My Attempt at 50A Notes WEEK 1 10/2/12 two components of jazz: 1) improvisation, 2) swing feeling musician either has melody/soloing

loing role or accompanying role swing feeling has syncopation traditional form: melody improv jazz started in New Orleans, mid- to late-1800s o most cosmopolitan and musical city in America o center of the slave trade o originated from the slaves minstrel groupsfirst entertainment that people throughout the country knew o overt racism, lively music

10/4/12 chord/harmonic progressions o foundation of the melody two common song forms: AABA and 12 bar blues o AABA most popular form in most genres until 60s skills of a good improviser: o command of your instrument o highly developed ear o ability to compose, create a melody o transcription early on had improvisers and non-improvisersmusicians only did one or the other o in New Orleans, influenced by voodoo o improvisers felt reading music would hurt their playing

WEEK 2 10/9/10 Office Hours: Thursday 9:30-10:30 SMB2665 Instrument Roles solo role can be assumed by any melodic instrument o drums solos became common mid-late 30s accompanying role usually from rhythm sectionpiano, guitar, bass, drums o banjo more common than guitar in early jazzlouder than guitar

o piano/guitarimprovise chords in syncopated fashion, provide harmonies and rhythmic interest o bassprimary time keeper, walking bass line outlines chords, usually improvises his part o drumsright hand provides pulse and brings out swing feeling, left hand accents, feet control high hat and bass drum 6 responsibilities of the soloist o remember the chord changes, know harmonic structure o create melodic phrases compatible with chord changes o think ahead o remember what he/she has already played o stay within the character of the piece o interact with other band members, esp. accompanying instruments Origins of Jazz born in New Orleans developed from popular music styles of the 1800s primarily for social dances became its own recognizable style in 1890s popular styles that influenced jazz: ragtime, blues, brass band music (American marches) Why New Orleans? o great ethnic diversity major seaport, one of most important in US at the time lots of traffic through N.O. and strong party atmosphere o blues (also ragtime, brass bands) developed primarily from work songs of slaves songs of street vendors had improvisation (ragtime did not) o need for live music required for any kind of entertainment o party atmosphere Storyvilleone of main hot spots; red-light district fueled need for music lots of employment for musicians led to blending of stylesmusicians hired to play a style that wasnt their primary one Buddy Bolden (1877-1931) trumpet o first jazz musician (debatable) o went insane Sidney Bechet, clarinet/soprano sax o protg from young age Jelly Roll Morten (1885-1941), pianist o one of the first jazz composers o called himself inventor of jazz, big ego o travelled a lot spreading of jazz music Freddie Keppard (1890-1933), trumpet

10/11/12

Why N.O. (review) o ethnic diversity o prevalent party atmosphere lots of work for musicians played genres that werent their forte Buddy Bolden (1877-1931) o considered by most to be first musician to play jazz o embellished music to express personal creativity o spent later part of life in insane asylumno musical contribution Sidney Bechet (1897-1959), clarinet & soprano sax Jelly Roll Morton (1885-1941), pianist/composer o claimed to have invented jazz, impossible o first to prove that jazz could be notated Freddie Keppard (1890-1933), trumpet o next great trumpeter after Buddy Bolden o note: trumpets were focal point at the time o known for using mutes o part of The Original Creole Orchestra, in L.A. and Chicago o didnt want others to copy his improve sometimes covered hand while playing turned down chance to become first recorded jazz musician James Reese Europe, bandleader/composer/arranger o ragtime, not jazz, musician ragtime was a piano-dominated genre o most famous bandleader of ragtime period o military bandleader during WWI o preeminent orchestra leader in New York o bandleader for the Castles band Castles started new ragtime dance craze wanted to show the world black music and skill of black musicians fox-trot paved the way for jazz Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB) o white N.O. musicians, relocated to Chicago note on race: lots of black musicians, but bands were very segregated musicians were more willing to integrate by teens/20s ran into objections from society (ex: segregated venues) o first jazz group to record released 1917 emphasis on comedy first jazz most Americans had ever heard o called themselves creators of jazz

