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48 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Why jazz was losing its audience to rock in the 1960s, and the various ways in which jazz musicians coped with this (moving to Europe, etc); why the death of John Coltrane was symbolic
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-1976: Coltrane, spiritual leader of modern jazz, died of cancer
*his death left the jazz world in a gloomy state *record sales were down, clubs all across America were closing *ironic that as he lay dying in the hospital, so was jazz music -the biggest reason jazz was in trouble was because of the rise in popularity of rock *it was new and exciting, spoke to the issues of the day, encompassed creativity *also there was an abundance of charismatic stars -at first jazz musicians were condescending toward rock music -some jazz musicians, Stan Getz and Dexter Gordon, moved to Europe -some got out of music or took unskilled jobs -some started adopting the styles of rock into their jazz music |
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Why jazz musicians were condescending toward rock in the 1960s; why and how rock musicians (the Grateful Dead, Cream, etc) on the other hand embraced jazz
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-jazz musician considered jazz as an art form
*they had spent years and invested their life towards practicing and learning *they were technically skilled in harmonies, vocabulary, and repertoire *to jazz musicians, rock was intended to be pop rather than art *rock took away food off their table -rock musicians were embracing jazz with interesting and creative results *The Grateful Dead were fans of Coltrane’s extended improvisations and the drummers in the band were originally jazz musicians *Eric Clapton’s power trio “Cream” were also jazzers; would often improvise on a single tune for an hour-like Coltrane |
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-Frank Zappa’s 1969: called one of the first successful complete albums that fused rock and jazz
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Hot Rats
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-the music that the Davis group recorded was groundbreaking in its originiality, conception, and realization
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Soundstream
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*author Alyn Shipton called it a “soundstream”
*Miles, the other horns, and chordal instruments soloed and interacted over a rock-based accompaniment *uses rock and funk rhythms exclusively, Davis made a complete break with traditional jazz swing and Latin-influenced rhythms |
Soundstream
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a producer who was instrumental in creating the soundstream concepts
*in prostproduction sessions edited sections of tape together to construct repeating loops, extended jams, tempo changes, and other interesting effects |
Teo Macero
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the earliest form of fusing jazz and rock; most often takes the form of the soundstream approach of 1970s Davis or early Weather Report recordings
*Bitches Brew is considered to be the blueprint album in the creation of the styles that became known as jazz/rock |
a producer who was instrumental in creating the soundstream concepts
*in prostproduction sessions edited sections of tape together to construct repeating loops, extended jams, tempo changes, and other interesting effects |
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: an equal triangulation of jazz, rock, and pop that emerged in the mid 1970s
-Smooth Jazz: a melodic and pop-oriented style of jazz that evolved from jazz/rock fusion in the 1980s and 1990s |
Fusion
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The Dealer; Larry Coryell
-perhaps the first successful rock conceptualization by a jazz musician was Hamilton’s 1966 album “The Dealer” -he used rock-influenced rhythms and an electric guitar |
Chico Hamilton
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Why he disbanded his 60s quintet
*a hard bop/free jazz hybrid, most forward thinking group of his career *but then his audiences began dwindling |
Miles Davis
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Rock musicians and elements that influenced him in the late 1960s
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Rock musicians and elements that influenced him in the late 1960s (miles davis)
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*in the following Feb. Davis recorded his most rock-oriented and eerie album to date
-3 electric keyboardists; an electric bass guitarist; and a rock influenced guitarist -was still one step away from a truly groundbreaking fusion of jazz and rock |
in a silent way
