UMS Teacher Resource Guide - The Bad Plus

THE BAD PLUS

TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE 2009 - 2010 UMS 09-10

1

SUPPORTERS

Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs University of Michigan

Anonymous Arts at Michigan Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund Bank of Ann Arbor Bustan al-Funun Foundation for Arab Arts The Dan Cameron Family Foundation/Alan and Swanna Saltiel Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art DTE Energy Foundation The Esperance Family Foundation David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP JazzNet Endowment W.K. Kellogg Foundation Masco Corporation Foundation Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. and P. Heydon) The Mosaic Foundation [Washington, DC] National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Endowment Fund Rick and Sue Snyder Target TCF Bank UMS Advisory Committee University of Michigan Credit Union University of Michigan Health System U-M Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs U-M Office of the Vice President for Research Wallace Endowment Fund

This Teacher Resource Guide is a product of the UMS Youth Education Program. Researched, compiled, and edited by Carlos Palomares and Cahill Smith.

Special thanks to Savitski Design and Omari Rush for their contributions, feedback, and support in developing this guide.

2

UMS 09-10

THE BAD PLUS REID ANDERSON bass - ETHAN IVERSON piano - DAVID KING drums

GRADES K-12 11AM - 12 NOON

F R ID AY F EBRU ARY 5

2010

LYDIA MENDELSSOHN THEATRE

Photo: John Christenson

TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE

2009 - 2010

U M S Y O U T H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M

UMS 09-10

3

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Short on time?

If you only have 15 minutes to review this guide, just read the sections in black in the Table of Contents.

Those pages will provide the most important information about this performance.

ATTENDING THE PERFORMANCE 6 Attending the Show 8 Map + Directions 9 The Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre THE BAD PLUS 11 Who is The Bad Plus?

12 In Their Own Words: A Conversation with The Bad Plus 15 Discography 18 Further Resources

4

UMS 09-10

JAZZ 20 What is Jazz?

• Jazz in Grove Music • What is Jazz? by Jason West 23 Elements of Jazz 28 Brief Hisotry of Jazz + The Style of Jazz EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 36 Internet Resources 39 Recommended Reading

ABOUT UMS 41 University Musical Society 43 Youth Education Program 45 Send Us Feedback!

AT T E N D I N G T H E P E R F O R M A N C E

UMS 09-10 Photo: BigHassle

5

D E TA I L S

AT T E N D I N G T H E S H O W We want you to enjoy your time with UMS! PLEASE review the important information below about attending the Youth Performance:

TICKETS TICKETS We do not use paper tickets for

DOOR ENTRY A UMS Youth Performance

DURING THE PERFORMANCE At the

Youth Performances. We hold school reserva-

staff person will greet your group at your bus

start of the performance, the lights well

tions at the door and seat groups upon arrival.

as you unload. You will enter through the

dim and an onstage UMS staff member will

main entrance (south) of the League Building.

welcome you to the performance and provide important logistical information. If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints (for instance, about your comfort or the behavior

ARRIVAL TIME Please arrive at the Men-

USHER

of surrounding groups) please IMMEDIATELY report the situation to an usher or staff memer in the lobby.

delssohn Theater between 10:30-10:50pm to allow you time to get seated and comfortable

SEATING & USHERS When you arrive at

before the show starts.

the front doors, tell the Head Usher at the door the name of your school group and he/ she will have ushers escort you to your block of seats. All UMS Youth Performance ushers

PERFORMANCE LENGTH One hour (ap-

wear large, black laminated badges with their

proximately) with no intermission

names in white letters.

DROP OFF Have buses, vans, or cars drop off students on westbound (north) side of North University Avenue in front of the Michigan League Building. If there is no space in the

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE When the

drop off zone, circle the block until space

performance ends, remain seated. A UMS

becomes available. Cars may park at curbside metered spots or in the visitor parking lot

BEFORE THE START Please allow the usher

staff member will come to the stage and

behind the power Center. Buses should wait/

to seat individuals in your group in the order

release each group individually based on the

park at Briarwood Mall.

that they arrive in the theater. Once everyone

location of your seats.

is seated you may then rearrange yourselves and escort students to the bathrooms before the performance starts. PLEASE spread the adults throughout the group of students.

6

UMS 09-10

BUS PICK UP When your group is released,

SENDING FEEDBACK We LOVE feedback

ACCESSIBILITY There is a barrier free access

please exit the performance hall through the

from students, so after the performance please

located at the North University entrance to

same door you entered. A UMS Youth Perfor-

send us any letters, artwork, or academic

the building, with elevator access to the main

mance staff member will be outside to direct

papers that your students create in response

floor of the theater level. Wheelchair seating is

you to your bus.

to the performance: UMS Youth Education

available on the rear of the main floor.

Program, 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor,

AAPS

MI 48109-1011.

assistive listening devices. Earphones may be obtained upon arrival. Please ask an usher for assistance.

AAPS EDUCATORS You will likely not get on the bus you arrived on; a UMS staff mem-

ENTRANCES + ELEVATORS The Lydia

ber or AAPS Transportation Staf person will put you on the first available bus.

Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre is equipped with

NO FOOD No Food or drink is allowed in the theater.

Mendelssohn Theatre is located in the Michigan League Building on the University of Michigan’s central campus. The main entrance is off of North University, in front of the Michigan League Building. Elevators for access to the both the Main Floor and Balcony are located in the middle of the Michigan League

LOST STUDENTS A small army of volunteers staff Youth Performances and will be

PATIENCE Thank you in adavance for your

ready to help or direct lost and wandering

patience; in 20 minutes we aim to get 1,300

students.

people from buses into seats and will work as

along the main hallway.

efficiently as possible to make that happen.

LOST ITEMS If someone in your group loses an item at the performance, contact the UMS Youth Education Program (umsyouth@umich. edu) to attempt to help recover the item.

UMS 09-10

7

Bussing/Transportation Directions The Bad Plus Youth Performance

Fri, Feb 5, 2010, 11am-12pm, Mendelssohn Theatre 1. Drop-O Zone is on the North side of N University from Thayer to Fletcher. If no space is available in the Drop-O Zone, circle the block (see above) until space becomes available. Please arrive between 11:30am-11:50am.

2. Mendelssohn and Mall Bus Parking driving directions on the next page.

3. The best Visitor Parking: Palmer Dr. Parking Structure behind Power Center: $1.10/hr 4. Need Day-of Help? Call Omari on his cell phone: 734-730-9202.

MAP + DIRECTIONS This map, with driving directions to the Mendelssohn Theatre, will be mailed to all attending educators three weeks before the performance.

MAP

8

UMS 09-10

VENUE

LY D I A M E N D E L S S O H N T H E AT R E LOCATED WITHIN the Michigan League

League are similarly designed, tasteful

& Lloyd. In 1995, new carpeting and

building on the central campus of the

private dining rooms and a large ball-

seats were installed, and the proscenium

University of Michigan, the Lydia Men-

room. The Mendelssohn Theatre is also

curtain was replaced. Its lighting equip-

delssohn Theatre is an intimate, shoe-box

used extensively for theatrical produc-

ment is modern.

theatre seating 658. Decorated with solid

tions and solo recitals.

oak paneling that creates an atmosphere

The Mendelssohn Theatre is one of the

of elegance and charm, the Mendelssohn

Opening on May 4, 1929, the theatre

few theaters in the United States to have

Theatre is perfect for smaller conferences.

was designed by the Chicago architec-

a “cyclorama,” a curved wall at the back

Just down the hallway in the Michigan

tural firm of Allen Pond & Pond, Martin

of the stage. The cyclorama improves sound in the theater and can be used for creative lighting effects.

Notwithstanding an isolated effort to establish a chamber music series by faculty and students in 1938, UMS regularly began presenting artists in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in 1993, when Eartha Kitt and Barbara Cook graced the stage for the 100th May Festival’s Cabaret Ball.

Today, the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre is used primarily for theatrical productions and song recitals.

LYDIA MENDELSSOHN THEATRE 911 North University Ave Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (734) 763-333 Emergency Contact Number: (734) 764-2538 (Call this number to reach a UMS staff person or audience member at the performance.)

UMS 09-10

9

THE BAD PLUS

10

UMS 09-10

Photo: Ladysmith

ABOUT

WHO IS THE BAD PLUS? THE BAD PLUS is a collective made

a lot of different influences, without

music, regardless of the genres in which

up of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist

drawing any lines around one style or

their composers specialized.”

Ethan Iverson, and drummer David

another,” says Anderson. “We don’t cre-

King. The group dug its roots in the

ate barriers. It’s all brought together with

wood-paneled, sump-pumped base-

a very open mind. We’ll try anything, as

ments of the Midwest. King and Ander-

long as it makes good music.”

sational forms like rock, pop and jazz,”

Minnesota, bouncing between junior

The trio challenges the common pre-

composers like Ligeti and Stravinsky and

high rock bands and long nights listen-

conceptions about high art versus pop

ing to John Coltrane and The Police.

culture by juxtaposing compositions from

Soon after, Anderson met Wisconsin-

20th century rock and pop artists with

reared pianist Ethan Iverson and formed

those of 20th century classical artists. The

an alliance – sort of. The threesome

mix of highly familiar rock and pop pieces

played for the first time in 1990.

alongside some not-so-familiar 20th cen-

son hooked up as teens in their native

Nonetheless, it is only after spending their formative 20s apart — King as member of the seminal indie jazz group Happy Apple, Iverson as the musical director for the Mark Morris Dance Group, Anderson as a prominent up-and-coming

tury classical compositions represents the band’s egalitarian approach to all forms of music, regardless of source, genre or style. To their way of thinking, quality and integrity can be found at any point along the continuum.

player on the New York jazz scene —

“The 20th century is filled with music by

that they reunited in late 2000 to play a

great composers, but it’s a mistake to as-

weekend club date in Minneapolis. The

sume that all of those composers are lim-

chemistry was immediate and obvious.

ited to classical or jazz or other types of

They planned a second gig and a one-day

music that are commonly considered to

recording session for the indie jazz label

be ‘high art,’” says Iverson. “There were

Fresh Sound and The Bad Plus was born.

rock and pop songwriters of that same

In the studio as well as onstage, The Bad Plus proudly foregoes convention in favor of curiosity and craftsmanship – recognizing and respecting the rules while ripping them to shreds. They “bring together

period whose work was just as significant

“We really care about classical music, and we also care about the more improvisays Iverson. “I believe that we can pay Babbitt the respect they deserve, and we can also recognize composers like Kurt Cobain and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and David Gilmour as poets at the same time.”