"The Jazz Age" Roughly 1900-mid1920's Combos became popular. <7 musicians-trumpet, trombone, clarinet, piano, guitar/banjo, drums, bass (tuba, left hand, bass sax) o Sax isn't popular yet

o Upright bass is too quiet during this time o Bass played 2 beat feel (beats 1 and 3) New ideas and melodic embellishments become more important than the actual melody Jazz expanded rapidly in the 1920's Called Improvising: messing around, embellishing, jazzing up a song People like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, and Jelly Roll Morton. Changed ragtime/blues/marching music into a sophisticated art Began to focus on soloists and tested new timbres/combinations of instruments Volstead Act-Began prohibition and drove alcohol underground. o Night clubs drew in crowds for booze/more jazz New white fascination with black culture. o Mamie Smith recorded "Crazy Blues", first blues record o Led to the "race records" Made for blacks, yet whites bought them as well Better recording technology=more effort into recording albums Why was Chicago a big jazz city? o Central location/access to waterways o Thriving black market o Brothels, speakeasies, nightclubs all needed music o Music developed into edgy 4/4 rhythm w/staccato solo work Chicago Jazz Scene o Segregation among musicians/audiences. o Musicians developed the ability to play several simultaneous horn lines without clashing Trumpet-Melody Trombone-Tailgating Clarinet-Countermelodies o Allowed more improvisation o Original Dixieland Jazz Band 1st jazz group to record White New Orleans musicians (originated in 1916) Recording was made in New York in 1917 (Livery Stable Blues) o King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Black New Orleans musicians 1st black group to record, 1923 (Dippermouth Blues) 2nd trumpet player was Louis Armstrong (Dipper/Dippermouth) Embodiment of jazz music Turned jazz into an art form From "The Battlefield" in N.O. Mom was 16 and prostituted herself, and dad left the family o Chicago School-3 groups of musicians Black musicians from New Orleans White musicians from New Orleans Austin High Gang (successful musically from a young age) o Bix Beiderbecke-From Iowa. Known for well constructed solos and distinctive town. Died alone from acute alcoholism in 1931 at age 28.

o Earl Hines-Revolutionized the way piano fit into jazz. Created Trumpet Style (notes that cut through the sound of the orchestra). Worked w/Armstrong a lot from 1926-28. Called "Hot Five" and recorded "West End Blues" o As the Great Depression came and prohibition ended, older players retired or moved to new cities. Kansas City o Economically important city o Bands from the South, Southwest, Great Plains, and Midwest came by for local dates or as a stopover where they played cutting contests (piano players dueling) o Known for big band jazz w/blues of south and rich with riffs/rhythmic drive o Lots of debauchery=lots of jobs for musicians (not unlike Chicago) Big Names in Kansas City o Bennie Moten-Studied with former pupils of Scott Joplin. Started playing in the city as early as 1916. Recorded for the Victor Company "Kansas City Shuffle" "South" have heavy/rolling rhythm, prominent banjo/tuba, and novelty effects. o Music from this band (Moten Band) was popular, but old fashioned. o William Basie (Count Basie) took over Moten's piano spot so he could lead. o Last recordings by the band were "Toby" "Lafayette" and "Moten Swing" Immensely popular-brought the 1930's into the swing era. New York City Extremely diverse (Harlem, Jewish Ghetto on the Lower East Side, Irish/Italians) "Original Memphis Five" jazz band was made of 3 Italians, a Jew, and a white protestant. First Important Big Band Led by Fletcher Henderson (classical pianist from Georgia) Coleman Hawkins-pioneered how sax was played Louis Armstrong-amazing sound, swingin' rhythm, and natural genius made him famous Main competition: Sydney Bechet Bechet vs. Armstrong=great music, although they didn't like each other. Shootout rather than cooperation. Stopped bottom of pg.116 Early Jazz vs. Ragtime Early Jazz: o Much of each performance was improvised o Looser feel in the music=more attractive to dancers o More natural swing o Starting to generate more original repertoire Composed to be played by a jazz group o Collectively improvised format led to a more complex product (perception) o Jazz was perceived as more exciting. Big 3 of the Jazz Age Joe "King" Oliver (trumpet/band leader) Kid Ory (trombone/composer) Jelly Roll Morton (piano/composer) (Buddy Bolden preceded all three of them) Post big 3

o Sydney Bechet o Louis Armstrong (protg of King Oliver) o Bix Beiderbecke o James P. Johnson o Fats Waller, Willy "the Lion" Smith, Early Hines, James Reese Europe More Jazz Age... Be able to relate names to instrument type Early Piano o New York=most important for development of piano o NY, NJ, Pittsburgh....etc. o Often unaccompanied o Developed directly from ragtime o Didn't require much reading/memorization due to large amount of improvisation Only needed to memorize melody/chord changes o Stride piano: has large leaps in the left hand and syncopated figures in the right hand (one of the most difficult types of jazz piano player) o Few stride players today (faded going into the swing era) o Jelly Roll Morton Not a stride player (before it came around) King Porter Stomp-most important arrangement (midterm listening) Performed both ragtime and jazz Incorporated the jazz/swing feeling Led a septet called "The Red Hot Peppers" Electrifying/Engaging performer o James P. Johnson (stride player) 1894-1955. Born in Jersey but spent most of his career in NY East Coast piano styling rather than N.O. styling. (less march-like/more harmonically complex) One of the most influential/respected pianists of his time Helped smooth the transition from ragtime to jazz "Father of Stride Piano" His style spread stride all over-1st stride player broadcast over the radio Influenced Duke Ellington o Willie "the Lion" Smith (stride player) 1897-1973 Cutting contests w/James P. Johnson a lot o Thomas "Fats" Waller (mostly songwriter besides stride piano) 1904-1943 Known for his technique Influenced Basie, Brubeck, many others o Earl "Fatha" Hines (pianist/band leader) 1903-1983-Born in Pittsburgh and moved to Chicago in 1924 Influenced piano styles of 30's/40's Not a big stride player Recorded with Louis Armstrong West End Blues