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Bitches Brew: the characteristics of its sound – “soundstream;” how it was recorded;; why Teo Macero was so important; the controversy surrounding it; its ultimate influence
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Davis’s next album that finally tore down the wall that separated the two styles
*Davis recorded the double album Bitches Brew in three days *is widely credited as the first successful synthesis of jazz and rock *Davis brought together a who’s who in contemporary jazz for the album *controversial, drawing criticism from conservative jazz fans, musicians, and the press *it won a Grammy in 1970 *Bitches Brew is considered to be the blueprint album in the creation of the styles that became known as jazz/rock and fusion |
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Williams formed a short-lived but innovative trio in 1969
-they drew inspiration by jamming with Jimi Hendrix -the group’s debut album “Emergency” is much more explosive and tightly formatted than the Davis albums of the same period |
Tony Williams
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: it’s international lineup; John McLaughlin; Inner Mounting Flame
-John McLaughlin played the guitar in Williams’ trio -Miles Davis was so impressed with his trumpeting skills and asked him to join his group -McLaughlin declined, but stil recorded several albums with Davis over the next 2 years *In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew -after leaving Williams’ group and with Davis’ encouragement, McLaughlin decided to form his own jazz/rock group *the Mahavishnu Orchestra opened in 1971 *the group had an international lineup *captivated audiences with the power, intensity and complexity of their music *loud and high energy; sudden changes in tempo; varied melodies *folk, classical and blues elements were also present (from Eastern cultures, India) *The Inner Mounting Flame: the orchestra’s first album -the music was more focused and structured than Davis’s albums -combining virtuosic solo improvisation, stunning ensembles playing, electronic effects, and unusual sound of an electric guitar, synthesizer, and an electric violin playing together |
Mahavishnu Orchestra
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; Josef Zawinul; Wayne Shorter; Jaco Pastorius; Heavy Weather
-1971: Josef Zawinul formed Weather Report, it became the standard bearer for jazz/rock and fusion in the 1970s and 80s -Josef Zawinul and Wayne Shorter played in Ferguson’s band for a short time before Shorter left to join the Jazz Messengers and Zawinul joined the Adderley Quintet -Zawinul used a ring modulator and a wah wah pedal to modify the sound of the electric piano *he played in Davis’s In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew -Zawinul and Shorter reunited and started their own group *they formed the Weather Report *in the beginning it had a “soundstream” mold of the early Davis jazz/rock albums *however the Weather Report’s songs were shorter and more focused *won a Down Beat Album of the Year Award *the band experience a lot of personnel changes -early 1976 Zawinul was introduced to Jaco Pastorius *Pastorius claimed to be the greatest bass player in the world (wasn’t kidding) *jazz musician that grew up listening to rock *skilled on bass guitar and as a song writer *played for Weather Report for 6 years, energized crowds -with Pastorius influence, Weather Report led into the pop sensation with rock concert-like performances -1977 Heavy Weather: the gold standard in 1970s fusion albums, outstanding compositions, inspired playing from the entire band *represents the commercial and critical peak of a band that successfully integrated inventive improvisation, arranged parts, jazz, rock, ethnic influences, and technology |
Weather Report
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Chick Corea
-came to jazz/rock after spending much of the 1960s as a skilled sideman -recorded 2 notable “straight-ahead” acoustic jazz albums -established a reputation: extremely rhythmic player with a forceful touch and amazing technique -in the summer of 1968: began working for Davis, put him on electronic piano -left Davis in 1970 but still recorded with him -formed the group, Return to Forever *began as a West Coast-ish, Latin jazz group *2 albums were released: Return to Forever and Light as a Feather *the music was light as a feather, with smooth samba grooves and soothing vocals *created a context for Corea’s s precise improvisations *1973: Corea retooled Return to Forever into a harder-edged fusion band with the addition of a guitarist and drummer (from Bitches Brew) -reveal a sound that largely abandoned elements -it was closer to the progressive rock bands of the era -made extensive use of synthesizers as well as acoustic and electronic piano -enabled the group to sign with Columbia Records -but jazz fans thought they crossed the line *Corea reformed the group again into a six-horn section, drums, and vocals -only produced 2 albums -disbanded in 1977 |
