The Genuine College Experience

Introduction

The music of Jazz has been around us for over a century. It�s hard to imagine that jazz music can be found almost everywhere in the world even though it only originated in America during the late 19th century. From movies to hotel lounges and even in elevators, we can certainly find jazz music being played constantly. It wasn�t too long ago that I found myself being drawn deeply into this musical world of Jazz.

At a young age, I was only introduced to early jazz styles through television commercials and movies that featured long, drama-liked themes. Like many teenagers then, I never thought much of it and quickly dismissed it as an artsy music meant only for rich and snobbish people. Not until I was briefly introduced in class did I realize I was missing out on something special and exciting.

The world of Jazz features an endless list of performers that boasts colorful histories and tragic pasts. From the Big Swing Bands of the 1930s to the cool sounds of Modal Jazz in the 1970s, jazz music has evolved constantly, never stopping to let one style take control of the artistes� talents.

What is Jazz

The word Jazz has been widely used in relation to the form and style of music that was created in America in the early 1900s, specifically in the city of New Orleans. It can be called the Classical Music of America because it has blended the musical cultures of its two main influence, African and European, into one that is both original and unique only in America. It is distinctly different from other forms of music styles in many aspects. There are occasions where it has been described as the American way of playing music. Like European classical music, it has become a refine and high cultured art form, appreciated only by a small number of fans.

The word Jazz has been used to describe several situations too. When someone says �to jazz things up�, he means that he wants �to add excitement and improvisation into the action�. Similarly, that is what Jazz music has often been defined as for many years. One of the most significant elements that make any music Jazz is improvisation and excitement. Most of these improvisations are informal, without any written pre-arrangements, and often showcases the musician�s musical talents.

There are some who would class music as Jazz only if it was known to be associated with it. In other words, some music was only Jazz if someone recalled familiar associations of it with Jazz. Examples like the types of instruments used, the common style of playing, etc. may be all used as associations to call a piece, Jazz. Others would consider the music Jazz only if it conveyed the feeling of swing. If the music could not �swing� a listener, then he or she would not consider that music Jazz. For many, the presence of improvisation is an essential element that they would listen for before they would class that music as Jazz. However, in analyzing the music around the World from the past to the present, musical improvisation is indeed abundant in many cultures, as much as the feeling of swing. Therefore, we must try to find a better way of defining jazz music.

Types of Jazz

Jazz is a complex style of music. It takes a well talented musician to be able to mix all the various elements of Jazz together into a single tune. Furthermore, jazz musicians have to be well versed in musical tunes, scales and chordings so as to keep up with each other and create original musical ideas and smooth flowing improvisations.

The musical language of Jazz has evolved into numerous styles over the years. Some departed from the original forms and structures of early Jazz to create its own voice and technique. Others merely progressed from what were already present and only added more technical improvisations to achieve popularity. In the analysis of the evolution of Jazz, we can note that there were no consistencies in the musical styles by the performers themselves, the instruments used and even the number of record sales. There were times when a particular musician suffered dismay failure when starting out on his own, but began to receive considerable attention after collaborating with other musicians later.

Several instruments used in early Jazz were abandoned in the mid 1940s but regained popularity among several musicians in the 1960s. More importantly, since record sales of jazz music was synonymous with its popularity at that time, several new styles were created in light of its popularity whilst some styles were later dropped due to poor support. In the early years of the 20th century, television and movie theaters were fairly new if not yet invented at all. The public�s only source of entertainment then was live music and this became an important factor in the development of Jazz. New styles had to be developed to satisfy the public�s hunger for live music and opportunities for jazz musicians were abundant. For this reason, there was a consistent need to evolve current trends in musical styles and ideas to compete with each other. Another reason for inconsistencies in the jazz styles was partly because jazz musicians in the early days often traded licks with each other. One musician may invite another to perform with him. Usually, they would be performers of two different jazz styles. In the course of playing together either for a period of time or even just one live performance, the result would be a creation of a totally new sound or a new hybrid of technique and musical structure that would serve to progress the musical style of Jazz. This informal collaboration by musicians to exchange ideas and techniques was known as jamming.

As mentioned before, jazz music was believed to have begun in the city of New Orleans. One of the earliest styles of the music that was played then was Ragtime. This involved a syncopated form of piano playing that produced much of the swinging feeling we associate with Jazz today. However, Ragtime was not restricted to the importance of the piano playing. String and some wind instruments were often used in the style of ragtime as well. A notable performer of this style was Scott Joplin.