Credited with altering the way piano players improvise (trumpet style phrasing) Boogie-Woogie-twist on stride piano playing o Subdivision in the left hand o Pete Johnson, Albert Ammonds, Meade Lux-Lewis, "Cow-Cow" Davenport Trumpet Players: Louis Armstrong-African American out of NO Trumpeter, Vocalist, composer, bandleader, all around entertainer One of the most influential figures in all of jazz history "pops, satchmo (satchel mouth), dippermouth" Father of jazz Important recordings (Late 1920's) w/"Hot 5" and "Hot 7" o Kid Ory (trombone) and Johnny Dodds (clarinet) o Happened in Chicago o Created the model for "Swing Era" and swing music in general o Most widely imitated improviser prior to the 1940's (for all instruments) Influenced Johnny Hodges Muskrat ramble (Ory)/Struttin' with some BBQ (Hardin): Dodds (clarinet), Ory (composer/trombone), Armstrong (cornet), Johnny St. Cir (banjo), Lil Hardin-Armstrong (piano, composer) o Hot 5 Historic Contributions: o One of the 1st great soloists in jazz history (new stress on solo improv instead of group improv) Showed the solo improvisation could have a stirring effect o One of the first to refine the jazz rhythmic concept Removed stiffness of ragtime Incorporated jazz/swing feel Added grace/majesty? to his playing o Achieved an unmatched mastery on his instrument and used it to craft melodies that were hard for others to imitate o Brought a sense of drama to music Helped him be a great soloist Used double time breaks Extended upper range on the trumpet o Took melodic embellishment farther than his contemporaries Could improvise a new melody-like line as strong as the actual melody o Singing style influenced countless others Billy Holiday, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, etc... Invented scat singing (apparently by accident) Bix Beiderbecke-White from Davenport, Iowa 1903-1931 Trumpet, Composer, Pianist Doesn't fit into a category for playing style Emerged around the same time as Armstrong (different in sound, style, ethnicity)

1924-First recording with the Wolverine Orchestra 1927-Featured soloist w/Paul Whiteman o Band leader towards the late jazz age, w/large ensembles before they were popular Cooler sound than Armstrong...more reflective Didn't display the virtuosity of Armstrong (but who did?) Blended new jazz sounds w/older ragtime styles as well as contemporary classical (French impressionists-rich harmonic pallets) Frankie Trumbauer (C-melody saxophone-considered a hobby instrument)-teamed up in 1927 as co-band leader o Singin' the Blues Clarinet More common than saxophone during the Jazz Age (changes during the Swing Era) Used to play countermelodies (trumpet on the melody) Solos weren't as "dramatic" as trumpet solos Johnny Dodds-1892-1940 (N.O.) o From N.O. but moved to Chicago o Side man on a lot of Hot 5/7 recordings o Edgy sounds w/fast vibrato+aggresive solos o Recorded w/King Oliver before Armstrong Jimmy Noone-1895-1944 (N.O.) o Greater command of his instrument than Dodds o Polished sound-dark/warm o Best New Orleans clarinetist (nice and opinionated) o Inspired Benny Goodman Sydney Bechet-1897-1959 (N.O.) o Played clarinet and soprano o One of the most highly regarded jazz musicians of the period Up there w/Louis Armstrong Only musician that could "keep pace" w/him Trombone Used to fill in gaps in the melody (hah) Considered like the trumpet as improv goes o Less intricate solos due to limitations of a slide o 7 positions Kid Ory-1886-1973 o One of the first noteworthy New Orleans trombonists o Husky tone in his playing w/an assertive presence o Recorded w/Armstrong ("Struttin' with some BBQ", "Muskrat Ramble") Jack Teagarden-1905-1964 (Texas) o Smooth, full tone o "prettier" than most other early trombonists o Came to N.O. originally in search of work o White Guy o Big deal when he performed on stage w/Louis Armstrong

