Education
Music 271: 4/23/07II: Jazz: Overview of Style and History: (GB: p.81-82)• Blends European and West African traditions• Traceable to beginning of the 20th century• 2 periods:• Jazz as a functional music (c1900 - c1945):A: Chicago, Kansas City, New YorkB: New Orleans style (NOLA) (c1900 - c1930)C: Chicago style (NOLA style brought north) (c1920 - c1930)D: Swing (Big Band Jazz) (c1927 - c1945)• Jazz as an Art Music: (c1945 - Present)• New York was the center of innovations• Styles in Chronological order:A: Modern Jazz (c1945 - c1955)B: Hard Bop (c1955 - present)C: Free Jazz (c1959 - present)D: Fusion (Jazz Rock) (c1968 - present)E: Post-Modern mixtures (c1970s - present)• No single style of Jazz• Initially favored Band instruments (reeds, brass)• Importance of Improvisation (Signifyin’)• Distinct instrumental voice• Jazz swingsIII: The practice of Signifyin’: (GB: p.82)A: A definition: To use the language in a very personal and individualized way and to use the sound of your voice as a way of adding emphasis B: Musical Signifyin’: How it works:• Borrows, restates, and varies pre-existing material• Transforms that material by commenting upon it in a way that reflects the personality of the performer whose goals may include demonstrating respect for the original, poking fun at it, parodying it• This May be done at all sorts of levels from commenting upon a style, to commenting upon an individual performer, to commenting upon the nature of improvisation itself C: A Demonstration of Signifyin’:IV: Ragtime and the Blues: two principal antecedents of Jazz:• Ragtime began as improvised music in the 19th century• 1893: Worlds Fair in Chicago: White band began to play Ragtime• 1st of four African-American styles that would shape American Vernacular music• 3 basic categories: Ragtime songs, pieces that are based upon other works that are swung, Piano Rags (structure taken from a march) (AABBA, Trio, CCDD)• Blues is older then ragtime, part of the oral tradition, continues to exert an influence on music even todayThe Four Principles Styles of 20th-Century African-American Vernacular Music1. Ragtime: c1893 - c19202. Jazz: c1917 - c19503. Rhythm & Blues: c1945 - present→ Rock ‘n’ Roll: c1955 - present4. Rap → Hip Hop: c1980 - present