THE LAST TEST Flashcards
Bebop
-Characteristics:
\+a small group style.
\+virtuoso, trimmed down music
\+used contrafacts (taking an underlying harmony and improvising on it)
\+music is instrumental in nature
-Uses much more frequent dissonance
-frontline: trumpet, saxophone
-rhythm section: guitar/piano, bass, drumsHow is Bebop a reaction to swing?
- Younger musicians felt that swing had reached an artistic dead end
- bebop is more adventurous music
Political and philosophical beliefs of beboppers?
…
Main cultivators of Bebop style:
DIZZY GILLESPIE
expanded harmonic vocabulary, introduction of afro-cuban influences, an innovative style of trumpet playing, an entirely new band conception (basically a swing band but fewer playerss, each section gets more leeway and more solos
Cultivators of Bebop style:
THELONIOUS MONK
“comping”=accompaning
piano- chords were more rhythmic and percussive when accompanying the solo
Cultivators of Bebop:
KENNY CLARKE
- a new style of jazz drumming
- kept beat on symbol
- like piano comping chords, but with drums
- “dropping bombs”-bass drum notes
Cultivators of Bebop:
CHARLIE PARKER
- improvisatory style
- ex, parker/gillespie “night in tunisia”
- shifting accents, blues elements
- known for his improvisatory style
Cool Jazz: Classical Associations and influences
often associated with classical music
Cool Jazz description
-usually blended cool elements with those of bebop or declining swing traditions
-it was rare for artists to exclusively perform in the cool jazz style
-same performing forces as bebop:
+frontline: trumpet, saxophone
+rhythm section: guitar/piano, bass, drums (basically passive)
-trademark: muted instruments (particularly the sax)
-instrumentation often forced a narrow dynamic and expressive range
How is cool jazz a reaction to bebop?
a reaction to the hyper-intensity and speed of bebop
- the accompaniment is more regular and passive
- performances were much more reflective
- caused jazz to become popular again among the mainstream
- basic language of bebop, but simplified
- tune oriented
Free Jazz
- African and Asian influenced rhythms, changing meters
- pentatonic melodies
- use of new instruments for jazz
- multiphonics (producing two or more sounds from one generator i.e. humming while playing sax)
- ex. Charlie Mingus “cumbia and jazz fusion
- Return back to collective improvisation, but with diff rules
Fusion
Hybrid resulting from a mixture of jazz w/contemporary pop music
There are two styles:
-usually tuneful, singable melodies, funk or funk-influenced rhythms, and clear harmonies
-mainly instrumental, often African or non-western rhythmic backgrounds, improvisations, usually rhythmically sophisticated, with chromatic progressions.
Ex. miles davis “bitches brew”
R&B:
The influence of independent labels
newly formed indep. labels were able to cultivate new, untapped markets of black urban and working audiences
- Atlantic records had five of the biggest names under contract: Ray charles, ruth brown, ivory joe hunter, joe turner, and lavern baker.
- the Most Important of early black independents was veejay records (the dells, the impressions, the pips, jerry butler, gene chandler
R&B: characteristics
- popular dance music rooted in boogie woogie blues and rhythms of swing bands
- performed by a small instrumental combo consisting of rhythm section and horns
- rhythm section-piano, guitar, bass, drums
- combines the characteristics of boogie woogie, swing, jazz and urban blues, and gospel
- Lyrics based on themes of urban life (background, lifestyles, street language)
R&B: Doo Wop characteristics
- frequently quartets or quintets
- form: brief introduction, refrain ( a verse with a title and hook) alternating with verses and instrumental solos
- stereotipical harmonic progression (refrain) I VI II V (sounds like grease)
- existed in both up tempo and ballad forms
- ex five satins “still of the night”
Soul: the influence of independent labels
Stax and Motown
Soul:Stax
Stax located in the heart of black inner city community in Memphis drawing on the gospel sound of its local talent: carla thomas, issac hayes, the mgs, otis redding
Soul: new features
- solidification of AABA form (think swing)
- lyric improvisation
- bass line ostinati (a continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm)
- instruments in ostinato-electric guitar, elec. bass, horns, and synthesizers
- gradual growth of instrumental ensembles
- Aretha franklin “respect”
Soul: Funk characteristics
- each instrument had its own distinct melodic rhythmic character pattern
- “papas got a brand new bag”
Soul: Motown
differed from other independents in several important ways:
- completely self contained
- its music showed stylistic influences, gospel, blues, r&b, particularly doo wop and white pop music
Disco: What differentiated disco from orchestral soul?
its rhythmic pulse which centered on a 4 to the bar bass drum pattern
-electronic effects and synthesized sounds
-escapist lyrical content
+escape from anxieties like the vietnam war and the civil rghts movement
-length of songs
Rap:
Influences and Development
- stylistic and philosophical roots of rap can be traced back to african oral traditions
- mid 1970’s=bronx dj’s hosted parties for african american and hispanic youths
- the term rap came from verbal virtuosity and excellence
- a response to disco or anti-disco music
- Mc’s kept the excitement going and later became the focal point
Rap: issues
violence, misogyny, materialism, authorship (who should be making rap), authenticity
Rap: 1979 Sugar Hill Gang
“Rapper’s Delight”
-took rap from and underground expression to a new important black musical genre
Rap: Grandmaster flash’s The Message (1982)
- when we see a new agenda for rap
- new tone of realism life in the urban situation and what to do to improve it
Rap: 1985
a new wave of rap artists (run dmc, ll cool j, and beastie boys) gave rap a leaner sound
- Public enemy “ bring the noise” was an intense assault on institutionalized racism
- rap characterized by war of words
- artists referenced their prowess in album and another artist would reference it in their own
Rap Lyrical Expression: Bragodoccio
-bragging-> used in rap battles
referencing sexual prowess and coolness
-dozens->insults
Rap Lyrical Expression: Signifyin’
-metonyms->thing is called by an association or attribute (i.e. hollywood=movie industry).
its a verbal strategy of indirection (ex. insulting somebody to show affection, talking about the ‘man’, privledges the people who understand the words, and a way of creating community
-Preachin’-> getting people to do something
+exhortation
+invocation
Reachin’
telling the truth
