    • Chord progression: repeats every 12 bars, shown as:

    • I ext{ I } I ext{ I } IV ext{ IV } I ext{ I } V ext{ IV } I ext{ I}

    • All chords are generally dominant 7th chords.

  • Notable Works:

    • “Back Water Blues” performed by Bessie Smith and James P. Johnson.

    • “St. Louis Blues” featuring Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and Fred Longshaw.

    • African American Popular Song artists: Gertrude “Ma” Rainey.

Delta Blues

  • Definition and Characteristics:

    • Also known as country blues, closer to 19th-century folk blues origins.

    • Primarily features a male singer accompanying himself on guitar.

    • While 12-bar form is common, the structure remains looser than classic blues.

    • Historical Context: Delta blues recordings appeared later than classic blues.

  • Significant Performers:

    • Son House (1902-1988)

    • Robert Johnson (1911-1938)

    • Muddy Waters (1915-1983)

  • Influences:

    • Directly influenced Chicago blues and many English rock musicians in the 1960s.

New Orleans Style Jazz

  • Instrumentation Origins:

    • Derived from brass band dance groups featuring:

    • Cornet (trumpet), clarinet, trombone, and percussion (drum kit).

    • Additionally, influenced by string bands including:

    • Violin, mandolin, banjo, and string bass.

  • Band Composition:

    • Front line: Cornet, Clarinet, Trombone.

    • Rhythm section: Guitar, Banjo, Piano, Bass (or Tuba), and Drums.

    • Early bands often included violin, which faded by the 1910s.

  • Role of Instruments:

    • The cornet plays the melody.

    • The clarinet improvised a decorative counter-melody.

    • The trombone executes an ornamented bass line incorporating slides and smears.

  • Collective Improvisation: The rhythm section maintains a strict four-beat pulse while improvising together;

    • Soloistic breaks occur at phrase ends, often accompanied by stop time.

  • Notable Works:

    • “Dippermouth Blues” by King Oliver.

    • “Shoe Shiner’s Drag” and “Steamboat Stomp” by Jelly Roll Morton.

The First Jazz Recordings

  • Freddie Keppard: One of the earliest New Orleans jazz players; extensively toured with his band.

    • In 1916, he declined to record for Victor Records due to concerns of others stealing his musical ideas.

    • He later recorded “Cutie Blues” in Chicago with Erskine Tate’s Vendome Orchestra.

  • Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB):

    • The first band to record in the New Orleans style, a white group that gained significant attention in 1917.

    • Notable recordings include “Tiger Rag” and “Livery Stable Blues”.

Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941)

  • Biography:

    • Born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe, a pivotal New Orleans jazz composer.

    • Moved to Chicago in 1922 and recorded with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1923.

    • Most influential recordings began in 1926 with Victor Records with the Red Hot Peppers ensemble.

  • Band Members:

    • Included Kid Ory (Trombone), Omer Simeon (Clarinet/Sax), George Mitchell (Cornet), Johnny St. Cyr (Banjo), Barney Bigard (Clarinet/Sax), Johnny Dodds (Clarinet/Sax), Baby Dodds (Drums), Andrew Hillaire (Drums).

  • Notable Works:

    • “Black Bottom Stomp”.

King Joe Oliver (1885-1938)

  • Career Highlights:

    • Started performing in 1905; recognized as the leading cornettist post Buddy Bolden in Kid Ory's band in 1917.

  • Mentorship:

    • Mentored Louis Armstrong, who adopted Oliver's “freak” style emphasizing tonal color achieved through mutes.

  • Move to Chicago:

    • Relocated to Chicago in 1918, formed the Creole Jazz Band by 1922 featuring members like Honore Dutrey (trombone), Johnny Dodds (clarinet), Baby Dodds (drums), Bill Johnson (bass and banjo), Lil Hardin (piano), and Louis Armstrong (2nd cornet).

  • Recording History:

    • Recorded first for Gennett Records in 1923.

  • Notable Works:

    • “Dipper Mouth Blues”, “Weatherbird Rag”.

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)

  • Influence in Jazz:

    • Described by Scott Deveaux as “the single most important figure in the development of jazz.”

    • Highly influential as both a trumpet player and singer, becoming a global symbol of jazz.

  • Early Life:

    • Born into poverty in New Orleans, began his musical journey singing in church.

    • Learned cornet skills influenced by rag-and-bone men playing on tinhorns.

    • Sent to Colored Waif’s Home for Boys for 18 months in 1913, where he became the band leader.

    • Worked under Joe Oliver in Kid Ory's band in 1918.

    • Performed on river boats in 1918 under Fate Marable, which required music reading.

    • Joined Oliver’s band in Chicago in 1922.

  • Armstrong's Innovations:

    • Centralized blues as jazz's foundation, promoting individual expression within the genre.

    • Developed a unique vocal style characterized by scat and melodic paraphrase, often recomposing original tunes.