In The end, The Bad Plus seeks to level the playing field. “We’re not going to treat one kind of music like high art and another like disposable entertainment,” says King. “We’re making music to engage the audience,” Anderson says, “and to challenge the audience and ourselves with an energy aimed at everyone involved having a mutual experience through the music.”

Compiled from: www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/Prog/ www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/The-Bad-Plus/ http://imnworld.com/artists/detail/76/bad-plus-the http://bighassle.com/publicity/a_bad_plus.html www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/For-All-I-Care/ www.thebadplus.com/

as the work of the classical composers.

They’re all part of a continuum of great music, and as such, they’re all worthy of recognition and respect.… recognizing the value of every aspect of 20th century

UMS 09-10

11

ABOUT

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H T H E B A D P L U S THE THREE MEMBERS of The Bad Plus

was a high school kid at the time. We

living. The response and our connec-

tackle a wide range of topics in recent

became friends and made music together

tion were very strong. There was an

conversations following the completion

as much as we could.

immediate feeling like the temperature

of PROG. Here are some of the highlights of these talks:

FIRST TIME (1990)

EARLY DAYS

ETHAN ­— We were all so determined to

DAVID — When we met at 15, Reid and I

mon perspective yet.

were leaning toward progressive rock and some fusion stuff. But by the next year we were deeply entrenched in Coltrane and free jazz. We’d go to every concert that came to town. High school was the transition from prog-rock to free jazz and bebop and everything.

ETHAN — I was in a hermetically sealed chamber in high school. I wasn’t interested in classical music or rock and roll or anything but jazz. First I loved boogie woogie, then early jazz. Eventually I got

be individuals that we didn’t have a com-

DAVID — Ethan came in as a heavily opinionated cat. I was into the ironic late 80s downtown thing. Reid has always been in the middle. It was a fun session but that was it.

REID — We were young and completely inexperienced and we were fighting. It was uneventful except for the fact we’re still playing together.

NEXT TIME (2000)

had changed. A few weeks later I came up with the name The Bad Plus and we booked our next gig.

COVERS DAVID — Ethan at first was very shy about it because he doesn’t know any rock music. We mentioned “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” He’d never heard of it, and a light bulb went on. Reid and I could approach this material with honesty and our memories of cruising along with our chicks and Ethan could approach it like he does — like an android.

REID — Dave and I had been talking about this idea since we were kids, fantasizing about how cool it would be

my first Monk record and that really

REID — We came together as mature

to be in an improvising band that played

made an impression and I slowly started

musicians and three leaders with some

Led Zeppelin.

to figure out Miles Davis. When I met

pretty definable sounds, even at that

Reid at 16 or 17, I had a strong interest

point. It was clear to me that we had

in free jazz-- so my history of jazz is that

found what we wanted to do.

of jazz history.

ETHAN — There was a practical consideration. While we were all writing, it didn’t mean we could figure out two sets

ETHAN — We put together a gig with

of original music for the first gig. That’s

REID — Dave and I met in 1986 when I

the three of us. And from the first set, I

what jazz musicians always do: they have

went to try out a bass amp at his house.

felt that here was a way of playing very

a couple of new tunes and fill out the

We’ve been friends ever since. We bond-

high level music that didn’t really refer-

set with standards and blues. When we

ed over the music that we liked. We

ence normal jazz. I’ve always tried to be

needed two sets in The Bad Plus, one of

both could play already. When you’re

a musician that knew jazz but didn’t play

them suggested playing a rock cover. I

that age, you’re looking for other kids

normal jazz. It never occurred to me that

never liked it when jazz musicians play

who can play. From that moment on we

rock would be part of the solution.

rock tunes, but since it felt like a collec-

were inseparable. I met Ethan in 1989

tive already, I said to myself, “What the

when I spent one year in Eau Claire, Wis-

DAVID — We got together for this gig

hell, I’ll go down with a sinking ship for

consin, going to the university there. He

in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I was

one song, who cares?”

12

UMS 09-10

The Bad Plus, May 31. Photo: Michael Dvorak, courtesy of The Banff Centre

DAVID — Playing covers never has been a

definitely stand behind the first pieces I

support. But it’s a strange, invisible line

gimmick. It starts as a tune we like. We

wrote. I had been carrying a sound in

that none of us fully understands: three

don’t believe that music has to end with

my head for a while and then, finally, out

alpha personalities coming together and

Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Ar-

it came.

expressing what we want in the moment

ranging and playing covers sharpens our knives. Every one of them has its own

DAVID — Of the three of us as a

flow, a very unique arrangement, and is

composer, Reid has the most detailed

approached with a different palette.

aesthetic. He is basically a frustrated pop songwriter. He can write some incredibly

ETHAN — Once we actually started doing

complicated music, but he really is a pop

it I could immediately feel the energy, the

songwriter that plays bass.

heat from the idea. And of course later

but also caring about each other beyond the normal thing. It’s like riding on something that’s bigger than you. This band is about embracing that kind of energy; being able to say things like that with a straight face. We believe in the human spirit, in the idea that there is so much weight to intention. Unapologetic inten-

on I realized that whenever I heard jazz

REID — Regardless of the fact that we

musicians play rock tunes they treated

play in a band together, Ethan and Dave

them as if they were playing a jazz stan-

are two of my favorite composers from

dard from the 40’s. The musical materials

our generation. In that respect it’s very

that we have always used while playing

powerful for us to be a committed band

the rock songs are more out of the avant-

because it keeps things in perspective.

DAVID — In this band irony exists much

garde…our harmonic approach comes

The bar is always very high in terms of

less than people think. There is very lit-

more from Stravinsky than Bill Evans, so

what you need to deliver.

tle irony. We’re hearing the beauty of

somehow our treatments of rock and pop are starker and have more strength.

REID — The covers give us an incredible amount of freedom because they’re very sturdy structures to hang our sound on; to support the intentions of The Bad Plus. When we do a cover it becomes our music, in a way.

SOUND REID — A big part of our sound is our equality within the band. Each one of us is playing music we have a stake in. It’s group music — music that only sounds like the three of us. There’s a basic level of trust. Not only of trusting that everybody’s taking care of business at every

COMPOSING

moment, but that your own ideas are

ETHAN — The first piece of music that I

confronted by exceptional imaginations.

going to be treated with respect and also

wrote is preserved in a musical notebook from 5th grade. It’s called “Mod-

ETHAN — Three factors make our

ern.” Composition is something I have

sound: first, all three instruments are

talent for, but here everyone is such a

upfront in the mix. That’s the most

good composer that I take a little bit of

important thing. Then the harmony is

a backseat. There is no requirement for

basically simple to begin with. We use

me to come up with a bunch of stuff. I

complex harmony but our starting point

could never write as good a melody as

is almost always one of simple har-

Reid can so there’s no point in compet-

monic clarity. The third would be our

ing there. I can write endless amounts of

tremendous rhythmic acuity, especially

music on demand but it’s nice that in The

from Dave.

Bad Plus I don’t have to.

DAVID -— There is deep personal freedom

REID — I think I was afraid to start

involved. There is the idea that you can

composing. Once I did, at 27, it felt

bring personal esthetics together and

like I knew what I wanted to do. I can

create a new one. There’s no bending to the will but there’s also a deep trust and

tion. We put our full weight behind every idea. We believe in every minute of it.

IRONY

the music and our intent is very serious and very strong. When we play Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” we’re not winking...You put a Black Sabbath record on and in their genre it’s like putting a Coltrane record on. It’s the real deal. To us it’s not funny.

REID — Nothing is ever played with an ironic intent. I hate ironic music. If irony is ever a part of our music, it only exists as part of a much more complex emotion which is ultimately not ironic. We deliver our music with absolute earnestness, always.

ETHAN — There is no way we can claim that there is no irony in The Bad Plus, because there is. It’s just that we mean it, too. That’s the problem. Let’s look at Tom Sawyer: the outrageousness of what we’re doing is certainly informed by the knowledge of transgression. For me, the type of irony that we’re going for is like Nabokov, where some new piece of art is formed on the ruins of a lot of knowledge and deep irony. But we mean “Tom Sawyer.” We mean “Iron Man”. It’s for real.

Courtesy IMN

14

UMS 09-10

ABOUT

DISCOGRAPHY AMID RELENTLESS TOURING the band crafted material for 2003’s These Are the Vistas. The album contained riveting originals alongside sharp readings of Nirvana, Aphex Twin, and Blondie. Said Esquire magazine, “Can one album single-handedly make jazz relevant again? Should you care? One listen to The Bad Plus’s These Are the Vistas will make you care.” Two more albums followed in rapid succession – Give in 2004 and Suspicious Activity? in 2005. Worldwide touring continued, which further cemented the trio’s reputation as being passionate and powerful.

2001

2001

2003

THE BAD PLUS

AUTHORIZED BOOTLEG

T H E S E A R E T H E V I S TA S

FRESH SOUND

SELF RELEASED OUT OF PRINT

COLUMBIA

Knowing me Knowing

Silence Is The Question

Big Eater

Blue Moon

Knowing Me Knowing You

Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And the Bears

1972 Bronze Medalist

Guilty

The Break Out

My Funny Valentine (Excerpt)

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And the Bears

Everywhere You Turn

Labyrinth Scurry Love is the Answer

Off Your Ass Heart Of Glass

Off Your Ass

1972 Bronze Medalist Guilty Boo-Wah Flim Heart of Glass Silence Is The Question

UMS 09-10

15

MORE INFORMATION ON RECENT ALBUMS In May 2007, the band released Prog. The disc opens with the first of four covers included in the ten-song set: a melodic, yet churning rendition of the Tears for Fears 1985 synth-pop classic, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” The arrangement juxtaposes lush piano lines with throbbing bass and drum undercurrents. The trio’s take on David Bowie’s classic “Life on Mars” is part atonal rock, part symphony, part cabaret jazz. Further into the set, their reading of Rush’s art-rock anthem “Tom Sawyer” opens with the well-known riffs and melody line originally crafted by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, but interjects some frenetic piano and drum combinations along the way that take the song to an even more heady place than the original. As with the Tears for Fears cover, Burt Bacharch’s “This Guy’s in Love with You” gets under way in melodic fashion, but Anderson, Iverson and King – individually and as a unit – experiment with tempo and dynamics to stretch the song’s sensibilities to a point that redefines the essence of the song.

After the success of Prog, the trio, never content to stand still, moved on their next challenge with For All I Care, their first album with vocals. “The Bad Plus has always reworked contemporary songs,” said Anderson, “the next logical step was do so with the added clarity of a voice.” But For All I Care is more than just an album pairing a singer with a backing band. The recording is

2004

2005

2003

GIVE

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY?