Though much has been said about Blues music being a part of Jazz, many would still consider it an independent label on its own. However, many music educators would link Blues to Jazz because of the similarity in instruments and instrument voicings. Blues was thought to have developed from the songs of African slaves and later progressed with the addition of accompaniments such as the piano and trumpet. As Jazz continued to develop in New Orleans, its popularity as the �in� music that time grew further towards other cities far way. Chicago became the next new center for jazz music and entertainment because it was the first to provide jazz musicians with an opportunity to record their music. New York City was another jazz entertainment center as well. As the Jazz scene of Chicago grew larger, a new style of Jazz emerged. It was called the Chicago Style, and its popularity was highly attributed to the contributions of the Austin High Gang. However, New Orleans had already a name for the music before the Chicago Style, and this was called the Dixieland Style. It was created by the musicians from New Orleans but was mostly recorded in the city of Chicago. In the 1930s, the arrival of the Swing era in the history of Jazz was one of the most exciting and colorful of all. Duke Ellington, Art Tatum and Coleman Hawkins were some of the many significant musicians who were involved in the creation of swing music. Benny Goodman was one of the most successful swing bandleader during that era as well.

In the late 1930s, there was a transition in the Jazz scene to a style known as Bop. It is often regarded as the era of modern jazz and was mainly due to its new approaches in improvisations and the roles of several instruments in the band. This new style was more complicated and though it still contained the element of swing in the tunes, many people did not like to dance with the sounds of Bop music. In Bop, the size of the band was reduced and either new instruments were introduced or old ones dropped. The drums was less constricted to just playing rhythms and became more active in presenting musical ideas. Saxophones became a common feature as well. Between the late 1940s and early 1950s, there was a remarkable change in jazz styles with the creation of the �Birth of the Cool�. This landmark recording by Miles Davis and Gill Evans completely altered the way jazz music was to be viewed by many listeners because of its diverse and original approaches in musical styles. With the help of trumpeter Miles Davis and saxophonist John Coltrane, Modal Jazz became one of the most widely adopted musical styles by several young musicians.

As if all these changes in the short history of Jazz weren�t enough, new variations of jazz music such as Free Jazz, Fusion Jazz, New Age, Latin Jazz, Latin Fusion and Neo Bop began to emerge in the 1960s and the 1970s. Many more musicians were beginning to achieve popularity and influential status during this time. Record sales of these styles fluctuated between these two periods in time. Free Jazz was the least popular in this new style but the Fusion Jazz became the next most popular form of jazz music. The numerous jazz styles developed through the years bear no clear-cut and distinct times of change. Musicians were often experimenting with new ideas and creations all at once. Many significant musicians did not focus on just one particular form of jazz playing and were always looking for fresh ideas in style and technique from their counterparts and even their band members too. For these reasons, jazz music is often considered a significant and important feature of the American culture and many historians have looked to it as an important resource for examining the history of America as well.

How to Appreciate Jazz

Some styles in Jazz may sound chaotic to novice listeners. However, it is without a doubt that the more we listen to Jazz, the more coherent the piece will sound. Mark Gridley, author of Jazz Styles best explains this when he writes, �Much of the real substance in Jazz is subtle. Once we begin to notice these subtleties, we will be able to enjoy it deeply.�

There are many ways to appreciate the musical tunes of jazz music. Many find it pleasurable to listen to them in the background whilst they are attending to other matters in their lives. There are those who enjoy visiting Jazz events and watching the artists perform on stage. In addition, there are many who have studied Jazz and find it interesting to figure out how the music is arranged and performed by the composers and artistes. One of the most important aspects in jazz styles is the improvised solos. Listening to the solo lines should help the novice listener enjoy Jazz itself. Figuring out the melodies and catchy pop tunes within the solos is just as entertaining as well.

Since jazz music emphasizes a lot on collective improvisation as well as a cohesive sound, listeners may find it useful to try listening to the various tunes each of the different band members are playing. Although they are all playing together, their different styles and chord progressions help bring much of the music alive and swinging. When a jazz group plays the 12-Bar Blues, the unique melody is usually played twice. It follows that the soloist will often try to improvise over this progression of chords in its accompaniment. Once complete 12-bar progression is known as the Blues Chorus. On many occasions, there is not just one soloist in the band. In fact, all the band members themselves are capable of soloing over the accompaniment and they often do so.

When one particular improvisation ends, another takes over and it continues to lead the music to a new chord change. In doing so, the listener is always one step behind the band, even though he or she think expects otherwise. This consistent tension and relaxation in the musical piece also helps to explain for the element of swing in most jazz pieces. If one pays close attention to the early jazz styles, it is possible to find that in most of the pieces, the arrangement is written in the form of four sections that contain eight measures each. One section is called the A-section and is usually played three times. The other, known as the B-section, is usually the part where the melody changes. It is often referred to as the bridge, release, inside or channel as well. When put together, the arrangement A � A � B � A is usually formed. A classic example of this form in musical pieces is the popular Christmas carol called �Deck the Halls.� Even in cartoons like the �Flintstones�, the theme song is composed in this similar format.

