Midterm 1 Review Flashcards
What are the central Elements of jazz?
Blues, western classical music, African - American religious music (gospel), Latin feel added later
What are the elements of music?
Rhythm, tone/timbre/sonority , harmony, melody, texture/counterpoint (homo-phonic vs. polyphonic), form
What is sonority?
Timbre, distinctive quality of sound, dynamics
What distinguishes jazz?
Less regular vibrato, pitch bending, brightness modification, smears, blue notes, mutes, personal tone quality
What are the elements of rhythm?
Time, beat, meter (beat grouping), measure (one unit of meter), tempo.
What is the most common beat pattern in jazz? Second and third?
Four beat. Two beat, sometimes three beat.
What is the difference between simple and compound meter?
Simple - two notes per beat Sw Sw
Compound - three or more notes per beat Sww Sww
What can outline a beat pattern?
Repeated rhythmic patterns, accents, short notes proceeding a long note, pitch change, and often chord change
What makes music swing?
Shape of individual notes, dynamics, vibrato, syncopation, swing eighths, articulation
What is stop time?
rhythm section plays every other beat 123 rest etc
What is back beat?
Emphasis after the beat/weak beat
How do chords move?
From dissonance to stability
What is the tonal system?
chord progression that revolves around tonic, strong sense of direction and arrival, strong progressions move by 4ths, strongest chords in root position
What are rhythm changes?
chord progression of Gershwin’s “I got Rhythm”
What are the basic forms of jazz?
Blues form and 32 bar song form
What is the blues progression?
12 measures per chorus: 4 I | 2 IV | 2 I | 1 V | 1 IV | 2 I |
What is a turnaround and when does it happen in 32 bar song form?
It occurs at the end of 8 bar phrases and especially before the B section, most often a repetition of a previous section
What did jazz borrow from African music?
syncopation, call and response, poly-rhythm, cross accents ( regular pattern of accents of the prevailing meter is contradicted by a conflicting pattern), tone bending, bright sonority
What is an example of an African piece?
Hunter’s Dance
Give some examples of African American religious music.
Ring shout: voice clapping etc, not allowed instruments, references Old Test
Gospel
What are the Georgia sea islands and why are they important?
Off the Georgian coast, little commerce so African American culture remained static, developed gullah
What music led to the development of blues?
Styles recorded by Alan Lomax
Field calls - used to call across fields, shorter, less rhythmic
Work songs - field hands used to get in rhythm during work, ex. Berta Berta
What defines blues?
Lyrics in couplets: A A B (response)
Lyrics Earthy and direct: defeat, discouragement, metaphorical, racial protest, voodoo
Blues scale.
Blues form: 4 I | 2 IV | 2 I | 1 V | 1 IV | 2 I |
Soulful and manipulative
Where was early blues performed and by whom?
Juke Joints and Honky-tonks by male voice and guitar
What were the characteristics of country vs. city blues?
Country: sparse accompaniment, free form, earth lyrics, undeveloped, expressive voice, singers mostly male.
City: several instruments, 12-bar controlled form, sophisticated lyrics, controlled voice, singers female
What are some characteristics of ragtime?
Not improvised, written, sparing pedal, right hand syncopation and cross rhythms with bass, left hand reminiscent of a march
What is the Ragtime form? What does it resemble?
A A B B A | C C D D, 16 per section like a march
Who is Jelly Roll Morton?
Creole Pianist, self-proclaimed inventor of jazz, best early jazz arranger and composer (head arrangements), added swing to right hand, moves to Chicago after closing of storyville, often does trading 2’s and 4’s
recordings in 1920’s by victor:
clarinet Omar Simeon | banjo Johnny St. Cyr
trumpet George Mitchell | trombone Kid Ory
Why are there few recordings of early jazz?
Black performers feared their ideas would be stolen
What was the first jazz recording?
Tiger Rag - New Orleans Dixieland Jazz Band
Where did early jazz performers play?
Brothels in New Orleans.
What were some of the major historical events in jazz history?
