jazz history

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=185 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="70" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="66"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="76" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="66" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="marc siegel music"><U><B>GO TO MARC'S HOME PAGE</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Index:</B></div> <div> <B><U>Influences</U></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#west_african" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>West African</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#western_european" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Western European</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#the_slaves" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Africans enslaved by Americans</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#new_orleans_1" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>New Orleans</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#the_basis_for_the_blues" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>The Blues</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#brass_bands_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>The Brass Band</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#ragtime" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Ragtime</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#early_jazz" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B><U>Early Jazz</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#buddy_bolden" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Buddy Bolden</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#the_original_dixieland_jass_band" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>The Original Dixieland "Jass" Band</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#the_chicago_scene" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>The Chicago Scene</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#king_oliver_s_creole_band" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>King Oliver</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#earl_fatha_hines_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Earl Hines</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#james_p__johnson" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>James P. Johnson</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#louis_armstrong_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Louis Armstrong</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#bechet" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Sidney Bech</B></U></A><A HREF="id78_m.htm#bechet" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>et</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#prohibition" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Prohibition</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#swing" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B><U>Swing</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#big_band_instrumentation" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Big Band Instrumentation</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#big_band_arrangements" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Big Band Arrangements</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#instrument_roles" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Instrument Roles</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#ellington" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Duke Ellington</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#remembering____jimmy_blanton" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Jimmy Blanton</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#benny_goodman" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Benny Goodman</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#art_tatum" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Art Tatum</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#coleman_hawkins" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Coleman Hawkins</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#billie_holiday" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Billie Holiday</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#ella_fitzgerald" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Ella Fitzgerald</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#women_singers" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Women Singers</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#django_reinhardt" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Django Rheinhardt</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#basie" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Count Basie</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#basie_s_comping_style" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Basie's Comping and Arranging Style</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#walter_page_big_one" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Walter Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#freddie_green" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Freddie Green</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#joe_jones" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Joe Jones</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#lester_young" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Lester Young</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#the_demise_of_swing" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>The Demise of Swing</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#bop" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B><U>Bop</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#charlie_parker" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Charlie Parker</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#dizzy_gillespie" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Dizzy Gillespie</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#thelonius_monk" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Thelonius Monk</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#oscar_pettiford_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Oscar Pettiford</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#charles_mingus" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Charles Mingus</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#ray_brown" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Ray Brown</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#kenny_clarke_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Kenny Clarke</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#earl_bud_powell" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Earl "Bud" Powell</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#dexter_gordon_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Dexter Gordon</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#the_popular_appeal_of_bebop_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>The popular appeal of Bop</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#cool_jazz" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B><U>Cool Jazz</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#lenny_tristano" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Lennie Tristano</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#lee_konitz" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Lee Konitz</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#stan_kenton" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Stan Kenton</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#gerry_mulligan" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Gerry Mulligan</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#dave_brubeck" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Dave Brubeck</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#the_popular_appeal_of_cool_jazz" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>The popular Appeal of Cool </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#hard_bop" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B><U>Hard Bop</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#clifford_brown" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Clifford Brown</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#art_blakey" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Art Blakey</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#horace_silver" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Horace Silver</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78_m.htm#julian__adderley_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="jazz history"><U><B>Cannonball Adderley</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="3c440f03.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>marc siegel music</B></FONT>    |     <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#660000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="marc siegel music"><U>Go to Marc's HomePage</U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="listen"><U><IMG SRC="09509110.png" border=0 width="9" height="17" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>     <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="lessons"><U><IMG SRC="09809110.png" border=0 width="9" height="17" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="17" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="17">   <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="marc siegel music"><U><IMG SRC="09711110.png" border=0 width="17" height="17" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A> </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Click on the links in the left pane to go directly to the subject of your interest. </div> <div> Click on pictures to explore links</div> <div> Check out Live music performances Archived here at the </div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/m"><U><IMG SRC="4ae35480.gif" border=0 width="309" height="72" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> jazz history</div> <div> <B>Three Cultures that Influenced the Beginnings of Jazz are the</B></div> <div> <B>1)</B><B> <A NAME="west_african"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>West-African</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >:</FONT></div> <div> Two contributions from the West African culture, in order of importance, are rhythm and improvisation.</div> <div> The <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Dahomey&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U><B>Dahomey Kingdom</B></U></A>, ravaged by the slave trade, was a main contributor. The Dahomey people used music as communication, during ceremonies, as entertainment, for storytelling and for work. Music was an integral part of this society. </div> <bR> <div> <B>West-African instrumental categories include:</B></div> <div> A. <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/membranophone-1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/membranopho"><U>membranophones</U></A>: any instrument utilizing stretched animal skin (drums)</div> <div> B. <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Idiophone&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U>idiophones</U></A>: anything that was used as a percussive instrument</div> <div> C. <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Aerophone&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U>aerophones</U></A>: wind instruments (elephant/rhinoceros hollowed tusks etc...)</div> <div> D. <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Chordophone&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U>chordophones</U></A>: stringed instruments using animal hair or gut (an example is the <A HREF="http://archives.theconnection.org/photogallery/banjo/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://archives.theconnection.org/photog"><U><B>xalam</B></U></A> the ancestor of Banjo)     </div> <bR> <div> <B>West-African musical characteristics include:</B></div> <div> A. call and response (in jazz called trading fours)</div> <div> B. <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=ostinato" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U>ostinatos</U></A>: short, repetitive melodic or rhythmic patterns (in jazz called a riff)</div> <div> C. an awareness of the sounds produced by their percussion instruments (this does not originate in Africa but comes via the Caribbean; an example are the <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/steelpan" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/steelpan"><U>steel drums</U></A>)</div> <div> D. a preponderance of complex rhythms (syncopation, polyrhythm, polymeter, etc...)</div> <div> *ethnomusicological evidence asserts that the more primitive a culture, the more complex its rhythms*</div> <bR> <bR> <div> West African Countries: Senegal, Ghana, Cote D'Azur (The Ivory Coast), Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mauritania, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Angola</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="4605b950.jpg" border=0 width="91" height="149" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The <I>beganna,</I> an African instrument, is a descendant of the ancient Greek lyre. It is made of wood, with a leather-covered soundbox. The <I>beganna</I> is played only by the aristocracy and priests of Ethiopia and nearby countries. The lyre, like the harp, is a plucked instrument, but its shape is distinctly different.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>2)</B><B> <A NAME="western_european"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="classical repertoire"><U><B>Western European</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>:</B></FONT></div> <div> A. a tempered and tuned system of pitches divided into twelve equal half steps.</div> <div> B. the tonal system of harmony based on set intervallic relationships and aural expectations derived from these relationships. </div> <div> C. a highly developed melodic style.</div> <div> D. a strong concept of form.</div> <div> E. the mastery and study of European instruments. </div> <div> F. a well founded and evolving intellectual procedure for dissecting the processes which created their music (music theory).</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>3)</B><B> <A NAME="the_slaves"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B> </B><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=History+of+slavery+in+the+United+States&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U><B>Africans </B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=History+of+slavery+in+the+United+States&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U><B>enslaved</B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=History+of+slavery+in+the+United+States&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U><B> by Americans</B></U></A><B>:</B><B> (historic past or pre-1865)</B>:</div> <div> Music made by the slaves, separated into two main categories:</div> <bR> <div> A. <I>Secular music</I> (not associated with the church):    </div> <div> 1. field hollers: A non-functional tune, used to let out emotion. The field hollers developed into a form of communication used in the Underground Railroad. Completely improvised, used pentatonic scales, major modes with blue notes, many <I>bends</I>, <I>roughenings</I>, <I>squalls</I> (improvisations on tone quality)</div> <div> 2. Work songs: functional music (kept a steady tempo for work). Usually had one leader. Used call and response, ostinatos and had form. Sung in chain gangs.