Jazz Music

Question 1

What are the origins of jazz?

Answer 1

West-African traditional music (percussion- djembes), slave music; blues contains themes of oppression, melancholia- human emotions

Question 2

What are the characteristics of bebop jazz?

Answer 2

Fast tempo, complex chord progressions (extended & altered chords); thrives on individual expression/ innovation; rapid chord changes + intricate melodies; artists: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie

Question 3

What are the characteristics of cool jazz?

Answer 3

artists: Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan; relaxed + understated, subdued tempo; modal, restrained improvisation (‘40s & ’50s)

Question 4

What are the characteristics of boogie-woogie jazz?

Answer 4

repetitive bass patterns/ ‘shuffle’ driving rhythms; encourages dancing (‘30s & ’40s)

Question 5

What are the characteristics of dixieland jazz?

Answer 5

collective improvisation, ’10s & ’20s

Question 6

What are the characteristics of ragtime jazz?

Answer 6

lively piano melodies + energy, syncopation, popularised through live performances/ sheet music

Question 7

What are the characteristics of big band jazz?

Answer 7

large ensembles (10-25 musicians), perform popular songs & jazz standards, artists= Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman (‘30s & ’40s)

Question 8

Instrumentation on Armstrong’s ‘West end blues’:

Answer 8

Scat vocals, frontline instruments= soloists (trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano) + rhythm/ percussive section

Question 9

Which key is west end blues in?

Answer 9

E flat major (+ blues scale)

Question 10

Which spicy chord is used in bar 6 to conclude the introduction section of west end blues?

Answer 10

Augmented V

Question 11

Which melodic devices are used in west end blues?

Answer 11

Chromatic, dissonant decoration; virtuosic solos; glissandos; cantabile; improvisation around blues scales

Question 12

Which rhythmic features are in West end blues?

Answer 12

syncopation (dotted rhythms, triplets & ties); comping to retain a steady metre; push & drag to add rhythmic variation

Question 13

Which textures are used in West end blues?

Answer 13

monophonic at the beginning; fours/antiphony (solo); melody-dominated homophony; parallel 3rds (trumpet & clarinet); dominant pedal; tutti

Question 14

Which structural feature is used in west end blues?

Answer 14

Turnarounds between sections

Question 15

What is the structure of black and tan fantasy?

Answer 15

12-bar blues ‘head’ section, played 6 x total in Bbm, separated by 16-bar section in Bb major; final chorus=incomplete; coda in Bbm to finish

Question 16

how are melodies crafted in black and tan fantasy?

Answer 16

mixture of conjunct & broken choral movements; repeated descending arpeggios

Question 17

Why does the swung rhythm stop at the coda?

Answer 17

To emphasise the sombre mood

Question 18

Why does Ellington include trumpet/trombone ‘growls’?

Answer 18

He was told to play “jungle” style music to entertain white people at the ‘Cotton club’ bar; his instrument timbres mimic animal sounds