1808 - slave trade outlawed
1863 - emancipation proclamation (freed slaves)
1880’s - Black Codes (creoles had to live on same side of town as blacks, mixing styles)
1897 - 1917 - formation of the red light district “storyville” gave musicians work
What was happening on the East side of NYC between 1880 and 1920?
Europe Society Orchestra - James Reese Europe, “Castle House Rag”
What was the instrumentation of a typical early jazz ensemble?
Front Line: cornet, clarinet, trombone
Rhythm section: Banjo, tuba and drums (sometimes piano)
What were the characteristics of early jazz?
Rag form, simultaneous improvisation, driving rhythms, polyphonic structure, novelty sounds, expressiveness of early jazz singers
Which important figures made up the front line of Dippermouth Blues and which band recorded it?
Johnny Dodds (Cl), Lewis Armstrong (Tr), King Oliver (Tr), King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band
Why did people gravitate toward New Orleans early on?
During reconstruction, troops withdrawn due to undercover deal: KKK, lynchings. New Orleans safe from Jim Crow laws.
How was blues brought to New Orleans?
Brought by blacks escaping Jim Crow Laws in Mississippi river delta
How did Plessy vs. Ferguson influence the evolution of jazz?
This made separation of whites and blacks constitutional and classified creoles as black (creoles were forced to move into black neighborhoods), causing stylistic mixing (creoles had classical training)
Who headed the first jazz band?
Buddy Bolden - Cornet, storyville figure
What was the most popular music at the beginning of WWI?
Ragtime
Which industry flourished at the beginning of WWI?
The music publishing industry because people owned pianos, Tin Pan Alley formed in NYC
What was an important song of Early jazz and its innovations?
Kid Ory’s Creole Trombone: counter-melodies, solo breaks at end of phrase, obbligato - above main melody, coda, out - chorus.
What was unusual about “Grandpa’s Spells” and who arranged it?
Still in rag form, but the feature now moves around, there was a string bass in the recording, usually tuba.
Who was Lewis Armstrong?
Black trumpeter from New Orleans, “dippermout”, amazing technical ability, makes jazz a soloist art, cadenza introductions, born in slums, listened to King Oliver in brothels, taught trumpet in black waif school, shadowed under King Oliver, Kid Ory takes under wing plays in band 1917-17, played on riverboats after, 1922 king Oliver sends for him from Chicago to play in King Oliver’s Creole Jazz band at lincoln Gardens, marries Lil Hardin - pianist in Creole Jazz Band, brings New Orleans swing to Don Redmond in NYC, big sound, expressive, extremely high, virtuosity (good sense of melody and harmony), beautiful, logical lines, good sense of swing (rhythmic risks), many different sounds, terminal vibrato
What caused the Great Migration to Chicago?
the closing of storyville
Who made up Lewis’ Hot 5
Johnny Dodds - Clarinet, Lewis Armstrong - Trumpet, Kid Ory - Trombone, Johnny St. Cyr - Banjo, Lil Hardin - piano.
With whom did Lewis record in addition to the hot 5?
Earl Hines. Weather Bird.
When does big band become popular?
Late twenties with white people especially
What did the Volstead Act do to jazz?
Caused prohibition, It generating speakeasies, employing musicians,
Who was Bix Beiderbecke?
White trumpeter, taught himself to play from Armstrong on ferry boats, sent to Lake Forest Academy in Chicago, spent time at jazz clubs instead, founded the wolverines orchestra in 1923, recorded with Frankie Trumbauer in Jean Goldkette Orchestra 1927, played 7th’s and 9th’s, clear pure tone “cut like a knife”, joined the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.
Singin the Blues with Frankie Trumbauer
Who was Paul Whiteman?
White bandleader, composer and violinist, mostly “race records” until Whiteman, “made a lady out of jazz”, controlled sound, wanted to orchestrate jazz, “An Experiment in Modern Music” Whiteman asked George Gershwin to compose something for a concert promoting American music held at the Aeolian Hall New York - wrote and performed Rhapsody in Blue
What were Speakeasies like?
Owned by the mob, unusual acts in addition to jazz
Which trumpeter did Lewis Armstrong greatly respect?
