Chapter 1 Introducing Jazz — Comprehensive Study Notes

What Is Jazz?

  • Jazz is a difficult genre to define precisely; most agree it must swing and involve improvisation, though definitions are debated and evolving. Some musicians reject the label jazz and prefer to call themselves musicians.
  • Jazz is an African American cultural and artistic contribution created in the United States, influential in both popular and artistic life for about the last century.
  • It blends African American and European musical influences; while many important innovators have been Black, there have always been White and Latinx musicians who contributed significantly.
  • Latin and Afro-Caribbean styles have expanded jazz, adding new rhythmic and melodic approaches.
  • Improvisation is central to jazz, though some musicians and listeners encounter fully notated and composed forms within the jazz tradition.
  • Some musicians refer to their music as improvised music due to cross-cultural influences that defy narrow labeling.
  • The book focuses on examining musicians generally associated with jazz and expanding appreciation across a broad spectrum of jazz-related music.
  • Jazz reflects societal contexts, including racism, equity issues, cultural appropriation, and gender dynamics, which will be discussed and examined through history.
  • The roots and evolution of jazz emphasize a dialog between past styles and ongoing innovation, rather than a simple linear replacement of one style by another.

The Roots of Jazz

  • Jazz developed from a blend of African American, European, African, and Afro-Caribbean musics.
  • Early African musical approaches often emphasize multiple rhythms played simultaneously, short repeated riffs, communal social functions, and oral transmission of music rather than fixed notation.
  • European Western classical music tends to emphasize a developed melody with harmonic accompaniment and fixed meter, usually notated.
  • Afro-Caribbean or Latin music (eg, from Cuba) brings rhythmic and melodic elements that blend with African and European roots.
  • Jazz combines harmonic and rhythmic sophistication with improvisation and notated practices, functioning both as art music and dance music, and demanding high technical skill and expressive individuality.
  • Jazz is often presented along a historical timeline showing stylistic evolution; however, styles can repeat or reappear in new contexts rather than being strictly replaced.

Jazz Reflects Society

  • Jazz has emerged amid social dynamics such as racism, unequal opportunities, and cultural stereotypes, all of which shaped performers’ lives and careers.
  • The African American experience, especially after the Civil War, influenced the development and business side of jazz, including promoters, publishers, and venues.
  • Gender issues have long affected jazz history, with women historically excluded from certain roles and touring, and facing harassment and unequal treatment; these issues are discussed within the broader social context.
  • The narrative seeks to acknowledge these challenges while celebrating creative responses and breakthroughs by artists.

JAZZ STYLES TIMELINE

  • 1870s–present: Country/Folk traditions
  • c. 1880s–1915: Ragtime
  • 1920s–1940s: Classic Blues
  • c. 1880s–1920: New Orleans Jazz
  • Urban Blues (timeline ongoing)
  • 1917–1930: Chicago Jazz
  • 1920–1930: New York Jazz
  • 1920s–1940s: Kansas City Jazz
  • 1935–1945: Swing Era
  • c. 1944–1952: Bebop
  • c. 1949–1955: Cool Jazz
  • 1950–1960: Mambo
  • 1955–1960: Hard Bop
  • 1960–1965: Soul Jazz
  • 1962–present: Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova, Samba
  • c. 1959–present: Avant-Garde Jazz
  • 1960–present: Mainstream
  • 1967–present: Fusion
  • 1975–present: Smooth Jazz
  • 1980–present: Neo-Traditional
  • 1985–present: Downtown
  • 1995–2015: Jazz Today

2nd Chorus: What Are the Elements of Jazz?

  • Individual Expression: Jazz emphasizes personal voice and tone; players strive for a distinctive sound or vocabulary that marks them as stylists.
  • Melody: The melodic line, often called the head, is usually played at the start and end of tunes; solos create spontaneous melodies over the chord changes.
  • Harmony: Jazz harmony adds rich, colorful chords and advanced progressions; harmony underpins improvisation and forms.
  • Rhythm: Rhythm creates the pulse and groove; jazz uses flexible meter, swing, and a tradition of rhythmic dynamism.
  • Improvisation: Spontaneous composition central to jazz; typical format is melody, followed by improvised solos on the chord progression, then return to the melody.
  • Form: Jazz forms include tune form and larger-scale arrangements; the ensemble may shape overall form through composition/arrangement.
  • Composition and Arranging: Jazz composers craft melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, textural, and formal frameworks that improvisers use as foundations.