</div> <div> 3. The cry of street vendor: developed later (post 1865) but employed characteristics of each. Used to sell produce/products.</div> <div> 4. When these unaccompanied vocal styles began to be accompanied by harmonic instruments such as the banjo and the guitar this created the Blues.</div> <bR> <div> B. <I>Sacred music</I>:</div> <div> 1. spirituals: hymns set to music. Used call and response, meter and form.</div> <div> 2. gospels: songs using scripture as a basis. Used meter and form.</div> <div> 3. Sermons: used for scriptural edification. Black preachers borrowed a practice used in Britain to overcome the problem of illiteracy in the congregation by speaking 2 or 3 lines that were then repeated back by the congregation in a technique known as “lining out”. Used call and response, improvisation, harmony and melody (homophonic texture) but had no set form.</div> <bR> <div> Initially, all the music performed was vocal, with very little accompaniment from any kind of instruments. However, the availability of cheap military instruments after demobilization following the Civil War allowed many more rural and poor people to play instruments. The increasing range of instrumentation meant that African-American music grew increasingly sophisticated and by the turn of the century it was ready to give birth to a new form of music, called <A HREF="http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/joplin.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/compose"><U>Ragtime</U></A>. But the story of jazz still had yet to begin.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=African+American+music&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U>Read a History of African- American Music.</U></A></div> <div>     </div> <div> "<B>Why the Slaves Sang</B>" by <A HREF="http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/douglass/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/do"><U>Frederick Douglass</U></A>:</div> <div> <I><B>...Slaves are generally expected to sing as well as work. A silent slave is not liked by masters or overseers. "make a noise, " "make a noise," and "bear a hand," are the words usually addressed to the slaves when there is silence amongst them. This may account for the almost constant singing heard in the southern states. There was, generally, more or less singing among the teamsters, as it was one means of letting the overseer know where they were, and that they were moving on with the work. but, on allowance day, those who visited the great house farm were peculiarly excited and noisy. While on their way, they would make the dense old woods, for miles around, reverberate with their wild notes. These were not always merry because they were wild. On the contrary, they were mostly of a  plaintive cast, and told a tale of grief and sorrow. In the most boisterous outbursts of rapturous sentiment, there was ever a tinge of deep melancholy. I have never heard any songs like those anywhere since I left slavery, except when in Ireland. There, I heard the same wailing notes, and was much affected by them. It was during the famine of 1845-46....</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>    I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of these rude, and apparently incoherent songs. I was myself within a circle, so that I neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear. They told a tale which was altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones, loud, long, and deep, breathing the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirits, and filled my heart with ineffable sadness. The mere recurrence, even now, afflicts my spirit, and while I am writing these lines, my tears are falling. To those songs I trace my first glimmering conceptions of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for brethren in bonds.</B></I> </div> <div> <I>Frederick Douglass, </I><U>My Bondage and My Freedom</U><I> </I>(New York and Auburn, 1855)</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration_style.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.archives.gov/national_archive"><U>See the Original </U></A><A HREF="http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration_style.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.archives.gov/national_archive"><U><B><U>The Declaration of Independance</U></B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration_style.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.archives.gov/national_archive"><U> and read about the stylistic artistry of the language therein.</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/in"><U>To </U></A><A HREF="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/in"><U>Learn more about the lives of the slaves, see pictures and read thier stories</U></A><A HREF="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/in"><U> click here.</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Minstrel Show</B>:  So called <I>Plantation Melodies</I> were often derived from authentic black songs and spirituals but turned into formal compositions by schooled white and sometimes black songwriters. It was a ritualized blend of lively music, knockabout comedy, sophisticated elegance, the reinforcement of ugly stereotypes and unabashed enthusiasm for the music and dance of the country's most despised minority. The first minstrel show was written and performed in NY in 1833 by Thomas Dartmouth Rice (Daddy Rice): Who said he overheard it being sung by a black stable hand and he named tit after him “Jim Crow”. The two stock characters were the Simpleton and the Sharpster. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="new_orleans_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=USA&addtohistory=&address=&city=New%20Orleans&state=LA&zipcode=&homesubmit=Get+Map" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?cou"><U><U>New Orleans</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>and the combinations of Brass Band, Blues and Ragtime to create Early Jazz:</B></div> <div> <B>New Orleans in the 1800's</B> was surrounded by swamps, subject to annual flooding, lacking in the most basic sanitation, it was a breeding ground for disease. Yellow fever went through its population 23 times between 1817-1860. Cholera and Malaria killed thousands more. As late as 1880 as many as ½ the non-white babies did not live to see their 1st birthday. Average life expectancy for the black citizen was 36, (average white citizen was 46). Despite all of this New Orleans was a fun, exciting place for most people. And music provided these high spirits.</div> <bR> <div> Take a virtual tour of <A HREF="http://www.atneworleans.com/body/qt-jackson-square.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.atneworleans.com/body/qt-jack"><U>Jackson Square</U></A> in the heart of The French Quarter. Also stop by <A HREF="http://www.nps.gov/jazz/Armstrong%20Park_congo_square.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nps.gov/jazz/Armstrong%20Park"><U>Congo Square </U></A>where slaves were permitted to perform music and dances they recalled from thier homeland. Also check out  <A HREF="http://www.nps.gov/jazz/Armstrong%20Park.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nps.gov/jazz/Armstrong%20Park"><U>Amstrong Park</U></A> a commemorative park dedicated to the great Louis Armstrong.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=New+Orleans%2C+Louisiana&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U><B>Read More about New Orleans</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.nps.gov/jazz/Maps_neighborhoods.htm#back" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nps.gov/jazz/Maps_neighborhoo"><U><B>New Orleans Jazz Neighborhood History Map</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Story of </B><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Storyville" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U><B>Storyville</B></U></A><B>: (or "White Storyville" and "Black Storyville") </B>White Storyville was on the east side of <B>Canal St</B>. that famous drag that seperated "<B>downtown</B>" where the well to-do sect lived and the "<B>uptown</B>" where the lower classes held sway. Speaking generally you had the downtown creoles and the uptown blacks.  In downtown New Orleans you had a twenty block area set aside for legal prostitution given the moniker <B>Storyville </B>after the city councilman (Sidney Story) who first proposed legalization of the oldest profession in 1897. In uptown you had the black equivalent but in a smaller area. The two Storyville's formed twin hubs of a bigger pleasure district that included many of the clubs that gave early jazz musicians steady work.</div> <bR> <div> It is commonly misperceived that jazz was born in the brothels of the Storyville's, but it was actually the neighborhoods surrounding the districts that did much to foster early jazz. You see the bawdy houses attracted a culture of nightime entertainment and vice that helped to relocate many legitimate businesses and as the "sporting crowd" moved in eventually this area so deteriorated it became known as "<B>the battlefield</B>" (the area of neighborhoods surrounding Black Storyville to be exact). It was in this area specifically that dance halls and honky tonks sprung up and the first jazz bands were to perform. Such establishments as the <B>Union Sons Dance Hall (aka The Funky Butt)</B>, <B>Odd Fellows </B>and <B>Masonic Hall,</B> and the <B>Eagle Saloon</B>. In white Storyviille you had the <B>Globe Hall,</B> <B>Tom Anderson's Cabaret, </B>and <B>Pete Lala's Saloon.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="the_basis_for_the_blues"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>The Basis for the </B><B>Blues</B>:</div> <div> 1. African-American work songs (such as the field holler and work songs)</div> <div> 2. African-American religious music (such as gospels, spirituals and sermons)</div> <div> 3. The Cry of the Street Vendor </div> <div> 4. Early Bluesmen include: Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Johnson,  and "Blind Lemon" Jefferson. </div> <div> 5. The subject matter of the Blues was; hard times, the heat, loneliness, women, no home, poverty, etc... The subject matter associated with the rural south.</div> <div> 6. Eventually evolved into the 12-bar format based on call and response.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> To learn more about these early bluesmen and to hear them </div> <div> <B>click on the picture of Huddie Ledbetter.</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.cycad.com/cgi-bin/Leadbelly/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cycad.com/cgi-bin/Leadbelly/"><U><IMG SRC="272d8c00.jpg" border=0 width="216" height="192" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >© Copyright William P. Gottlieb</FONT></div> <div> Please visit the outstanding website dedicated to the history of jazz and Wlliam Gottlieb's iconographic photography at</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.jazzphotos.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jazzphotos.com"><U><B>THE GOLDEN AGE OF JAZZ</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="brass_bands_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Brass Bands (Marching Bands</B>):</div> <div> 1. The main accompanying ensemble for dances, speeches, rally's, sporting events, picnics etc... </div> <div> 2. The brass band was loud enough to project over a crowd. </div> <div> 3. The music performed by these bands included: marches, arranged spirituals, light classical music such as waltzes, ragtimes and rural blues.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="ragtime"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><A HREF="http://www.northwestern.edu/jazz/styles/ragtime/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.northwestern.edu/jazz/styles/"><U><B>Ra</B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.northwestern.edu/jazz/styles/ragtime/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.northwestern.edu/jazz/styles/"><U><B>gtime</B></U></A><B>:</B></div> <div> 1. The first runaway hit as far as commercial music goes. Ragtime was <I>the theme music</I> of America entering into the 20th century.  Ragtime was very popular on player pianos.This was before radio and the dissemination of the phonograph. The player piano was the "radio" of the era and ragtime was the music on the piano roles.</div> <div> 2. The first rag was published in 1897 by <A HREF="http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/joplin.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/compose"><U>Scott Joplin</U></A>.</div> <div> 3. The most famous Ragtime composer was <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761563631" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?"><U>Scott Joplin </U></A>(1868-1917).</div> <div> 4. His more famous rags include the "Maple Leaf Rag", "Mississippi Rag", and "<A HREF="http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/62833.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/compose"><U>The Entertainer</U></A>". Also wrote an opera called "Treemonisha". </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/treemonisha" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/treemonisha"><U><IMG SRC="67dea330.gif" border=0 width="234" height="307" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> 5. Ragtime is a piano based music. The left hand plays the bass and the harmony while the right hand plays embellished, ornamented and syncopated melodies</div> <div> 6. Rhythmically influenced by marching bands (copied the march rhythm) and African-American Banjo music</div> <div> 7. Jazz inherited Ragtime's use of syncopation and an emphasis on beats 2 and 4.</div> <div> 8. Ragtime was not improvisational and did not employ the "swing feel".</div> <div> 9. Employed elongated, strange forms ABCDAEBC etc...</div> <bR> <div> <B>Early Jazz was Dance Music</B><B>:</B></div> <div> 1. Rhythm was King. The primary function of this music was to keep a steady tempo for the dancers.</div> <div> 2. Jazz evolved from the kinds of music being requested by dancers.</div> <div> 3. Because ragtime was so popular and syncopation was this music's trademark, it was adapted to other styles. This practice was originally called "ragging" a tune.</div> <div> 4. Small bands were called on to fill large dance halls with allot of sound. They needed to emulate the larger brass bands. </div> <div> 5. In trying to fill out the sound more activity was required of each player, so musicians improvised parts. This becomes the standard "Dixieland Style" of performance. (heterophony- an improvisational type of polyphony, namely, the simultaneous use of slightly or elaborately modified versions of the same melody by two or more performers)</div> <bR> <div> <B>Why Did Jazz Emerge at the Turn of the Century?:</B></div> <div> 1. It was the zenith of the popularity of the brass bands.