Chapter 56: American Intersections: Jazz and Blues Traditions Flashcards
Jazz
A musical style created mainly by African Americans in the early twentieth century that blended elements drawn from African musics with the popular and art traditions of the West. (page 339)
Blues
African American form of secular folk music, related to jazz, that is based on a simple, repetitive poetic-musical structure. (page 339)
Work Song
Communal song that synchronized group tasks. (page 340)
Ring Shout
Religious dance of African American slaves, performed with hand clapping and a shuffle step to spirituals. (page 340)
Spiritual
Folklike devotional genre of the United States, sung by African Americans and whites. (page 340)
Blue Note
A slight drop of pitch on the third, fifth, or seventh note of the scale, common in blues and jazz. Also bent pitch. (page 340)
Chord
Simultaneous combination of three or more pitches that constitute a single block of harmony. (page 340)
New Orleans Jazz
Early jazz style characterized by multiple improvisations in an ensemble of cornet (or trumpet), clarinet (or saxophone), trombone, piano, double bass (or tuba), banjo (or guitar), and drums; repertory included blues, ragtime, and popular songs. (page 340)
Scat-singing
A jazz style that sets syllables without meaning (vocables) to an improvised vocal line. (page 341)
Swing
Jazz term coined to describe Louis Armstrong’s style; more commonly refers to big-band jazz. (page 343)
Big-band Era
See Swing Era. (page 343)
Bebop
Complex jazz style developed in the 1940s. (page 344)
Swing Era
The mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, when swing was the most popular music in the United States. Important musicians of the era were Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman.