Return to Forever
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: characteristics of the Mwandishi band; Head Hunters
-mid 1960s: Herbie Hancock established himself as one of the foremost pianists in jazz by virtue of his tenure with Davis’s 60s quintet -Hancock continued to record with Davis until 1972 -Hancock released a number of well-received hard bop albums for Blue Note -in 1969: he signed with a lucrative contract with the rock-oriented Warner Brothers -put together a sextet known as “Mwandishi” *they released 3 albums between 1970 and 1972 *synthesizer stylist was brought in to create an otherworldly ambience *electronic sound effects were often painstaking to create and manipulate *experimented with keyboards during his period *Warner Brothers didn’t like space-jazz, so they dropped them *band broke apart -Hancock then put together a quintet with funk musicians who could play jazz *rather than jazz musicians who could play funk *known as the Head Hunters *inspired by the psychedelic rhythm and blues of Sly and the Family Stone *abandoned soundstream and embraced tight funk grooves *1973 album Head Hunters -recorded jam sessions, reworked, and re-recorded music, then added overdubs -very expensive, but extremely successful -catchy riffs, and soothing rhythm and blues; and sweltering jazz/funk grooves -marked a “no turning back” moment; record labels and jazz musicians could now see the rewards of targeting their music toward a youthful rock audience -music had to be listener-friendly enough to sell, but had to have enough jazz integrity to not “sell-out” |
Herbie Hancock
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jazz/rock and fusion slowly became more pop-oriented
-soon a new style evolved: smooth jazz -in 1986: Kenneth Gorelick (Kenny G) released the album Duotones *the low water mark in smooth jazz *simple, repetitive pop melodies and chord progression *suited for shopping malls and the Weather Channel *breakthrough album for Kenny G; successful |
Kenny G
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places a high priority on jazz tradition and non-commercial elements
-most often take the form of the soundstream |
Jazz Rock
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an equal triangulation of jazz, rock and pop
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Fusion
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-overly commercial, pop-oriented jazz style with emphasis on catchy melodies, repetition, and danceable grooves; Kenny G
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Smooth Jazz
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The general mood of America in the 1980s and the impact of Ronald Reagan
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-Regan was folksy, easygoing, and optimistic
-the prime example is young urban professional *focus on living a life to its fullest (worldly living) -there was a new focus on the arts, culture, and philosophy |
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The influence of the jazz education system on jazz in the 1980s
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-new generation of young players with seemingly unlimited talent
*they were products of the now well-established jazz educational system -the institutionalization of jazz education made advanced technical skills commonplace -technique become more important than individuality |
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-consistently been at the forefront of jazz and contemporary music education
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Berklee College of Music
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-a narrow-minded notion stating that swing, blues tonalities, and the use of acoustic instruments (and technical mastery) are indispensable components of jazz
-Murray and Crouch also say one has to be black to play jazz convincingly -they also pushed a literal interpretation of jazz -the stylistic ideal was hard bop |
Neo-conservative movement
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-a reformed version of the Miles Davis Quintet led by Herbie Hancock
-neo-conservative influenced |
VSOP Quintet
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-a group of Marsalis followers, neo-conservative
-the first generation of Young Lions were the members of Marsalis’s first quartet -also led by Marsalis -2 generations, all good looking |
Young lions: why they came about
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-an annual competition sponsored by Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (non-profit org.)