</div> <div> 2. Blues was popular and musicians played instruments in a way that tried to emulate the  vocal inflection of the blues singers. (Bends, smears, doits, etc... and improvisations on tone quality) When dancers requested a blues number they called it a "slow drag".</div> <div> 3. Was the zenith of popularity of  Ragtime.</div> <div> 4. The progressive persecution and subsequent devaluation of the Creoles of Color's social status (Jim Crow laws) forced them to mix socially with African-Americans thus further facilitating the blending of the European (the Creole) and African-American (the black) traditions. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Spasm Bands:</B></div> <div> Were small groups performing on street corners playing popular songs of the day on homemade instruments. A guitar, mandolin or ukulele provided the chords; a washboard, tambourine, or boom-bam - a broom handle studded with rattling metal bottle tops-provided the rhythm.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="early_jazz"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#262626" FACE="Arial" ><B>Early Jazz</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>By the Twenties Jazz Evolved Into:</B></div> <div> 1. Much of each performance was improvised.</div> <div> 2. There was a looser rhythmic feel, anticipating swing feel.</div> <div> 3. Musicians started to create original compositions. </div> <div> 4. Collective improvisation created more complex music than typical ragtime, blues and brass band music.</div> <div> 5. This music was even more exciting than ragtime, blues, or brass band music.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>More sex please, well we’re musician’s. Rather we are musicians playing in the part of </B></I><I><B>New Orleans </B></I><I><B>c</B></I><I><B>alled Storyville (mainly "Black Storyville"), named after Alderman Sidney Story, who in 1897 promoted legislation to confine prostitution to one part of town. Storyville was sufficiently well organized to have its own annual consumers' guide, The Blue Book, which listed every working woman in the city. In each Brothel musicians played to entertain the customers and take care of business.</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="buddy_bolden"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/buddy.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/buddy.html"><U><IMG SRC="350ce8e0.gif" border=0 width="206" height="142" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> This is the only known photograph of Bolden.</div> <div> Bolden is circled.</div> <div> <B>B</B><B>uddy Bolden</B><B> </B><B>(1877-1931) cornetist</B>: </div> <div> 1.Bolden is a semi-mythical figure who is known as the founder of jazz. A laborer renowned for his inveterate womanizing, alcohol consumption, and his ability to play the cornet so loud he reportedly blew parts of the instrument off. </div> <div> 2. We only know his style through his supposed protege <A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/bunk.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/bunk.html"><U>Bunk Johnson</U></A> (untrue, actually) who tried to reproduce his sound in the 40’s. Bolden was the first to form a band with a brass and wind front-line and a string and percussion rhythm section. </div> <div> 3. Bolden set the standard in his use of melodic embellishment and invention for those to come. He created the formula that was to become the basic template of jazz to come. </div> <div> 4. Unfortunately for him, and for us, he smashed a pitcher on his mother-in-law’s head in 1907 and was committed to the state asylum for the insane in Jackson, Louisiana, where he died unrecognized in 1931. Read all about him in <A HREF="http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=0MEQS87V5S&mscssid=&sourceid=00003003493300821449&bfdate=05%2D09%2D2001+16%3A29%3A49&salesurl=Rencarta.msn.com/find/search.asp&isbn=0679767851" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc"><U><U>Coming Through Slaughter</U></U></A><U> </U>by Michael Ondaatje.</div> <div> 5. A legion of imitators took up where Bolden left off. The list includes cornetists Freddie Keppard (1890-1933), Bunk Johnson (1889-1938), Joe Oliver (1885-1938) and later Louis Armstrong (1897-1971), as well as clarinetist Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) and ragtime pianist Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941) - all began thier careers in the bars and brothels of Storyville (well, really Black-Storyville called "The District").</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>By 1917, as the US enters into WWI jazz makes it onto record. But before you celebrate the triumph of black culture in New Orleans, two small wrenches must be thrown. One, the first record wasn’t made in New Orleans but in New York. Two, the five members of the </B></I><A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/odjb.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/odjb.html"><U><I><B>Original Dixieland Jass Band</B></I></U></A><I><B>, despite being good ole New Orleans boys, were all white. So what’s going on here? </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Let’s back track a year to 1916. Jazz had reached a critical mass, with white musicians getting in on the act and copying the styles of the original black groups. A number of record companies were sniffing around to record this new music, but they were in the cities of the north, while the music was mainly being performed in the south, with a few exceptions. One man who was available, cornetist </B></I><A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/keppard.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/keppard.html"><U><I><B>Freddie Keppard</B></I></U></A><I><B>, was working in Chicago and New York with the Original Creole Band, refused to record lest his work be plagiarized, thus passing up the opportunity to be the first in the history books. He used to go so far as to cover his hands with a towel when he performed.</B></I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <A NAME="the_original_dixieland_jass_band_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></FONT><B>The Original Dixieland "Jass" Band:</B> </div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_original_dixieland_jazz_band.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><IMG SRC="27dbef00.png" border=0 width="446" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> Tony Sbarbaro, Nick La Rocca, Yellow Nuñez, Eddie Edwards, Henry Ragas.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="the_original_dixieland_jass_band"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>The Original Dixieland "Jass" Band:</B> The ODJB began life as Johnny Stein’s Dixie Jass Band, five white men playing in the same frontline-and rhythm section format established by Buddy Bolden.</div> <div> 1. Jass was the original word. Originally a slang term connoting fornication or something erotic. The s's were changed to the z's to avoid the negative connotation.</div> <div> 2. ODJB was comprised of white New Orleans musicians (therefore, derivitive musicians) who got together in Chicago and made the first recording of "Jazz" in New York for Victor (after a failed trial session for Columbia).</div> <div> 3. SThe ODJB sold a million copies by the late 30's. They were extremely popular. </div> <div> 4. <I><B>Was this really Jazz?</B></I> The controversy centers on the fact that we don't know how much was improvised during the recording, if any at all. </div> <div> 5. As was true of much of this style of music by this period, much of the embellishments had been memorized prior and were repeated in every performance.</div> <div> 6. This recording doesn't have the rise and fall of tension associated with the "swing" rhythms we expect from Jazz. Even though it is replete with syncopations (from the ragtime influence).</div> <div> 7. This is not the original jazz band despite the name. It is just the first recording and a good example of what was to be heard in New Orleans in1917. </div> <div> 8. The founder was cornetist <A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/larocca.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/larocca.html"><U>Nick LaRocca </U></A>(1889-1961). The instrumentation was cornet, clarinet (Larry Shields), trombone (Eddie Edwards), piano (Henry Ragas) and drums (Tony Sparbaro).</div> <div> 9. The first recording of African-American Jazz was by <A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/ory.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/ory.html"><U><B>Kid Ory and the Sunshine Orchestra</B></U></A><B> </B>in 1922. They recorded in Los Angeles.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Great+Migration+%28African+American%29&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U><B>The Great Migration</B></U></A>: Blacks making a mass move to the north to escape the extreme poverty and the ever increasing oppression of the Jim Crow era south. Many moved to Chicago, and with them followed the musicians.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="the_chicago_scene"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>The Chicago Scene:</B></div> <div> 1. In 1917 America was involved in WWI and the navy had a strong contingency of troops stationed in New Orleans. </div> <div> 2. The government closed Storyville (the red light) district to keep troops in line. </div> <div> 3. Musicians had to go elsewhere to play their music. A lot went to Chicago.</div> <div> 4. The music that was performed in New Orleans from 1900-1920 was never recorded, therefore we have never heard it.</div> <div> 5. Much of the music known as the New Orleans style was recorded in Chicago.</div> <div> 6. We know of its sound only through interviews and early recordings that emulated this style.</div> <div> 7. The style that gained popularity in Chicago moved away from collective improvisation of the New Orleans (or Dixieland) period and towards improvised solos.</div> <div> 8. These smaller groups (or combos) worked because of the clearly divided parts. Each instrumentalist had a respective role that carried over from the brass band. These were: Trumpet-melody, Clarinet-busy figures in support and Trombone-simpler figures staying around chordal tones.</div> <div> 9. In Chicago we have much of the first recordings of Jazz by black musicians from New Orleans, in the Dixieland style that featured collective improvisation. </div> <div> 10. This style of group improvisation was already on the wain in the 1920's.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B> <A NAME="king_oliver_s_creole_band"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/kingocjb.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/kingocjb.html"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="35204b20.gif" border=0 width="260" height="178" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <B>King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band</B><A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/kingocjb.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/kingocjb.html"><U><B>:</B></U></A></div> <div> 1. Was an all-star New Orleans group based at the <A HREF="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&address=459+East+31st+Street&city=Chicago&state=Il&zipcode=" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?for"><U>Lincoln Gardens in Chicago's South Side</U></A> headed up by Joe Oliver..</div> <div> 2. They first recorded at <A HREF="#take_a_tour_of_the_original_jazz" TITLE="jazz history"><U>Gennett Records</U></A> in 1923.</div> <div> 3. <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/joe-king-oliver?hl=cotton&hl=club" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/joe-king-ol"><U>King Oliver</U></A> gave many star musicians their start. Including: Louis Armstrong, Baby and Johnny Dodds-drums and clarinet, Bud Scott-Banjo, Honory Dutchrex-Trombone and Lil' Hardin-piano.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>The Chicago School:</B></div> <div> 1. Three categories of musicians in Chicago:</div> <div>            A. Transplanted Black New Orleans musicians.</div> <div>            B. Transplanted White New Orleans musicians (The New Orleans Rhythm Kings).</div> <div>            C. Young white musicians in Chicago who emulated the N.O. style.</div> <div>                   <I>Coincidentally many of these musicians came from the same high school</I></div> <div> <I>                  in Chicago. The members of this group are known as the "</I><A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/austinhighgang.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/austinhighgang"><U><I>Austin High Gang</I></U></A><I>" </I></div> <div> <I>                 and they include: PeeWee Russell-clarinet, Mezz Mezzroe, Bud Freeman, </I></div> <div> <I>                 Mugsy Spanier-reed players, Eddy Condone-guitarist, Jimmy McPartland-trumpet, </I></div> <div> <I>                 Gene Krupa-drums and Benny Goodman-clarinet</I>.</div> <div> 2. Eventually these three groups mixed with New York musicians. </div> <div> 3. By the 1930's most moved from Chicago to New York.   </div> <bR> <div> <B>Why was Chicago the place for Jazz?</B></div> <div> 1. There was a large blue collar working population that needed to divert it's attention after work.</div> <div> 2. This music was performed in bars (speakeasy's).</div> <div> 3. Show Halls and variety shows (vaudeville or burlesque).</div> <div> 4. Dances.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Firsts and Changes in Jazz from the Chicago School:</B></div> <div> 1. First Jazz recording studio was in Richmond, Indiana. Outside of Chicago. The studio was next to train tracks and the musicians had to stop whenever a train went by. <A NAME="take_a_tour_of_the_original_jazz"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A> <A HREF="http://www.starrgennett.org/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.starrgennett.org/index.html"><U>Take a tour of the original Jazz recording studio Gennett records.</U></A></div> <div> 2. Instrumental changes:</div> <div>      A. The trumpet comes to the forefront.</div> <div>      B. The clarinet is replaced in popularity by the sax.</div> <div>      C. The tuba was replaced by the string bass.</div> <div> 3. In Chicago we see the serious Jazz master evolve (Louis Armstrong). Jazz looses the circus atmosphere associated with its beginnings.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <A NAME="earl_fatha_hines_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></FONT><B>Earl "Fatha" Hines</B><B> (1903-1983</B>):</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/hines.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/hines.html"><U><B><IMG SRC="27ec8fa0.png" border=0 width="200" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> 1. Earl Hines was a very influential pianist who recorded important jazz classics in the late 1920's with Louis Armstrong. </div> <div> 2. Hines was one of the first to broadcast live on the <A HREF="http://earlyradiohistory.us/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://earlyradiohistory.us/"><U>radio</U></A>. This spread his influence throughout the U.S.