Rhythm Section Guitar/Banjo o Rhythm style o Job to play chords o Strum on each beat o Don't have guitar solos yet o Eddie Lang-1902-1933 (Out of Philly) Played w/Beiderbecke and Trumbauer White Guy o Lonnie Johnson 1899-1970 Bluesy/Edgy sound Known to have played w/Armstrong on occasion Incorporated slides on guitar o Blind Willy Dunn (Pseudonym for Eddie Lang) and his Gin Bottle Four Landmark recording in 1929 Eddie Lang+Lonnie Johnson combined "Handful of Riffs" First recording w/Caucasian and African-Americans working together Bass o Assumed by tuba, bass saxophone, or piano o Slowly start to see the upright bass-takes over during the Swing Era o Played on the 1st and 3rd beat of every measure-no walking bass till later Piano o Didn't pound out chords like guitar o More sustained o Louder than the acoustic guitar o Could sometimes create countermelodies, like clarinet Drums o Poorly heard in early recordings due to the recording technology o Provided rhythmic support for melodies played by the wind players o Baby Dodds (Yes, brother of Johnny Dodds) 1898-1959 (N.O.) Credited w/coming up w/the ride rhythm Still the most commonly played rhythm by drummers today Basis of the jazz/swing feel on drums o Zutty Singleton-1898-1975 (N.O.) First to use brushes First to play the kick drum on all 4 beats of a bar Helped bridge into the swing era Drove the beat for the dancers Vocalists Bessie Smith 1894-1937 o "Empress of the Blues" o Influenced generations of vocalists (possibly even Armstrong) o Known for pop as well as blues o Participated in the Vaudeville Circuit

o Recorded w/Armstrong, James P. Johnson, Benny Goodman, others o Could hear her over a band w/the sheer power of her voice Ma Rainey 1886-1939 o One of the earliest known professional blues singers o One of the first of her generation to record o "Mother of the Blues" o Influenced Bessie Smith Ethyl Waters 1896-1977 o Born out of a rape o Childhood made her tough o Light/clear voice that distinguished her from other vocalists of her time o Brought a hybrid of blues/Tin Pan Alley music to America for the first time o Put a modern spin on older songs o 1st black woman to headline at "The Palace" in New York o Proved it was possible for black singers to appeal to any audience Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) 1913-1983 o "Father of Chicago Blues" o Considered one of the greatest blues men of all time

Midterm Review 1. B False 2. Honky Tonk Train Blues-Meade Lux Lewis Boogie Woogie 3. False- Louis on Cornet composed by Kid Ory-Muskrat Ramble 4. Blues? False-Ma Rainey (See See Rider) 5. King Porter Stomp-Jelly Rolly Morton 6. West End Blues-Louis Armstrong (False) 7. Dippermouth Blues (King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band) False Swing Era (1930's-early 1940's) Jazz enjoyed its greatest popularity ever (a lot of dancing gigs) Also known as the Big Band Era o Departure from combos Still many great soloists, just smaller percentage out of the musicians overall Changes that differentiate swing from the Jazz Age o Big bands are the preferred ensemble o Saxophone takes over for the clarinet o Upright bass is now the most common bass instrument o Smoother rhythmic feel-less rigid interpretation of time Made the music more appealing to dancers Big Band Instrumentation o Rhythm section (3-4)-Guitar, drums, piano, upright bass o Trumpet section (3-4) o Trombone section (3-4) o Saxophone section (as many as 5)

o Within each section: Lead Player Brass-stands in the middle Lead Trumpet-stylistic leader for the entire band Saxophone-Lead=1st alto Soloist Generally 2nd chair (brass) and 1st tenor (saxophones) Section Players Everyone else-filling space-add depth to band's sound Big bands brought the need for arrangements o Collective improv doesn't work with a group that size o Arrangers became immensely important Arrangers: o Fletcher Henderson o Duke Ellington How the rhythm section changed: o Rhythm guitar-chord on each beat of each measure o Piano-doesn't have to fill up as much harmonic space-played occasional syncopated chords/fills-no need for stride playing o Bass-2 beat changed to the walking bass pattern-primarily a background instrument o Drums-keep a steady beat for the dancers "felt but not heard" Keep the energy going-not flashy 1st two famous drummers to actually make a name for themselves Chick Webb Gene Krupa Most swing era bands were known about the name of their leaders Band Leaders: o Fletcher Henderson* o Jimmy Lunceford o Paul Whiteman* o Count Basie o Duke Ellington* o Benny Goodman o Glen Miller o Jimmy Dorsey o Tommy Dorsey o Woody Herman o Andy Kirk o Artie Shaw o Harry James o Cab Calloway o Chick Webb o Lionel Hampton o *=helped bridge the gap from the Jazz Age to the Swing Era o Henderson/Ellington emerged in the 1920's and grew in size/sophistication

