Jazz Festivals » Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz History: "Pre-Jazz"

admin2 — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:56:25 +0000

Jazz as a style didn’t come into its own until around 1920. Before that there were such prejazz forms as band and piano ragtime, jug bands, banjo groups, country blues, European marching bands and pop songs, street calls, and African percussion music. Good examples of this early American music can be heard on the Smithsonian Folk Collection. Most good jazz texts run the history and descriptions down. One such book is Jazz Styles by Mark Gridley.

Jazz came about due to the inevitable confluence of ragtime and the blues. Of course, one could make a semantic argument which would confuse what the salient characteristics of jazz are (much of what they presented on BET Jazz I wouldn’t call jazz, for example). Similarly, I would not call the Original Dixieland Jass Band’s barn animal and slide-whistle gimmicks jazz. (Many contemporaries called their stuff jive hokum.) Jazz didn’t really swing until Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong, and simply because Louis and Jelly played ragtime before they evolved their great jazz groups does not make what they played before that jazz.

Certainly the music had been gradually evolving towards jazz for quite some time, but because the ODJB first used the term Jass (not Jazz) in their title isn’t that much of a big deal to me. I’m sure they thought it would help with sales and popularity (and it worked for them, too), since these terms–and others–were already in the air. And musicians did not uniformly refer to whatever music they played at that time as jazz by any means; these were loose terms. Many scholars do, however, acknowledge that the ODJB was the first recorded jazz band, and that is where I differ with them.

I cringe when I hear about ODJB in this regard: Having played their recordings for many Jazz History classes over the years, and compared their music to Louis, Jelly, and many others, I think they are an embarrassment. To me they are insufferably corny and they couldn’t swing their way out of a paper bag! Worst of all, they are the recorded caricature of the less-talented whites stealing the black man’s music–and doing it poorly.

By: Ed Byrne

Jazz Piano – the History

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:27:54 +0000

Jazz Piano is an integral part of jazz idiom since it has been incepted in both ensemble and solo settings. Due to its harmonic and melodic nature, the instrument is quite important for understanding the jazz arranging and theory. Along with a jazz guitar, a jazz piano is also one of those instruments of jazz combo which may be played with chords as with a trumpet or saxophone.

If you are into practice jazz piano you must know about jazz practice tool where chords are the primary substance in the instrument, and the second skill you will have to learn is how to play jazz piano with swing rhythm. Then is the skill of improvisation which requires you to make something on the spot. This is a skill that requires tremendous skills and extreme knowledge of the piano.

Earlier, the jazz piano used to be heavily stride technique and it was often played solo. Historically influential promoters of early piano include Earl Hines, Jelly Roll Morton, Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. The playing style of Mary Lou Williams, Wilie Smith and James P. Johnson shaped the history of jazz piano. The 1950s and the 1960s were the golden age of the jazz which created many important and influential jazz piano players. These powerful players included Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, Don Pullen, Bud Powell, Cecil Taylor and Horace Silver. The jazz pianists require an exclusive skills set and the piano’s extended range as a playing instrument offers the solo players an exhaustive variety of choices. One can use bass register for playing a pattern of ostinato such as that of a melodious counterline or boogie woogie emulating the playing of upright bass. Stride piano is a style of playing in which the left hand of the player changes positions rapidly while he plays notes in bass register and the chords in tenor register. This can also be done in a more syncopated variant.

Bill Evans sat at the front line of new generation players who emerged in 1960s including Chick Corea, John Taylor, Dave Brubeck and Keith Jarrett. Today, the popular figures in the field of jazz piano include Bill Charlap, Brad Mehldau, Jacky Terrasson, Danilo Perez and Geoffrey Keezer.

By: Akhila Choudhary

Jazz Musicians And The Art Of Transcribing Jazz Solos

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:54:45 +0000

Every great jazz musician has, at one time or another, transcribed jazz solos from recordings. Since jazz is an art from that is aural in nature, it makes complete sense that listening and copying the improvisations of earlier jazz masters helps one become a more consistent and skilled jazz improviser.

Transcribing a jazz solo involves the repetitive listening and notation of a recorded jazz solo. To get maximum benefit from the process, the person studying the solo through transcription should memorize and internalize every note and every inflection played by the improviser. “Transcribing” refers to the activity of notating on paper the exact notes and rhythms played by the improviser.

Evolving Technologies of Transcribing Jazz Solos

Charlie Parker could arguably be called the most influential jazz artist of the 20th century. His inventive jazz improvisations changed the face of jazz and ushered in one of the most exciting eras of jazz: the bebop era.

Charlie Parker was born with a huge amount of natural talent, but that does not mean Charlie never worked hard at his honing his craft. History reveals that Charlie spent almost a year early on in his music career memorizing – note by note – the jazz solos of Lester Young from 78 RPM recordings.

Before jazz became widely available on 78 RPM recordings, musicians relied on listening and learning in “real time”. The only way to learn jazz improvisation in the early days of jazz was to listen to live musicians and pick up what you could from what they played. Once played however, the music was gone forever.