There are many ways where jazz music borrows popular tunes from the movies, classic pieces such as Christmas carols and simple nursery rhymes. However, it has always been an essential in Jazz to maintain originality and focus on as much improvisation as possible. By paying close attention to the above-mentioned techniques, or even just the instrumentation of the band, we can easily appreciate all the jazz styles that are occurring around us in our lives.

Evolution of Jazz Styles

Jazz is an original American style of music that had its origins from two distinct cultures of the world, Africa and Europe. From the instruments involved to the structure of how the music is played, Jazz has evolved from the early forms of these two cultures� music to blend into something that is distinct and unique in America today.

The vocal techniques that were adopted in the early beginnings of Jazz had its roots from the African slaves that were brought into the New World (America). Many of these African slaves came from very different tribes and spoke different dialects. They had difficulty communicating with each other at first and the only thing that they could use to identify with each other was music. The slaves sung mostly of their harsh lives in the fields and they had created many interesting melodies and harmonies that possessed strong influences from their life back in their homeland.

As the years went by and more generations of slaves were born in the New World, this music eventually took a form that was more original and distinct, yet having some influence from their native homeland in Africa. Another way the vocal techniques of these slaves could have affected the way jazz music was created was perhaps the approach to alternating pitch and timbres. This might have somehow created the Blue Notes. These certain off-key notes were not able to be produced from the early instruments of Jazz and were sometimes thought to have been only possible in vocal singing. However, as more advanced instruments were introduced into playing Jazz, these blue notes eventually became so common that several bands did not require a vocalist to create such sounds.

There were several other noteworthy features of African music that are significant in Jazz from its early beginnings to this modern day. A technique known as Call and Response was clearly evident in many of the African tribal music. The group leader, usually a male, would shout out a question and it would almost instantly be followed with a synchronized, harmonious reply from the females in the group. In Jazz, this technique was widely adopted in the music of well-known jazz musician Duke Ellington. Instead of vocals being used here, the different sections of the band would be involved in creating this harmonious exchange of melodies.

The use of percussions was an important feature in African music. It was the most employed instrument then and jazz musicians certainly did not overlook the importance of this significant tool. Keeping a constant and rhythmic tempo is essential in Jazz. In order for the music to achieve many of its swing and upbeat feel, the drums were widely employed to maintain a strong beat for the musicians to stay with each other in the performance. Many of the African music did not have any other musical instrument other than the drums. Perhaps this is why, for many years, the drum remains to be the only instrumentation that has not been abandoned in the history of jazz music.

The concept of syncopation in jazz music has its influence from both European and African music. It has been called a Rhythmic Phenomenon and is a common feature in many jazz recordings. It involves the musician accenting their notes off the beat. It is either played before or right after the beat and this produces somewhat of an exited and swinging feeling experienced by the listener.

The use of harmony is common in all forms of music, not just Jazz. The chord progressions that are used in creating the harmonies in Jazz, however, have its influence from the European styles. In Jazz, there are several brief patterns of notes that are continuously repeated over again. Some of these extensive repetitions of short phrases are known as Riffs and is widely used in the style of jazz-rock. Many jazz musicians have linked this feature to the similarity in African music, though there are many who have argued that this characteristic began only in the New World and had no influence from African styles.

The combination of several rhythms at once and over each other is known as Polyrhythm. It results in the swing feeling common in most jazz styles that creates tension and excitement in the listener�s mind. This feature has been said to have had existed in European folk music and is predominately present in African music as well. Much of the instrumentation used in jazz music owes its contribution from European styles.

In New Orleans, where Jazz was believed to have begun, the model for jazz instrumentation was largely from the European brass bands. Most of these instruments included the trumpet, clarinet, trombone, saxophone and tuba. Since many of the slaves that were brought to the New World did not have belongings, it is clearly evident that these instruments must have originated from the Europeans. However, as mentioned earlier, the Africans were associated with the frequent use of drums and percussions in creating music. Therefore, many of the earliest styles of jazz music utilized the European-style drums. Other musical instruments that have been used one time or another were the wood block and cowbell, both of which were believed to have come from Africa.

Finally, the most important and significant feature of jazz music is improvisation. This characteristic of spontaneously composing and performing by the musician has been an essential part of jazz music. This technique has been present in many European and African music styles. However, an individual solo may have more of its roots in African than European music. Much of the current style of improvisation began in New Orleans when Jazz emerged. Many jazz analysts have called this the Black Esthetic, since most of the African Americans began using the individual solo to stand out during a performance.