B L U N T O B J E C T- L I V E I N T O K Y O

COLUMBIA

COLUMBIA

COLUMBIA

1979 Semi-Finalist

Prehensile Dream

We Are The Champions

Cheney Pinata

Anthem For The Earnest

And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation

Street Woman

Let Our Garden Grow

Guilty

And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation

The Empire Strikes Backwards

Do Your Sums/Die Like A Dog/Play For Home

Frog And Toad

Knows The Difference

Heart Of Glass

Velouria

Lost Of Love

Flim

Layin’ A Strip For The Higher-Self

Rhinoceros Is My Profession

Silence Is The Question

State Line

O.G. (Original Gentleman)

My Funny Valentine (Excerpt)

Do Your Sums/Die Like A Dog/Play For Home

(Theme from) Chariots Of Fire

Dirty Blonde

Forces

Neptune (The Planet) Iron Man

16

UMS 09-10

inspired in part by the collaborative recording by John Coltrane and vocalist Johnny Hartman, released in 1963. “Coltrane’s quartet had already developed a group language, and then they enlisted this incredible singer without changing the language of the band,” says King. “In that same sense, this is still very much a Bad Plus record.”

It was going to take a very special singer who could fit into the band’s style without disrupting the group’s internal balance. Wendy Lewis, a longtime associate of The Bad Plus and a fixture in the Minneapolis alt rock scene, steps in and takes the trio’s ongoing experimental ride to a new level of exploration and sophistication. Her haunting voice adds a fresh and powerful dimension within the fabric of the group. “Wendy is like another instrument with intense, compressed energy,” says King. Her storytelling propels The Bad Plus’ music into an exciting new place.

The philosophy behind the album is cleverly implied in its title. While For All I Care may sound like an expression of apathy, it is anything but. The phrase is lifted from Cobain’s “Lithium,” but in the context of this recording, the overriding message is that The Bad Plus – collectively and as individuals – embraces and appreciates all forms of music, enough to showcase any and all of them in a single recording.

2007

2009

PROG

FOR ALL I CARE

HEADS UP/UNIVERSAL/

JOINED BY WENDY LEWIS

D O T H E M AT H

HEADS UP/UNIVERSAL/ D O T H E M AT H

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Lithium

Physical Cities

Comfortably Numb

Life On Mars

Fem (Etude No. 8)

Mint

Radio Cure

Giant

Long Distance Runaround

Thriftstore Jewelry

Semi-Simple Variations

Tom Sawyer

How Deep is Your Love

This Guy’s in Love with You

Barracuda

The World Is the Same

Lock, Stock and Teardrops

1980 World Champion

Variation d’Apollon Feeling Yourself Disintegrate Semi-Simple Variations (Alternate Version)

UMS 09-10

17

EXPLORE

FURTHER RESOURCES JAZZTIMES http://jazztimes.com/guides/artists/6287-

WATCH

L I ST E N

“The Bad Plus: Great White Hypes?”

IMNWORLD

IMNWORLD

http://imnworld.com/artists/detail/76/bad-

http://imnworld.com/news/detail/185/

plus-the

the-bad-plus-and-wendy-lewis-videofrom-the-cedar-in-minneapolis

STEREOGUM http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/the_

Streaming video of The Bad Plus and

bad_plus_cover_rush_005083.html

Wendy Lewis video from The Cedar in Minneapolis on April 25th as well as

NPR

interviews with the band members.

www.npr.org/templates/story/story. php?storyId=15182358

READ

NPR page.

DO THE MATH

http://thebadplus.typepad.com/ Do The Math is a blog written by Ethan Iverson with occasional contributions by

The Bad Plus Featured on Here and Now: “Moving Past Jazz ‘Standards’” Recently, several jazz groups have ventured outside the great American songbook for inspiration. Here and Now’s jazz aficionado James Isaacs brings us songs by Nirvana, Wilco, Rufus Wainwright, and Bob Dylan reinterpreted by The Bad Plus, Dave Douglas, Jim Hall and Bill Frisell.

18

UMS 09-10

times.com/articles/14545-the-bad-plusgreat-white-hypes “The Bad Plus: Saying It Proud, But Way Too Loud.”

Bill Milkowski, April 2004 - http://jazztimes.com/articles/14544-the-bad-plussaying-it-proud-but-way-too-loud

Stuart Nicholson, April 2003 - http://jazz-

recording available through the bands

www.hereandnow.org/2009/06/rundown-615/

John Murphy. April 2004 - http://jazz-

“The Bad Plus: These are the Bad Plus”

Npr has several interviews and concert

HERE + NOW

bad-plus

Reid Anderson and David King. There are monthly performance updates, occasional video blogs, and photos of the band, but the greater emphasis at DTM is celebrating all inspired music and culture, regardless of style. The archives going back to September 2005 can be accessed by going to December 2007 and scrolling back.

times.com/articles/14139-the-bad-plusthese-are-the-bad-plus

JAZZ

UMS 09-10 Photo: John Christenson

19

ABOUT

W H AT I S J A Z Z ?

THE BAD PLUS, as stated above, has “forced critics, fans and everyone in between to re-think their perceptions of jazz, rock, and music in general.” In this section, we will look at common definitions of jazz. Before you read this section, ask yourself, “what is jazz?” What sounds and artists come to mind? Then, listen to some Bad Plus samples available online. Would you call the music of the Bad Plus jazz? If you are confused, don’t worry, you are not alone!

KENNEDY CENTER JAZZ LESSON Jazz almost defies definition. There are many types and styles of jazz. As we get further and further away from the beginnings of jazz, many elements fuse together to add to the confusion. Jazz was more of a separate entity years ago, but now we have jazz-rock, latin jazz, acid jazz, fusion and many others.

The definition of jazz depends on to whom you talk. Jazz has been called “America’s Classical Music” and America’s only true art form. The dictionary has several definitions ranging from those with very strict confines, to those that are more inclusive and general in nature. However, most agree on several points: 1. It developed around the turn of the century.

2. It was created mainly by Afro-Americans.

3. It contains elements of European and Afro-American culture.

Source: www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Lesson1.html

20

UMS 09-10

ABOUT

THE ENTRY FOR JAZZ IN GROVE MUSIC The next two articles attempt to answer the question “What is Jazz.”

THE TERM “JAZZ” conveys different

forward, identifying new techniques,

the whole. Second, the varying functions

though related meanings: 1) a musical

concepts and structures that presumably

of jazz have made it difficult to perceive

tradition rooted in performing conven-

helped push the music to ever higher

as a unified entity. Jazz can be back-

tions that were introduced and devel-

stages of development.

ground sounds for social recreation, lively

oped early in the 20th century by African Americans; 2) a set of attitudes and assumptions brought to music-making, chief among them the notion of performance as a fluid creative process involving improvisation; and 3) a style characterized by syncopation, melodic and harmonic elements derived from the blues, cyclical formal structures and a supple rhythmic approach to phrasing

But tracing lines of evolution and innovation in jazz reveals only part of a story much broader in scope and more complex in structure. For if some musicians have sought to make a mark as adventurous innovators, many others have viewed themselves as stalwart bearers of tradition. If some have struggled as uncompromising creative artists whose work

known as swing.

reaches only a small, select audience,

Writers have often portrayed the history

tainment for the masses. And if jazz has

of jazz as a narrative of progress. Their

undeniably accrued status and respect

accounts show jazz evolving from a bois-

over the years, it has also consistently

terous type of dance music into forms of

provoked controversy. The term itself has

increasing complexity, gradually rising in

often carried negative associations, which

prestige to become an artistic tradition

is partly why Duke Ellington and other

revered around the world. Certainly, at-

musicians spurned the label, and why

titudes towards the music have changed

Max Roach once told an interviewer, ‘I

dramatically. In 1924 an editorial writer

resent the word unequivocally’.

for The New York Times called jazz ‘a return to the humming, hand-clapping, or tomtom beating of savages’; in 1987 the United States Congress passed a resolution designating jazz ‘an outstanding model of individual expression’ and ‘a rare and valuable national American treasure’. In keeping with this general theme of progress, historians have emphasized innovation as a primary force driving jazz

others have flourished providing enter-

Several factors account for the volatility of jazz as an object of study. First, its musical identity cannot be isolated or delimited. Although often used to

accompaniment for dancing or music that invites close listening and deep concentration – and the same performance might operate on these different levels simultaneously. Third, the subject of race has generated heated debate over jazz and shaped its reception. While jazz is a product of black American expressive culture, it has always been open to musical influences from other traditions and since the 1920s has been performed by musicians of varying backgrounds throughout the world. In different eras, for example, commercially successful white musicians such as the bandleader Paul Whiteman and the saxophonist Kenny G have been identified by large segments of the public as major exponents of jazz. Many others, however, view these two as standing outside the tradition altogether and consider jazz to be a form of ‘black music’ in which black Americans have been the leading innovators and most authoritative practitioners. www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/subscriber/ article/grove/music/45011

designate a single musical idiom, ‘jazz’ (like the signifier ‘classical’) refers to an extended family of genres, with all members sharing at least some traits in common yet none capable of representing

UMS 09-10

21

ABOUT

W H AT I S J A Z Z ? G O O D Q U E S T I O N . . .

BY JASON WEST WHAT IS JAZZ? According Wynton

his day, Bird took all of the melodic and

almost as many names for jazz as there

Marsalis, jazz is music that swings. Ac-

harmonic information available and crys-

are jazz groups. Still puzzled? Me too.

cording to Pat Metheny, jazz is not the

tallized it into bebop. But, even in 1955,

music of Kenny G. According to Web-

at the time of Bird’s death, most people

ster’s, jazz is characterized by propulsive

could answer with confidence when

syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensem-

asked, “What is jazz?”

subjective views on jazz. My guess is that,

Why then, less than half a century later,

women who are currently dedicating

can’t we agree on a working definition?

their life to creating this music - would

Part of the reason is because jazz has al-

likely disagree on the meaning of jazz.

ble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre.

Certainly, the question is a highly sub-

ways been and remains today a living art

jective one. Ask 100 different people

form, ever changing and ever growing.

