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64 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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How America was changing in the post war years
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-individuality replaced teamwork
-achieve the “American Dream” -30% amusement tax on dancehalls, ended public dancing and swing -bebop was the perfect complement to this era |
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Why jazz began to lose its popularity, and what music styles gained popularity
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-however, music fans explored new music types
-rock and roll, pop, country western, and rhythm and blues |
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The signs that jazz was becoming repositioned in the cultural context as an art form (write ups in
magazines, State Department tours, film scores, etc) |
-in spite of these developments, jazz endured and thrived
-bebop wore off, jazz took on a new role -jazz matured and attained social and artistic respect -referred to as “America’ art form” |
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How and into what jazz musicians were becoming repositioned in the cultural context
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-jazz was suddenly respectable and patriotic
-US State Department sent jazz musicians on European tours to promote jazz as a cultural symbol of American freedom as a part of its efforts to win the Cold War -jazz musicians became associated with an attitude of aloofness, hip non-conforming, cool -link between bebop and upcoming rock and roll explosion -jazz-oriented soundtracks to Hollywood films (Streetcar Named Desire) Renewed interest in combining jazz and classical elements in the 1950s and its precedents (Ellington, etc) |
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George Wein
-birth of outdoor jazz festival -George Wein put it together -featured Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy, etc -only jazz festival for 4 years (national media coverage) |
Newport Jazz Festival;
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Norman Granz
-jazz become more at home in the concer hall -hollywood film editor, Norman Granz, decided to stage a concert version of a jam session at LA Philharmonic Auditorium -concert was called “Jazz at the Philharmonic” -Granz began booking other successful concerts |
Jazz at the Philharmonic
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The Miles Davis Nonet: why it was so innovative and influential
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-medium-sized post-bebop band
-first defined the sound of “cool jazz” -Cool Jazz: a jazz style from the 1950s that is characterized by restraint and European influences |
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composer and arranger for the Miles Davis Nonet (the leader)
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Gill Evans
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big band noted for unusual instrument use
-french horns, tuba, etc. |
Claude Thornhill Orchestra:
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Miles Davis became important only in retrospect
-set tone for the post-bebop expansion of jazz performance -it wasn’t until 1954 that Capital Records released all 12 compositions on the “Birth of Cool” album |
Birth of the Cool
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His early years: youth in St. Louis; sitting in w/Billy Eckstine; move to NYC (miles davis)
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-born into and upper middle class family
-began playing trumpet as a teen -worked his way up through local swing bands -Spring of 1944, filled in for 2 weeks with the visiting Bill Eckstine band -forged friendships with Parker and Dizzy -encouraged him to moved to NY -attended Julliard -took part in famous “Koko” session -hard to grow in Parker’s shadow |
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heroin addiction (miles davis)
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-descent into hell
-turning point, career quickly rebounded -release of “Birth of Cool” and “Walkin’” -first appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival turned him into a star |
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-first came prominent with his West Coast-based big band
-became stepping stone for some of the best players -“Progressive Jazz” “Artistry in Rhythm” -City of Glass: most extreme example of Kenton’s artistically innovative side came from composer Bob Graettinger, who delivered this four-part suit |
Stan Kenton; characteristics of his bands; City of Glass
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Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization
-one of the most important and over-lookeed composers and theorists -while confined to a hospital he wrote “The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization -the first theoretical contribution to come from jazz and was responsible for introducing modal improvisation -outlined principles of jazz |
George Russel
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Third Stream, Lenox School of Jazz
-Russel’s nearest equal as a jazz/classical synthesist -composer -noted author of jazz history and French horn technique books (and numerous articles) -private jazz and classical teacher -president of the New England Conservatory of Music (establish jazz program) -interest in combining the jazz and classical aesthetics led him to coin the phrase “Third Stream” -this was during a lecture at Brandeis University -instrumental in founding (short-lived) Lenox School of Jazz -early jazz education academy |
Gunther Schuller;
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-Light: light airy tone, rhythm section play with lighter touch
-Laid Back: relaxed and non-frantic quality -Lyrical: tends to be lyrical (singing in nature) -European : intellectual and somewhat formal sound (like European classical music) -Arranged: emphasis on written arrangements over pure improvisation |
Cool (West Coast) jazz
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-fusion of classical music and jazz