Coleman Hawkins-how he treats the melody of Body and Soul

Noteworthy Musicians Trumpet: Roy Eldridge (1911-1989) o "Little Jazz" o The virtuoso trumpet player of the swing era o Challengers would always go after him in cutting contests o Link between (pre)swing and modern jazz "bop" o Powerful sound w/high register+agility o Ability to vary his tone/vibrato with the style of the song Trombone: Jack Teagarden o Remained active in the swing era-changed his playing style o Kept playing in combos Tommy Dorsey (1905-1956) o Bandleader (front man), featured soloist o Brother of saxophonist Jimmy Dorsey o Co-led a band named the Dorsey Brothers Split up over and argument about....tempo? o Responsible for making the trombone a melody carrying instrument Lawrence Brown (1907-1988) o Best known as lead trombone for Duke Ellington's Orchestra o Influential trombone soloist Saxophone: Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969) o Tenor Sax o Considered to be the 1st important saxophone soloist o Big sound (lot of air/robust tone) Don Byas (1912-1972) o Tenor o Known for using a greater harmonic sophistication than his contemporaries Implied there were more chords present than were being played Increase his challenge when soloing o Liked to play double time Benny Carter (1907-2003) o Alto-doubled on trumpet o One of the most influential altos of the swing era o Graceful and light style o Highly respected composer and arranger (for Count Basie, film/TV) Lester Young (1909-1959) o Tenor o Revered soloist o Light/flowing sound-kind of like an alto Admired the playing of Frankie Trumbauer o Featured soloist in the Count Basie Orchestra

Pianists: Earl Hines Art Tatum (1905-1956) o One of the most admired pianists ever Considered to be a genius on the keyboard o Melodically and rhythmically inventive o Spontaneous reharmonizations Changes the harmonic structure on the spot Still functions in a forward moving fashion and resolves o Always sounded great, no matter how bad of a piano he had to play on Could learn every bad key in the time it took to sit down Teddy Wilson (1912-1986) o Lighter style than most players Lacked heavy-handedness (specifically of stride players) o Fleet smoothness and streamlined quality o Sideman for a time with Benny Goodman Nat "King" Cole (1919-1965) o Led the famous "King Cole Trio" Piano, Bass, Guitar Lack of drums provided flexibility to play in smaller clubs o Horn-like improviser o Influenced more future generations than he's credited with o Became a superstar vocalist later Causes his piano playing to be overlooked Errol Garner (1923-1977) o Can be considered swing, but many believe him to be part of "bebop" o Well known for composing "Misty" Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) o Style evolved over time Started as a boogie woogie pianist Became significant in Swing and later periods o Composer/Arranger-wrote for a lot of popular big bands Milt Buckner (1915-1977) o Known for "block chording" Guitar Charlie Christian (1916-1942) o Pioneer of the amplified guitar o First great single note guitar soloist Changed role of the guitar o Influenced every guitarist to follow o 1st guitar feature w/big band: Solo Flight -Benny Goodman's Orchestra Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) o Belgian gypsy guitarist o Shine o Played acoustic guitar in a band where it could still be heard Hot club music

 Acoustic guitar, violin, acoustic bass, possibly accordion o Only had use of two fingers on his left hand Vocalists Billie Holiday (Lady Day) 1915-1959 o Influenced by Louis Armstrong and blues singers o One of the most influential jazz singers to emerge after 1930 o "Once she sang it, she owned it" Due to her unique twists on songs Conveyed emotional depth/sincerity o Never delivered a melody straight Took rhythmic liberties o Performed with many of the greats Benny Goodman Artie Shaw Count Basie Orchestra Lester Young o Grew up in poverty and suffered abuses as a child Influenced how she is able to convey depth in her music "Strange Fruit" lyrics describe a lynching o Relatively small vocal range with a weathered tone Ella Fitzgerald (The First Lady of Song) 1918-1996 o Considered to be one of the best vocalists of the 20th century o Superb swing feel that rivaled horn players o Clear tone with a large vocal range o Flawless pitch o Proficient scat singer Frank Sinatra 1915-1998 o Began career by singing in a band led by Harry James and started with Tommy Dorsey o Went on to influence generations of vocalists o Recorded with everybody o "Blue Skies" Nat "King" Cole 1919-1965 o Began singing in his trio, moved on to big bands o Most recording were done in Los Angeles, in the Capital Record Building The House that Nat (and Frank) Built Big bands/Leaders Paul Whiteman 1890-1967 o Band leader, arranger, violinist o One of the earliest big band leaders-predated the swing era o Mostly functioned in the jazz age o Dubbed "King of Jazz" at some point o Thought music could be improved by orchestrating the best of it with formal arrangements Resulted in limited improvisation in his music o Sought out talent to incorporate into his organization