“What is jazz?” and you’re likely to

Subsequently, after Bird took bebop to

get 100 different answers. The debate

its logical conclusion, musicians like Miles

becomes even more confusing given the

Davis and Ornette Coleman invented

fact that the history of jazz is relatively

new forms like modal playing and “free”

well documented.

jazz. In the 1960s musicians began incorporating R&B, rock and new electric

It’s no secret that jazz music started in

instruments into their jazz. John Coltrane

the black ghettos of New Orleans at the

gave us “sheets of sound.” The Modern

end of the 19th century. In the 1920s

Jazz Quartet mixed jazz and classical

jazz moved up river to Chicago and New

music. Everything exploded and suddenly

York as African Americans migrated

jazz was all over the place.

north in search of a better life. The 1930s saw the evolution of swing bands like

In their effort to market these musical

those lead by Duke Ellington and Count

voyages, major record companies have

Basie. At the same time great soloists

added to the mystification, bombarding us

emerged, virtuosi like Louis Armstrong,

with labels to ponder: Contemporary jazz,

Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. In

mainstream jazz, smooth jazz, alternative

the 1940s bebop hit, personified in the

jazz, avant-garde jazz, Latin jazz, fusion,

music of Charlie Parker. The Mozart of

etc. At present, it seems that there are

22

UMS 09-10

But not to be worried. Once again, each one of us is left with our own purely if asked, even musicians - the men and

So perhaps a better question is: What do you like? From Jelly Roll Morton to Lee Morgan, from James P. Johnson to John Zorn, the answer is out there, preserved on record for our learning and listening pleasure. Yes, experiencing all the different styles of jazz is a daunting task, but the rewards are great; and the more you listen, the more you’ll find similarities within the styles. What’s more, jazz elements can be heard outside of its own genre - in rock, R&B, Latin music, African music - the list is endless.

Yet, one thing is sure: Jazz remains America’s only original living art form.

Today, its influence envelops the globe.

It’s expressive. It’s enriching. Call it what you like - jazz is here to stay. www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15802

ABOUT

ELEMENTS OF JAZZ IMPROVISATION RHYTHM AND GENERAL SWING FEEL SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH JAZZ HARMONY FORM

IMPROVISATION - perhaps jazz’s most essential ingredient A) Improvisation is spontaneous composition, that is, each musician “makes up” what he/she is playing as he/she is playing it (easier said than done).

B) Jazz improvisation is very similar to regular conversation (see Jazz Improvisation/ Conversation analogy sheet).

C) In order to improvise, a musician needs to: 1) be able to technically play his/her instrument well 2) have an understanding of music theory (the way notes and chords go together) 3) have the ability to play by ear (i.e., the ability to play the music one “hears” in his/her head without reading music) As jazz is usually a combination of partly planned (i.e., written) and partly spontaneous (i.e., improvised) music, most jazz musicians have the ability to read music and play be ear.

4) have a musical vocabulary covering a wide variety of styles (i.e., be familiar with various styles of jazz, as well as blues, rock, pop, classical, etc.)

RHYTHM A) Basic definition: 1) according to the American Heritage Dictionary, rhythm is a regular pattern formed by a series of notes of differing duration and stress

UMS 09-10

23

2) that part of the music which concerns how long or short each note is played 3) the beat of the music 4) that part of the music that makes the listener want to tap his/her foot 5) the “feel” of a tune (song); a tune’s “groove” (i.e., rock, funk, swing, salsa, etc.)

B) Jazz rhythms can range from simple to extremely complex; however, underlying even the most complex rhythms performed by each individual musician in a jazz group is an underlying pulse (the beat), that which makes the listener able to tap his/her foot with the music. While most jazz utilizes a steady pulse (beat), certain styles of jazz are played “freely” with no steady beat.

C) Tempo: the speed of the pulse (beat) 1) the speed at which the listener (or the player) taps his/her foot is the tempo of that particular version of a tune 2) tempos in jazz range from very slow (ballads) to extremely fast (tunes that are “burning”) D) Syncopation 1) the accenting of beats that are normally not accented 2) stressing the notes that are on the up beat (i.e., when one.s foot is in the air - or up position . when tapping normally with the beat of the music) E) Swing 1) a difficult-to-define rhythmic concept 2) for the musician, the definition of swing, among other complexities, is a manner of playing a steady stream of notes in a long-short-long-short pattern 3) for the listener (as well as the player), swing refers to the music.s buoyancy, rhythmic lilt, liveliness, and cohesiveness 4) if a jazz performance has constant tempo (not slowing down or speeding up), rhythmically cohesive group playing, syncopation, and an upbeat feeling, it’s swinging F) Through listening to jazz recordings (as well as live jazz), practice, and performance, jazz musicians internalize the

rhythmic element so completely that it is as natural for them as breathing.

G) The often subtle and varied use of a multitude of simple and complex rhythms, all interwoven extemporaneously into

24

one cohesive sound, is, perhaps more than any other element, what makes jazz, jazz.

UMS 09-10

SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH JAZZ A) Jazz musicians play their instruments utilizing the complete gamut of tone colors (tonal quality) that their instruments will allow.

B) Unlike classical players who usually strive for a clear, “pure” tone, jazz players strive for a tone that is generally more “vocal” in nature, i.e., jazz musicians will bend pitches, “growl,” “whine,” play “raunchy,” “dark,” “light,” “airy,” “raspy,” “bluesy,” “throaty,” “nasally” (anything the human voice can do to express emotion and then some) in addition to playing clearly.

C) Today, jazz can be (and is) played on virtually any instrument, including the human voice; the most common instruments associated with jazz (in order of basic precedence) are: 1. saxophone 2. trumpet 3. piano, bass, and drums (known as the rhythm section) 4. guitar 5. clarinet 6. trombone 7. flute D) Each instrument has its own general tone color (e.g., a saxophone sounds different from a trumpet, guitar, flute, piano, etc.) and each musician has his/her own particular sound on that instrument.

1) although, say, a saxophone still sounds like a saxophone no matter who’s playing it, most jazz musicians and aficionados can distinguish one saxophonist from another by his/her tone alone

a. in the same way, we can distinguish one human voice from another b. even if we hear someone speak whom we haven’t talked to in months, we usually can distinguishwho it is even after just one “hello” on the phone: that’s how distinctive one particular voice can be; that’s how distinctive one saxophonist’s sound can be

2) a jazz musician’s particular sound is part of his/her signature, part of what distinguishes him/her from another 3) what attracts the listener is not just what a particular jazz musician plays (i.e., how he/she improvises), it’s also the way he/she plays (i.e., his/her particular sound)

UMS 09-10

25

HARMONY A) Two or more notes played at the same time constitutes harmony; also known as a chord (also known as a “change” among jazz musicians).

B) Jazz chords are usually four to seven notes played simultaneously.

C) Each chord and each chord voicing (the way the notes are arranged) depicts a different emotion, e.g., happy, sad, angry, hopeful, etc. (most can’t be labeled as the emotion they convey is beyond wording and different for every listener; “music is in the ears of the beholder”) D) A series of chords (known as a chord progression or simply the “changes”) accompanies the composed melodies of and improvisation-on tunes (songs) 1) although there are some chord progressions that are used over and over for several different tunes, most tunes have their own distinctive chord progression 2) jazz musicians (primarily pianists and guitarists since they are the ones who play chords) have the autonomy to voice chords (put the notes in a particular order from bottom to top) the way they want, add notes to chords, and substitute other chords for the original ones, all in order to make the music “hipper,” i.e., more up to date, better sounding, more “happening,” and more personal E) Comping 1) definition: the rhythmically syncopated playing of chords 2) pianists and guitarists comp the chords 3) the term comping comes from two words: to accompany and to compliment; that is precisely what pianists and guitarists do: they accompany and compliment the soloists. Guitarists and pianists, when it is their turn, improvise solos as well; when soloing, pianists usually comp chords with their left hand, accompanying their own right hand solos.

FORM A) Most jazz tunes utilize a recurring chord progression that serves as the structure of the tune; the way in which the sections of the progression are grouped determines the form of the tune.

B) Form can be considered a tune’s “musical blueprint,” allowing each musician (and educated listener) to keep his/her place in the structure.

C) Each different section of a chord progression is assigned a different letter.

1) for example: if a tune is 24 measures long and is divided into three eight-measure sections with the first two sections containing a set of identical chords and the last section containing a set of different chords, the form is AAB 2) for example: if a tune is 32 measures long and is divided into four eight-measure sections with the first two sections containing a set of identical chords, third section a different set of chords, and the last section the same as the first, the form is AABA .

26

UMS 09-10

D) In a jazz performance, the form of a tune, i.e., all the chords of the tune in a predetermined sequence (such as AAB, AABA, ABAC, etc.) will be repeated over and over; each time through is called a chorus.

E) For each chorus, something different happens; the most common sequence is: 1) first chorus: the melody instruments (e.g., the horns) play the head, that is, the composed melody of the song. Sometimes, not often, the head will be repeated for the second chorus; this is usually up to the players involved.

2) middle choruses (undetermined number): each musician in turn improvises a solo using the form as his/her guide, knowing the chord progression of each section (the chords provide the impetus for what notes can be played by the improviser); each soloist can improvise for as many choruses as he/she desires 3) last chorus: the head again (called the “out” head as the musicians are taking the tune “out,” that is, ending the tune) F) Often before the first chorus (the head), there is an introduction; often after the last chorus (the out head), there is an ending.

G) The most common forms found in jazz include AABA, ABAC, 16-Bar Tune, and 12-Bar Blues.

H) Who does what during each chorus is called the arrangement.

1) arrangements can be determined prior to the performance and are often written 2) Generally speaking, the larger the ensemble, the more written notes (melodies, harmony parts, background accompaniment parts, etc.), the less room for improvisation. a. arrangements are written and published for jazz bands of all sizes and levels from elementary school to professional b. most are written for the standard “big band” instrumentation of five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, and four “rhythm,” i.e., piano, bass, guitar,13 and drums (incidentally, most high school jazz bands utilize this instrumentation); more to come on big band music in lesson #4 when discussing the swing era 3) arrangements can be determined by a brief “talk over” prior to a performance or even on the spur of the moment (this is called a head arrangement) a. usually occurs in the small group (quintet or smaller) setting b. when occurring at an informal jam session, who does what when is directed by common practice intuition, and visual cues (e.g., head nods, looks, etc.)

Source: www.jazzinamerica.org/LessonPlan/11/2

UMS 09-10

27

ABOUT

BRIEF HISTORY OF JAZZ + STYLES OF JAZZ JAZZ HERITAGE + THE ROOTS OF JAZZ

CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN MUSIC

AFRICAN ROOTS

Jazz is a music that grew from roots that

ground, dancing, etc. are all examples of

CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN MUSIC

stretched from Africa to Europe to Ameri-

how people participated. And remember

EUROPEAN INFLUENCES

ca. Each contributed its own individual

everyone joined in, not just the musicians.