-competitions are held each year on trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums -Joshua Redman, of the Young Lions, won on saxophone in 1991 |
-a group of Marsalis followers, neo-conservative
-the first generation of Young Lions were the members of Marsalis’s first quartet -also led by Marsalis -2 generations, all good looking |
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-celebrated return of Miles Davis in 1981
-a lot of media coverage throughout the world -sellout tours in Japan, Europe and US -appealed to non-jazz fans -remade pop songs |
The nature of Miles Davis’s work after he came out of retirement in 1975 (you don’t need to know specific albums or dates)
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-short for “Macro-Basic Array of Structured Extemporization”
-a concept of how to create modern music which reached its peak in the mid-late 80s and 90s -started by avant-garde musician Steve Coleman (saxophonist) -definition is not quite clear -“growth through creativity” “a way of thinking about creating music, not the music itself” -most influenced by free jazz, bebop, and funk -Greg Osby, Geri Allen, Cassandra Wilson |
M-Base
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-Comparisons to Ronald Reagan
*he impacted jazz in a “Reagan-esque” way *both of them tapped into the yearning of returning to the 1950s *both were image conscious and possessed great communicative skills *both had many followers, but also had critics -His general career path in the 1980s (w/the Jazz Messengers, Grammy Awards, etc) *Marsalis’s rise to fame and power benefited from the 1980s trend toward emphasizing technique rather than individuality *universally acknowledged as one of the most technically gifted jazz musicians *to many he was a “messiah” and led to the rebirth of jazz *went to Juilliard School and attracted NY’s music elite *summer of 1980 (18yrs) sat in with the Jazz Messenger’s and then landed a job *then he became the group’s musical director *1980 signed contracts with jazz and classical divisions at Columbia Records *1981 released his self-titled debut album, featured M. Davis’s rhythm section *1983 released 3rd jazz album; and made his classical recording debut -both albums won Grammy Awards *became a beneficiary of a high-powered public relations campaign by Columbia -became very famous, very fast -The controversy surrounding him *he was a polarizing figure at the center of one of the most controversial period in jazz *he criticized jazz elders in print *his extensive use of technical virtuosity at the expense of creativity and personal style -Albert Murray and Stanley Crouch: their influence; Stomping the Blues *Murray and Crouch influence Marsalis to think they way he does *they had an agenda about what jazz is supposed to sound like and how it should reflect contemporary African-American culture *this ideology began after they published “Stomping the Blues -this book advocates that blues is an essential part of all jazz (no blues, not jazz) *together they established the criterion for neo-conservative movement *Marsalis fell under the “spell” of Murray and Crouch; he became outspoken in advocating the neoconservative movement *the three of them put their view in print; one writer called them M-C-M |
Wynton Marsalis
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*Marsalis’s first 3 albums were reminiscent of M. Davis’s 60s Quartet
*however he jumped on the neocon bandwagon in 1988; by releasing “The Majesty of the Blues *uses a spoken sermon against his critics |
The Majesty of the Blues; its significance and characteristics
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Controversy surrounding Marsalis’s role at Jazz at Lincoln Center
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Marsalis was also criticized for allegedly abusing his power in the corporate world
*he convinced Columbia to sign more artists like him (young lions) -had to fit profile of young, black, and technical to get signed -didn’t re-sign contracts with older, innovative, whites (they got dropped) *racism, ageism, and special favors became issues when Marsalis was named the artistic director of the NY’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, 1987 *controversy began when he published a neocon mission statement for JALC in the New York Times *another issue: JALC holds annual concert series to celebrate jazz then and now -critics pointed out that for several years Marsalis would receive all of the commissions, and after that his young lions did -also the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra performed at the concerts, and were all chosen by Marsalis and fit the neocon profile *another issue: he tried to fire all the jazz orchestra members who were over 30 years *2004, a $128 million home for JALC opened in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, includes 3 performance halls |
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Young Lions: Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride
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gina
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-Bradford Marsalis: Wynton’s brother