    • Pioneered a swung rhythmic approach, emphasizing rhythmic placement alongside pitch and timbre.

Armstrong's Career Milestones (1922-1925)

  • Played second cornet in King Oliver’s band at Lincoln Gardens, Chicago.

  • Made first recordings with Oliver, including “Tears”, and gained prominence through solo performances.

  • Married Lil Hardin (1898-1971), the band’s pianist, with notable contributions in “Chimes Blues”.

  • In 1924, left Oliver’s band for New York City, playing with Fletcher Henderson, recorded “Mandy Make Up your Mind”.

  • Returned to Chicago in 1925, performing in Vendome Theater and Dreamland Café.

  • Began recording with the Hot Five for OKeh Records in November 1925.

The Hot Five

  • Members:

    • Louis Armstrong (cornet)

    • Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

    • Johnny Dodds (clarinet)

    • Kid Ory (trombone)

    • Lil Armstrong (piano)

The Hot Five and Hot Seven

  • Importance:

    • Groups recorded for OKeh Records, never performed live.

    • Hot Five includes cornet, clarinet, trombone, piano; the Hot Seven added tuba and drums due to electronic recording changes.

    • Records targeted Black Southern audiences through Race records.

    • Many compositions arranged for recordings, sometimes created in-studio.

Hot Five and Seven Recordings

  • Notable Tracks:

    • “Cornet Chop Suey” (5)

    • “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

    • “Savoy Blues” (5) featuring Lonnie Johnson on guitar

    • “West End Blues” (5)

Important Venues in Chicago

  • Dreamland Café: A vibrant late-night spot featuring singers, dancers, comedians; led by Lil Armstrong, with Louis earning $75 per week, more than his Henderson pay.

  • Vendome Theater: Led by Erskine Tate, known for both light classical and jazz music. Armstrong's solo in Cavalleria Rusticana and comedic hits such as “Big Butter and Egg Man” were significant there.

  • Sunset Café: Armstrong's employment began in April 1926, across from the competing Plantation Café with notable performances.

  • Savoy Ballroom: Large venue with a capacity of 6000; featured elaborate décor and nightly performances, including “West End Blues”. Not to be confused with the Harlem Savoy accommodating 4000.

Singing Style of Louis Armstrong

  • Armstrong said, “I just try to put the rhythm of instrumental playing into my voice.”

  • Popularized scat singing through hits like “Heebie Jeebies”, which sold over 40,000 copies for OKeh.

  • Demonstrated a distinct vocal style using opportunities with microphone in songs like “A Monday Date” (with Earl Hines on piano) and “Hotter than That.”

Jazz in the 1930s

  • The Great Depression, beginning in October 1929, severely crippled the recording industry.

  • Audiences sharply turned to radio for cost-effective entertainment; dance music gained popularity.

  • Energetic dances like Lindy Hop offered a necessary escape from daily struggles.

Swing Dance

  • Origins: Dances like Lindy Hop emerged from Black culture in venues such as the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem before garnering national popularity.

  • Characteristics: Required athleticism and creativity, featuring impressive air steps where males toss partners overhead.

  • Professional Groups: Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, a specialized group for this style known for performances such as in Hellzapoppin' (1941).

  • Relies on a steady 4-beat swing musical format.

Swing Bands

  • Instrumentation: Typically featured a rhythm section of piano, string bass, drums, and often guitar, with added reeds (saxes/clarinets) and brass (trumpets/trombones).

  • Arrangements: Comprised of complex notated charts known as soli for reeds or brass; bands performed head arrangements, simple riffs developed collectively without written parts.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974)

  • Legacy: Recognized as the most critical jazz composer, creating thousands of pieces and arrangements.

  • Career Development: Relocated from Washington DC to NYC in 1923, establishing himself as a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance.

Duke's Early Influences and Compositions

  • Learned jazz through piano rolls influenced by James P. Johnson.

  • First Composition: “Soda Fountain Rag”, composed at age 14.

  • Initial performances included the Kentucky Club and at the Cotton Club (1927-1931) where regular radio broadcasts elevated Ellington's band’s fame.

The Ellingtonians Ensemble

  • Key Members:

    • Trumpet: Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams

    • Saxophone: Johnny Hodges, Benny Webster

    • Trombone: “Tricky Sam” Nanton, Juan Tizol

    • Bass: Wellman Braud, Jimmy Blanton

    • Piano: Duke Ellington

Ellington’s Musical Style

  • Known for his focus on tone color, utilizing mutes and combinations of instruments, deriving the “Ellington Effect”.

  • Influences derived from stride piano techniques.

  • Explored complex and dissonant harmonies to foster a specific atmosphere in his music.

  • Famous quote: “If it ain’t got swing, it ain’t worth playing.” - Bubber Miley.

Notable Works by Ellington

  • “Soda Fountain Rag”

  • “Mood Indigo”

  • “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo”

  • “Creole Love Call”

  • “Black and Tan Fantasy"