o Commissioned "Rhapsody in Blue" Fletcher Henderson1897-1952 o Band leader, pianist, composer, arranger, conductor o Formed his band in 1922 Before beginning of the Swing Era o Helped smooth the transition into Swing Era o For a time, ideas of arrangement were heavily influenced by Whiteman When Armstrong joined, increased improvisation o In the 1920's, everyone wanted to sound like him o Sidemen: Louis Armstrong Coleman Hawkins Benny Carter (alto) o "Sugar Foot Stomp" o "King Porter Stomp" (updated arrangement) Jimmie Lunceford 1902-1947 o Played alto, but didn't play with his band o Organized Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra in 1927 o Vaudeville and comedy had a distinct part in his stage presence Not just music, but all around entertainment Often included costumes, skits, and jabs at mainstream white bands (Whiteman) o Considered one of the most polished bands Able to compete with Ellington and Basie o Earlier demise than other swing bands Didn't give raises, lost a lot of talent o All of the swing band leaders had personnel issues (paying their members) Benny Goodman (King of Swing) 1909-1986 o Virtuoso clarinetist o Influenced by Jimmy Noone o Reached massive commercial success o First band leader to successfully integrate his band o Led a small group and big band o 1929-Made a deal with Fletcher Henderson Bought Henderson's band book Hired Henderson's (African American) band to train his men on how to play the new music Vaulted him to superstardom in the 1930's o "Sing, Sing, Sing" o "Seven Come Eleven" Artie Shaw 1910-2004 o Virtuoso clarinetist, overshadowed a bit by Goodman o Dedicated fanbase o Dubbed "King of the Clarinet" by his fans o Said that Benny Goodman played clarinet, and he played music o 1938-Hired Billie Holiday, who left after facing hostility from crowds

"Begin the Beguine" "Stardust" "Moonglow" Sidemen: Billie Holiday Roy Eldridge Mel Tormay (vocalist) Buddy Rich Glen Miller 1904-1944 o White trombone player/band leader o Played trombone in pit orchestras for Broadway shows early on Alongside Benny Goodman and others o Later became trombonist/arranger for the Dorsey Brothers o 1936/37-fledgling band leader o 1938-began making recordings for the RCA Victor label Becoming a more familiar name o 1942-Decided to join the war effort Put in charge of a modernized military swing band Travelled around visiting troops in Europe to raise morale o Still remnants of that group today-Airmen of Note o "Moonlight Serenade" Band theme song/end of the concert o "In the Mood" o "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" o "Pennsylvania 6-5000" Stan Kenton 1911-1979 o Pianist, composer, arranger o Played in other bands to get his start o Became a leader in 1941 (tail end of swing era) Called "Artistry in Rhythm" o Competent pianist o Influenced by Earl Hines o 1950's onward, employed other composers to write for his band o Highly supportive of jazz education from an early age Willed his whole band book to the University of North Texas Kansas City Jazz more blues influence than in New York swing lots of territory bands, estimated 5000 o not popular names o operated only in a certain regions Bennie Moten (1894-1935) o pianist o first trio in 1922, expanded to big band in 1926 (Bennie Moten and his Kansas City Orchestra) o several bands touring under his name in 1920s

o o o o

o premier band leader in Kansas City area o raided other bands for personnel o rival bandBlue Devils 1929, lured Count Basie to his own bandtook over main piano duties in Motens band other musicians: Jimmy Rushing (vocalist), Hot Lips Page (trumpet), Eddie Durham (trombone/guitar), Ben Webster (tenor sax) later became core of Count Basie Orchestra o known for riff-based arrangements led to head arrangementsentirely memorized arrangements o first bandleader to use the term swing in a title of a piece of music theme song: The Moten Swing o 1935, dies from a batched tonsillectomy Count Basie takes over his band, eventually changes name to Count Basie Orchestra (one of the greatest big bands ever!) Count Basie (1904-1984) o pianist, composer, arranger, best known as a bandleader o originally a stride-type pianist, Fats Waller style o redefined the way the piano was played in big bandssparse comping, played very few notes, lots of space o very intense swing feeling o rhythm section one of the most revered parts of the band called the All-American Rhythm Section Freddie Green (guitarist) revered as master of the rhythm guitar known for unwavering sense of time Walter Page (bass) one of the first masters of the walking base style one of the first to play clear pitches Jo Jones (drums) o Basie also occasionally led smaller groupsKansas City Five/Seven often featured Lester Young (tenor sax) parallel in influence to Coleman Hawkins, but very different style light, floating sounddifferent from most other tenor players o 2 periods within the band 1st band was smaller, closer linked to Kansas City sound post WWII, band gets bigger, arranging style different and fully written out referred to as Old and New Testament Basie New Testament arrangers writing music that is more harmonically complex band is louder, sounds like significantly more people o Basie arrangers: Neal Hefti mostly in 1940s transitional writer, begins to establish New Testament Basie sound