The influences from Europe and Africa may have largely contributed to the development of jazz music. It must be remembered however, that jazz was a style of music that was created out of these two cultures and became distinctly known on its own. Despite its strong roots in the European and African music styles, it is still widely considered as a category of its own.

Big Names in Jazz

Louis Armstrong was a significant icon in the history of Jazz. Many considered him as "The Father of Jazz" as he was one of the many musicians in his era to have influence a wide variety of styles not only in cornet playing, but other instruments as well. Because of his involvement in several movies, he was known not only as a talented musician but also as an entertainer as well. He was one of the leading soloists in jazz music and had pioneered a great number of original styles in playing the cornet. He was involved in playing with many influential bands such as those of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and King Oliver. He also popularized the technique of scat singing and used this in several of his pieces.

Miles Davis is probably the most well known jazz musician in the history of jazz. He began as a Bop trumpeter but was often linked to the style of Cool Jazz. He was also a composer and bandleader and had created a unique style in playing the trumpet that was both original and substantial. He was involved with Gil Evans in producing the landmark recordings of "The Birth of the Cool" in 1949 and 1950. He was also involved in 3 cutting edges of jazz styles in his lifetime. He had produced hundreds of recordings but his most beloved and famous was the one with Bill Evans entitled "Kind of Blue". That album was a contributing factor to the popularization of Modal Jazz.

The musical styles of John Coltrane continue to be a formidable influence on jazz saxophonist up to this modern day. Coltrane revolutionized the way the saxophone should be played in his recordings throughout his career. He was a highly influential player and originated several of his own styles in jazz music. He popularized the use of Pedal Points, which became one of the best known and widely used style in jazz music. Many scholarly texts were written to evaluate and study the musical techniques of John Coltrane�s music. Like Miles Davis, he had utilized many different styles in his musical life. From replacing chord changes, use of modal style and then pedal points, he laid the benchmark for many future talented musicians to follow after him. He had such a great impact during his career that even a church was name after him.

Bill Evans was another significant pianist and had played with Miles Davis during 1958 and 1959. He was known for his work with Davis on the "Kind of Blue" album. He was highly influential in his piano styles since Art Tatum and had won much admiration from pianists that emerged later on in the Bop era. Many people have described his unique style of approach as Introspective. Bill Evans got away from several traditional styles of piano playing and developed his own original improvisations that many would soon follow.

Duke Ellington was involved with leading swing bands in the early 1920s. Ellington�s music derived much of his stride style from James P. Johnson. He was also a great bandleader and had much of his musicians staying with him for many years. For such reasons, Ellington capitalized on his band members� unique talents and wrote a lot of his tunes that were based on each and every individual�s sound. One significant contribution by Ellington too was his technique of voicing across sections of his band. He wrote passages that combined the instruments from different sections of the band, resulting in a unique and almost distinct �Ellington� sound. Ellington�s career in jazz featured a wide variety of styles and there were different phases of his musical influences that ranged from swing to gospel. He was also renowned for having trumpeter Cootie Williams and trombonist Joe Nanton perform in the growl style. Some of his music had included a wordless vocal that was often called an instrumentalized voice. Duke Ellington�s music features some works that were considered to have been set over the usual standard allowed in music. He had several extended works and many of his musicians were allowed to solo to his full potential. His music had the particular style of growling from the brass and reeds as well.

The Future of Jazz

It remains to be seen what the new styles of Jazz can emerge in the 21st century. Already, the Fusion Jazz styles pioneered by Miles Davis and Chick Corea have taken over the mainstream market of music. When these musicians, and many like themselves, begin to blend the elements from various music genres into one single, complete form, it transpires a new beginning for the musical history of Jazz itself.

On a personal note, I have interviewed and talked to several jazz musicians and fans on the new wave that is taking over the jazz music scene. Not many are enthusiastic about this new change in direction for they fear the original elements that made Jazz what it once was would soon be lost. These responses are similar to those that came when musicians like Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor introduced the style of Free Jazz to the public. Many felt these musicians were crazy in attempting to reinvent the true nature of Jazz and mocked their musical ability and creative attempts. It is essential that we embrace the new style that comes in all forms of music we know today. Though I myself do not profess to be a big fan of the new wave, I foresee something greater that can be achieved in Jazz styles through the new millennium. Perhaps I will have the chance to witness the next big wave in my lifetime. If not, at least, I pray that our children will. For Jazz shall always be the true art in America that holds a link to our cultural heritage, and all that is for the future as well.