During the 1920s, artists such Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and many others began recording their music and jazz improvisations onto 78 RPM acetone discs. This leap in technology opened the door for future musicians to “study” the improvisations of their jazz predecessors.

The 1950s saw the introduction of reel to reel tape machines and ultimately cassette tape recordings. Magnetic tape made it possible for jazz musicians to forward and rewind the tape to exact locations of solos and specific passages of a solo. No longer did musicians have to “drop the needle” on worn out discs to learn a solo or tune. Some cassette tape players were made specifically for musicians, allowing them to slow down parts or all of a recording at half or quarter speed. This proved to be helpful, but slowing down analog tape created problems with pitch and fidelity that was annoying to say the least.

In recent years, computers have assisted jazz musicians transcribe recordings in ways that were once considered impossible. Inexpensive or free computer programs have made it possible to slow down fast passages without changing fidelity or pitch. Other advantages of computer assisted transcription include the ability to change key, precise looping of passages for ease in learning, and even help with notating pitches that are played.

Transcribing and studying great jazz solos can be one of the smartest and beneficial activities any jazz musician can undertake to help hone his or her craft. Even with the marvels of modern technology, the process still takes time and effort however. Don’t forget to use the knowledge and skills you acquire from transcribing jazz solos to performing with live musicians. Nothing will replace the experience of playing jazz with others!

By: James P Martin

Jazz Music – History and Facts Revealed

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:45:10 +0000

The 20th century music world has seen the entry of light and easy listening music with African-American jazz music. Originating in southern USA, jazz music is a combination of African and European music traditions. It puts together the use of blue notes, improvisation, syncopation and swing notes.

Jazz music was first used in reference to music from Chicago early in the 20th century. It has evolved in several other subgenres such as New Orleans Dixieland, big band-style swing, bebop, Afro-Cuban jazz, Brazilian jazz, jazz-rock fusion, and the more recent acid jazz.

The realm of jazz music was and still is predominantly associated with the American black community. These black musicians transitioning from banjos and tambourines learned to play European instruments such as the violin. Black slaves from early America used to sing and play music as a form of spiritual or ritualistic hymns.

After emancipation, employment opportunities for black slaves were very limited as segregation laws were still in force. Most of these black slaves found themselves in the entertainment industry as piano players and instrumentalists. They became low-cost entertainers as minstrels, vaudeville players, piano bar players, and marching band members. Soon, this kind of jazz music called Ragtime Jazz spread from the southern USA to other areas in the western and northern cities in USA.

Ragtime jazz became very popular in the early part of the century. Musician Jelly Roll Morton published the first ever jazz arrangement in print in 1915 with the title Jelly Roll Blues. This printed arrangement brought forth a new breed of musicians playing ragtime. Ragtime music moved on from red-light district bars and vaudeville shows to major concert locations such as the Carnegie Hall.

The first jazz record was recorded in 1913 by Society Orchestra, the first black group to come out with a record. Another group that came up with their very own jazz music recording is the “Original Dixieland Jazz Band”. Other bands followed suit, releasing jazz music recordings starting in 1917. In 1922, the most famous blues singer of the decade, Bessie Smith, also released her first recording. Also in the 1920s, Jelly Roll Morton played with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and made history as the first mixed-race recording collaboration. Big bands like those of Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington and Earl Hines played the more prominent venues and paved the way for the development of big-band-style swing jazz.

Louis Armstrong, a trumpeter, band leader and singer, came to be known as the Ambassador of Jazz, what with his early innovations in jazz music. Swing music is considered to be popular dance music and is played from printed musical arrangements. Then came the bebop which focuses more on small groups and simple arrangements.

Throughout the years jazz music has always been preferred music genre among those who enjoy light and easy listening. There are radio stations that play only jazz music. Jazz music can be heard most everywhere hotel lounges, salons, concert halls, wedding receptions, Jazz music is perhaps also the most unique form of music as there are no two jazz music performances are ever the same.

By: Sayid Aksa

Short History of Jazz

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:13:00 +0000

Jazz is sometimes referred to as “America’s classical music”. It has become a diverse genre with its roots in native American and African music; in particular, the blues, spirituals and rag time. Jazz first became a defined music form in the early 1920 springing from the US cities of New Orleans and later Chicago. Early Jazz was characterized by traditional rhythms and melodies being taken and improvised upon, giving a combination of swing and syncopation. Early Jazz performers of note included Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Domino, Bix Beiderbecke and Louis Armstrong. A good taste of this period can be gained by listening to recordings of Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Hot Seven ensembles.

By the 1930 Jazz had spread out of its local bases in South American and became more mainstream attracting white musicians as well. One development of Jazz was the big bands such as Ben Goodman and Glen Miller. Glen Millers big band became very successful and popular, but offering little scope for improvisation jazz aficionados saw it as more of swing rather than real jazz. However other big bands such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie provided some of the all time great Jazz recordings.