NEW ORLEANS/THE BIRTHPLACE

cultural and musical traditions that came

OUTLINE Jazz Heritage/The Roots of Jazz

GEOGRAPHIC FACTS DEMOGRAPHIC

together in many different places, but was centered in the city of New Orleans.

This lesson will examine those individual

CREOLES

cultures and their contributions to this

CREOLES OF COLOR

music we call Jazz.

SLAVES/FREED SLAVES

1. It involves the body. Clapping, swaying to the beat, pounding a stick on the

2. Everyone sang. This is also another manifestation of using the body.

3. Although there are many different types of African instruments, chordophones, idiophones, aerophones, to name just a few, the predominant instru-

AFRICAN ROOTS African culture and life

ment was the drum. Drums came in all

is centered around the tribe or village.

sizes and shapes. Made from gourds,

They identified with that particular tribe

hollowed out logs, an animal skin

and participated in all of its functions. It

stretched across the opening, they were

was and is definitely, to use a 1998 word,

COUNTRY BLUES

the foundation of African music. At the

interactive. Everyone participated in some

heart of African music is rhythm, and it

URBAN/CITY BLUES

way. This was very true with the musical

is this aspect of the music that we find in

Early Jazz

activities of the tribe. No one sat back

jazz. Not exact African rhythms, but the

PIANO STYLES

and just listened. African music was very

emphasis on rhythm. African drummers

functional and tied to everyday events

created polyrhythms and cross rhythms

in the village. They did not build concert

that gave the music its driving force. To

halls, but rather, gathered wherever

NEW ORLEANS DIXIELAND

demonstrate this establish a beat, then

music was needed. There are songs for

divide the class in half and have one half

CHICAGO DIXIELAND

every type of occassion from births to

clap twice to one beat and the other half,

SWING

deaths, from marriages to clearing a path

three times to one beat. This is a very

BEBOP

to chopping down a tree. Music serves

“tame” polyrhythm. Two against three.

as a kind of social glue that binds people

It is the presence of very complicated

together. Although there were what we

polyrhythms that gives African music

might call “professional” musicians that

its sometimes seemingly unorganized

did travel from village to village, they

sound. Nothing could be further from the

were an addition to the musical life of

truth. Each drum had a very set rhythm

the village. The participatory nature of

that when heard by itself was very clear,

the African culture can be seen today in

but when added to many other drums

Black churches and Pentecostal churches

with their own set rhythms, produced a

throughout the United States.

very complex musical tapestry.

CULTURAL INFLUENCES

The Blues ORIGIN FORM

RAGTIME HARLEM STRIDE PIANO

Beyond Bebop COOL AVANT- GARDE/FREE JAZZ FUSION

28

UMS 09-10

4. The musical scale that is found in most

NEW ORLEANS/THE BIRTHPLACE

The black creoles, because they resulted

African music is the pentatonic scale.

GEOGRAPHIC FACTS - New Orleans

from the union of Creoles and light

(On a piano play C D E G A) This is a five

seems tailor-made for the birthplace of

skinned women, originally were accepted

note (pent) scale that is also found in the

jazz due to many factors, one of which

into white society and had the same

music of Japan, Scotland, Mexico, Peru,

was where it was situated. New Orleans

rights and privileges. Around 1894, the

and many more.

lies at the end of the Mississippi River

Louisiana Legislature passed a law that

which provided a ready-made highway

said that anyone with African blood was

for not only people to come to New

considered a Negro. The ultimate result

Orleans, but for jazz to be exported from

of this law was that the “black” creoles

the city. The Mississippi River touched

were pushed out of white society and

many states including several slave states

eventually became fused with the black

which factored into the diverse popula-

culture This fact more than any other

tion. New Orleans was a bustling seaport,

provided the impetus for the new music

a center of commerce that was a gate-

we call jazz.

5. There is something in a lot of African music that we identify by the name: call and response. This practice involves a leader singing or chanting a melody and the rest of the group responding in a prescribed way. This can be found in Jazz and in a slightly different fashion in many churches.

6. The vocal characteristics of African music included all types of voices, all kinds of vocal manipulation, raspy tone, buzzes in the voice, falsetto and bending tones. In other words there was no attempt at finding and producing a pure vocal sound. People expressed themselves vocally with whatever came out.

This characteristic can be heard in almost every blues singer you can name.

EUROPEAN INFLUENCES The main influence that we can attribute to Europe lies in the area of instrumentation and harmony. The effect of this will be seen much clearer a bit later. Harmonically, the diatonic scale which is prevalent in Western music was an expansion of the pentatonic scale found in African music. The classical/Western concept and practice of chords and chord progressions was also a major area of influence. In the

way to thje Caribbean. These geographic facts certaily had a tremendous influence

SLAVES/FREED SLAVES - As we all know,

on all aspects of New Orleans life as we

slaves were uprooted from their home-

will soon learn.

land and brought to this country with literally nothing but the clothes on their

DEMOGRAPHIC - New Orleans is trul;y a

backs. However, within themselves they

unique city. Having been under the flags

brought their culture including their mu-

of Spain and France before it became

sical practices and heritage. ( Remember

a part of the USA, there were many,

the African roots of the vocal tradition

many different ethnic groups that were a

and the emphasis on rhythm.) New

part of the city’s makeup. Each of these

Orleans was a haven for escaped slaves

groups contributed to the overall culture

and freed slaves. They met on Sundays in

of the city.

a place called Congo Square. There they

CREOLES - Again, there are several definitions of the word “creole”. For our purposes Creoles were people of French or Spanish ancestry who were born in the

were allowed to dance, sing, play drums and generally participate in their African culture. Of course, many people came and just watched.

New World. They were highly educated,

CULTURAL INFLUENCES This where it

provided the best for their children,

all comes together. New Orleans at the

including music lessons and supported

turn of the century was a bee hive of

the musical and cultural activites of this

musical activity. Symphony orchestras,

bustling city.

opera companies, musicales, brass bands

area of instrumentation, the instruments

CREOLES OF COLOR - One custom that

that we would consider to be symphonic

was French in origin allowed the men

in nature, trumpets, trombones, clarinets,

to keep mistresses. Many chose light

etc. would eventually find there way into

skinned women of mixed blood that

the hands of individuals who did not

were plentiful in the South. This pro-

necessarily have the classical/European

duced a kind of lower class of “black”

background.

creoles. In fact in Louisiana there was a very explicit way of categorizing “black” creoles based on the amount of Negro blood that one had . For instance, 50% white, 50% black was a mulatto.

and a myriad of other musical ensembles.

There was also a tremendous party atmosphere that continues to this very day.

This atmosphere provided a tremendous amount of work for musicians, especially in the red light district of New Orleans called Storyville. The presence of several brass bands and the fact that many Army bands were de-activated in New Orleans provided many cheap musical UMS 09-10

29

instruments that found their way into the

ORIGIN No one really knows where the

cracks of the notes on a piano key-

hands of blacks who previously had no

blues came from. There are some that

board. Remember our diatonic scale that

access to them.

say it was from the work song, some

Western music uses all the time? Well in

from the field holler, some from the ring

order to simulate blues tonalities within

shout. It is in general agreement that the

this scale we have to alter several of the

blues as such, did not come from Africa

notes. These are called the “blue notes”.

but was developed in this country. It

Books have been written on the origin,

began as a purely unaccompanied vocal

deliniation, use, etc. of these notes but

solo. Early accompaniments were played

for us it is enough to know that the”

primarily on a banjo or guitar and were

blue notes” in a diatonic scale are made

very primitive. (A good example is Robert

by lowering/flatting the 3rd, 5th and 7th

Johnson.) As the blues developed a stan-

degree of that scale In the case of the

dard pattern of lyrics and a basic chord

C scale it would be E-flat, G-flat, and

progression began to take shape.

B-flat. These are “approximations” of the

The Creoles and “black” Creoles (before they lost their status) were the trained musicians. They were the orchestra players, they gave their children music lessons. They were in the mainstream of musical activity. The blacks (slaves) on the other hand were not a part of this but had their own traditions that ,at least for now, were largely vocal. Except for Sunday at Congo Square drums were not allowed because the white masters associated drums with rebellion.

When the “black” creoles began to come into contact with the black slave culture there was a coming together of two separate and distint musical styles and cultures. This amalgamation of styles over time had a direct influence on how the music was played. The African field holler, the call and response, the rhythmic emphasis, the highly interactive nature all found their way into Jazz. The next few lessons will examine in detail several different styles of jazz and you will be able to see how these events affected the music and how it is still affecting it today.

FORM The most standard form of the blues is 12 measures long. There are 8 bar blues and 16 bar blues but most are 12 bars long. Each chorus (one complete playing) is divided into 3 phrases of four bars each. The most basic blues uses only

blues is that it is as much how as what you play or sing. The second thing is that the blues will be here long after we all are gone. It is one of the most venerable

many other styles including rhythm and blues, and rock and roll.

we will examine: country blues and city

play melodies. The lyrics of the blues

blues. There are many other names for

also follow a standard practice. The first

blues styles but a basic understanding of

two lines are the same and the third is

these two will provide a solid foundation

different. One theory on the evolution

for further investigation.

of the lyrics is that during the repeat ot the first line, the singer could be making

COUNTRY BLUES Accompaniment: Very

up the third line. This is also connected

sparse, usually a guitar.

to the call and response that we talked

Lyrics: Usually dealt with the hardships of life.

double meaning that, more often than

Vocal Style: Expressive but very unde-

not, had sometning to do with sex.. Be-

veloped

cause the lyrics rarely took up the entire four measures, an instrumentalist usually completed the phrase. This instrumnental completion is called a fill.

In the blues we see one of the great-

literally been thousands of blues that

est manifestations of African musical

have been written and recorded, and

practices or characteristics. This is vocal

many more that have simply been played.

tone and includes the bending of notes

When musicians get together, especially if

so prevalent in African music. It is the

they have not performed together, on of

bending of notes that gives the blues its

the first things they will do is play a blues.

flavor. It is like playing or singing in the

UMS 09-10

today and has been incorporated into

There are two basic blues styles that

forms of music that we have, There have

30

with. The blues is a major style of music

for endless variations over which soloists

here that many, many blues lyrics had a

The first thing to understand about the

proach it given the scale we have to work

3 different chords that provide the basis

about earlier. It should be pointed out

THE BLUES

“blues” tonality but the only way to ap-

Rhythm: Very free, no set patterns.

Location: Work camps, rural areas.

Singers: Usually men.

It is easy to see how all the musical characteristics fit the other social and cultural aspects of the music. The same holds frue for the Urban blues.

URBAN/CITY BLUES Accompaniment: Piano or instruments.

