Exam 2 Flashcards
What is swing?
In the 1930s and contained reeds, brass, and rhythm. It retained rhythmic contrast, bluesy phrasing, and balance between improvisation and composition. It was commercial, had clearly defined melodies, and dance grooves
The Big Bands
Jazz moved to the dance halls and became the most lucrative form of jazz. Arrangers needed to write out the parts for each instrument and keep the orchestra organized and playing together.
What were the most prolific swing band leaders?
Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, and Chick Webb
American Culture that bounded Swing?
- The Great Depression
2. World War II
What was the Great Depression?
Stock market crash known as “Black Tuesday”. Lasted until 1939 and led to international depression. Worsened by dust bowl
World War II
Pearl Harbor bombed Dec 7, 1941 by Japanese
Savoy’s Dance Style = Lindy Hop
Savoy responsible for developing the Lindy Hop, which was named after pilot Charles Lindbergh. Known for “breakaways”
Swing Dance
Swing dance emerged in New York at the Savoy Ballroom. It is where battle of big bands emerged.
Instrumentation of Big Bands
Upright bass, Guitar
Soli
Arrangers started writing harmonized melodies for entire big band sections
Head Arrangements:
Technique popular among Kansas City Musicians, in which musicians would create a riff and then harmonize it for the entire band. One of the most famous band leaders to use it was Count Basie.
King of Swing
Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
“King of Swing”. Clarinetist and Child Prodigy from Chicago. Moved to NY, formed big band, bought arrangements from fletcher Henderson and other African American band leaders. Featured in radio show Lets Dance
Benny Goodman Quartet
One of the first integrated groups in jazz history. Mostly known as a recording group. “Dinah”
Hammond
Jazz Entrepreneur. Responsible for numerous recordings. Kept extensive records of jazz recordings. Started trend of create research discographies
Artie Shaw
Clarinetist, studied with pianist Willie “The Lion” Smith. Began Career in radio. Recorded “Begin the Beguine”. Stood against segregation by hiring black arrangers and musicians
Jimmie Lunceford
“The Professor”. Stressed 3 Ps. Punctuality, Precision, and Presentation.
Glenn Miller
Trombonist, Sax section with clarinet on top. Served in arm band and went missing in airplane over English channel
Cab Calloway
The Alabamians, Replaced Ellington at The Cotton Club, Later appeared in films. Hired Chu berry, Dizzy Gillespie, and Cozy Cole.
Boswell Sisters
Connie, Martha, Helvetia. All female singers. Connie was primary arranger. Disbanded when Helvetia got married.
Delta Rhythm Boys
Directed by Lee Gaines. Appeared in Motion pictures. Formed at Langston University.
Where was the Southwest’s Urban Headquarters?
Kansas City
Tom Pendergast
Crime ring leader. Ties to mod and ran KCs politics.
Kansas City Blues Piano Style was also known as
Boogie Woogie
Boogie Woogie
Blue piano style built on firm rhythmic foundation in the left hand. Doubled the pace of the groove. Divided each beat in two, so the four beat measure now has eight beat pulse.
Three Giants of Boogie Woogie
- Meade Lux Lewis
- Albert Ammons
- Pete Johnson
Café Society
Social catalyst of equal opportunity for African American women in Jazz. Club owner was Barney Josephson, theme was political satire, and John Hammond was music advisor
Count Basie
Famous KC band leader. Pipe organ with fats waller. Meningitis. Joined Blue Devils
Benny Moten
Led prosperous band in KC region. Ragtime Pianist. Allegiance with Tom Pendergast. Rift style swing. Band w/ Walter Page, Count Basie, Hot Lips Page.
Basie then forms his own band
After Moten’s death, Basie retreated to Reno Club and formed his own band with several of Moten’s former musicians. Originally the group only had 9 musicians
Count Basie
“One O’ clock Jump”
Shifts in the Music
By mid 1940s there was a shift that took place in jazz. Big band was replaced by interest in small groups that included extended improvisations
Saxophone
Popular because of its similarity to the human voice
Coleman Hawkins
Tenor Saxophone. Changed the way improvisation was thought about. He moved the emphasis away from embellishing the melody to embellishing the chords. he would use arpeggios. Lived in Europe and spread jazz there. Returned to US due to WWII
Arpeggios
a technique in which a chord’s notes are played one at a time
Jazz Overseas
Serious Art, Black artists, illegal in soviet union and Germany.
