Big band Flashcards
MF for Paul Whiteman
‘Valencia!’ - Paul Whiteman (1926)
Extended ensemble including saxophones
Jittery dotted rhythm - replicated that of jazz (minstrel songs and marching bands)
Integrated antiphonal writing / texture between reed and brass - classical music influences (Mozart)
Jazz music for mass popular appeal, novelty value, castanets used to give ‘Spanish’ sound
MF for Fletcher Henderson
‘Just Blues’ - Fletcher Henderson (1931)
Antiphonal texture in 3rd chorus Saxophones 2nd chorus includes 'hot' solos on trumpet with note bends, grace notes and blue notes Blues harmoney, muted and growls Written arrangements Formal swing
MF for DE 1927
‘East St toodle-oo’ (1927) DE
Opening harmony undulated between Cm and Ddim
‘Jungle’ sound of Bubber Miley’s growl on trumpet (why he was hired - “reflects jungle sound”)
Uneven phrase lengths = 20 bars long
MF for DE 1930
‘Mood Indigo’ - (1930) DE
Unusual colour combinations (titles) eg inverted example of NO polyphony (muted trumpet, muted trumpet and clarinet create a unified sound)
Extended harmony used (Gb, C7, F, F7(#5), Bb)
1936 DE example and MF
‘Caravan’ (1936) DE
Chromaticism - opening melody created exotic mood
C against C7 and Db7
Use of toms on drum kit, development of percussion parts found within jazz - ‘jungle sound’
Dissonance - opening high piano chords during into and melody
MF for count Basie
‘Jumping at the woodside’ (1937)
Riff and counterriffs in first chorus
Solo orientated music eg Lester Younf on tenor sax 4th chorus
Blues like harmony - head arrangement
2nd chorus -basic simple piano solo uses blue notes in RH, vamping in LH
Drums (Jo jones) swing rhythm and keeping time
Guitar (freddie green) - crotchet chords
Double bass (Walter page - walking bass)
Formal swing
No written score allows for virtuosic solos
MF for Benny Goodman
‘Clarinet A la king’ (1941)
Sparked the swing band boom - socially important, popular with white audiences
Melodic subtleties and nuances (phrasing, accentuation, blue notes, note shaping and bending)
High standards of musicianship - classical virtuosity in opening arpeggios and clarinet solos and fills (note title)
Armstrong level of ‘correlated chorus’ structuring
One of the first racially integrated orchestras
Jazz music developed and now was an expected format
How many band members in the band that duke Ellington played in?
Elder snowden’s band
18 musicians by 1946
NY
Name example pieces for duke Ellington
‘East St toodle-ok’ (1927)
‘Mood Indigo’ (1930)
‘Caravan’ (1936)
How did DE develop jazz? (6)
Compose using ensemble as an instrument - experimented with timbre to reflect a concept eg Bubber miley hired for ‘growl’ sound to reflect jungle sound of the exotic mood in opening solo on 1927
Synesthetic (def?) nb titles, experimented with combinations of instr and tone colour eg opening of mood indigo
Developed harmony - chromatic and extended chords dramatically devoted from 12 bar blues eg dissonance in opening minor key of caravan enhances jungle sound
LA = melody to improvise around arpeggios, DE = uneven phrase lengths (20 bars in East St toodle-oo) and chromaticism (opening melody of caravan). C+R, fragmentation and development of motifs, thematic recall and mottoes
Precision in arrangements, no improv / informal jazz, ballrooms of NY, Bigband music = art form
200 recording in jungle style
7 example tracks for big band in chronological order
‘Valencia!’ - Paul whiteman (1926) symphonic jazz
‘East St toodle-oo’ - DE (1927)
‘Mood Indigo’ - DE (1930)
‘Just Blues’ - Fletcher Henderson (1931)
‘Caravan’ - DE (1936)
‘Jumping at the Woodside’ - count Basie (1937)
‘Clarinet A la King’ - Benny Goodman (1941)