Characteristics: 1. More written than improvised.

Characteristics: 1. It was an extension of ragtime.

2. Usually played on a piano.

2. Stride players applied the style to any

Lyrics: More sophisticated, problems of

3. Highly syncopated.

tune they wanted to play.

the heart, love, etc.

4. The form of classic ragtime follows

3. Unlike ragtime, stride was more impro-

the form of a standard march wherein

vised than written.

there are equal, repeated strains of 16

4. Stride was generally played at much

measures.

faster tempi than ragtime, which

5. The rhythm of ragtime is 2/4 .

demanded a higher level of technique

Vocal Style: More refined.

Rhythm: 12 bar structure, more comntrolled.

Location: Vaudeville, concert/club settings.

Singers: Usually women: Please remember that we are speaking in generalities for the most part and you can find examples of the exact opposite if you look long enough. This fact applies to any style of music that you want to name. There are many, many fine blues singers, both past and present but I might suggest Robert Johnson for Country Blues and Bessie Smith for City Blues. Enjoy!!!

Perhaps the greatest known composer

and execution.

of rags was Scott Joplin. He composed

Generally considered to be the most

hundresds of rags including “Maple

exciting stride player was Thomas “Fats”

Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer”. The

Waller. From 1935 to 1943 he was one

movie “The Sting” used his music as a

of the hottest entertainment properties

background score and led to a revivial

in the country and had careers enough

of sorts. His music is readily availabe on

for 3 men. Only Louis Armstrong was

CD. Another very famous ragtime player

more popular. Fortunately his legacy is

and composer was Jelly Roll Morton. In

immense: over 500 records as a soloist,

addition to his solo piano playing he had

accompanist and small group member.

a wonderful group called the “Red Hot

An examination of the man and the

Peppers” not to be confused with the

music is well advised.

more current Red Hot CHILI Peppers

NEW ORLEANS DIXIELAND The party

HARLEM STRIDE PIANO Harlem stride

atmosphere of New Orleans provided

EARLY JAZZ

piano or simply stride, was the first jazz

many opportunities for musicians to play.

style to develop somewhere other than

In addition many dixieland bands played

PIANO STYLES RAGTIME - Ragtime is a

in the South. Its “inventor”, James P.

for funerals in a very unique way. Going

style of music that was played by many

Johnson was born in New Jersey and the

to the cemetery the music was slow and

different types of groups but is known

music had its greatest success in uptown

dirge-like, while after the burial the music

primarily as a piano style and it is in the

New York City: Harlem. The “stride” in

was joyous .

area of piano that the style has survived.

the title came from the ;practice of play-

It is a highly syncopated style of music

ing the bass note and chords in the left

The makeup of the New Orleans dixie-

that was centered in Sedalia, Mo. It is

hand by “striding” over the keyboard to

land bands was fairly standard and ar-

considered by many to be outside the

accomplish this. It was played at “rent

rived at due to the playing circumstances.

realm of jazz because, in large part, the

parties” where the tennant threw a party

Since they played outdoors a great

music was written down and not impro-

to raise the next month’s rent. These

deal and had to march, all the instru-

vised. Much of the music, was published

parties would go on all night long until

and was responsible for the sale of many

enough money was raised. There were

instrumentation is : trumpet(or cornet),

pianos due to the fact that the piano

often more than one piano player since

clarinet, trombone, banjo, drums and

was the center of family entertainment

the music never stopped. This led to a lot

tuba(Sousaphone). All of these could be

at the turn of the century. Anyone could

of “cutting” contests where each player

played while walking and they all had a

purchase the “sheet music” and learn to

would try to outdo the preceeding player.

specific part to play. Not a written part

play their favorite rags.

It also provided a good setting for a lot of

as such but a particular function. The

experimentation.

cornet(trumpet) played the melody, the

ments had to be portable. The standard

clarinet played a melody (countermelody)

UMS 09-10

31

above the trumpet, the trombone was re-

for thousands of dancers in every city,

techniques and provide a steady stream

sponsible for the low harmony parts, the

town and hamlet. The “name” bands

of new music. This was an important fac-

banjo provided the chords, the tuba the

had very individual sounds that could be

tor in maintaining a band’s popularity.

bass notes and the drums, the beat. They

heard on the radio every night into the

all improvised together in a fashion called

wee small hours of the morning. Their

The black bands came from a different

collective improvisation. The cornet, clari-

leaders became as famous as movie stars

background that was largely more rural

net and trombone were known as the

and had fiercely loyal followers.

than urban. These bands, Count Basie, Andy Kirk, Benny Moten, etc. began as

front line. The rhythm of NO Dixieland was a steady 4/4 with every beat receiv-

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

territorial bands. Bands that played and

ing the same amount of accent. Solos

1. Larger groups. Sections of instruments.

stayed in one certain locale. Oklahoma

as such were not that prevalent and it

Saxes, trumpets, trombones and rhythm.

City, Dallas, Kansas City, which at that

would not be until Chicago Dixieland

2. Use of written arrangements with less

time were much more rural than today,

that this was to change.

space for improvisation.

were centers for territorial bands. The

3. No collective improvisation due to the

musicians in these bands were not good

CHICAGO DIXIELAND When Storyville

number of players.

readers if they could read at all. They did

was closed many musicians migrated

4. Most bands usually had a featured

not have the benefit of teachers, concert

to many other parts of the country. In

vocalist. (Frank Sinatra)

halls and the like. They were much more

Chicago the music began to change in

5. Each “name” band had an identifying

connected to the black vocal tradition of

several ways. The instrumentation was

feature.

the blues and gospel music. The music

slightly different because no longer

6. The total package was important:

of these bands was based largely on the

was a lot of the playing done outdoors.

dress, music stands, risers, backup vocal

blues and “riffs” and were also known

Therefore all the instruments didn’t need

group, etc.

as “riff” bands. (A riff is a short melodic

to be portable. The piano replaced the banjo, the string bass replaced the tuba,

There were two very distinct “classifica-

a saxophone was added and collective

tions” of big bands. White and black.

improvisation fell by the wayside. There

Each one had different characteristics

was also a drastic change in the rhythm

and styles of playing. The white bands,

from flat four 4/4 to 2/4. This in part,

Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie

was due to the fact that by adding a

Shaw, Glenn Miller received the bulk of

piano player who played in the ragtime

the publicity, air time and movie foot-

style of 2/4 the other members of the

age. These bands were made up of very

group were exposed to this new rhythmic

accomplished players who were excel-

feeling which was not as stiff. The other

lent readers. The emphasis was on the

major change was in the improvisation.

ensemble rather than on the individual

Collective improvisation was out and the

soloist. These bands had a national repu-

individual soloist was in. As you will see,

tation and toured extensively. One of the

one man, Louis “Pops” Armstrong was

most important people in these organiza-

largely responsible for this change.

tions was the arranger.

SWING There has never been a more

He was the person responsible for the

popular style of jazz than swing, and

sound of the band by how he would

today there is a tremendous ressurgence

arrange the music for the individual

of interest in this style. Today just as in

players. Of course he had to satisty the

the 40’s, it is centered around dancing.

leader of the band who may or may

The Swing Era has also been dubbed the

not have given him guidelines to work

BigBand Era. It was during this time that

within. With a band of good readers the

literally hundreds of bands were playing

arranger could experiment with various

32

UMS 09-10

statement that began life as a background for players waiting their turn in jam sessions and would be played just to keep their “chops” fresh and harkens back to the call and response pattern found in African music.) The black territorial bands put a greater emphasis on swinging and soloing than their white counterparts. There were however, several black bands that were quite polished and in a different category than the territorial bands. The bands of Fletcher Henderson and Jimmie Lunceford are two such bands.

One of the seeming paradoxes of the big band era was the fact that a number of really excellent soloists emerged from it. Coleman Hawkins, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, Gene Krupa, Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges to mention a few. The big band set-up of written arrangements and less solo space would seem to indicate the opposite.

The importance of radio to the swing

In the area of stylistic changes there were

era cannot be over-emphasized. It was

many.

BEYOND BEBOP This lesson will briefly identify the charac-

through nightly broadcasts that the bands would develop an audience so

1. Bebop melodies were extremely com-

teristics of several styles that came after

that on their tours their concerts and

plicated, full of notes that seemed to leap

bebop. All of them are quite significant

dances would be jam packed. It was not

wildly and were unsingable.

and should be studied in depth for a more

an uncommon sight for a dance hall in

2. Harmonies were also much more in-

comprehensive understanding of each.

the middle of nowhere to have 4 or 5

tense and varied than in the swing era.

thousand people in it on a Saturday night

3. Improvising took on a new importance

COOL Cool was somewhat of a reaction

to dance to one of the “name” bands.

and led to very long solos.

against Bop and using our yardstick of

4. The general feeling of bebop was

the following style being the opposite

BEBOP Bebop was the first style to be

frantic to say the least.

of the preceeding one we find this to be

classified as “modern” jazz. Like other

5. The rhythm section became more

quite true in every category. Cool is the

styles it did not suddenly burst on the

responsive to the soloists and was not

least well defined jazz style. It was an

scene but developed gradually from the

concerned with keeping time for a bunch

attitude as well that called for keeping

swing era. It was not as popular as swing

of dancers. They supported the soloist

emotions in check and being “cool”. It

and at the time caused great disagree-

and freely used accents called “bombs.”

is sometimes referred to as “West Coast jazz. This due mainly to the fact that

ment among fans and players alike. In the study of jazz, styles that follow one

The main innovators of the new music

many players were situated on the West

another are often the excact opposite

were “Dizzy” Gillespie, trumpet; Charlie

Coast but it was played everywhere.

of the preceeding style. Such is the case

“Bird” Parker, Alto Sax; Thelonius Monk,

There were a lot of white musicians

with bebop.

piano: Bud Powell, piano; Charlie Chris-

involved in the movement which was

tian, Guitar: Kenny Clarke on drums.

the opposite of the Bebop movement.

Bebop differed from swing in many ways

Bebop began to crystallize in the 40’s at

However ther were players of both ethnic

that fall under the broad categories of per-

a place in New York Citry called Minton’s

backgrounds that were important to this

formance practices and aspects of style.

Playhouse. It was at after hours jam

style. One of these was Miles Davis. One

sessions at Minton’s that these players

of the most important figures in the his-

experimented with the new music. There

tory of jazz. He was the leader on some

was also a dark side that involved the

recording sessions that became known

heavy use of drugs by many of the play-

as the “Birth of the Cool” sessions. The

ers. This resulted in a lot of bad press,

album by the same name is one of the

especially when its greatest practitioner,

classic jazz albums of all time.