Ben Webster
Born in KC. “The Brute” for aggressive in early years. Joined Benny Moten’s band
Lester Young
Softer more melodic sound of Saxophone. Inventor of Cool Jazz. Billy Holiday and Young became friends
Lester Young and Hawkins’ improvisational approaches
Young: Melodic paraphrase, Liberal attitude, and idea of cool
Hawkins: Arpgeggiated chords
Roy Eldridge
Trumpet player, high notes and fast playing. “Little Jazz”. Henderson’s band. One of first black musicians to sit in with a white band
Django Reinhardt
Romani Culture in Belgium, settled in Paris. Learned banjo and guitar. Suffered injury in fire. Developed way to play single notes and chords with only two fingers and thumb.
Duke Ellington
Cotton Club, replaced Fletcher Henderson. Would pay musicians with own money. Disliked word “Jazz”. Relied on his insticts and worked to bands capabilities. His recording had 3 minute limit.
Harry Carney
“The Youth”. Joined Ellington. Had deep, rich sonority.
Cootie Williams
Joined Ellington. Had growling sound.
Barney Gignard
Saxophonist for Ellington.
Don Redman
Arranger/Composer and created first big band with Fletcher Henderson
Billy Strayhorn
Joined Ellington band as composer/arranger/pianist
Wored so closely with Ellington that it is difficult to separate their work
Composed “The A-Train” the band theme song
Pitting Saxes Vs. the brass
Having saxes and brass play competing melodies at the same time
Voicing Across Sections
Played by combination of instruments drawn from different sections
Hot band:
Afro-American musicians; driving swing, more improve, count basie orchestra
Sweet band:
white musicians, stiff swing feel, more arrangement, glenn miller orchestra
Crossover BB:
AA musicians integrated into white band
Territory Bands
Groups of musicians hired by the theater owner’s booking association to travel to small cities and towns to play. Would get mixed up. Based in KC but traveled
Minton’s
A place where musicians would meet to have jam sessions hired a rhythm section to play for musicians
Decline of swing Era:
American Federation of Musicians ban members from recording now instrumental music popular singers take the place of instrumental music by 1942, all efforts of common citizens went to war effect
Charlie Parker
Innovation of Beebop. Played sax, ability to double time
Dizzy Gillespie
Trumpet player who worked on the same ideas a C. Parker. Has bob-style big band. Cuban Music. Rise to bebop at Minton Playhouse
Evolution of Beebop
evolved from improve clubs like Mintons; more about the art and music rather than entertainment and dancing; musicians weeded out people who couldn’t play it
Bob Style Characteristics
small combo, faster temp, showing off their talent, improve and surprise valued highly, lot like modern jazz today
Contrafract
taking an already written chord progression and adding new melodies
Theonous Monk
“High Priest of Bebop”. Pianist. Minton’s. Arrested w/ bud bowell because of heroin
Bud Bowell
Snuck into music venues at night to play. Unstable in and out of mental institutions
Bexter Gordan
Father of a doctor. Played with Lionel Hampton band.
What is Cool Jazz and where did it come from?
Softer and Melodic aesthetic. Odd time signatures from Dave Brubeck, Classical Instrumentation.
Lennie Tristano
Pianst/Composer. Experimented with free Jazz. Recordings with Sextet. Founded musical school of Jazz in NY
Tadd Dameron
Limited piano technique. Used Latin Rhythms. Roost Club. Sparse but Lush chord voicing’s prefigured the cool sound of the west coast.
Gerry Mulligan
Saxophone, Warm soft style, Leader in west coast cool jazz style. One of the most successful jazz artists of the decade.
Hardbop timeline
1955-1965, MLK I have a dream speech, sputnik, Birth Control, Assassination of Kennedy, Cold War, Vietnam
Art Blakey
Created first Jazz messenger band w/ 17 musicians
Horace Silver
Originator of Hardbop. Awarded president merit award.
Sonny Rollins
Savory Ballroom. Known for daring improve style, no accompaniment. Most popular tenor saxophonist. Played on Williamsburg bridge during retirement
Billie Holiday
Female singer. Played w/ benny goodman band. Apollo Theatre. Singer with emotional pain. Blues
Ella Fitzgerald
Irrepressible spirit of musical joy. Savory Ballroom. Cries and Low growls. Apollo theatre. Chunkier girl
Art Tatum
Stride Pianist from Toledo
Kenny Clarke
Drummer who “dropped bombs” at Minton’s
