Final Exam

Question 1

Charles MIngus’s composition Pithecanthropus Erectus could be considered as

Answer 1

a tone poem

Question 2

Which one of the following was an outstanding characteristic of Charles Mingus’s composition/recording of Hora Decubitus

Answer 2

riff tune, 12-bar blues

Question 3

Even though most of Ornette Coleman’s improvisations follow no preset chord progressions, they:

Answer 3

maintain bass and drums accompaniment traditions

Question 4

Characteristics that have become associated with free jazz, even though they are not necessarily the basic conceptions of Ornette Coleman or Cecil Taylor, are

Answer 4

collective improvisation

Question 5

Characteristic of Cecil Taylor’s style?

Answer 5

textural, atonal improvisations

Question 6

The A.A.C.M. contributed to the development of

Answer 6

free jazz

Question 7

What do the initials A.A.C.M. stand for

Answer 7

Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians

Question 8

The flagship group of the A.A.C.M. was

Answer 8

Art Ensemble of Chicago

Question 9

Jazz and rock have similar origins, but

Answer 9

jazz traditionally employed more improvisation

Question 10

What rock guitarist and jazz vibraphonist joined forces in 1967 to form one of the first significant “fusion” jazz ensembles

Answer 10

Larry Coryell and Gary Burton

Question 11

Miles Davis?

Answer 11

Creating an original and substantial trumpet style, Miles Davis organized bands of key
innovators at early moments in the development of cool jazz, modal jazz and jazz/rock. His large body of recordings almost invariably contain distinctive, high quality performances that served as textbooks for modern musicians in the way that Louis Armstrong and Lester Young had served their pre-modern counterparts.

Question 12

Charles Mingus?

Answer 12

• virtuoso bass soloist
• prolific composer who blended pre-modern and modern jazz traditions ranging from Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington to bop and free jazz
• influenced by gospel music, Mexican folk songs and 20th century European classical music
• leader of various ensembles ranging from quintets to big bands

Question 13

Which one of the following elements of Bitches Brew was unique to jazz recordings at the time it was made in 1969?

Answer 13

the album was mastered by splicing different musical segments into complete performances

Question 14

WEATHER REPORT

Answer 14

Founded by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, what band dominated the fusion style
throughout the 1970’s, at first combining free jazz and rock/funk styles, and later
adopting a more orchestral/commercial rock sound?

Question 15

Who revolutionized the electric bass during his time with Weather Report in the mid-1970’s by incorporating classical guitar techniques including the use of “harmonics” combined with electronic effects?

Answer 15

Jaco Pastorius

Question 16

Which one of the following does not belong in a discussion of Weather Report after their 1976 album “Heavy Weather”?

Answer 16

textural, free-form improvisations

Question 17

Guitarist John McLaughlin plays with phenomenal speed and precision, and his 1970’s band Mahavishnu Orchestra drew inspiration primarily from the music of ______________ and ______________.

Answer 17

John Coltrane and Charlie Parker

Question 18

Herbie Hancock is known for all but which one of these musical roles?

Answer 18

lyricist

Question 19

Herbie Hancock”s Head Hunters album changed the direction of fusion by:

Answer 19

refocusing on a more lyrical and arranged approach to fusion

Question 20

Which one of the following contemporary saxophonists successfully experimented with MIDI technology on his recordings with the 1980’s fusion band, Steps Ahead?

Answer 20

Michael Brecker

Question 21

Who did rap artist/producer Easy Mo Bee team with to jump-start the hip-hop jazz movement in 1991?

Answer 21

Miles Davis

Question 22

Keith Jarrett’s solo piano concerts usually fit the category of:

Answer 22

spontaneous improvisations

Question 23

Led by young musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Joshua Redman, a new era of jazz emerged in the 1980’s whereby the music, for the first time in its history, was rooted in an older style. Their music is referred to as:

Answer 23

neoclassic bebop

Question 24

POST-MODERN BOP

Answer 24

During the 1980’s, what emerging style, as projected in the music of Wynton Marsalis and other
young jazz musicians of that decade, was rooted in the hard bop/cool jazz period of the classic
Miles Davis bands of the late 1950’s and 1960’s?

Question 25

NEOCLASSIC BOP

Answer 25

During the 1980’s, what emerging style, as projected in the music of Wynton Marsalis and other
young jazz musicians of that decade, was rooted in the hard bop/cool jazz period of the classic
Miles Davis bands of the late 1950’s and 1960’s?

Question 26

Which one of the following musicians best represents the “repertory jazz movement”?

Answer 26

• Don Byron
• The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
• Wynton Marsalis

Question 27

Which one of the following does not belong in a discussion of Carla Bley?

Answer 27

post-modern bop approach to arranging

Question 28

Which one of the following contemporary musicians performs jazz fused with traditional Balkan, Klezmer, Celtic, and Gypsy influences?

Answer 28

Matt Darriau

Question 29

Andrea Parkins is best known for:

Answer 29

stunning elctro-acoustic improvisations utilizing accordion and didgital electronics

Question 30

With the group Masada, who spearheaded the Klezmer jazz movement in the New York avant-garde music scene in the 1980’s?

Answer 30

John Zorn

Question 31

what were the important contributions to jazz by Charles Mingus as a player and as a composer

Answer 31

• variety of compositions for solo bass, jazz trio and string quartet, standard small jazz ensembles, standard big band, and full sumphony orchestra
• virtuoso bassist

Question 32

Describe the music of Herbie Hancock’s 1973 Head Hunters album. What impact did it have on jazz?

Answer 32

became a model jazz-rock-funk band

Question 33

What is the “jazz repertory movement”? What effect has it had on the development of jazz?

Answer 33

Re-creating past recorded jazz performances became popular. Dedicated to performances of masterpieces of the past.

Question 34

What was the Knitting Factory in New York during the 1990’s?

Answer 34

jazz club

Question 35

What is unique about Cuong Vu’s approach to jazz improvisation?

Answer 35

combined free improv with elements of rock, electronica, ambient music, and twentieth century avant-garde influences.