<A HREF="http://earlyradiohistory.us/1920ga.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://earlyradiohistory.us/1920ga.htm"><U>Click here to read about the first jazz dance to be broadcast live on the radio</U></A>.</div> <div> 3. Was a very forceful player. Needed to be loud so he could be heard over the ensemble. He played so athletically that it was common for him to break strings.</div> <div> 4. He is remembered for his brassy, rough sound. </div> <div> 5. He phrased like a trumpet player, even stopping where a trumpet player would normally catch his breath. He was also a master of walking tenths, octave voiced lines in the right hand and flowery embellishments. </div> <div> 6. This style was called horn-like because of these traits. </div> <div> 7. He was a master at all of these styles: stride style, walking tenths, horn-like lines, flowery embellishments, octave voiced piano lines, tremolo, stop-time solo breaks for the right hand, double-time and highly syncopated right hand rhythms. Listen to JSDC.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.redhotjazz.com/jpjohnson.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.redhotjazz.com/jpjohnson.html"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="46391060.jpg" border=0 width="145" height="262" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="james_p__johnson"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>James P. Johnson (1894-1955):</B></div> <div> 1. Born in New Jersey he was part of the East Coast tradition. Essentially a ragtime based piano style that developed at the same time as Dixieland Jazz, primarily performed in the Honky-Tonks of Harlem. </div> <div> 2. One of the only players who was able to successfully make the transition from ragtime to Jazz.</div> <div> 3. Like Earl Hines he also made influential broadcasts on the radio.</div> <div> 4. Known as the "father of the stride piano".</div> <div> 5. Johnson won many informal piano contests in Harlem. He had a very broad style. It sounded like a whole band was playing. (called "orchestral voicing")</div> <div> 6. His virtuosity, speed, and dexterity have become legendary.</div> <div> 7. Influenced later important pianists such as <A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_tatum_art.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B>Art Tatum</B></U></A> and <A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_ellington_duke.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B>Duke Ellington</B></U></A>.</div> <div> 8. His was the first piano based music to swing.</div> <div> 9. He was a very accomplished  musician. He wrote 230 pop tunes, 19 symphonic works, and 11 musicals.Johnson was the composer of "The Charleston" for a show called "Runnin' Wild".</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/joe-king-oliver?hl=cotton&hl=club" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/joe-king-ol"><U>Read about the Harlem Renaissance</U></A> </div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.nku.edu/~diesmanj/harlem.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nku.edu/~diesmanj/harlem.html"><U>Another great site about the Harlem Renaissance </U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <A NAME="louis_armstrong_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></FONT><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_armstrong_louis.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B>Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)</B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_armstrong_louis.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B>:</B></U></A><B>  </B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_armstrong_louis.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><IMG SRC="283cd090.png" border=0 width="205" height="265" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <I><B>The Star, the Innovator, the man who turned jazz from pure entertainment into one of the major 20th-century art forms. Some achievement for the son of a prostitute, deserted by his father at birth, born in a shack and brought up in poverty.</B></I></div> <div>      </div> <div> 1. Armstrong is alternately known as the "Father of Jazz" or just simply "Pops".</div> <div> 2. Born on July 4th 1900, in New Orleans (atleast that's what he though t- He was actually born on August 4th 1901) Louis sang on the streets as a boy. In 1913 he was admitted to the Colored Waifs Home for shooting a gun into the air on New Years Eve. In the home he learned the trumpet, and within four years he was challenging every trumpet player in his home town. From Freddie Keppard to Joe Oliver, his first father figure, whom he replaced in Kid Ory's band in 1919. In 1922 Oliver (now King Oliver) invited Louis to join him in Chicago to play second cornet (he switched to trumpet for its increased range and power in 1926). </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="35336fe0.gif" border=0 width="310" height="254" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Louis Armstrong's Hot Five</div> <div> 3. In 1925 already a recording star and very much in command of his instrument, Louis began recording with his Hot Five and Hot Seven bands. These albums produced masterpieces such as "Cornet Chop Suey", "Potato Head Blues" and "West End Blues". This single handedly turned Jazz into a soloist's art form and set new standards for musicians (not just trumpet players) worldwide. </div> <div> 4. These bands featured Johnny Dodds, Kid Ory and now Lil' Hardin Armstrong (now married to Louis) until she was replaced with Earl "Fatha" Hines.</div> <div> 5. His playing on these albums becomes a model for the swing era that was to follow. </div> <div> 6. <B>Armstrong's historic contributions include:</B></div> <div>      A. Solo improvisation. He was the first great jazz soloist. His intelligently developed and </div> <div>      musically effective solos eclipsed the notion of group improvisation.</div> <div>      B. Rhythmic Refinements:</div> <div>           1. He abandoned the stiffness of ragtime.</div> <div>           2. He employed swing 8ths better than any musician of his time.</div> <div>           3. He used "rhythmic displacement" or the syncopation of selected phrases. (Placing them </div> <div>           slightly behind the beat.) </div> <div> C. He was a great musical architect. He simplified his music, polishing each phrase to perfection, while keeping his strength for the knockout punch.</div> <div> D. He played with a superb sense of drama. The pacing was always carefully calculated, allowing the solo to build to the climax.</div> <div> E. He created new melodies in his improvisations not relying on the tunes original melody for ideas. </div> <div> F. He was a virtuoso trumpet player. He peeled off top C's as easily as breathing (this was unheard of previously) and pulled out technical tours de force which never degenerated into notes for their own sake. </div> <div> G. He extended the vocabulary for the Jazz soloist.</div> <div> H. He influenced popular singers with his vocal styles.</div> <div> I. And for good measure he invented the "scat singing" style when he dropped his music during a recording session ("Heebie Jeebies").</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="prohibition"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/prohibition" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/prohibition"><U><B>Prohibition</B></U></A></div> <div> <I>Prohibition began on Jan. 16</I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>th</I></FONT><I> 1920 and ended by congressional repeal in 1933. The night it ended 1.5 million barrels of beer were </I><I><U>legally</U></I><I> consumed in the US. Prohibition jump-started the Jazz Age. As songwrite</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><I>r </I></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#660000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.riverwalk.org/proglist/showpromo/hoagy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.riverwalk.org/proglist/showpr"><U><I><B><U>Hoagy Carmichael</U></B></I></U></A><I> </I></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><I>put it, the 1920s came in "with a bang of bad booze, flappers with bare legs, jangled morals and wild weekends." According to novelist </I><I><B>F. Scott Fitzg</B></I></FONT><I><B>erald</B></I><I>, during Prohibition, "The parties were bigger…the pace was faster…and the morals were looser." </I></div> <div> <I>At the stroke of midnight, on January 16th, 1920, America went dry. There wasn't a place in the country (including your own home) where you could legally have even a glass of wine with your dinner without breaking the law. The </I><A HREF="http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.archives.gov/national_archive"><U><I><B>18th Amendment</B></I></U></A><I>, known as the </I><I><B><U>Volstead Act</U></B></I><I>, prohibited the manufacture, sale and possession of alcohol in America. Prohibition lasted for thirteen years. </I></div> <div> <I>The idea behind Prohibition was to reduce crime and poverty, and generally improve the quality of life in America-- by making it impossible for people to get their hands on alcohol. But, this so-called "Noble Experiment" was a colossal failure. People drank more than ever during Prohibition, and there were more deaths related to alcohol. No other law in America has been violated so flagrantly--by so many "decent law-abiding" people. Overnight almost everyone in the country became a criminal. Ordinary people hid illegal liquor in hip flasks, false books, and hollowed-out canes. In speakeasies, they drank bootleg liquor out of tea cups--just in case there was a police raid. </I></div> <div> <I>Mob-controlled liquor created a booming black market economy. Gangster-owned speakeasies replaced neighborhood saloons--and by 1925 there were over 100,000 speakeasies in New York City alone. Mob bosses opened plush nightclubs with exotic floor shows and the hottest bands. At Small's Paradis</I><I>e in Harlem, waiters danced the Charleston, carrying trays loaded down with cocktails. Popular stars like Fred and Adele Astaire entertained at </I><I>The Trocadero</I><I>. And at the </I><I>Cotton Club, Duke Ellington</I><I> led the house band as tap dancer </I><I>Bojangles Robinson</I><I> and jazz singer </I><I>Ethel Waters</I><I> packed the house. Out in rural America, on Midwestern college campuses, kids drank </I><I>"bathtub gin"</I><I> and danced to the hot jazz of </I><I>Bix and the Wolverines</I><I> in lakeside pavilions. </I></div> <div> <I>Just six months after Prohibition became law in 1920, </I><I>women got the right to vote</I><I>. </I><I>Suffragettes</I><I> were on the front line of this landmark battle, but </I><I>flappers</I><I> became the real heroines of the Jazz Age. </I></div> <div> <I>Flappers were easy to spot. They were the </I><I>only grown women with short skirts and bobbed hair</I><I>. They dared to </I><I>smoke</I><I> </I><I>cigarettes</I><I> and </I><I>drink</I><I> </I><I>cocktails</I><I>. They </I><I>turned</I><I> </I><I>down</I><I> their hose, </I><I>powdered</I><I> </I><I>their</I><I> </I><I>knees</I><I> and </I><I>painted</I><I> </I><I>their</I><I> </I><I>lips</I><I> </I><I>bright</I><I> </I><I>red</I><I>. They hung out in speakeasies and nightclubs where they danced the </I><I>Tango</I><I>, the </I><I>Black</I><I> </I><I>Bottom</I><I> and the biggest dance craze of all--</I><I>the Charleston</I><I>--with bare arms and legs flying.</I></div> <div> <I>Parents, teachers and pastors were scandalized by flappers and their boyfriends. These fellows wore </I><I>knee-length</I><I> </I><I>raccoon</I><I> </I><I>coats</I><I> and always kept their </I><I>hip</I><I> </I><I>flasks</I><I> full of </I><I>illegal</I><I> </I><I>gin</I><I>. They blamed it all on the music. </I></div> <div> <I>An article in the August 1921 edition of The </I>Ladies' Home Journal<I> posed the question, "Does Jazz Put the Sin in Syncopation?" </I></div> <div> <I>Among other things, Jazz took the rap for being a "Bolshevik element protesting against law and order"--and "an influence for evil in society."  But the real issue seemed to be that jazz dances inspired young women to leave their corsets at home--and loosen up! </I></div> <div> <I>Prohibition was a joke in most of America. So many speakeasies flowed with bootleg booze that </I><I>New York </I><I>was known as the "</I><I>City on a Still</I><I>." </I></div> <div> <I>One of the stars of the speakeasy racket was a brassy, bold, peroxide-blond who called herself </I><I>"Texas" Guinan</I><I>. She'd been an actress in silent-film westerns, a bare-back circus rider, and a singer in vaudeville before fronting speakeasies for the mob. </I></div> <div> <I>Famous for greeting her patrons with the line "</I><I>Hello, suckers</I><I>!", her clubs were raided and "</I><I>padlocked</I><I>" by the police so often that she wore a necklace made of padlocks as her trademark. Another trademark was her chauffeured armored car. </I></div> <div> <I>Prohibition </I><I>broke down a lot of the old social barriers</I><I>. In many New York speakeasies, rich people and ordinary folks, men and women, all rubbed shoulders. They had two goals in common--getting their hands on the best illegal liquor around, and avoiding a ride to the police station in a paddy wagon.</I></div> <div> <I>The </I><I>stock market crash of 1929</I><I> signaled the end of the party. The Roaring 20s came to a close in economic chaos, and the lighthearted atmosphere of the Prohibition era fizzled out with the end of the decade. </I></div> <div> <I>In 1931, Jazz Age cornetist Bix Beiderbecke died alone in a small hotel in Manhattan at the age of 28, destroyed by alcohol. That same year, Al Capone landed in jail--for income-tax invasion, not murder or racketeering. In 1933, Prohibition was officially rescinded. </I></div> <div> <I>Riding down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, </I><A HREF="http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/"><U><I>F. Scott Fitzgerald</I></U></A><I> wept at the loss of what was to him a magical era. He said, "I had everything I wanted and knew I would never be so happy again."</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>©2001 by Margaret Moos Pick</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>   <A NAME="bechet"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Mead Bold" ><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_bechet_sidney.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B><IMG SRC="3046c6c0.jpg" border=0 width="108" height="108" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>Sidney Bechet (1897-1959)</B></div> <bR> <div> 1. Bechet started on the clarinet and later moved to the soprano sax<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >. </FONT></div> <div> 2. He was self taught, an inveterate wanderer, he was kicked out of Britain and France for fighting. He had a gunfight at the Arc de Triumph in mid-day traffic with a band mate. For this he went to prison in 1929 and when released was expelled from the country.