The following fall under performance practices.

1. The preferred size and instrumentation of the bebop group was the small combo and not the big band.

2. The clarinet and rhythm guitar did not make the transition to bebop and were rarely seen or heard.

3. Bebop tempos were much faster which led to a greater display of technical virtuosity on the part of the players.

4. Where the big bands had elaborate arrangements, the bop quintet usually played the heads (melody) in unison.

5. Where the big bands were for dancing and catered to the dancers, bebop was almost strictly for listening and had none of the trappings of the big band.

Charlie Parker, died at the age of 34 from a lifetime of drug use.

CHARACTERISTICS - As the name might indicate all musical ingredients were now

Bebop is still a viable style and can be

cool, reserved, controlled, etc.

heard on many Cds and in live performance. It is a special kind of jazz that not

INSTRUMENTATION -The Cool move-

eveyone can play because of the high

ment featured larger groups like nonets

demands on creativity and execution.

(9), octets (8), septets (7), etc. The actual

We say it generally separates the men

instrumentation included instruments

from the boys and the sheep from the

that were not common to jazz, like flute,

goats. There are several excellent videos

French horn, flugelhorn and tuba.

and books on each of the “inventors” and I would highly reccommend that you check them out.

TEXTURE/TIMBRE: Not only were the instruments of a “softer” nature, but how they and the other normal instru-

UMS 09-10

33

ments were played was different. Players

Another player who is as major hallmark

Report, The Mahavishnu Orcherstra, Her-

tended to play softer, in the middle

in the history is tenor saxophonist John

bie Hancock and the Headhunters. Some

range of the horn with less vibrato and

Coltrane. One of his style periods was

of the more current groups include Pat

VERY controlled. The emphasis was on

avant-garde and he pushed the tenor

Metheny, the Yellowjackets and Spyro-

a light and buoyant sound Drummers

saxophone to new extremes. He was

Gyra. There are an increasing number

used brushes instead of sticks in keep-

a very charasmatic person who had an

of groups that play a tremendous range

ing with the “cool” attitude. The music

influence on many, many players. He also

of music thereby making it difficult to

was more arranged and had a polished,

was an innovator in the style of playing

put them in any one category. There are

smooth sound.

called modal jazz. This was a different ap-

certainly is enough variety out to satisfy

proach to playing that featured a much

the most discriminating of fans.

slower harmonic rhythm (fewer chords)

Source: www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/

that allowed the soloist to concentrate

Lesson3.html

Tempo: Tempos were generally slower and more relaxed.

Solos: Solos were more melodic, easier to understand and follow.

Some of the major players were Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Bud Shank, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Lester Young, Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz.. Many of whom had come from the big bands of Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman.

on melodic invention. (This style was before the avant-garde) FUSION This term covers a wide range of styles including jazz-rock, funk, popfusion, avante-garde fusion, etc. Again one of the innovators in this style was Miles Davis. His album “Bitches Brew” is another pivotal album in the history of jazz. Not only was it a fusion of rock and jazz but one of the first albums to use electric instruments (electric bass, Fender-

one of the least popular styles in the

Rhodes piano, electric guitar) instead of

history of jazz is this one. Experimental,

acoustic instruments. In some cases two

dissonant, abrasive, are all adjectives for

or more pianos or basses were used at

the avant-garde style. In this style there is

the same time. There were several players

a conscious attempt to push the enve-

on “Bitches Brew” that went on to long

lope of all the musical elements. Many of

and distinguished careers, among them

the groups did not use a piano in order

pianists Chic Corea and Joe Zawinul, gui-

to free them from normal harmonic

tarist John McLaughlin and tenor saxo-

progressions. Individual instruments were

phonist Wayne Shorter. There are some

played in a fashion unlike anything that

general characteristics that distinguish

had gone before. Squeeks, squawks,

funk and rock from jazz.

time), altissimo playing (the extreme high register), rhythmic freedom, harsh tone quality, all can be found in the avantgarde. One of the most influential players is saxophonist Ornette Coleman. His album “Free Jazz” is where the movement got its name. Another important player is pianist Cecil Taylor. His style of playing concentrated on obtaining textures rather than recognizable melodies.

34

UMS 09-10

son4.html www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Lesson5.html

AVANT- GARDE/FREE JAZZ Possibly

multi-phonics(playing two notes at a

www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Les-

1. Fewer chord changes.

2. More repetition of both chords and melodic phrases.

3. Chords are less comlpex.

4 Drums play simpler, repetive patterns.

5. Much less improvisation.

There are many, many important players and groups in the various fusion styles.

Some of them are Chic Corea’s Return to Forever and The Electric Band, Weather

www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Lesson6.html www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Lesson7.html

J A Z Z E D U C AT I O N A L R E S O U R C E S

UMS 09-10 Photo: Michael Dvorak

35

EXPLORE

INTERNET RESOURCES Finally, students will perform the song as

Jazz 101 courses to you and your stu-

an ensemble, taking turns to improvise

dents, free of charge.

on the music.

KENNEDY CENTER ARTS EDGE

Jazz in Time - www.artsedge.kennedy-

JAZZ FOR YOUNG PEOPLE™ ONLINE www.jazzforyoungpeople.org

center.org/content/3949/ Intended primarily for 4th-9th graders,

Spotlight: Celebrating Jazz - www. artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

Overview: Developed for middle and high

the multimedia kit is designed for both

tent/3944/

school audiences, this interactive timeline

musicians and non-musicians an provides

follows the development of this great

flexible lessons that can be taught in one

Rhythm & Improv, Jazz & Poetry -

American art form. Divided by decade,

semester-long unit or in shorter, indi-

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

the timeline highlights events that helped

vidual units.

tent/3654/

shape jazz and illustrates the styles of

Lesson Overview: The musicality of words

each period through music and images.

This educational website supplements the Jazz for Young People Curriculum

is an important element of poetry, and many poets carefully consider the sound

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER

of the words on the page. Students will

http://jalc.org/jazzED

listen to and analyze jazz music, spe-

with original audio and video clips, classic photographs, engaging biographies, and dynamic activities that enliven jazz for students of all ages.

cifically considering sound, rhythm, and

The Jazz at Lincoln Center mission is to

improvisation. Students will identify jazz

engage listeners, performers, and educa-

characteristics in poems by Yusef Komu-

tors of every age with a continuum of

nyakaa, Sonia Sanchez, and Langston

experiences in appreciation and perfor-

Hughes, and will incorporate these ele-

mance that reflect the virtuosity, creativ-

Jazz in the Schools - www.neajazz-

ments in their own original poetry.

ity, and inclusive spirit of jazz.

intheschools.org/

You Keep Making Stuff Up! - http://

Online Education: Learn to play it, hear

NEA Jazz in the Schools is a web-based

artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

it, and teach it from your classroom or

curriculum and dvd tool kit that explores

tent/3811/

your living room, anywhere in the world.

jazz as an indigenous american art form

Lesson Overview: Improvisation exists in

Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame

many musical genres, from jazz to Salsa

Online: chronicles the life and art of

to Afro-Cuban music. It is a concept

each of the Hall’s inductees through

In partnership with the National Endow-

and skill that often seems daunting to

dynamic interactive timelines, extensive

ment for the Arts (NEA), Jazz at Lincoln

the novice and music-lover alike, but it

musical selections, rare photographs and

center has produced a free educational

doesn’t take an expert to learn to impro-

archival footage. - www.jalc.org/hallof-

resource for high school teachers of

vise. In this lesson, student will explore

fame/

social studies, history, and music. NEA

the basics of improvisation, listening to jazz and other genre excerpts and identifying elements of improvisation in these genres. Students will learn to play and sing the accompaniment and melody for an original song about improvisation.

36

UMS 09-10

Education Events Online - www.jalc. org/jazzED/streamin/index09.asp Education Events Online brings select Master Classes, Jazz Talks, clinics, and

NEA

and as a means to understand american history.

Jazz in the Schools explores jazz as an indigenous American art form and as a means to understand American history. This web-based curriculum and DVD toolkit includes a teacher’s guide of five curricular units with teacher tips,

cross-curricular activities, and assessment

•

methods. Each kit also includes student

Jazz as a metaphor for American

The interactive timeline features events

identity

from the essays that can be viewed by

materials, a timeline poster, and audio and video resources.

•

The effect of technology on American culture

Each of the five lessons contains an opening essay, video, music, photo-

•

America

graphs, discussion questions, and other resources. Each lesson contains practical suggestions for effective ways to

•

Arts and music as a means of selfexpression

use the materials. We hope that these lessons serve as an exciting jumping off

The increasing urbanization of

•

Each unit contains:

•

A Lesson Essay written by scholars

point for you and your students to learn more about jazz and its unique connection to our nation’s past and present.

in the fields of jazz and history; hy-

Please accept this invitation to bring the

perlinks on the website direct you to

wonders of jazz to a new generation of

music examples and photos included

Americans!

in the guide

These lessons are designed as units; five

•

A Major Artists section featuring

units serve as a week-long curriculum. If

short biographies of important jazz

you plan to teach a lesson per day, you

artists of each era

might find that there is more material than can be taught in one class period.

•

This allows you to pick and choose the items that best suit your students, your curriculum design, and your teaching

music, history, and geography.

The Listen page contains music clips for the entire curriculum. The list can be sorted by lesson, track number, artist, song title, or date by clicking at the top of each respective column.

The Artist page contains biographies, audio clips, and related web resources for each of the major artists.

THE THELONIOUS MONK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ www.jazzinamerica.org/ The mission of The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is to offer public schoolbased jazz education programs for

Lesson Objectives focusing on Ameri-

young people around the world, helping

can history and jazz

students develop imaginative thinking, creativity, curiosity, a positive self image,

•

goals. You might draw on an entire individual lesson or components of several

multiple categories: culture, technology,

•

lessons. Alternately, you could spread the units, or elements from the units, across

The National Curriculum Standards

and a respect for their own and others’

met by this curriculum

cultural heritage.

Suggested Steps for Teaching the

The National Jazz Curriculum: Located on

Lesson

the Web at www.jazzinamerica.org, his Internet-based jazz curriculum is avail-

the semester.

•

Discussion Questions

Note that each lesson fulfills National

•

Student Activities

public school social studies and American

•

Additional resources including

This is the first jazz curriculum to use cur-

recordings, videos, books, and

rent Internet technology and be offered

websites; we encourage you to

free of charge on a national basis. It also

seek out other recordings and live

represents the most significant and po-

performance opportunities for your

tentially wide-reaching jazz/social studies

students

education program ever undertaken by

Curriculum Standards for social studies, history, arts education, civics and government, and geography.