Bix Beiderbecke
Who was Sidney Bechet
Black jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer, thought reed should be lead player, playes on soprano sax to cut through, most of career spent in France, “Blue Horizons” - each chorus moves to different range of clarinet, “what is this thing called love”, wide vibrato, job with James P. Johnson, but quit, La Revue Negre in France
Who was Kid Ory?
White tailgate jazz trombonist and bandleader, took armstrong under his wing, in Lewis’ Hot Five and Jelly Roll Morton’s band
Who was Jack Teagarden?
White trombonist, bandleader, composer, and vocalist, regarded as the “Father of Jazz Trombone, played with Red Nichols and his Five Pennies “Dinah”
Who was Bessie Smith
Black blues singer: Backwater Blues, St. Louis Blues (W.C Handy), discovered by Frank Walker, film short featured St. Louis Blues, downhearted blues made her famous, challenged Ku Klux Klan in N Carolina and won
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
The return of the 369th all black infantry and the movement of educated blacks to the area from rural areas: made it the “capital of black America”, developed Harlem culture, facilitated a freer environment for African Americans,
Who were some of the main figures of the Harlem Renaissance?
Phillip A Paten - encouraged black property ownership
James Vanderje - Photographer 100’s of pictures
Jack Johnson - Boxer,
Duke Ellington - Jazz man of the Harlem Renaissance
Langston Hughes and Claude Mc Kay - Poet and activist
James Weldon Johnson, W.E.B Debois - wrote on the black experience, encouraged writing to demonstrate to white people that black people were competent
Bill Robinson - Dancer
What were some of the big clubs in Harlem?
Connie’s Inn, and the Cotton Club
What were some of the major achievements of the Harlem Renaissance?
Charleston, Shuffle along - First musical comedy to utilize a dramatic story line (Florence Mills =star), black writers’ work began to appear in white newspapers, march to protest East St. Louis massacre 15000 on 5th ave, United Negro Improvement Association
Who coined the tern Harlem Renaissance?
Alaine Locke
What were rent parties?
people would pay to get in, anybody could play in your home, pay for rent
What are the characteristics of stride piano?
Blusier right hand, similar left hand to rag, LH plays Bass on 1&3 and chord on 2 &4, RH pulls against beat for swing feel, players often introduce bluesy feel, Usually more virtuosic than ragtime.
Who was James P. Johnson?
Black stride pianist, father of stride, Carolina Shout (ring shout), moved to Harlem in the 20’s,
Who was Earl Hines?
Black pianist, classical training, influenced by James P. Johnson, switched between stride and walking bass, used walking 10th’s often, strong LT hand (known to break strings), rarely uses sustained style, staccato style, horn - like RT hand, uses tremolo like vibrato, often jarring ideas, tangents, surprises out of time, often appears to lose the beat, “I Aint Got Nobody”, “Weatherbird” (full participant in ensemble here),
Who was Fats Waller?
Black pianist with a light touch, over 300 songs, Honeysuckle Rose, Aint Misbehavin, Squeeze Me, I Ain’t got Nobody.
What happened during the depression era?
Stock market crash,no economy to support clubs, small recording companies die out, victrola, RCA, and columbia left, bands begin to tour w/o steady work, unemployment and poverty, Hobert Hoover pres, hoover villes, dust bowl, 5000 failed banks, government programs: conservation core, FDIC, social security,
What defined the Big Band Era?
Starts in 20’s, need more people for big clubs, moslty dance music, Fletcher Henderson, more than 10 players, 3 choirs: Reeds 3-5 saces, Brass 3-5 trumpets, 3-5 trombones, piano, guitar, string bass, drum set.
What defines a “big band”?
Less improvised, more arranged, Kansas city uses Head arrangements (rhythmic motives, riff tunes), antiphonal - back and forth between sections, one choir accompany, one carry, soloist plays over background of opposite choir, one section takes chorus, whole band doubling
Who were the best arrangers of the big band era?
Fletcher Henderson = Good
Duke Ellington = Best
What defines swing style?
