traditional jazz

JazzDefinition Difficult:Encompasses Many Styles: Dixieland, Swing, Bop, Hard Bop, Cool, Third Stream, Avant-Garde, FusionMajor Component: Improvisation (spontaneous composition)

Jazz

Other Components: Swing Feeling, Abundance of Syncopated Rhythms

Some Jazz has Very Little Improvisation

Traditional Jazz

Known as: Dixieland, Trad Jazz, New Orleans Jazz

The First Jazz Artists came from New Orleans, although African-Americans in many cities were playing in a Syncopated Style Using Improvisation.

New Orleans

Multi-National City (French, Spanish, US)

• French began building 1718; by 1719 147 slaves; by 1722 many Freemen of Color

• Given to Spanish 1763; Returned to French 1801

• By 1810 5,000 Freemen of Color

Creoles

“Original Settlers of New Orleans”Creoles of Color a mixture of African-French (Quadroons, Octoroons)Distinct Social Class“Black Codes” laws with gradually eroded the Creole Class

Storyville 1897-1917

Five Sq. Mile Red-Light District

“Sportin’ Houses” often had music

Closed by Navy during WWI

Storyville

Parades & Brass Bands

Outdoor Music, Parks, Pavillions

Fraternal Organizations had Bands

• Onward Club, Tuxedo Club

Funeral Parades

Dances (Quadrilles, Waltzes, Ragtime)

Dirtier Dances, the Slow Drag

Buddy Bolden

“Legendary” First Jazz Band

First Band to Combine Blues & Ragtime 1895

No recordings exist

1907 committed to Mental Institution

Buddy Bolden

Jazz Emerges From Band Music

Instrumentation: Trumpet, Clarinet, Trombone, plus Rhythm Section

Rhythm Section: Drums, Bass Instrument (String Bass, Tuba), Chordal Instrument (Piano, Guitar, Banjo)

Trumpet/Cornet

“Brass” Instrument

1st Important Solo Instrument

Role: Melodic

“West End Blues”

Clarinet

“Woodwind” Instrument

Role: Ornate Passages Around the Melody

“Muskrat Ramble”

Trombone


Role: Ornate Bass Line


String Bass

String Instrument

Role: Bass Line

Or Tuba


Role: Bass Line

Used Outdoors

Bass Line

Drums

“Percussion” Instrument

Role: Rhythm

Piano

Role: Supply Harmony (Chords)

Banjo/Guitar

Role: Supply Harmony (Chords)

Banjo is louder, suitable for larger bands

Guitar is softer, suitable for intimate settings.

Banjo & Guitar

Dixieland Jazz Format

Collective Improvisation

• Trumpet played the melody

• Clarinet created ornate passages around the trumpet

• Trombone created fancy bass line

• Rhythm Section supplies rhythm, chords, bass line

Dixieland

New Orleans Style was mostly collective improvisation

Everyone Played all the Time, except for short breaks (two Bar)

Collective Improvisation (ODJB)

Modern Collective Improvisation

Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB)

First Jazz Recording 1917, “Dixieland Jass Band One-Step” & “Livery Stable Blues”

From New Orleans, Played in Chicago, Recorded in New York

Traveled to London & Europe

Styles Changed While They Were Gone

ODJB

“Dixieland Jass Band One-Step”

New Orleans Musicians

Joe “King” Oliver, Trumpet, Band Leader

King of Trumpet in New Orleans

Moved to Chicago in 1918

Mentor to Louis Armstrong

Creole Jazz Band

Recorded in 1923

King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band


Kid Ory, Trombone, Band Leader

1st African-American Jazz Band to Record, 1921 in Los Angeles

Joined King Oliver’s Band in Chicago


Jelly Roll Morton, Piano, Band Leader, Composer, Arranger

His Band: The Red Hot Peppers

1st Important Jazz Composer

Jelly Roll Morton

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong

1st Important Jazz Soloist

Broke Away From the 100% Collective Improvisation New Orleans Format

International Reputation by the 1930s

His Band: Hot Five & Hot Seven

Developed Swinging 8th Note

Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five


Louis Armstrong

Able to construct Solos for Trumpet by itself

“West End Blues”

Louis Armstrong

1st Jazz Singer

Influenced many singers

1st Recorded “Scat Singer”

Louis Armstrong

Scat Singing: using vocables, instead of words, to improvise with the voice

“Scat-De-Dat”

Louis Armstrong

Followed King Oliver as #1 New Orleans Trumpet Player (1918-1922)

1922 Chicago as 2nd Trumpet in Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band

1924 New York with Fletcher Henderson’s Band

Louis Armstrong

1925 Returned to Chicago (Hot Five)

1930s Fronted Swing Band, Movies, Radio

Late 1940s- led Dixieland Bands, Toured for State Department

1950-1971, Television, Movies, Pop Records

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong

By 1960 it would be difficult to find anyone in the world who did not know Louis Armstrong

Armstrong & Civil Rights Mvt.

Considered by some an Uncle Tom

Brown vs. Board of Education 1954

“Separate but Equal”

9-17-57 interview called President “two-faced” and “no guts”

Eisenhower sent in paratroopers to Little Rock, AR to integrate the school 9-24-57

Louis Amrstrong: Stamp

Chicago Style Jazz

New Orleans Musicians in Chicago Influence Young European-American Musicians

The Austin High Gang (Austin H.S.)

Future Stars Begin Jazz Careers

• Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Gene Krupa

Chicago Style Jazz

Amount of Collective Improvisation Decreases

Importance of Improvised Solos Increases

Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931)

1st Important European_American Jazz Soloist

Trumpet/Cornet

Bix Beiderbecke

Davenport Iowa (River Town)

Went to Chicago

Recorded in 1924 w/Wolverine Orchestra

1927 to New York w/Paul Whiteman Orchestra, the most important syncopated dance band in the country

Bix

“Jazz Me Blues” New Orleans Lucky 7

Bix & Paul Whiteman

Started in California moved to East Coast

First Recording 1919

Known by Most Americans 1930-1950

Bix’s Drinking Problems Increased

“San” Paul Whiteman

Bix Compared to Armstrong

Louis Armstrong• Virtuoso, Full Brassy

Hot Tone• High range• Exuberant

Bix• Competent Player• “Cool” Tone• Normal Range• Introspective

“Muskrat Ramble” “Jazz Me Blues”

Dixieland Today

Dixieland Jazz has been “Popular” Since 1940s

Still Around Today

Costumes usually include Striped Vests, Arm Bands, Period Hats

English Trad Jazz Bands Appeared on American Pop Charts 1962

Dixieland Today

Even High School Bands

Dixieland Format

• Trumpet, Clarinet, Trombone & Rhythm Section

• Melody with Collective Improvisation

• Improvised Solos by Everyone

• Collective Improv. Chorus at the End

“Mustrat Ramble” Dukes of Dixieland

Dixieland: The Big Picture

• 1st Style of Jazz

• Originated in New Orleans

• 1st Jazz Stars were from New Orleans

• Dixieland bands were small combos

Dixieland: The Big Picture p2

• Swing Style Replaced Dixieland in the 1930s

• Dixieland Experienced Renewed Popularity in the 1940s as an Alternative to Bop

• Dixieland Bands Still Exist

• Still Trumpet, Clarinet, Trombone & Rhythm Section