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*played saxophone in the first generation of young lions
*he had musical pursuits that were much more extensive and broad-minded *his playing style was influenced by Coltrane and Wayne Shorter (fit into neocon) *took life more casually than Wynton and hated to practice *played for the Jazz Messengers from 1981-1982 *played for Wynton’s band from 1982-1985 *he and Wynton joined the band of pop artist Sting for a year on tour and record *recorded with the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, and his own fund band called Buckshot LeFonque *musical director for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 1992-1995 *won two Grammy Awards |
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-Joshua Redman: second generation of young lions
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*good jazz credentials
*his father was respected saxophonist, Dewey Redman (member of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet in the 1970s) *originally wanted to be a doctor; he graduated from Harvard *won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition on saxophone *after this he decided to return to music *the next year he was named Best New Artist by “Jazz Times Magazine” *he also signed with Warner and released his debut album in 1993 *Redman also got a sponsorship with DKNY clothing line (good looking) |
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-Christian McBride
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*became one of the most sought after sidemen in jazz
*comfortable playing in a variety of styles; played acoustic and electric bass *he has performed with a wide variety of artists (McCoy Tyner, Sting, Diana Krall, and Wynton Marsalis) *declined a contract from Blue Note because he didn’t think he was ready *one of the few young lions to speak candidly on the downside of M-C-M |
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Pat Metheny
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-His early career; teaching at U of Miami, Berklee, etc; Bright Size Life
*guitarist who experimented with different contexts and new technologies *he became a example for many contemporary jazz musicians *1972 enrolled at the University of Miami, but withdrew during the first semester *offered a teaching job, made him the youngest person to hold position at U of Miami *after one year at Miami, he joined the faculty at Berlee College -19 years, youngest to teach here too *1974: he joined the band led by vibraphonist Gary Burton, a fellow teacher at Berklee *1975: still performing with Burton and teaching, recorded his debut album for ECM -“Bright Size Life” critically acclaimed -1977: he released “Watercolors” *both albums contained the breezy, listener-friendly sound that Metheny would become known for; both albums also rose high on the Billboard jazz charts *1978: he formed the Pat Metheny Group *1980: released first solo record “New Chautauqua -an adventurous mix of jazz, Spanish flamenco, folk, Indian music, and bluegrass that was realized through the creative use of overdubbing -won Grammy Awards in 1982, 1983, and 1984 *1981: he released a duo album with Lyle Mays “So Falls Wichita” -impressionistic venture with Latin, African, and contemporary jazz influences *he has won 16 Grammys to date -The characteristics of his sound; ‘Midwestern lyricism’, etc *the 3 albums that won Grammy Awards exhibit the Metheny sound *balance of three parts *first part: his own irrepressible (disorderly) Midwestern Lyricism *second part: a penchant (fondness) for Brazilian rhythms *third part: the wild card of Ornette Coleman’s jagged, insular (narrow-minded) logic -Roland GR300 guitar synthesizer *Metheny was also an active technologist *has been incorporating synthesizers -the New-England Digital Synclavier and the Roland GR300 guitar synthesizer |
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Michael Brecker
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His early career as a sideman; Brecker Brothers, Steps Ahead
*one of the most influential tenor saxophonists post John Coltrane *he was a sideman in almost 900 jazz and pop recordings *1973: Michael and his brother Randy played together in the Horace Silver Quintet *1974: they left and formed the Brecker Brothers -one of the more innovative jazz/rock/funk groups of 1970s *late 1970s the brothers operated a popular downtown New York night club called Seventh Avenue South *regular jam sessions at the club led to the formation of the group Steps -later changed their name to Steps Ahead, due to a legal issue -was arguably the leading fusion band in the early 1980s -produced innovative music that was experimental, imaginative, and demanding to play, while somehow remaining accessible -constant changes in personnel -EWI: Electronic Wind Instrument *an expressive, breath-controlled synthesizer controller *opened up new creative horizons for Michael *gave a big band sax sound *Michael stands as the only jazz saxophonist to have mastered this instrument *he uses the EWI to great effect on several songs; “Syzygy” and “Original Rays” -Don’t Try This at Home, Pilgrimage; his death *Michael’s follow-up album, 1988’s Grammy winning “Don’t Try This at Home” *features Mark O’Connor and Brecker (on the EWI) in a wild sci-fi bluegrass duet *2004: diagnosed with MDS (a blood disease that often leads to leukemia) -terminally ill and strength began to weaken *Pilgrimage: 2006 album that was recorded two weeks before his death -arguably his best album -a heroic and bittersweet last artistic statement from one of the most influential jazz musicians of the last quarter century |