</div> <div> 3. Bechet played for Josephine Baker's famous European act called “Revue Negre”. This show was the toast of Europe and traveled as far east as Moscow to perform. It later goes on to influence the style of shows seen at the famous “Cotton Club”.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Learn more about Sidney Bechet and listen to his imitable sound just</div> <div> click on the picture of him above.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="swing"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#262626" FACE="Mead Bold" ><B>Swing</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> 1. The swing era began in the early 1930's and lasted until the late 1940's. It is sometimes called the "<B>Big Band Era</B>".</div> <div> 2. Swing era musicians wholeheartedly adopted the looser rhythmic feel and swing 8ths as standardized by Armstrong in his Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings.</div> <div> 3. The group size was larger. The brass section alone could include up to 35 trumpets and 35 trombones. </div> <div> 4. The saxophone becomes common. </div> <div> 5. The string bass replaces the tuba and becomes the common bass instrument. </div> <div> 6. The high hat cymbal with the foot pedal is added to them drum set.</div> <div> 7. The use of collective improvisation becomes rare. </div> <div> 8. In general a much smoother rhythmic feel predominates.</div> <div> 9. Also a higher level of musicianship (instrumental proficiency) becomes the norm.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="big_band_instrumentation"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Big Band Instrumentation:</B></div> <div> 1. There are three main sections of the big band:</div> <div>      A. The Rhythm Section: includes guitar, piano, bass and drums.</div> <div>      B. The Brass Section: includes trumpets (2 to 5 members, 3 was the standard) and </div> <div>      trombones (1 to 5 members, 2 was the standard).</div> <div>      C. The Reed Section: included alto and tenor saxophones (most commonly) The members of this section were expected to play </div> <div>      all the reed instruments. Commonly there were 3 to 5 musicians with the leader in the middle of this section.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="big_band_arrangements"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Big Band Arrangements:</B></div> <div> 1. With the growth of the size of bands there was an increase in the number of pre-written arrangements.</div> <div> 2. There were too many musicians to allow for group improvisation. Each part had to be written out to avoid stepping on each others toes, so to speak.</div> <div> 3. This made it easier for musicians to from band to band and just read the new parts for that band's arrangement of the tune.</div> <div> 4. Common arrangement characteristics include:</div> <div> A. The melody was usually played in unison by the whole band (sometimes harmonized). After the statement of the melody (once through the form) the solos would start.</div> <div> B. The sections of the tune form could be divided up and played by different sections of the band.</div> <div> C. Call and response was used to exploit the contrast between the sections. </div> <div> D. Entire tunes could be based on a "riff" (an ostinato<I>).</I> Each section would pass the riff back and forth. These groups were commonlt called "riff bands". This musical effect produced is antiphony.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://world.std.com/~burley/music/antiphonal.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://world.std.com/~burley/music/antip"><U><B>antiphonal music</B></U></A><B>: </B><I>Music exploiting directional and canonic opposition of widely spaced choirs or groups of instruments to create perspectives in sound. It was developed in 17th-century Venice by Giovanni Gabrieli and in Germany by his pupil Heinrich Schutz and Roland de Lassus an example is the double-choir motet </I><I>Alma Redemptoris Mater</I><I> (1604). The practice was revived in the 20th century by Bela Bartok, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Luciano Berio.</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="instrument_roles"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Instrument Roles</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Rhythm Section in the Swing Era:</B></div> <div> 1. Consisted of piano, guitar, bass and drums.</div> <div> 2. The guitar employed "rhythm guitar style" where the guitarist strummed a chord on every beat. (<A HREF="http://www.freddiegreen.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.freddiegreen.com/"><U><B>Freddie Green</B></U></A><B> </B> with <I>The Count Basie Orchestra</I> is an excellent example). The banjo falls out of favor in preference to the sounds of the guitar. </div> <div> 3. The tuba is replaced by the string bass.</div> <div> 4. The piano emulated this "rhythm guitar style" and played a chord on every beat or every other beat. Called "stride style".   The pianist did not improvise lchords or lines to fit or support soloists at this time. The style of syncopated, improvised chording called "comping" that is now asssociated with jazz evolves from this style.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Bass:</B></div> <div> 1. Stayed primarily in the background in this era. </div> <div> 2. Performed the time keeping duties never venturing too far a field. The bassists  role was to help create a solid foundation.  Soloing or improvising was not yet accepted.</div> <div> 3. The bassist played on beats 1 and 3. This is called "two beat style". Or the bassist played on every beat. This is called "walking" bass style.<I> </I></div> <div> 4. Influential players include <B>Walter Page, Slam Stewart</B>, and <B>Milt Hinton</B> called the Judge known for his sure sense of tempo and his huge tone.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Drums:</B></div> <div> 1. Drumming was limited in the swing era. The main role was that of  time keeper. The drummer needed to make the beat obvious for the dancers and to lend a swing feel to the ensemble.</div> <div> 2. The drummer emphasized the back beat or 2 and 4.</div> <div> 3. Drumming was more conservative than that of early jazz. Once again the drummers did not want to interfere with the ostinatos that gave the big bands their characteristic swing feel.</div> <div> 4. Gene Krupa and Joe Jones were significant exceptions to the aforementioned rule. These drummers played with more intensity and flexibility. </div> <div> 5. <A HREF="http://www.harlem.org/people/jojones.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.harlem.org/people/jojones.htm"><U>Joe Jones</U></A> (b. Illinios, 1911-d.1985) innovated the drum style by not insistently pounding the bass drum on every beat, which was the norm. Sometimes he omitted the bass drum completely from his rhythms. Played with a more sustained sound by utilizing the ride cymbal. (Called "ride rhythms"). Joe Jones played more cohesively with the bassist (Walter Page) than ever before. </div> <div> 6. Joe Jones was the finest and fastest drummer of this the classic jazz era. He was the force behind the most influential rhythm section of all time- The Count Basie Orchestra. "Basie's Rhythm section had a kind of throb going-no one instrument was louder than the other" explains Nat Pierce.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/progress/prohib/rent.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/tim"><U><I><B>Harlem Rent Parties</B></I></U></A><I>: The landlord's coming at the end of the week and you don't have rent, why don't you throw a party? No problem. Lay on some food and drink, get in a stride pianist or blues musicians to play some good time tunes and charge your friends for the privilege to cross your threshold. By the end of the week you've got a mighty hangover, your neighbors are still mad about the noise, but the landlords got his rent and the apartments yours-at least for another week. Many a stride pianist (like James P Johnson, Fats Waller, Meade Lux Lewis, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Albert Ammons and Duke Ellington)  got work at these shindigs.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="ellington"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><A HREF="http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/de-tour/ppreview.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d"><U><B><IMG SRC="31d849a0.jpg" border=0 width="132" height="154" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Duke Ellington</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > (Edward Kennedy Ellington) </FONT></div> <div> (b. <A HREF=" http://www.pbs.org/ellingtonsdc/" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" http://www.pbs.org/ellingtonsdc/"><U>Washington DC,</U></A> 29 April 1899; d. 24 May 1974<I>)</I></div> <div> <I>Born the son of a butler in Washington DC, he had little formal musical training. He learned most of his musical skills in the nightclubs of Harlem. From this start came The Great Duke Ellington, the sophisticate and snappy dresser, the composer and arranger, the first class pianist, the band leader and organizer, the entertainer and artist, the alchemist of sound, and the all around genius of jazz.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 1. Ellington is known as the most creative and most prolific composer-arranger in Jazz history.</div> <div> 2. Ellington led the most stable and longest lived big band.</div> <div> 3. He wrote over 2,000 compositions with many of the finest musicians in the jazz world utilizing their strengths very effectively. </div> <div> 4. Ellington worked the famous <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Cotton+Club&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U>Cotton Club</U></A><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Cotton+Club&gwp=12&curtab=2222_1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?meth"><U> in Harlem</U></A> from 1927-31. The Cotton Club was opened by Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavy weight champion of the world in 1920, it was taken over by Owney Madden in 1922 who changed the name from “Deluxe” to “The Cotton Club”. It remained at the same venue- <A HREF="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=644+Lenox+Av.&city=New+York&state=NY&zipcode=" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?sea"><U>644 Lenox Av.</U></A> until 1936, when it closed pending relocation to West 48th St. in Manhattan, after race riots the previous year scared off most of the white clientele. The club survived in its new venue until 1940, when it closed for good. For two decades the Cotton Club personified NY nightlife. The cream of society came to its glittering theatrical revues, which provided employment for numerous jazz musicians. Star attractions were the resident house bands: Andy Preer's Cotton Club Syncopators until 1927, Duke Ellington, then Cab Calloway and his Missourians from 1931, and finally, Jimmy Lunceford's band after 1934.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/cotton-club&method=6" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/cotton-club"><U><IMG SRC="32011390.gif" border=0 width="273" height="569" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> Menu cover art from the Cotton Club</div> <bR> <div> 5. Some important players that Duke had in his band were <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Johnny+Hodges" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U>Johnny Hodges</U></A>-alto (1930's), <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Ben+Webster" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U>Ben Webster</U></A>-tenor (`39-'49), <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Paul+Gonsalves" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U>Paul Gonsalves</U></A> -tenor (1950's), <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/tricky-sam-nanton?hl=joe&hl=tricky&hl=sam&hl=nanton" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/tricky-sam-"><U>Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton</U></A>-trombone, (1920's) and <A HREF="#remembering____jimmy_blanton" TITLE="jazz history"><U>Jimmy Blanton</U></A>-Bass (1939-40).</div> <bR> <div> <B>Ellington as a Pianist:</B></div> <div> Duke started his career as a pianist in the early ragtime based style (stride-style). He later evolved into a very complimentary player. Had an impeccable sense of swing and was known for his unusual harmonies and voicings in his “comping” style. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Ellington a</B><B>s a Composer:</B></div> <div> 1. Ellington wrote many famous tunes with his band mates including; "It Don't Mean A Thing", "Sophisticated Lady", "Satin Doll",  "Mood Indigo",  "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Cotton Tail", "In A Mellow Tone" (<I>on SCCJ</I>) , "Perdido", "Caravan" and "Take The A Train". <I>To hear his music click on his picture.</I></div> <div> 2. Ellington wrote hundreds of three minute instrumentals because that was the standard length of one side of a 78 rpm record. These mainly fall into two broad categories:</div> <div>      A. Portraits of famous personalities. For example a tune called "Portrait of a Lion" based on stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith.</div> <div>      B. Musical depictions of places; "Warm Valley" or "Harlem Airshaft" and feelings; the mixture of blue and translucency or "Transbluency".</div> <div> 3. Ellington was the first to take jazz into the format of extended works. Examples are the four concertos he wrote for members of his orchestra in 1936 and longer works such as "Black, Brown and Beige"(1943). A piece that chronicles the history of the African-American.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Ellington as an Arranger:</B></div> <div> 1. What sets apart Ellington as arranger is his ability to absorb the utterances of his hired soloists into his own compositional expression so that the two frequently become indistinguishable. He was able to show all of his players (not just the soloists) in their best light and thus always encouraging them to always be at their best. </div> <div> 2. Duke voiced across the sections (not just antiphonally). He wrote passages that were played by combinations of instruments from different sections of the band.</div> <div> 3. Duke was the first to use "wordless vocalizations" or "instrumental voice" in the jazz setting.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Diversity in Ellington's Music:</B></div> <div> Duke was always receptive to the new sounds that he heard. This was a crucial factor in his ability to stay on top for his entire career.  Styles that characterized Ellington's music include:</div> <div>      A. Impressionistic: Orchestral colors and shading, less swinging an example is"Transbluency". </div> <div>      B. Romantic Ballads: "Sophisticated Lady".</div> <div>      C. Exotic Sounds: "Caravan".</div> <div>      D. Extended concert works with little improvisation: "Black, Brown and Beige".</div> <div>      E. Concertos: showcasing a soloist in his band, "Echoes of Harlem" and “Concerto for Cootie” written for Cootie Williams. </div> <div>      F. Sacred concerts.