The Roles of Composition and Arranging in Jazz

  • Composers and arrangers use melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, timbre, and form to construct musical frameworks.
  • Improvisers build performances on these frameworks and on pre-arranged formats.
  • The history of jazz composition and arranging is rich and traced across chapters, showing how improvisation interacts with written design.

Form

  • Musical form has layers: the tune form itself (eg, 12-bar blues, 32-bar AABA), and the overall form shaping multiple choruses.
  • In small groups, typical form is head (melody) – solos – head; sometimes a composed ensemble passage appears mid-tune.
  • A final chorus may include a shout chorus, a climactic ensemble statement used for excitement and closure.
  • Big bands often feature a shout chorus and horn backgrounds behind a solo to elevate the soloist.
  • Extended big-band works can stretch beyond traditional forms; modern players/composers explore new forms beyond classic shapes.

What Are the Different Types of Jazz Instrumentation?

  • Horns vs Rhythm Section:
    • Horns: trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, trombone
    • Rhythm Section: piano, guitar, bass, drums
  • Doubling: many players double on multiple instruments (eg, a saxophonist who also plays flute or clarinet)
  • Instrument-specific overviews below summarize roles and notable players.

Trumpet

  • A lead instrument in many ensembles; often sets phrasing and influences swing and feel; tone ranges from bright and cutting to soft, lyrical, or dark.
  • Related instruments: flugelhorn (dark, mellow) and cornet (warmer, less cutting).

Saxophone

  • Common sizes: baritone, tenor, alto, soprano; players may double on multiple saxes.
  • Reeds and mouthpiece create vibration; players use keys to reach pitches.
  • Notable players highlighted with representative styles and vocabularies.
  • Doubling and versatility are common in jazz careers.

Clarinet

  • Woodwind with a reed; lower register dark and rich, upper register bright and powerful.
  • Important in New Orleans Jazz and swing era; popularized as a lead instrument by Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw.
  • Contemporary players bring diverse influences.

Trombone

  • Low brass instrument using a slide to change pitch; bright in upper register but typically dark and full in lower ranges.
  • Tailgating is an early tailgate slide technique.
  • Requires precise slide positions and intonation; capable of technical brilliance.

Rhythm Section

  • Provides rhythmic and harmonic support, fuels swing, and often participates as soloists.
  • Core instruments: piano, guitar, bass, drums; they function differently across eras and ensembles.
  • The rhythm section interacts closely, often described as locking in with the groove.

Piano

  • Highly versatile in jazz; can accompany or lead as a soloist; often the central harmonic and rhythmic anchor.
  • Pianists comp behind horns and solos; also create layered textures and counterpoint.
  • Modern jazz expands the role with electronic keyboards and synthesizers, expanding timbre and texture.

Guitar

  • Early role: steady comping and timekeeping; evolved to become a major accompanying and solo instrument; bandleaders increasingly come from the guitar world.
  • Contemporary players draw on broader popular music influences; guitar is a prominent path for younger players.

Bass

  • Provides harmonic foundation and timekeeping; walking bass lines in 4 per measure or bass 1 and 3 in 2; essential for groove.
  • Acoustic bass dominated early jazz; electric bass rises in importance since the 1970s; many players double on both.
  • Notable players listed across eras.

Drums

  • Keep time and drive the energy; drum roles vary from understated to bombastic; the approach defines the band feel.
  • Drum kit components include bass drum, snare, ride cymbal, hi-hat, and tom-toms; sticks, mallets, brushes create varied sounds.
  • Early recording constraints led to simpler percussion; later drummers expanded the kit and effects.

Vocalists

  • Vocalists have been central to jazz history, from classic blues and swing to modern vocalists.
  • Techniques include scat singing and vocalese; vocalese involves writing lyrics to instrumental solos.
  • Notable vocal groups and individual vocalists span eras and styles.

The Various Types of Jazz Ensembles

  • Trio: typically piano, bass, and drums; pianist often leader; interaction varies from tightly arranged to highly interactive (piano trio examples include Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans Trio).
  • Quartet: rhythm section plus a featured horn or vocalist; sometimes the vocalist leads with a separate rhythm section credit.
  • Quintet: two horns plus rhythm section (piano, bass, drums); horns often share composed roles to create harmony and melody.
  • Sextet: adds a third horn; enables more color and complex writing; common in mid 20th century
  • Big Band: large ensemble typically 10–40 players; common configuration around 17 players (5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 4 rhythm); relies heavily on composer-arrangers and collective textures.
  • Big bands were standard in the swing era but remain important today for large-scale writing and ensemble color.