 best known for ballad Lil Darlin Frank Foster most important in establishing New Testament sound expands harmonic complexity Quincy Jones mostly in 1960s enhanced New Testament sound did lots of vocal arrangements, wrote most of Frank Sinatras music Thad Jones went on to lead his own band in late 1960s even more daring harmonically than Basie wanted Sammy Nestico wrote most of the material from 1968 until Basies death o Basie vocalists: Jimmy Rushing (1903-1972) lured away from Blue Devils by Moten Mr. Five by Five known as a blues shoutercould sing in front of orchestra without a microphone Joe Williams (1918-1999) also steeped in blues tradition had impeccable diction, unlike most blues vocalists air of elegance o legacy bandband that continues to function after the leader has died Basie band is most successful legacy band ever still some members in the band that played with Basie others: Glen Miller Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Woody Herman Band none have maintained as high of standards as Basie Orchestra Extra credit report Combos: Instruments Music they're playing Improvisation-who improvises? Remind you of what we've studied? Big Band: Latin, Ellington, UCLA Jazz Orchestra Coleman Hawkins-"Body and Soul" 2 choruses-plays no melody Inspires Americans to take jazz in a whole new direction Changes from the idea of playing melody, and then a segment of improv, and then back to melody

Eventually led to bebop

Duke Ellington (1899-1974): His music was both danceable and able to be used in concerts Composer, arranger, bandleader, pianist Originally from D.C. Didn't have a typical jazz musician upbringing (bad childhood like most) o Raised in middle class household o Both parents are around Some piano training Got his nickname through childhood o Dressed fancy, neighborhood kids called him "Duke" First band: Duke Ellington and his Washingtonians Considered most prolific American composer Credited with over 2000 compositions "There should be a day where all musicians get together and thank Duke Ellington" -Miles Davis Duke's Orchestra o Reputation for paying his sidemen better than other bandleaders o Sidemen are critical Not generic sidemen roles All were capable improvisers Virtuoso musicians w/distinctive musical personalities o Customized his arrangements to highlight his band members o Considered one of the most interesting bands in the Swing Era o Stayed together till his death in 1974 o Everyone wanted to play in his band More interesting/challenging music Better pay o Not as commercially successful as some other bands, but had greater longevity and artistic depth in his music Extremely successful composer Lots of radio hits Used royalty income to subsidize paying his band members o Led his band for a little over 50 years (52..?) Early to mid 40's: Blanton-Webster Band o Jimmy Blanton-bass First to make the upright bass a solo instrument o Ben Webster-tenor sax o Around when Billy Strayhorn joined the band Additional composer/arranger Increased composition output Duke the Pianist-Early Career o Stride style piano player o James P. Johnson was a big influence on him o Doesn't really use stride style in his band (not necessary)

o Developed percussive/orchestral style of playing o Known for playing unusual harmonies-for the time o Influenced many pianists, including Thelonius Monk Duke the Composer o Over 2000 compositions credited to him Not sure if they're actually all completely composed by him o Considered one of the most prolific American composers Songs/tunes o Mood Indigo, Sophisticated Lady, Don't get around much Anymore, Concerto for Cootie (Do Nothin' till you Hear from me) o Original theme song late 1920's-late 1930's: East St. Louis Toodle-oo When he was playing at the Cotton Club in Harlem (whites only) Sepia Panorama-shortest lived theme song-radio ban (ASCAP fees) Hurt Ellington-great popularity over the radio Take the A Train-composed by Billy Strayhorn Theme song 1941-present Official song of New York City Only theme song not composed by Duke Ellington Portraits: musically depicts scenes, feeling, person... o Portrait of Willy "the Lion" Smith o Portrait of Louis Armstrong o Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald o Harlem Airshaft o Warm Valley Tone Poems: European classical song form o Tone Parallel to Harlem o Harlem o Collection: Black, Brown, and Beige-performed at Carnegie Hall (early 1940's)first black band to perform at Carnegie Hall Suites and Extended Works-longer pieces o New Orleans Suite o Queen's Suite Composed for the queen of England Only pressed one copy of it-presented to the queen of England Not released commercially till after Duke's death o Far East Suite Composed after tour of the middle east o Latin American Suite o The River-music for a ballet Stage Shows o Jump for Joy o My People o TV Special-A Drum is a Woman Film Scores o Anatomy of a Murder (1957)