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His early career as a sideman; Brecker Brothers, Steps Ahead
*one of the most influential tenor saxophonists post John Coltrane *he was a sideman in almost 900 jazz and pop recordings *1973: Michael and his brother Randy played together in the Horace Silver Quintet *1974: they left and formed the Brecker Brothers -one of the more innovative jazz/rock/funk groups of 1970s *late 1970s the brothers operated a popular downtown New York night club called Seventh Avenue South *regular jam sessions at the club led to the formation of the group Steps -later changed their name to Steps Ahead, due to a legal issue -was arguably the leading fusion band in the early 1980s -produced innovative music that was experimental, imaginative, and demanding to play, while somehow remaining accessible -constant changes in personnel -EWI: Electronic Wind Instrument *an expressive, breath-controlled synthesizer controller *opened up new creative horizons for Michael *gave a big band sax sound *Michael stands as the only jazz saxophonist to have mastered this instrument *he uses the EWI to great effect on several songs; “Syzygy” and “Original Rays” -Don’t Try This at Home, Pilgrimage; his death *Michael’s follow-up album, 1988’s Grammy winning “Don’t Try This at Home” *features Mark O’Connor and Brecker (on the EWI) in a wild sci-fi bluegrass duet *2004: diagnosed with MDS (a blood disease that often leads to leukemia) -terminally ill and strength began to weaken *Pilgrimage: 2006 album that was recorded two weeks before his death -arguably his best album -a heroic and bittersweet last artistic statement from one of the most influential jazz musicians of the last quarter century |
-guitarist that first came into prominence when he joined the Miles Davis group in 1982
-participated both as a performer and as a composer on the 3 albums recorded with Davis -his sound effectively fused jazz, the blues, distortion, and other rock-oriented effects -Blue Matter: 1986 album that was one of the decade’s finest fusion *music on album is tight-knit funk/jazz *includes the high-octane funk players *each musician explored boundaries of contemporary jazz, but not overly commercial |
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-another saxophonist who became an influential and popular voice of fusion
-worked with Stevie wonder, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Paul Simon |
David Sanborn
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-one of the most successful fusion group to emerge in the 1980s
-established themselves as a tight-knit funk/R&B/bop endeavor with strong playing and well-conceived original compositions -1987: released their 5th and best album “Four Corners” *conveys a wide variety of styles, from synth-bop to world beat to R&B-tinged fusion |
Yellowjackets
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Ornette Coleman; Prime Time; harmolodics
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Ornette Coleman; Prime Time; harmolodics
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-one of the keepers of the flame of avant-garde jazz
-his brand of avant-garde jazz: M-Base (Macro-Basic Array of Structured Extemporizations)----hitch-hiked to NY at 14 years; worked his way up the local scene |
Steve Coleman: alto saxophonist
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-another musician in M-Base
-graduated from Berklee College -played in the World Saxophone Quartet -1987 signed with JMT (Jazz Music Today) an M-Base record label |
Greg Osby: alto saxophonist
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-M-Base artist to achieve the widest recognition
-sang everything from folk to funk -moved to NY and began working with Steve Coleman *and made here recording debut album with him, 1985 -low, throaty, gospel, and blues-drenched voice -Down Beat “the most strikingly sensual warmly cunning set of vocal chords to hit the jazz world in years -1986: signed with JMT and made her album as a leader -1988: made a radical change in direction with “Blue Skies” *an album of jazz standards backed with a conventional piano trio -1993: signed with Blue Note -won Down Beat Critics Poll Vocalist of the Year award 7 consecutive years |
Cassandra Wilson: vocalist
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-one of the most innovative and unique ensembles in modern jazz
-no drummer; 1 tenor, 2 altos, and a baritone -roots go back to mid 1960s -an avant-garde improvisational jazz band with no rhythm section |
World Saxophone Quartet; its unique feature
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