</div> <div>      G. Swinging instrumentals: "Cotton Tail". </div> <bR> <div> <B>In Summation:</B></div> <div> Duke was a very prodigious and prolific composer. Adding to what was mentioned above he also wrote several operas, ballets and musicals. His band never fell into any one category. The sounds he was able to coax from his players were always unique. No other band has been able to replicate the Duke Ellington Orchestra.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Ellington's Influence:</B></div> <div> Vast. Duke influenced the big bands of the thirties, arrangers of all music, composers of every ilk and even avant-garde musicians. His piano style has influenced many players including Thelonius Monk and Cecil Taylor.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="remembering____jimmy_blanton"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Remembering ...Jimmy Blanton</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <I>By </I><I><U>Scott Pollard</U></I> </div> <div> The saga of Duke Ellington's orchestra is an epic that lasted from the 1920s to the 1970s and has spanned the history of jazz itself. It is not only the story of a man and his music, but of the musicians that he wrote for and that interpreted his songs. Ellington prided himself on knowing his musicians' individual sounds so well that he could tailor each composition to the specific musical identity of each his sidemen. So to say that one or two musicians were standouts from the most fabled orchestra in American history is no small statement indeed. Yet one period is constantly referred to as the cream of the Ellington crop, the 1939-1941 "Blanton-Webster band." While Webster is regarded as one of the finest swing tenor sax players ever, he was not the pioneering musician that Jimmy Blanton, bassist extraordinaire, was. </div> <bR> <div> Jimmy Blanton (1918-42) was the musical godfather of bebop bass. While some have argued that Benny Goodman alumnus Slam Stewart was the first bass player to make the bass a solo vehicle for improvisation, his solos were merely decorated bass lines. He lacked the tone, decoration and creativity of Blanton's solos. Blanton took the bass, which had previously been used only to keep time and lay down a basic harmonic foundation, to a new level where it became an instrument capable of horn-like solos that could hold their own in duets with Duke Ellington himself. Blanton truly turned the musical world onto the possibilities of using the bass as a melodic instrument, both bowed and plucked. Had he not passed away in 1942, most musicians agree that Blanton would have been at the forefront of the bebop movement. </div> <bR> <div> Blanton's uniqueness lay not only in what he played, but how he played. Gunther Schuller describes the technique involved with producing such a distinctive and pronounced tone: </div> <div> "Most importantly, he was the first to develop the lone tone in pizzicato? Blanton? maximize[d] the natural resonance of the string by using as much of the fleshy length of the finger as possible-plucking the string with the finger parallel to the string, rather than plucking across at right angles; and plucked the string at the point where it sets in vibration the maximum resonance? Instead of the usual quick-decay of ordinary pizzicato playing, Blanton could produce whole notes or half notes or other longer durations at will." (Schuller 1989: 111) </div> <bR> <div> James "Jimmy" Blanton was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in October of 1918. His mother, a pianist who led her own band, started Jimmy on the violin during childhood. While studying at Tennessee State College, he switched to the string bass and started playing with the State Collegians and local bands led by "Bugs" Roberts and drummer Joe Smith. During his summer vacations Blanton played on the riverboat circuit with pianist Fates Marable's band, the Cotton Pickers. </div> <div> After his third year of college, Blanton packed up and moved to St. Louis. In 1937 he joined the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra, playing a three-string bass. He continued to play with Fates Marable in the summer months, and at this time began to hone the skills that would be bring him fame later on. </div> <bR> <div> In autumn 1939, the twenty-one year old Blanton started playing on a regular basis at the Coronado Hotel Ballroom in St. Louis. According to Miles Davis, Blanton sat in one night with Davis during his stint with the Blue Devils, the house band at the Rhumboogie Club. It was on this night that Duke Ellington, in town for a concert, stopped by and impressed by the abilities of the young musician who was to become his most famous bass player, signed Blanton immediately. Ellington was impressed with Blanton's advanced techniques that belied his young age. Also, by this time Blanton had developed a new bass technique of playing lines that sounded more like a horn than like a bass, which until then had been primarily for keeping time. Blanton agreed to join Ellington's group, but did not own a four-string bass at the time. Gene Porter, who played the saxophone, clarinet and flute in the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra with Blanton, served as the guarantor. Blanton shared the bass duties with Billy Taylor until Taylor left the Ellington orchestra in January 1940. </div> <bR> <div> Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster had played sporadically with Ellington in 1935 and 1936, and joined as a full time member of the band in January 1940. With these two formidable musicians in place, the Ellington band entered its golden age. The Blanton-Webster years were unremarkable in many ways; the Ellington orchestra kept traveling all over the country for a mix of one-night stands and extended engagements, playing for audiences of all backgrounds and social circles. What was remarkable was the quality of the music Ellington wrote for these musicians, and how well they interpreted and recorded it. Thankfully, Ellington and his band entered into a new recording contract with Victor, and so went into the studio for ten different sessions. Advancements in recording techniques made during this period have resulted in every nuance of Blanton's playing being preserved for posterity. During this time Blanton also recorded on several dates with other Ellington sidemen, including Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges and Rex Stewart. </div> <bR> <div> While on tour with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in late 1941, Blanton became seriously ill and entered Los Angeles Hospital. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The following spring he was moved to the Duarte Sanitarium, near Los Angeles, where he was spent the last few months of his life. Jimmy Blanton passed away in Monrovia, California on July 30, 1942. </div> <bR> <div> Bibliography: </div> <div> Brask, Ole. Jazz People. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.1976. </div> <div> Chilton, John. Who's Who of Jazz: Storyville to Swing Street. New York: Chilton Book Company. 1970. </div> <div> Davis, Miles. Miles. New York: Simon and Shuster. 1989. </div> <div> Feather, Leonard. Inside Jazz. New York: Da Capo Press. 1949. </div> <div> Ownens, Thomas. Bebop. New York: Oxford. </div> <div> Schuller, Gunther. The Swing Era. New York: Oxford. 1989 </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="benny_goodman"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_goodman_benny.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><IMG SRC="34296b50.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="181" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Mead Bold" ><B>Benny Goodman</B></FONT><B> </B>(b. Chicago, 30 May, 1909; d. 20 June 1986) </div> <div> The story goes like this. <I>In august 1935 the Benny Goodman band, packed to the gills with star musicians, was on tour in southern Ca. where its reception was less than enthusiastic. The band opened its show at the Palomar Ballroom in LA by playing soft dance music. The largely white audience of college students was unimpressed, so Goodman led the band into an up tempo arrangement of </I><I><B>Jelly Roll Morton's</B></I><I> </I>King Porter Stomp<I>. The audience went wild, as did the vast numbers listening on the radio, and swing soon swept the nation. The King of Swing was born.</I></div> <bR> <div> 1. Benny was the leader of the most popular big band of the 30's and 40's. He was an unlikely star, a white, Jewish, domineering clarinet player. But he was also younger than the average jazz musician and appealed to an increasingly educated audience that appreciated his band's mixture of tight, driving swing and a flawless musicianship, delivered by a leader whose love of the classics showed through in his precise intonation.</div> <div> 2. The bands showcased Goodman's technically impressive clarinet playing. He was the first jazz musician to pursue a parallel career in classical music, and he commissioned works from such composers as Bartok, Copland, and Hindemith, as well as performed pieces by Mozart, Stravinsky and other classical composers.</div> <div> 3. Benny has influenced <I>all </I>later jazz clarinet players.</div> <div> 4. Charlie Christian, Lionel Hampton (Vibes), and Gene Krupa are some of Benny's most famous band members.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> 5. At thirteen after studying with Franz Schoepp (who also taught Buster Baily and Jimmy Noone) Goodman was already working professionally. </div> <div> 6. He worked for Ben Pollack's big band from 25 to 29. Later he went on to Red Nichols's big band. </div> <div> 7. From there he worked in the studio for five years earning money to support his eleven siblings and his mother after his father was killed in a taxi accident.</div> <div> 8. Benny was first to perform jazz in Carnegie Hall in 1938. Asked how long an intermission he required, Goodman replied, “How long does Mr. Toscanini take?” </div> <div> 9. And in a much-publicized and important step he was the first to hire black musicians (Charlie Christian and Lionel Hampton).</div> <div> 10. During the thirties he acquired a reputation for being a perfectionist and among musicians for being "difficult". He might have been a control freak and a perfectionist, and many musicians left his band after arguments, but he was also brave enough to hire black musicians at a time when mixed-race groups were frowned upon.</div> <div> 11. By the 1940's he had rebuilt his orchestra and expanded his repertoire to include bebop and classical/concert hall types of music.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="4668c1c0.jpg" border=0 width="396" height="284" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Quintette du Hot Club de France</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/django-reinhardt?hl=quintette&hl=du&hl=hot&hl=club&hl=de&hl=france" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/django-rein"><U><B>Django Reinhardt</B></U></A></FONT> (1910-53) and <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/stephane-grappelli?hl=quintette&hl=du&hl=hot&hl=club&hl=de&hl=france" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/stephane-gr"><U><B>Stephane Grappelli</B></U></A></FONT> (1908-97) <I>Other than the US, the country in which jazz put down its strongest roots was France. With a tradition of nightclubs and cabaret, as well as a degree of racial tolerance, France was more receptive to the brash new music than the more conservative Britain. In 1932, a group of jazz fans formed Europe's first jazz club, the </I><I><B>Hot Club de France</B></I><I>. At first it was just chat and records, but in 1934 the club decided to promote its own jazz quintet. One of the guitarists was </I><I><B>Reinhardt</B></I><I>, the violinist was </I><I><B>Grappelli</B></I>.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/topic/jazz-guitar?hl=martin&hl=taylor" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/topic/jazz-guitar"><U>Learn more about the History of the Guitar in Jazz</U></A></div> <bR> <div> 1. Both men couldn't be more different. <B>Grappelli</B> was a middle-class Parisian with classical training. <B>Reinhardt</B> was born a gypsy in <I>Belgium</I> and was entirely self-taught. <B>Grapelli</B> was urbane and easy going; <B>Reinhardt</B> was difficult, undisciplined, and unpredictable but also an innovator of genius.</div> <div> 2. One night in 1931 in a smoky cafe in Montparnasse, Django Reinhardt and the pioneering jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli came face to face. Grappelli, remembering that first meeting, said,” I was on stage and seeing this dark face in the crowd staring at me very intently made me nervous. At first I thought he was a gangster who didn't like my music. But of course, it was Django. For myself I can say we hit it off together perfectly. He was the most marvelous improviser I ever heard."</div> <div> 3. When Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli appeared together on stage they were a study in opposites. Grappelli often wore an elegant white jacket that accented his slim, aristocratic figure. Django Reinhardt, on the other hand, had the physical presence of a football player. He wore workman's boots on stage with his pants legs hoisted up to show his bare legs. He had powerful wrists and hands--and after about six months any guitar he played would have holes in the fingerboard.</div> <div> 4. In a time when big bands were all the rage the <B>Quintette du Hot Club de France</B> was a huge success.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.about-django.com/news/videos/videos.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.about-django.com/news/videos/"><U><IMG SRC="4682f410.jpg" border=0 width="303" height="321" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >© Copyright William P. Gottlieb</FONT></div> <div> Please visit the outstanding website dedicated to the history of jazz and Wlliam Gottlieb's iconographic photography at</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.jazzphotos.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jazzphotos.com"><U><B>THE GOLDEN AGE OF JAZZ</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="django_reinhardt"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Django Reinhardt </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >(1910-53)</FONT></div> <div> Born in a horse-drawn wooden carriage in Belgium in 1910, he was the illegitimate son of a circus clown. His mother was so dark-complected that they called her Negros.</div> <div> He moved back and forth through Western Europe as a boy, trying to keep out of the line of fire during WWI.</div> <div> 1. In 1946, while back in his caravan he received a wire from <B>Ellington</B> inviting him play concerts with his big band. Despite the unreliability of <B>Reinhardt</B>'s traveling methods, he made to the US (his first question, stepping off the boat, was reportedly “Where's <B>Dizzy</B> Playing?” He played for the first time on electric guitar during the successful tour.