Sidemen: Clarinet (always a virtuoso clarinetist in the band): Barney Digard o Early big band Jimmy Hamilton (1917-1994) o Benny Goodman/classical sound on the clarinet Saxophone: Johnny Hodges (alto/early days soprano) o Admired for how he played blues based songs/Strayhorn ballads Harry Carney (bari) o Late 1920's-early 1930's and played till Duke's death Ben Webster (tenor) o Soloist on "Cotton Tail" -listening list Paul Gonsalves (tenor) o Adopted bebop style for improvisation Al Sears (tenor) Otto Hardwicke (alto) Legendary Ellington saxophone section o Together for almost 20 years o Early 1950's-late1960's o Johnny Hodges (lead alto) o Russell Procope (alto/some clarinet) o Paul Gonsalves (tenor) o Jimmy Hamilton (tenor) o Harry Carney (bari/some clarinet/bass clarinet) Trumpet: Cootie Williams o Known for his plunger work combined w/growls o Master of "growl trumpet" Clark Terry o Started w/Count Basie Ray Nance o Also played violin/sang o Idol was Louis Armstrong Cat Anderson o Known for being a screamer Rex Stewart Shorty Baker Bubber Miley Trombone: Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton o Pixie mute w/plunger o Snuck booze onto the band stand (might be how he got his nickname) Lawrence Brown o Lead trombone

Juan Tizole o Earlier years (1930's) o Valve trombone Britt Woodman o Improviser/sometimes lead

Guitar Fred Guy o Only guitarist o After he left, he wasn't replaced Bass Jimmy Blanton Drums Sunny Greer o Close friend of Duke from early on o Drummer up through Blanton-Webster band years Sam Woodyard o Known for his swing feel-ride feel/rim tap o Called "chopping wood" Louis Bellsone Composer/Orchestrator Billy Strayhorn o Indispensible o Overlooked for his contributions to the band o Extremely similar composing style to Duke Listening A Tisket, A Tasket-Ella Fitzgerald-Chick Webb Orchestra Begin the Beguine-Artie Shaw Sent for you Yesterday, Here you Come Today Take the A-Train-Duke Ellington Orchestra-Composed by Billy Strayhorn (theme song) Sing, Sing, Sing-Benny Goodman For Dancers Only-Jimmy Lunceford Cotton Tail-composed by Duke Ellington Only need to know composer if we've talked about them (Ellington/Fletcher Henderson=writers and bandleaders) Other bandleaders were mostly performersLunceford=conductor Final Exam: Band leaders Arrangers-especially Basie Questions on Strange Fruit Listening Last 30-matching instruments-1st 15: (alto, tenor, piano, guitar, drums) 2nd 15: Bass, trumpet, trombone, composer/arranger Question on orchestration (check out book) Jimmy Hamilton-clarinet+also played sax in Ellington's band Barney Bizard-clarinet

Billy Strayhorn Duke described their relationship as: co-composing/arranging companionship o Could complete each other's words 15 years younger than Duke Raised in Pittsburgh Grew up in extreme poverty Family didn't have a piano o Visited an out of state aunt w/a piano, where he first played Eventually bought a piano after working While Ellington didn't have formal training, Strayhorn attended Conservatory in Pitt. (formally trained) o Considered a genius, and not only in music o Spoke French/was a good chef....? Molded modern Duke Ellington sound (50's/60's) o Good/creative orchestrations o Influenced future composers Perceived difference between dance and concert music o Developed how jazz orchestra plays to the audience Used big band w/orchestra type mindset Influenced: o Gil Evans-collaborated w/Miles Davis o Gerald Wilson-taught 50A before Harrison o Quincy Jones o Maria Schneider-modern composer o Charley Harrison.... Played big part in suites Strayhorn-Hodges known for ballads Duke/Strayhorn met in Pitt.-Strayhorn had developed a reputation as a genius kid o Club owner introduced him to Duke when he was in town Not an instant success in Ellington's band o Short/black/gay made it hard to be himself o Worked behind the scenes, kept out of public where homosexuality wasn't really accepted o Some band members were wary of him at first, but got over it after seeing his talent ASCAP-banned members' music from radio, which ended Sepia Panorama as the theme song Strayhorn's music could be played on the radio, as he wasn't yet a member of ASCAP Mercer Ellington (Duke's son) also wrote music after the ASCAP radio ban Strayhorn composed Take the A Train