The 10th album of the drummer Mike Reed, a representative of the Chicago modern jazz scene, features three enthusiastic reedists and an explosive rhythm section that highly benefits with the unparalleled atonal chords of the pianist Matthew Shipp. Bridging the gap between heritage and modernity, “A New Kind of Dance” can be seen as a trippy celebration filled with broken swing songs, cheerful dispositions, disrupted cross-rhythms, and exultant melodies that superimpose one another. One can really dance to this record.…
The characteristics of American Jazz era of the 21st century closely resemble that of the European Classical era of the 19th-20th centuries. Jazz music is considered to be the free spirited spin off of it’s older sister classical music. “Classical composers envy the melodic verve, spontaneity and open emotion of improvisation; jazz musicians look to the larger scale, the coloristic and rhythmic flexibility and the respect given classical music.” Jazz music is defined by two fundamental elements of Classical music (the swing beat and the prevalence of improvisation). Since this is true, it indefinitely should be appreciated by critics almost as much as Classical music is. While the rhythms are not of classical nature, the harmonies and melodies of jazz stem directly from European music. In theory then, the boundaries between jazz and classical music seem to me to have been falsely erected. After all: What is jazz but ad-libbed classical music with a swing…
Throughout this course, I’ve been introduced to and learned about many events in history. One topic in particular that fascinates me is the era of the 1920s, also known as the Jazz Age. Following World War I, a movement began in America which caused dramatic political and social changes. One of the major changes included a new genre of music. With inventions such as the radio, Americans had easier access to music. Jazz was born, and with the help of new technology, became popular throughout the country.…
“Music, which plays such an extraordinary role in organizing and shaping our societies and our social values, remains an unspoken and too often unacknowledged contributor not only to the social history of America, but to the creation of its folkways and myths as well. Cultural historians, while they may acknowledge the relevance of music to the subjects of their study, more often than not shy away from discussing music and its power to affect political and social change.”1…
It was the year of 1899 on the day April 29 when Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born. This talented musician was born in the city of Washington D.C. Growing up Edward had two big musical performers that had a big influence on his life, which was his mom and dad. At an early age Edward took liking to playing the piano. “Young Edward started piano lessons with a local teacher, unforgettably called Mrs. Clinkscales, at the age of about eleven.” (Bradbury, 2005). For his smooth playing of instruments and gentlemen ways Edward would soon earn the nicknamed Duke. At a very young age of fifth-teen Duke had written his very first composition known as the Soda Fountain Rage. This great composition was inspired by his first job being a soda jerk.…
Well it don 't mean a thing all you got to do is sing” (Sing).…
While jazz music was not truly admired until the 1920s, it has a rich history that extends all the way back to before slavery was abolished. Early forms of jazz began in the fields with working slaves. They turned to music as a way to express…
This classification arguably stemmed from the traditional Cartesian mind/body split and the tendency to for jazz to fall on the devalued side due to it's physicality and sensuality. Categorizing jazz as a form of classical music would seemingly elevate it's aesthetic value by distinguishing it as cultural and appreciated by the mind. This innocent attempt to make jazz seem "on par" with classical music does have its dangers, though. For one, it assumes that classical music is the standard by which all music should be judged, which is clearly not true. Classical music was, for the most part, merely a European phenomenon, whereas jazz, as argued above, involved so much more. In addition, classical music should not be seen as the pinnacle of musical technical greatness either. Jazz, for example, incorporates improvisation, an aspect of music almost completely absent in classical music; jazz musicians also developed a host of new musical skills to suit their styles. Wynton Marsalis, himself a player of classical music in his earlier days states flatly that "classical music is not as difficult as jazz." To label jazz as "classical" is arguably a belittling insult disguised as a…
Jazz, taking its roots in African American folk music, has evolved, metamorphosed, and transposed itself over the last century to become a truly American art form. More than any other type of music, it places special emphasis on innovative individual interpretation. Instead of relying on a written score, the musician improvises. For each specific period or style through which jazz has gone through over the past seventy years, there is almost always a single person who can be credited with the evolution of that sound. From Thelonius Monk, and his bebop, to Miles Davis' cool jazz, from Dizzy Gillespie's big band to John Coltrane's free jazz; America's music has been developed, and refined countless times through individual experimentation and innovation. One of the most influential musicians in the development of modern jazz is John Coltrane. In this paper, I examine the way in which Coltrane's musical innovations were related to the music of the jazz greats of his era and to the tribulations and tragedies of his life.…
The birth of jazz music is often accredited to African Americans but both black and white Americans are responsible for its immerse rise in popularity. It is present in black vocals, music-spirituals, work songs, field hollers, and the blues. Jazz united people across the world and had powerful meanings about their lives. Jazz music was completed with a trumpet, clarinet, trombone and section of drums. The music was created with passion inspired by people’s lives. Ragtime was a musical style emerged from St. Louis in the late 1890s. The swing was the new style for Jazz. Benny Goodman was the “king of swing.” and he was the first white bandleader to feature black and white musicians playing together in public. There were other different styles…
On February 19, 2015, Jared Blum at the Sacramento State University had his first concert of the spring semester featuring plenty of special guests. This concert was presented as partial fulfillment of the requirements that he needs for his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies. Jared Blum, with his special guests (Megan Spurlock on the clarinet, Morgan Childres on the trombone, the Jazz Combo, the Jazz Essemble, and other special guests), collectively performed nine pieces along with a medley that compromised of three songs at the concert. Prior to taking this course, one of the first questions that I asked myself was “what do I know about jazz?” I have always consociated jazz music with the African American culture, mainly because of the general idea of how jazz music can give off a “bluesy” rhythm. Little did I know how diverse jazz music can be. “Creole Belles”, “Creep”, and the medley that compromised of “When you’re smiling”, “Swing that music”, and “Shiek of Araby” are the pieces that allowed the audience, including myself, to experience the diversity of jazz music.…
When people talk about music, do they ever wonder where all these great expressions come from? Music is general is such a broad subject, but in the case of American music, there is one important root: The African American Spirituals. These Negro Spiritual songs like, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” "The Wings of Atalanta," "Been a -listening," and "The Dawn of freedom" express the sorrow and suffering of African American people to the world (Dilks, Hansen, Parfitt, 2011). In the late 18th and early 19th century these songs became popular and have influenced future American music genre (Jones, 2004)). This influence can be seen in blues, jazz, rock and roll, hip-hop, and rap.…
Davis, Francis (1996). BEBOP and Nothingness: Jazz and Pop at the End of the Century. New…
Louis Armstrong, an influential figure in the Jazz world, once said, “If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.” Over time, jazz has kept its essential elements and original style, even as new styles have developed. Jazz, in its most basic form, is defined as “music that includes qualities such as swing, improvising, group interaction, developing an 'individual voice', and being open to different musical possibilities,” by Travis Jackson, a Professor of American Music. Improvisation, being the key element in every type of jazz, must be present for a piece to be considered jazz music. This element turns jazz musicians into composers and is essential to jazz styles of music. Another thing unique to jazz is its approach to rhythm. The…
I am doing my end of the semester paper on Jazz music. Jazz was created in the twentieth century and was said that it was, “created to bring people together.” Jazz was also known in many cities around the time of the jazz age, but the city that was known as the birthplace of jazz was New Orleans. There are many important names that people still know today from the jazz ages. One important name during the jazz age was Louis Armstrong is known for many Jazz songs like “What a Wonderful World”, “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Go down Moses.” Another name was Billie Holiday and she was known for “God Bless the Child” and “Billie’s Blues.” The other name was Duke Ellington, who have many recordings like “Take the A Train”, “Black and Tan Fantasy”,…