</div> <div> 2. <B>Reinhardt</B> died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage. He was sitting on the terrace of his local bar sipping some coffee after a 3 mile walk in the heat and humidity because it was Saturday and there were no taxis. Also because it was Saturday there was no doctors available he eventually was taken to hospital were he died the next day. He was buried on May 19<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> in a small cemetery in Samois-sur-Seine. The world lost the greatest guitarist of that era. But fortunately for us this illiterate, unpredictable and mysterious Gypsy made over 850 recordings during his extremely varied musical career.</div> <div> 3. Together Grappelli and Reinhardt changed the way people thought about how the guitar and violin could be used in Jazz.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="art_tatum"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_tatum_art.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B><IMG SRC="34c64640.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="100" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/tatum.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles"><U><B>Art Tatum</B></U></A></FONT><A HREF="http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/tatum.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles"><U> </U></A>(b. Toledo, Ohio, 13 Oct. 1909; d. 5 Nov. 1956)</div> <div> 1. Art was virtually blind from birth, he studied piano as a youth and began gigging in Toledo and Cleveland as a teenager.</div> <div> 2. Like no other performer in the history of the jazz piano, <B>Tatum</B> <I>summarized everything that preceded him stylistically, and did so in a supercharged manner</I> which opened the doors not only for succeeding generations of pianists but all jazz musicians.</div> <div> 3. He still stands as one of the most impressive and energetic jazz pianists of all time. </div> <div> 4. The chief source of Tatum's style was the boundless invention that went into his reworking of standard material.</div> <div> 5. He was always unpredictable. Tatum was known more for being a "<I>flamboyant arranger</I>" than an improviser. He was able to take <I>familiar tunes and constantly hint at the underlying theme while continuously decorating</I> <I>it</I>. </div> <div> 6. He was known for his incessant rhythmic variations and the indulgence of his musical tangents. This could change the rhythmic feel or the key of a passage in mid-solo.</div> <div> 7. Was a <I>master at stride-style and horn-like lines</I>. His embellishments could be quite florid and ferociously fast. </div> <div> 8. Was a master at adding or <I>changing harmonies in the middle of a tune</I> ("chord substitutions" or "alternate changes").</div> <div> 9. He was able to modulate to several far reaching keys within one phrase and successfully get back to the original key. ("playing out"). Numbers 8 and 9 greatly influence modern jazz, specifically the neophyte Be-Boppers. </div> <div> 10. Tatum's complex runs have been memorized and copied by hundreds of pianists. </div> <div> 11. His influence on jazz was enormous. His harmonic innovations incorporating the upper intervals of 9ths, 11ths and 13ths and his concept of "substitute changes" influenced many forward thinking saxophonists such as Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, and later John Coltrane. </div> <div> 12. He became and still is the master pianist everyone tries to emulate. Pianists that he influenced were Bud Powell and Lenny Tristano. </div> <div> 13. He died of uremia.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Friends remember Art Tatum:</B></div> <div> <I><B>Sadik Hakim</B></I><I> remembered hearing </I><I><B>Charlie Parker</B></I><I> play with Tatum in Chicago:</I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>A</B></FONT>fter his gig in the Loop, Tatum would come down to a club on the South Side, drinking beer after beer and playing for five or six hours. All the piano players in the city would be there. I remember Bird telling me then, "I wish I could play like Tatum's right hand."</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Roy Eldridge</B></I><I> remembers:</I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>W</B></FONT>hen Art first came here (New York), I was working at Small's, and me and Jo Jones carried him down to the Rhythm Club (the top Harlem jazz club) and we played two tunes before we cut him loose. Fat's was playin' pool, and Fletcher and them was playin' cards. All of a sudden, boom, we all dropped out and let Art go. Boy, you could hear a rat piss on cotton! That sumbitch tore that Rhythm Club up!</div> <div> I laugh at these cats that say, "Well, I finally got a decent piano." He played any of those pianos: he'd play it if it only had four keys on it!</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="coleman_hawkins"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_hawkins_coleman.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B><IMG SRC="34dd2200.jpg" border=0 width="210" height="288" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Coleman+Hawkins" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U><B>Coleman Hawkins</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > (b. St. Joseph, Missouri, 21 Nov. 1904; d. 19 May 1969) </FONT></div> <div> <I>Wha</I><I>t </I><I>Louis Armstrong</I><I> was to the trumpet, </I><I>Coleman Hawkins</I><I> was to the tenor saxophone. Before him was almost nothing because the tenor sax was a rare ins</I><I>trument in the early jazz world, its clumsy, ungainly sound out of place alongside the lithe trumpets. After him, the tenor was the defining sound of jazz, its emotional tone and majestic presence is what most people think jazz is all about.</I></div> <bR> <div> 1. Hawkins was the first important tenor saxophonist.</div> <div> 2. He single handedly brought popularity to an instrument that was earlier considered a novelty. "He's the person who woke you up and let you there was a tenor saxophone," said Lester Young.</div> <div> 3. He had a deep, husky and strong tone which becomes the model for later players.</div> <div> 4. In 1924 he joined Fletcher Henderson's band and stayed for ten years. During which time Hawkin's dressed in the most expensive clothes, drove the fastest cars and quickly established himself as the Attila of the jazz saxophone, ruthlessly cutting down anybody rash enough to challenge him.</div> <div> 5. In 1934 he became disillusioned with Henderson's band and quit. Opting for a five year tour of Europe. Away from the American downgrading of his race, Hawkins cut the dash he felt he deserved, but in 1939 he leisurely returned to Chicago. </div> <div> 6. While he was re-establishing his saxophone supremacy he recorded <I>"</I><I>Body and Soul</I><I>"</I> which becomes a prototype for jazz sax. It is imbued with subtly amended changes, graceful swooping improvisations and faultless execution it became a classic to be placed next Armstrong's <I>"</I><I><B>West End Blues</B></I><I>".</I> </div> <bR> <div> <B>Body and Soul</B>: <I>One of the most popular and recorded of all American popular songs-more than 3000 versions by the time it celebrated its 50th birthday in 1980, another 1,000 or so since then. The song became a famous show stopper in a 1930 Broadway musical review called </I><I><U>Three's a Crowd</U></I><I>, but it was nearly cut from the show at the warm-up performances in Philadelphia. </I><I><B>Johnny Green's</B></I><I> music is complex with three key changes in both verse and chorus and much winding through major and minor keys, but it is the perfect vehicle for the jazz soloist, even if </I><I><B>Coleman Hawkin's</B></I><I> famous version suspended the melody almost entirely.</I></div> <bR> <div> 7. He was one of <I>jazz's first theorists</I>. He was interested in <I>chord progressions</I> and "<I>alternate changes</I>". Because of these concepts and his ability to realize them he was known as a harmonic improviser rather than a melodic improviser. (He improvised on chords rather than just the melody, playing double-tempo runs of notes and quick fire triplets and arpeggios (the notes of the chord played together with blinding melodic improvisation. He fashioned a solo that soared above the band in definitive fashion.)</div> <div> 8. He continued playing through the fifties and sixties primarily with smaller groups and his style still influenced many players including John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. </div> <div> 9. Although his heavy-toned, gruff saxophone occasionally seemed to take second place to such young virtuosos as Stan Getz or Zoot Sims, there was never any serious doubt that he was still the finest exponent of the instrument.</div> <div> 10. Known as first to record Bop in 1944. In 1947 he recorded an unaccompanied improvisation called <I>“</I><I>Picasso</I><I>”</I> that was very technically demanding, even for bop standards. In 1962 he had a commercial success with a cross over Bossa Nova album. Some important players who followed in his footsteps were Ben Webster and Sonny Rollins.</div> <div> 10. Hawkins was one of those rare players whose style keeps evolving as they grow older. Though he was rooted in the music of the swing era, he was in at the birth of bop music in the early 1940's and recorded with the stars of that style, <I>his was the first bop recording ever</I>. Meetings with old tenor stars such as Ben Webster and new ones such as Sonny Rollins kept him ahead of the pack, while a <I>bossa nova album</I> recorded in 1962 proved his commercial antennae were still in good order. With few exceptions jazz tenor saxophone begins with the Hawk.</div> <div> 11. He died in 1969 "worn thin from a permanent diet of lentil soup and brandy" <U>Jazz: The Rough Guide</U></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.bluenote.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bluenote.com/"><U><B>Blue Note Records</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Mead Bold" ><A HREF="http://www.bluenote.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bluenote.com/"><U><B> </B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <I>The most famous of all jazz labels wa</I><I>s formed as a direct result of the </I><I>Spirituals to Swing</I><I> concert at Carnegie hall.</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Mead Bold" ><I> </I></FONT><I>The concert was set up to showcase the talents of the great boogie-woogie pianists </I><I>Albert Ammons</I><I> (1907-49), </I><I>Meade Lux Lewis</I><I> (1905-64) and </I><I>Pete Johnson</I><I> (1904-67). Boogie-Woogie's heyday was in the 20's when rent parties and honky-tonks flourished, but the depression swept all that away, and boogie-woogie disappeared from view. Until Dec. 23rd, 1938 when record producer and entrepreneur </I><I>John Hammond</I><I> (1910-87) promoted the </I><I>Spirituals to Swing</I><I> concert. He searched out </I><I>Ammons</I><I> and </I><I>Lewis</I><I>, both working as taxi drivers in Chicago. In the audience of the concert was </I><I>Alfred Lion</I><I> (1908-87), a refugee from Nazi Germany. So enthused was he by the three Boogie-Woogie pianists, he set up </I><I>Blue Note Records</I><I> and on Jan. 6th, 1939, he recorded </I><I>Ammons</I><I> and </I><I>Lewis</I><I> in four solos each and two duets. Only 50 of 78-rpm discs of the session were made, but soon the label had its first hit with </I><I>Sidney Bechet's</I><I> version of </I><I>Summertime</I><I>. What distinguishes the label, which survives to this day, was its attention to recording quality - safe in the hands of </I><I>Rudy Van Gelder</I><I> after 1953, and the style of its record sleeves, designed and often photographed by graphic designer </I><I>Reid Miles</I><I>. For many, </I><I>Blue Note</I><I> is the epitome of jazz chic.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="billie_holiday"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_holiday_billie.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><IMG SRC="34ec8e40.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="228" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=BILLIE+HOLIDAY" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U>BILLIE HOLIDAY</U></A></div> <div> <B>Vocals, composer.</B></div> <div> b. Baltimore, Maryland, 7 April I 9 I 5, d. New York, 17 July</div> <div> 1959.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >     "</FONT>Billie Holiday's early life is obscure, but was apparently hard: she was confined to an institution as a victim of childhood rape and became a prostitute in her early teens. By November 1933, when she made her <I>first sides</I> with Benny Goodman ("Your Mother's Son-In-Law" and "Riffin' The Scotch"), she had discovered that although she was "scared to death'' of recording, singing could save her from drudgery or whoring. In July 1935, when she made her first great records with friends like Buck Clayton, Lester Young (a platonic soul-brother) and canny Teddy Wilson, the thought of release from such a life still rang joyously in her performances. </div> <div>      She signed with Joe Glaser, <I>Louis Armstrong's manager</I>, in 1935 and toured with Count Basie in 1937 and with Artie Shaw (briefly her lover) in 1938. But she bitterly resented the second-class treatment that Shaw, as an ambitious leader, was prepared to tolerate, and from1939 turned herself into a solo act at Barney Josephson's multiracial Cafe Society club. Despite a  hit with "Strange Fruit", an anti-lynching song which struck like a hammer on ears attuned to Ella Fitzgerald's satchel-swinging "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", Billie was ill equipped for a solo career: her progress through a series of nightclubs - Famous Door. Kelly's Stables. Billy Berg's Downbeat, Spotlite and a variety of others - was accompanied by a heroin habit, drinking problems and a desperate search for a husband/father figure. With a strong sexual appetite and plenty of money to spare, the still child-like <I>Billie was easy prey for a succession of men who came, used her and went</I>: Jimmy Monroe, trumpeter Joe Guy a practiced lowlife John Lew, finally Louis McKay, a Mafioso heavy - she was helplessly dependent on each in turn. As early as the mid-1940s it was easy to hear that her spontaneous talent was being remorselessly eaten away: "Billie is not singing her best, nor does she sing often enough" scolded <I>Down Beat</I> magazine in 1944, by which time she was visibly addicted to heroin. In 1947, after being arrested for drug use, she took a cure in Alderson Reformatory, West Virginia. <I>The resulting notoriety terrified her: by the time she played a packed Carnegie Hall Concert in 1948 (to a thunderous ovation) she was beginning to believe that audiences came to see the scars on her arms (which she hid under long gloves) rather than to hear her voice</I>.</div> <div>      Billie desperately wanted to work in films and in 1947 had played a maid in New Orleans: servant roles were of course standard for black performers, but Billie must have felt the indignity of the role and resented the white people who made her feel guilty for accepting it. She responded with the film's only worthwhile performance, taking out her resentment on-set but off-camera. </div> <div> <I>By 1952, after taking a second cure at Belmont Sanatorium, she was working clubs again and had signed with Norman Granz, who was to record her regularly for five years. But she was out of sympathy with the intellectualism of modern jazz, and lacked the musical knowledge to discuss the problems created by rhythm sections who professed ignorance of her tunes: no wonder that her voice sometimes sounded like a sad caricature.