Hot 4-to-the-bar beat, walking bass, ride on high hat - don’t need strong rhythm in the bass, clear tunes (melodies), regular phrases, call and response, hot, up-front colors, riffs, homophonic texture vs. polyphonic texture, forms - tin pan alley song forms,
Who did Eastern swing?
Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington both trained in and influenced by classical technique, wrote classical works
What defined Midwestern swing?
Head arrangements
Who was Fletcher Henderson?
Black pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, influenced by Paul Whiteman, worked with arranger Don Redman, “The Stampede” arr. by Don, Down South Camp Meeting arr. Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman eventually hired Fletcher for his arranging
Who was in Fletcher Henderson’s band?
Coleman Hawkins (TS) - Influenced by Louis Armstrong when came from Chicago, Joe Smith - Edgy sound
What are the benefits of written arrangements?
can vary instrumentation, can do irregular forms
Who was Count Basie?
Black pianist, bandleader and composer, strong swing rhythms, met Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Willie the Lion Smith, studied under Fats Waller, toured with a Vaudeville show which quit in Kansas City, plays with Walter Paige’s Blue Devils, bought out by pianist Benny Moten to play in his band, Benny dies and Count inherits, he is discovered by John Hammond of Columbia, lands radio time, can afford to expand his band, was able to attract and keep great soloists, encourages and propels rhythm (drops stride technique), light touch, often right hand only songs: Taxi War Dance, Shoe Shine Boy,
Who was in Count Basie’s rhythm section and what made it different?
Walter Paige - bass, Jo Jones - Drums. JJ plays lightly, beat moves from bass drum and snare to high hat, CB encourages and propels rhythm (drops stride technique), WP leaves time keeping to the bass,
What was Basie’s music like?
Used riff tunes, had a good sense of swing, emphasized the blues, had great sax soloists, economical on the piano,
Which song is known as the battle of the tenors and who was it by? Who were the tenors?
Doggin Around - Count Basie orchestra.
Lester Young - Mellower Sound, reminiscent of Frankie Trumbauer,
Hershal Evans - Big vibrato, rough, big sound
Who some notable players in Count Basie’s band?
Lester Young and Hershel Evans (TS), Carl Smith Trumpet,
Which artists migrated to Kansas City in the mass migration of the 30’s?
Lester Young, Count Bassie - Blues unifying form.
Who was Benny Goodman?
White clarinetist, bandleader and songwriter, known as the king of swing, arpeggiated soloing, playing coast to coast and sweet dance music in repertoire bombed, played swing for a crowd at the Paloman Ballroom in LA and shot to stardom and began swing era, did not arrange, rapid musician turnover “the ray”, Carnegie Hall Sing, Sing, Sing, surrounded himself with good players, broke color barriers with black vibes Lionel Hampton,
What happened to Goodman’s orchestra at Carnegie hall and who was in the band?
Sold out Carnegie Hall, Gene Krupa made band come alive (drums), Bennie Goodman Clarinet “felt like a whore in church”, Harry James was on trumpet, Teddy Wilson on piano,
What happened to the recording industry when swing entered?
It rescued the recording industry,
Who was Duke Ellington?
Black bandleader, pianist and composer, influenced by James P. Johnson and Willie the Lion Smith, 6 piece band called Washintonies (born in Washington), played 1927 opening at the Cotton Club, national broadcast from club won him recognition, stayed at cotton club for 5 years (jazz man of Harlem renaissance, became touring band, good accommodations (own box car), good player retention, Hired Sidney Bechet, “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo”, “New Esat St. Louis Toodle - Oo”, “Mood Indigo, kept band together through depression, “Concerto for Cootie”, “Ko-Ko” “ Take the A-Train” (became his theme song), “Sepia Panorama” (arch form).
What made Sonny Greir different and with whom did he play and what did he play?
He used many different percussion instruments, colorist drummer. He played with Duke Ellington.
What defines Duke Ellington’s sound?
Good tunes (melodies), wide variety of styles, tremendous gift for orchestration emphasizing colors, used inventive harmonies, was a perfectionist- always refining, attracted and kept good players, great collaboration with players, often rounds off a piece with stuff from the beginning,
What are Duke Ellington’s four styles?