Whilst the Big Band led jazz in a more conventional direction. The late 1930s and 1940s also saw jazz develop in another direction through the creation of the new “Be Bop” craze. Be Bop is epitomized by the great musicians such as Charlie “Bird” Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sonny Rollins. These musicians took Jazz to new heights of improvisation, loosening the adherence to harmony’s and rigid chord structures.

Unlike previous forms of jazz, Be bop was not designed for dancing but was seen more like an opportunity to showcase the musical expertise of the performers. Some of the great be bop recordings came about as the performers played off each other, each striving for greater excellence and improvisation. One of the greatest recordings of this period was “Jazz at Masey Hall” 1953 featuring Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker amongst others, it is a very good example of live jazz music. In the 1960s Be bop evolved into a form of “free jazz” with little if any adherence to conventional harmonies and chord structures. One of the best selling jazz recordings which characterized this new form was “A Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis.

Alas many of the great jazz performers led tragic lives, a seemingly very high percentage died prematurely, inevitably from drug and alcohol misuse. Unfortunately many young performers came to associate drugs with being a successful jazz performer so jazz developed a strong reputation for association with narcotics.

To play Jazz music successfully a classical background is definitely an advantage. To be a successful jazz player you need to be able to learn the chords and scales of the song. With this basic structure you can then improvise around these chords to give the improvised or jazz effect. However to be a great jazz musician a lot more is needed than formal training, successful improvisation is a difficult skill that appears to come easily to a rare few.

By: Richard Pettinger

History of Jazz Piano

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:27:53 +0000

Jazz piano has been a part of jazz since its beginnings. Piano is one of the rare instruments in a jazz combo which can play chords, unlike saxophone or trumpet which can only play single notes. The early jazz piano was mainly stride. Stride is also known as New York ragtime is a pioneering jazz piano style. It was developed in Harlem during the World war one. As you can see from the name (New York ragtime) it was influenced by ragtime but it featured improvisations, blue notes and swing rhythms which were new in this type of music.

The great performers of that time were Earl Hines, James P. Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, Willie “The Lion” Smith , Art Tatum, Thomas “Fats” Waller, Mary Lou Williams, Teddy Wilson and many others who often attended cutting contests (battles between stride piano players in the early 1920s) where they showed of their skills.

It continued to develop specially during the 50s and 60s with pianists like Red Garland and McCoy Tyner. In that time one of the most widely spread types of jazz called Free Jazz was becoming more and more popular. Some great works of art still reminds us of that time which surely was a gold age of jazz existence. The beginnings of free jazz can be set with recordings of Ornette Coleman for Contemporary and with the Jazz Advance and Looking Ahead, two great albums by Cecil Taylor.

Today jazz piano is still popular among many pianists just to mention few Michael Weiss, Bill Charlap, Geoffrey Keezer, Brad Mehldau, Mulgrew Miller, Danilo Perez and many others.

By: Luka Ce

The Story of the Jazz Piano Style

admin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:36:23 +0000

When people think of piano music, they tend to think of classic pieces. Jazz piano is a style that is obviously unique, but also technically and soulfully superb.

The story of the jazz piano begins with a man named Jelly Roll Morton, a town called New Orleans, and a type of music called ragtime. Joseph Ferdinand La Menthe (Jelly Roll Morton) was known throughout New Orleans as a musician that could play just about any type of music. Jelly Roll enjoyed entertaining crowds with his ragtime, jazz, and blues combinations, and he often played to a roaring crowd throughout New Orlean’s Redlight District.

The song “Jelly Roll Blues” was the first jazz compilation every published (1915), and this catchy tune really put both Jelly Roll and the jazz piano on the musical map. There is no debating the fact that Morton was the original father of jazz piano, and he is entirely responsible for the jazz piano tunes that we know and love today. If you have heard this great musician play, you may be interested to know that a fantastic recording of his is currently at the Library of Congress. This recording was the last one that Morton ever did, and it is one of the best recordings in history.

When the 1920s rolled around, jazz music took a whole different turn, and the streets of Chicago and New York City were vibrating with the sound of a rolling piano. During this time, New York musicians were tapping the keys to a style called “Harlem Stride,” and many attribute this type of music to James P. Johnson (1891-1955). The story of jazz piano really started to crank up when Harlem grabbed a hold of the instrument, and though many have tried to duplicate this sound, jazz music has not been the same since.

If you enjoy listening to modern jazz, take the time to discover Jelly Roll and Johnson – you’ll be pleased that you did. Whether you want to play the piano, or whether you simply love to hear those sweet chords chime, those that were true piano pioneers are still the best the world has every heard.

There can be no history of the jazz piano without the mention of New Orleans, Harlem, Chicago, Jelly Roll Morton, and James P. Johnson – the men, the music, and the piano all combine throughout time to create a sound unlike any other. Stop for moment, listen to those old recordings, and then ask yourself whether or not you can hear that good old piano truly roll.

By: Aazdak Alisimo