</I> Granz summed up the stance that her admirers gladly adopted: "It was obvious to me that she was less of a singer physically - but you have to use a different set of values. A singer's range might become more narrow - but their understanding might become more profound." </div> <div> In 1953 Billie's <I>Comeback</I> <I>Story</I>" was networked on TV; in 1954 she toured Europe including Britain; by 1956 when her bitter-flavored autobiography <U>Lady Sings the Blues</U> was published, she was working harder than ever<I>. In 1957 a TV jazz show reunited her with Lester Young, and the momentary vision is still terribly moving, as the disarmingly youthful-looking singer nods approval at Young's languid lines. By 1958 she was living alone near Central Park, New York, with her chihuahua (she had recently been refused permission to adopt a child and sometimes fed her dog from a baby's bottle). On 31 May 1959 she collapsed and was taken to hospital where, on her deathbed, she was arrested for possession of narcotics.</I> </div> <div> Conclusion: At her peak, in the swing-happy 1930s, Billie Holiday was unquestionably the <U>greatest jazz singer of all, an avant-garde artist who polished unremarkable popular songs into iridescent gems.</U> She ecstatically re-created their melodies in a small, worldly voice that, in Barney Josephson's words, "rang like a bell and went a mile"; she conveyed a vulnerability which, as a kind Johnny Mercer <I>once said, "made you feel she needed help"</I>; <I>and she projected an intoxicating sensuality when she sang lines like "If you wanna make love, OK" in "Too Hot For Words"</I>. Outwardly she was strong, proud and independent (only the young Lena Horne shares that defiant tilt of the head), but unlike Horne - and other contemporaries who, like Ethel Waters, fought the system on its own doubtful terms - Billie's insecurities led her to drink, drugs and a succession of men, making her an easy target for a witch-hunting white society. Naive as it normally is to equate singers with their songs, Billie's numbers bear out her own assertion that "anything I do sing, it's a part of my life". Songs like "<B>Lover Man</B><B> </B><B>(Oh Where Can You Be?)</B><B>'</B>' (A long-time stayer in her act), "<B>Don't Explain</B>'' (her hymn to forgiveness for male infidelity), and "<B>T'Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do</B>" all speak directly of the problems that quickly devastated her."  Margaret Moos Pick</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="35602bd0.jpg" border=0 width="258" height="189" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Louis and Billie</div> <div> Billie  learned to her craft by singing along with Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong records. She said she loved Bessie's powerful voice but the first time she heard "West End Blues" recorded by Armstrong's Hot Five she knew that was <I>the sound </I>for her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="ella_fitzgerald"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_fitzgerald_ella.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><B><IMG SRC="35a2a540.jpg" border=0 width="298" height="340" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Ella </B><B>Fitzgerald (1917-1996)</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>A life of lucky breaks, although </I>Ella Fitzgerald<I> (1917-96) would be the first to point out she had worked hard to achieve them. Her first break came in 1934 when she won a talent contest at that notoriously critical venue, the Apollo Theatre in Harlem</I>, <I>and was promptly hired by Chick Webb to sing in his big band. She became a celebrity of the Savoy Ballroom-the main New York swing venue-and had a huge hit in 1938 with the lightweight</I> “A-tisket, A-tasket”. <I>Her second break came in 1939 when Webb died and Ella, barely 22, took the band over and ran it until it folded in 1942. The third was her association with the Jazz at the Philharmonic tours after 1946, which made her solo career, but it was her fourth, in 1956, that elevated Ella into a class of her own.</I></div> <bR> <div> Ella Fitzgerald is the quintessential American <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761560708" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>jazz</U></A> singer, considered one of the greatest singers in jazz history. Fitzgerald achieved spectacular success in bringing jazz into mainstream American culture and was rightly dubbed the “First Lady of Song.” In a career that spanned almost 60 years, she demonstrated the artistic potential in American popular songs, created a body of enduring recorded art, and influenced countless other singers through her jazz stylings and <I>scat singing </I>(improvised nonsense syllables usually sung to instrumental accompaniment).</div> <div> Born in Newport News, Virginia, Fitzgerald moved as a child with her mother and her stepfather to Yonkers, a suburb of New York City. At first she hoped to become a dancer. But she loved the singing of Connee Boswell, who performed in a vocal trio. As a teenager, she began winning amateur talent contests at the Harlem Opera House and its nearby competitor, the Apollo Theater, in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. This recognition led to an invitation to sing with noted drummer and bandleader Chick Webb and his band at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Upon Webb's death in 1939, Fitzgerald became leader of the band. Then, in 1941 she went out on her own during a time when other big-band singers-<A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761553173" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>Frank Sinatra</U></A>, Jo Stafford, and others-were also stepping into the limelight. By the 1940s Fitzgerald had established the style that made her famous: a warm and lovely voice, unfailingly accurate pitch, superb clarity of diction, and an irresistible sense of swing.</div> <div> Fitzgerald sang many song styles with authority. In the 1950s she began a series of songbook recordings, in which she interpreted classic songs by <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761567344" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>Irving Berlin</U></A>, <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761551803" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>George Gershwin</U></A> and Ira Gershwin, <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761571359" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>Cole Porter</U></A>, and other American composers and lyricists. These recordings set high standards for the interpretation of such ballads as “The Man I Love” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?” Noted for her virtuosic scat singing (prominently featured in “How High the Moon” and “Mack the Knife”), she used her voice with all the improvisatory genius of the finest jazz instrumentalists. She also made collaborative recordings with such well-known bandleaders as <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761551998" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>Louis Armstrong</U></A>, <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761577553" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>Duke Ellington</U></A>, and <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761561924" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>Count Basie</U></A>, among others.</div> <div> By the 1950s Fitzgerald was becoming an international celebrity. She topped one musical popularity poll after another and made several television appearances. By the 1960s Fitzgerald's graceful public presence and musical artistry had made her a beloved figure on the American cultural scene. She earned 14 Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1967), a number of honorary doctorates, and other prizes, and she gave generously to charitable and humanitarian causes. In 1997 Fitzgerald's son and attorney presented her archives to the <A HREF="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761557711" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/R"><U>Smithsonian Institution</U></A> in Washington, D.C., which in 1998 opened an exhibition on her life and contributions.</div> <div> <I>"Fitzgerald, Ella," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003</I></div> <div> <I>http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.© </I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B> <A NAME="women_singers"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>Women singers:</B></I></div> <div> <I>Unfairly, the most famous women in jazz are all singers. Of these, </I><I><B>Ella Fitzgerald </B></I><I>is renowned, but she had her rivals. </I><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Sarah+Vaughan" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U><I><B>Sarah Vaughan</B></I></U></A><I><B> </B></I><I>(1924-90) had perfect intonation and real improvisatory skills, but her effortless mastery could sometimes become self-parody. </I><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Dinah+Washington+" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U><I><B>Dinah Washington</B></I></U></A><I> </I><I>(1924-63) suffered in different ways, for her skills at rhythm and blues, pop, gospel, jazz, and ballads meant many overlooked just how good she was, whatever she sang. Her show stopping performance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, captured on </I><I>Jazz on a Summer's Day,</I><I> set the record straight. </I><A HREF="http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ismael/jazz/1950/McRae.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ism"><U><I><B>Carmen McRae</B></I></U></A><I><B> </B></I><I>(1922-94) was a late starter, recording nothing under her own name until 1954, but making up for it with fine records featuring her bop-influenced style and smoky delivery. Newer on the block was </I><A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Betty+Carter" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U><I><B>Betty Carter</B></I></U></A><I><B> </B></I><I>(1929-98), whose stage performances were legendary for the relationship she established with her audience and her feminist slant on a song.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <U> <A NAME="basie"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_basie_count.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist"><U><U><IMG SRC="34fc8f60.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="246" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp=12&method=2&s=Count+Basie" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gwp="><U><B>Count Basie</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > (b. Red Bank, NJ, 21 Aug. 1904; d. 26 April 1984) </FONT></div> <div> <I>Less equals more tells you everything you need to know about the kid from Red Bank, NJ. While other pianists spread notes all over the keyboard, </I><I><B>Basie</B></I><I> was a minimalist, an certain chord here, a few well chosen notes there, a short melodic phrase from the right hand, a quiet stab from the left hand, was all he required to stamp his mark on his surroundings. Sparse to the point of meanness, his playing was light, airy, and swung like the Sammy Sosa.</I></div> <bR> <div> 1. Bill Basie became a professional musician in the early 1920's, playing in Ashbury Park, NJ and in New York City clubs. He toured with a vaudeville act (Gonzelle White) from 1925-27 and finally settled down in Kansas City. </div> <div> 2. In the early thirties Basie performed with the Bennie Moten Band. (Lester Young, Walter Page, Hot Lips Page and later Joe Jones joined Moten's band among others). Bennie died in 1935 and Basie took over and signed his band to a national recording label. The band became a 12 piece with addition of guitarist Freddie Green and saxophonist Earl Warren.</div> <div> 3. As a pianist Basie was informally trained by Fats Waller (who was exactly 3 months older than Basie). He had a strong foundation in the stride piano style associated with the east coast tradition (Waller) as evidenced by some of his early recordings with Moten. But the style forever associated with him is much more streamlined by comparison. His style is inextricably linked with his outstanding rhythm section, especially the Green-Page-Jones combination that was together from 1937-1949. Basie is known for his impeccable taste and rhythmic feel and keen use of musical space.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Count Basie's Rhythm Section</B></div> <div> 1. First section to consistently swing in a smooth relaxed way. This seminal section included <B>Joe Jones, Walter Page, Freddie Green</B> and <B>Count Basie</B>.</div> <div> 2. Some of the qualities exuded by this ensemble that were influential are:</div> <div>      A. An excellent and solid sense of tempo</div> <div>      B. A consistent and never forced rhythmic swing</div> <div>      C. A quiet and relaxed manner of playing always associated with a feeling of ease</div> <div>      D. There was an even amount of stress on every beat instead of pushing every other beat as was common in the swing era.</div> <div>      E. Emphasized buoyancy rather than intensity.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="walter_page_big_one"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Walter Page "Big One"<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > (b. Gallatin, Missouri, 9 Feb. 1900; d. 20 Dec. 1957)</FONT></div> <div> 1. Walter was the first master of the walking bass style which he helped develop. </div> <div> 2. He was the first strongly articulated and well heard bass sound. The bass was no longer relegated to the background in the Basie outfit.</div> <div> 3. Walter played each beat evenly.</div> <div> 4. He meticulously balanced his sound with rest of the rhythm section. </div> <div> 5. Joe Jones said: "...without him I wouldn't have known how to play drums. For two years Page told me how to phrase. And aside from that he told me a few of the responsibilities that go into making up an artist's life."</div> <div> 6. In Dec. 1957 on his way to a <U>TV Sound of Jazz</U> recording he collapsed, was rushed to the hospital and died shortly thereafter. </div> <div> 7. Walter Page was the last of the great pre-Blanton bassists and a force in the greatest jazz rhythm section of all time.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="freddie_green"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="http://www.freddiegreen.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.freddiegreen.com/"><U><IMG SRC="35488780.jpg" border=0 width="136" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Freddie Green</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > (b. Charleston, SC 31 March 1911; d. 1 March 1987)</FONT></div> <div> 1. Freddie went to NY city as a teenager and worked by day as an upholsterer and at night he played in the jazz clubs.  He was discovered by John Hammond and introduced to Count Basie. Basie reluctantly aud