Coda: Chapter Summary

  • What is jazz? Jazz defies easy definition but swing and improvisation are core.
  • Jazz is an African American cultural contribution shaping US music over the last century.
  • Jazz blends African and European traditions and has grown through global influences.
  • Jazz reflects societal issues such as racism, equity, gender dynamics, and stereotypes.
  • Elements of jazz include individual expression, melody, harmony, rhythm, improvisation, form, and arranging.
  • Composition and arranging provide the frameworks for improvisation and performance.
  • Instrumentation falls into horns and rhythm section with a wide range of roles and notable players.
  • Ensembles range from small trios to large big bands, each with unique compositional and improvisational opportunities.

Study Flashcards (Key Terms)

  • backbeat, bass, beat, big band, break, chord progression, clarinet, collective improvisation, comp, composing (or arranging), cornet, doubling, drum, form, guitar, harmony, head, horn, improvisation, individual expression, keyboard, saxophone, scat singing, shout chorus, stylist, swing, syncopation, tailgating, texture, timbre, melody, meter, piano, trombone, trumpet, playing in 2, polyrhythm, rhythm, vocalese, walking (or playing in 4), drum kit, flugelhorn, rhythm section

Think About This (For Further Discussion and Study)

  • Explain why jazz as a genre is difficult to define.
  • Describe how the horns and the rhythm section in a jazz band function differently.
  • Listen to a jazz trio and then to a big band. Compare and contrast what you hear.
  • Explain how West African musical traditions influenced jazz, and provide examples.
  • Give examples of the prevalence of racism in the early history of jazz.

Key Resources (Suggested for Further Reading)

  • Gennari, John. Blowin’ Hot and Cold: Jazz and Its Critics
  • Giddins, Gary. Visions of Jazz: The First Century
  • Gioia, Ted. The History of Jazz
  • Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz
  • Kirchner, Bill, ed. The Oxford Companion to Jazz
  • Roberts, John Storm. Latin Jazz: The First of the Fusions
  • Walser, Robert, ed. Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History
  • Ward, Geoffrey C. and Ken Burns. Jazz: A History of America’s Music
  • Williams, Martin. The Jazz Tradition

PRE-JAZZ OVERVIEW TIMELINE (1865–1910)

  • Major social developments during this period include civil rights advances and the emergence of white supremacist groups, inventions, and early mass media.
  • 1860–1865: Civil War era; Scott Joplin and W C Handy and other early figures are born or active around this era.
  • 1866–1877: Major births of Buddy Bolden, King Oliver, James Reese Europe, and others who would influence early jazz scenes in New Orleans and beyond.
  • 1880s–1890s: Early jazz-adjacent figures and movements begin to form; the brass and band traditions evolve with New Orleans roots.
  • 1890s–1900s: The jazz-era precursors mature; Armstrong, Beiderbecke, Ellington, and others will define the next eras.
  • 1893–1909: Civil rights issues and segregation laws shape the experiences of Black musicians; Prohibition era and venue culture begin to influence performance settings.
  • First flat disc records, radio, and other technologies begin to alter how music is shared and distributed.

Pre-Jazz Major Figures (born or active up to 1910)

  • Scott Joplin, ragtime pianist-composer
  • Jelly Roll Morton, pianist-composer; early influence on piano styles
  • Buddy Bolden, New Orleans cornetist and bandleader
  • King Oliver, New Orleans cornet player and bandleader
  • Louis Armstrong, cornet/trumpet performer and vocalist; pivotal figure in jazz
  • Duke Ellington, pianist-composer-bandleader; major figure in later jazz history
  • Benny Goodman, clarinetist and swing band leader
  • Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and other foundational saxophonists who would shape the tenor voice
  • Art Tatum, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, and others who expanded harmonic and rhythmic language
  • Frankie Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke, Earl Hines, and other early innovators who pushed instrumental vocabularies

Timeline Context for Civil Rights and Technologies

  • Civil Rights Act and NAACP milestones influence opportunities and access in music industries
  • Edison phonograph and later phonographic media enable mass distribution of jazz sounds
  • Electric lighting and urbanization support the growth of clubs, venues, and performance circuits
  • Storyville and other New Orleans districts serve as sites for performance and early professional networks