Jungle band - primitive sensuous, bluesy, rough tones, exotic costumes, reflected white view of African culture,
Mood Style - uses colors to create a meditative mood, reflective
Concertos - wrote solo pieces for members of the band: Cootie Willians Barney (clarinet)
Standard Style- used Tin Pan tunes with good orchestration
What personnel were in Duke Ellington’s band during his explosion of genius?
5 reeds Barney Bigard (cl), Otto Hardwicke and Johnny Hodges (as), Ben Webster (ts), Harry Carny (Bari),
3 trombones including “Tricky Sam” Nanton, Juan tizol,
3 trumpets including “Cootie williams, and Rex Stewart,
Rhythm: Freddy Guy (guitar), Sonny Greir (cl), Jimmy Blanton (b) - Important , buyant fell, walking bass,
Who replaces Cootie in Duke Ellington’s band?
Ray Nance (Take the A-Train)
What was the Cotton Club and who is most famous for playing there?
Jim crow club for whites, blacks barred, lavish floor shows, premier speakeasy in Harlem. Duke Ellington’s manager Irving Mills, booked a tryout for the Cotton Club, he got it, it was a turning point for Ellington due to radio show, making him popular
Who was Jimmy Lunceford?
Black alto saxophonist and bandleader, “Organ Grinder’s Swing” - influenced by Ellington, Sy Oliver = trumpet and arranger, sweet dance music,
Who was Glen Miller?
White trombonist, bandleader, musician,arranger and composer. “In the Mood”, most popular record of the swing era-riff tune using Blues, Beginning of WWII went in to Army, formed army band,
Who was Artie Shaw?
White Clarinetist, bandleader and composer, he and Benny Goodman made clarinet a popular instrument in the 50’s, worked for racial equality, “Begin the Beguine”, and “Stardust”,
Who were Andy Kird and the Clouds of Joy?
A Kansas City Band, Mary Lou Williams - Pianist, “Mary’s Idea” - arrangement, not head tune,
What did WWII do to Jazz?
Caused bands to lose personnel and introduced women’s bands, caused conflict,
Who were the International Sweethearts of rhythm?
All female, racially-mixed, band, “Vi Vigor”
Why did female bands decline after WWII?
Men returned, fewer big bands, switch to Sinatra and bebop,
What happened to solo backups in the 40’s?
became punchier
What was one of the greatest clubs for blacks, and what happened there?
The savoy, show-off between Chick Webb (drummer also) - aggressive playing and Count Basie - intellectual playing, Chick Webb won, but audience divided.
What defined Boogie Woogie?
Emphasis on right hand, blues progression, cross rhythms,
What were the major soloists of the Swing Era?
Coleman Hawkins (TS) - Fletcher Henderson Band, Influenced by Louis Armstrong when came from Chicago, Lester Young (TS) - Count Basie Band, Mellower Sound, reminiscent of Frankie Trumbauer, Roy Eldridge (Tpt) - Gene Krupa Band
Who was Roy Eldridge?
trumpet player, influenced by Rex Stewart, Coleman Hawkins (stampede solo note for note), great speed and intensity, own band, joined Gene Krupa Band, Chick Webb (drummer/bandleader) “not telling story”, became more melodic, “Rocking Chair arr. Gene Krupa.
Who was John Hamond?
Producer for Columbia records
Who was Charlie Christian?
Black, first popular jazz guitarist, Mary Lou Williams introduced Charlie Christian to John Hammond, got job with Benny Goodman orchestra, made band #1 again, “Solo Flight” - Goodman and Charlie Christian,
Who was Billie Holiday?
Black Singer, songwriter, bandleader. “Body and Soul”, got into it by persuading club owner to let her sing, musical dialgue, instrumental style, liked to sing with Lester Young (TS Basie Band) and Roy Eldridge (TR, Gene Krupa Band), mostly ballads, convincing delivery of lyrics, sense of rhetoric, hint of tragedy, Always a little behind the beat, takes rhythmic risks, shading of the voice, give and take with instrumentalists, “These foolish things” , TV show “sound of jazz”,
