Final

Question 1

Benny Goodman

Answer 1

Instrument: Clarinet

Use of Henderson’s book on
“Let’s Dance”: In Autumn of 1934, NBC created an all-music show called Lets Dance which aired for 3 hours on Saturday nights-Needed 3 bands to play 3 different types of dance music: rumba, sweet dance music, and hot Swing-Goodman felt that he didn’t have a good enough book(i.e., set of arrangements), thus he purchased arrangements by Fletcher Henderson (who also wrote new works for Goodmans band)*Goodman’s band didn’t play as well as Henderson’s, but they were more polished/rehearsed

Question 2

Jam Session

Answer 2

Definition: An informal gathering of Jazz (or Rock) musicians, who play for their own pleasure (rather than an audience’s pleasure or commercial gain)Serve as an opportunity for teaching young musiciansDuring the Swing era, provided Jazz musicians with a means of playing outside the restraints associated with professional engagements, i.e.,-Limited improvisation-Segregated ensembles

Question 3

John Hammond

Answer 3

Career: A figure central to the history of Jazz (and other African-American musics) -even though he’s an agent rather than a performerConsidered himself a “social dissident” who heard no color in Jazz musicLocated, recorded, and fostered the careers of African-American musicians, including-Bessie Smith-Fletcher Henderson-Billie Holiday-Count Basie-Coleman Hawkins-Etc. Also influenced and aided white musicians, sometimes encouraging them to create integrated ensembles (e.g., Hammond introduced Goodman to Charlie Christian, encouraged the creation of Goodmans integrated ensembles, etc.)Founded a theater where jobless musicians of any race could perform JazzOrganized jam sessions on local radio, paying out of work musicians to participateEtc.

Question 4

Cutting contests

Answer 4

Definition/purpose: A competition between either-Bands-Soloists, most often on the same instrumentTo determine who has superior-Skill/virtuosity-Stamina-Expressivity-Etc.

Association with the Savoy: Happened spontaneously during performances and jam sessionsAlso prearranged for radio, at dancehalls, etc.-Many took place at the Savoy, in front of its integrated audience

Question 5

Chick Webb

Answer 5

Association with the Savoy: An African-American drummer and bandleader who led the Savoy band, 1927-1939

Question 6

Gender inequality

Answer 6

-Know that females
performed in their own bands
-Paid less than all-male bands

Question 7

Vocal inequality

Answer 7

-Singers as inferior to instrumentalists
-Singers as a concession to
popular taste

Question 8

Swing bands

Answer 8

-White: Goodman, Shaw, Miller
-Black: Henderson, Ellington,
Webb, Basie, Lunceford,
Waller, Calloway

Question 9

Boogie-woogie

Answer 9

-Place of origin
-Musical characteristics

Question 10

Territory bands

Answer 10

Definition:

Question 11

Mary Lou Williams

Answer 11

Role in Andy Kirk’s band:

Question 12

Kansas City in the Swing era

Answer 12

Tom Pendergast:

Political corruption and how it
fostered jazz in Kansas City:

Question 13

Kansas City Jazz

Answer 13

Musical characteristics:

Association with Count Basie:

Question 14

Duke Ellington

Answer 14

Role of timbre in his
orchestration:

Question 15

Billy Strayhorn

Answer 15

Role as composer rather than
performer:

Association with Duke
Ellington:

Question 16

Jazz in Nazi Germany

Answer 16

Know why the Nazis disliked
of Jazz:

Question 17

Coleman Hawkins

Answer 17

Use of harmonic
improvisation rather than
melodic paraphrase:

Use of arpeggios:

Question 18

Bebop

Answer 18

-Reaction against Swing and
its working climate
-Musical characteristics
-Stereotypical venues

Question 19

Minton’s Playhouse

Answer 19

Association with Bebop