To link the NEA Jazz in Schools curriculum to your class, you might draw on the following themes:

•

A Student Assessment with 10

able to every 5th, 8th, and 11th grade history classroom in the United States.

an arts organization.

•

The struggle for civil rights

multiple-choice questions; essay

Includes: jazz curricula for three distinct

•

The pluralistic character of American

questions can be developed from

grade levels, as well as a lesson spe-

culture, especially in cities such as

discussion questions if you need

cifically dedicated to the blues and its

New Orleans

further assessment

influence on jazz. The 5th, 8th, and 11th

•

Arts and culture as a reflection of historical events

•

A Glossary providing definitions for musical terms UMS 09-10

37

grade sections each contain eight age-

Some lessons have worksheets to go

appropriate class lessons to be taught as

with them. Most lessons are designed

an integral component of American his-

for teachers with limited resources and

tory and social studies courses; they can

space. You will need a computer with

also be used as supplemental material for

access to the Internet so you can play the

courses in music history and appreciation.

recordings for your class. Some lessons

Each lesson is aligned with the National

include links to websites with additional

Standards in the areas of American His-

activities or recordings. If you decide to

tory, Social Science, and the Arts.

use the sixteen intermediate or fifteen

Beginning with what jazz is and how it began, each set of lesson plans examines characteristics of various jazz styles and highlights contributions of important

NPR Jazz - www.nprjazz.org Check out recent and classic performances, interviews, news, and reviews on public radio. Make sure the DJ at your local NPR Jazz station is playing your favorites.

middle level recordings/lessons, you

Jazzset with Dee Dee Bridge Water

should teach them in the sequence pre-

-www.npr.org/programs/jazzset/index.

sented here because lessons build upon

html

each other and develop jazz skills.

Jazz Profiles - www.npr.org/programs/

performers and composers. They also

Bibliography of Jazz books for Children

explore the social, economic, and politi-

- www.smithsonianjazz.org/bibliography/

cal contexts within which jazz evolved,

bib_start.asp

Hosted by Nancy Wilson, this compel-

Download bibliographies created by by

people, places, and events in jazz history.

Lois Kipnis, Director of Arts Education,

By combining archival recordings, inter-

Friends of the Arts, Inc. www.FOTApre-

views, and narration, each program in

sents.org. There are bibliographies avail-

the series tells an informative story that

able: Grades Pre-Kindergarten to 6 and

celebrates the music and the musicians of

Grades 6 to 12.

this uniquely American art form.

providing an additional and engaging modality for the study of American history. All pertinent content, audio and video examples, student handouts, and assessments are contained within.

SMITHSONIAN

jazzprofiles

ling documentary series chronicles the

Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz -

Jazz Class - www.smithsonianjazz.org

PBS

www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/

Visit “Jazz Classes” to hear the elegant

Jazz -www.pbs.org/jazz/classroom/

This Peabody-award winning show

Duke Ellington, the scat singer extraordinaire Ella Fitzgerald, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, and swingin’ Benny Carter.

There is also a cool Duke Ellington Interactive lesson. For those of you who want to find out more about jazz, click on

produced by South Carolina Educational The resources offered here are designed

Radio features Marian McPartland and

to help you use the PBS JAZZ video series

her guests reminiscing, improvising, and

and companion Web site in music, social

swapping stories, songs, and techniques

studies, math, and language arts classes.

about jazz each week.

The lesson plans may also be adapted for

“What is Jazz” to answer your questions.

use as stand-alone resources. This site includes Lessons and Activities for Grades

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Groovin’ to Jazz - www.smithsonianjazz.

K-5, Lessons and Activities for Grades

www.northwestern.edu/jazz/education.html

org/class/groovintojazz/lessonplans.asp

6-12, and General Motors Music Study

Groovin’ to Jazz includes thirty-one

Guide for Grades 5-8.

From Northwestern University, this site contains links to several jazz education

original recordings with lesson plans de-

PBS has produced several programs that

sites containing free music, pedagogy,

signed for intermediate level (ages 8-13)

touch on the music and the people of jazz.

and lessons.

and middle level (ages 13-15) students.

Explore some of the best of PBS cultural programming. www.pbs.org/jazz/links/

38

UMS 09-10

EXPLORE

RECOMMENDED READING This page lists several recommended books to help reinforce jazz education through literature.

PRIMARY + ELEMENTARY GRADES • Hip Cat by Jonathan London, Woodleigh Hubbard (Illustrator) • Mysterious Thelonius by Chris Raschka • The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub, Karen Hanke (Illustrator) • Ella Fitzgerald: A Young Vocal Virtuoso by Andrea Davis Pinkney • Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney • The Sound That Jazz Makes by Carole Boston Weatherford • John Coltrane’s Giant Steps by Chris Raschka and John Coltrane • Charlie Parker Played Bebop by Chris Raschka • DJ and the Jazz Fest by Denise Walker McConduit • The Jazzy Alphabet by Sherry Shahan • Who Bop? by Johnathon London • Bring on That Beat by Rachel Isadora

UPPER MIDDLE + SECONDARY GRADES • Jazz Makers: Vanguards of Sound by Alyn Shipton • American Jazz Musicians (A Collective Biography) by Stanley Mour • Jazz and Its History (Masters of Music) by Giuseppe Vigna • The Golden Age of Jazz by William Gottleib • Louis Armstrong - A Self Portrait by Richard Meryman • The Art of Jazz by Martin Williams • The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz by Berry Kernfeld • Sweet Sing Blues on the Road by Wynton Marsalis and Frank Stewart • The Music of Black Americans by Eileen Southern • The Duke Ellington Reader by Mark Tucker

UMS 09-10

39

ABOUT UMS

40

UMS 09-10

UMS

UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY UMS IS COMMITTED to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, the University Musical Society is now in its 131st season. With a program steeped in music, dance, and theater performed at the highest international standards of quality, UMS contributes to a vibrant cultural community by presenting approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational and community activities each season. UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national, and international partners.

STAFF

INTERNS

DEPARTMENT MAILING ADDRESS

Kenneth C. Fischer

Emily Barkakati

100 Burton Memorial Tower

Carlos Palomares

881 North University Ave

Production Manager

Neal Kelley

Claire C. Rice

Leonard Navarro

UMS EDUCATION & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

UMS President

Mark Johnson

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011

Interim Director

Bennett Stein Mary Roeder Residency Coordinator

Omari Rush Education Manager

UMS 09-10

41

UMS

U M S Y O U T H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M 10 THINGS TO KNOW

QUALITY Every student deserves access to

ACCESSIBILITY Eliminating participation barriers

“the best” experiences of world arts

Working directly with schools to align our programs with classroom

• UMS subsidizes Youth Performance

and culture

K-12 SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

goals and objectives

tickets to $6/student (average subsidy: • UMS presents the finest international

$25/ticket)

performing and cultural artists.

Ann Arbor Public Schools and the Washt• When possible, UMS reimburses bus-

• Performances are often exclusive to

• Superintendent of Ann Arbor Public • UMS Youth Education offers person-

Schools is an ex officio member of the

alized customer service to teachers in

UMS Board of Directors.

• UMS Youth Performances aim to

order to respond to each school’s unique

present to students the same perfor-

needs.

mance that the public audiences see (no watered-down content).

enaw Intermediate School District.

sing costs.

Ann Arbor or touring to a small number of cities.

• 13-year official partnerships with the

• UMS has significant relationships with Detroit Public Schools’ dance and world

• UMS actively seeks out schools with

language programs and is developing

economic and geographic challenges to

relationships with other regional districts.

ensure and facilitate participation.

• UMS is building partnerships with or of-

DIVERSITY Highlighting the cultural, artistic,

fering specialized services to the region’s ARTS EDUCATION LEADER

independent and home schools.

and geographic diversity of the world One of the premier arts education • Programs represent world cultures and

programs in the country

mirror school/community demographics.

• UMS’s peer arts education programs: Car• Students see a variety of art forms:

negie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center.

classical music, dance, theater, jazz, choral, global arts.

• UMS has the largest youth education

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS Affecting educators’ teaching practices at the developmental stage

program of its type in the four-state region

• UMS Youth Education is developing

• UMS’s Global Arts program focuses

and has consistent school/teacher participa-

a partnership with the U-M School of

on 4 distinct regions of the world—

tion throughout southeastern Michigan.

Education, which keeps UMS informed

Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Arab World—with a annual festival featuring

• 20,000 students are engaged each sea-

the arts of one region.

son by daytime performances, workshops and in-school visits.

• UMS Youth Education was awarded “Best Practices” by ArtServe Michigan

42

UMS 09-10

and The Dana Foundation (2003).

of current research in educational theory and practice.

• University professors and staff are active program advisors and workshop presenters.

KENNEDY CENTER PARTNERSHIP

TEACHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

• UMS Youth Education has been a

Meeting the actual needs of today’s

member of the prestigious Kennedy

educators in real time

Center Partners in Education Program since 1997.

• Partners in Education is a national consortium of arts organization and public school partnerships.

• UMS Youth Education works with a 50-teacher committee that guides program decision-making.

• The Committee meets throughout the season in large and small groups

• The program networks over 100 na-

regarding issues that affect teachers and

tional partner teams and helps UMS stay

their participation: ticket/bussing costs,

on top of best practices in education and

programming, future goals, etc.

arts nationwide.

IN-SCHOOL VISITS & CURRICULUM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT “I find your arts and culture workshops to be one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Ann Arbor’!”

–AAPS Teacher

DEVELOPMENT Supporting teachers in the classroom • UMS Youth Education places international artists and local arts educators/ teaching artists in classes to help educa-

• UMS Youth Education provides some

tors teach a particular art form or model

of the region’s most vital and responsive

new/innovative teaching practices.

professional development training.

• UMS develops nationally-recognized

• Over 300 teachers participate in our

teacher curriculum materials to help

educator workshops each season.

teachers incorporate upcoming youth performances immediately in their daily

• In most workshops, UMS utilizes and engages resources of the regional community: cultural experts and institutions, performing and teaching artists.

classroom instruction.

UMS Youth Education Program umsyouth@umich.edu | 734-615-0122 | www.ums.org/education

UMS 09-10

43

SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK! UMS wants to know what teachers and students think about this Youth Performance.

We hope you’ll send us your thoughts, drawings, letters, or reviews.

UMS YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM Burton Memorial Tower • 881 N. University Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011 (734) 615-0122 phone • (734) 998-7526 fax • umsyouth@umich.edu www.ums.org/education

44

UMS 09-10