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Third Stream
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The West Coast scene: how it evolved (two events in particular); Central Avenue
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-hundreds of thousands of immigrants
*lured by industrial and aerospace jobs, warm weather, beaches, and Disneyland -Central Avenue: the twelve-mile long north-south main street running through the LA’s black neighborhoods that was home to dozens of jazz and blues clubs (like 52nd Street) -Lovejoy’s, the Downbeat, the Turban Lounge, and Club Alabam -Gerry Mulligan put together a quartet to play at a small club on Wilshire Boulevard in 1952 -cool became synonymous with West Coast jazz -two events began West Coast Jazz *Gerry Mulligan Quartets gig in the summer of 1952 at the Haig *the release of Modern Sounds by Shorty Rogers (similar to Miles Davis’s Birth of Cool) -Rogers played trumpet and arranged the music for the album |
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How race played a role in hiring practices in the LA studios
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-session work not creative
-showed up and played what was put in front of you -but required a specialized skill set that included sight-reading -and had to be familiar with variety of styles, improvising, technical mastery of one’s instrument, and being able to double on other instruments -basically you had to have traditional European musical training -the world of LA session musicians was overwhelmingly white -there were also two musician’s union locals, one for blacks and one for whites -Collette Mingus and others were instrumental in unifying the two unions into Local 47 in 1953 -white musicians benefited most from the popularity of the West Coast cool scene |
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Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All-Stars
-one of the most famous jazz venues in LA -in Hermosa Beach -bass player Howard Rumsey influenced the Lighthouse Café’s proprietor into sponsoring Sunday afternoon jam sessions (expanded to six nights a week) *Rumsey decided to formalize a permanent group; Rumsey’s Lighthouse All-Stars *included a who’s who of the West Coast scene |
Lighthouse Cafe
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-similar to Miles Davis’s Birth of Cool
-trumpet player and arranger -arranged for the Lighthouse All-Stars and for television and films Gerry Mulligan |
Shorty Rogers; Modern Sounds
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-baritone saxophone
-Mulligan’s association with Charlie Parker led him to Gil Evans, who brought him to the Thornhill Orchestra, which led to his association with the Miles Davis Nonet - breakup of Miles Davis Nonet -jobless; hitchhiked to LA -wrote arrangements for the Stan Kenton Orchestra -attended weekly jam sessions at the Haig |
Gerry Mulligan
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*Haig: a tiny club on Wilshire Boulevard
*there he met the young up-and-coming trumpeter/singer Chet Baker *popular pianoless quartet with Chet Baker *kicked LA cool jazz scene into high gear *Mulligan Quartet -Baker and Mulligan established chemistry -club was crowded and there was not enough room for the piano -Baker (trumpet), Mulligan (baritone sax), Hamilton (drums), Whitlock (bass) -Mulligan wrote most of the music for the group -improvised interplay with Baker and Milligan that the band was known for -music was serene and melodic (laid back) *Mulligan’s drug bust in 1953 but him in prison for 6 months *kicked drug habit and left California for good *arranged for and led larger ensembles on East Coast *however most remembered for pianoless quartet *jazz standards: “Walking Shoes” “Bernie’s Tune” “Line for Lyons” |
The Mulligan Quartet and its characteristics; the Haig
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*revived his going nowhere career with a short tour with Charlie Parker
*tour brought Baker instant credibility in the jazz world *after the tour Baker attended sessions at the Haig *performed with Mulligan’s Quartet *after Mulligan’s drug bust the group broke up; but Baker’s career took off *trumpet player and a distinctive vocal stylist * “My Funny Valentine” debuted his singing abilities *faced heroin problem and died in 1988 |
Chet Baker
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*raised to be a cowboy; but mother taught him piano
*went to College of the Pacific to be a veterinarian *second year he transferred to music *played at a variety of jazz and dance gigs (talented pianist and could improvise) *however he could not read music *Dean of Music realized this and threatened to kick him out of school *but compromised not to, if Brubeck promised never to pursue a teaching career *went to Mills College in Oakland to study with Darius Milaud (composer) *short stint in army *started an octet with the Milaud clique (known as “the eight”) -“Fugue on Bop” -played experimental compositions and arrangements written by its members -adventurous, imaginative, and surprisingly similar to the Miles Davis Nonet *started piano-bass-drum trio; signed contract with Fantasy Records *1951: near fatal swimming accident in Hawaii -had to stop playing and recuperate for several months -loss dexterity in his fingers; had to play in a more percussive/block style |
Dave Brubeck
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*added alto player Paul Desmond to bass-piano-drum trio
*Desmond’s style was lyrical and economical; smooth and light -Desmond was a sharp contrast to Brubeck’s heavy playing -Desmond: dry martini *Brubeck: too bombastic; others compared him to Monk *college albums: Jazz at Oberlin, Jazz Goes to College, Jazz Goes to Junior College *Brubeck became popular (especially on college campuses) *1954 on cover of Time *Greatest Achievement: 1959 album Time Out -an experimental venture in odd time meters -1963: Number 2 on pop charts and achieved gold certification (500,000 units) -1997: it went platinum (one million units) -helped inspire jazz musicians to work in odd meters (now a common practice) *Desmond also released “Take Five” that used five beats per bar: Number 25 hit in 1961 |
The Brubeck Quartet, Paul Desmond; Time Out and its characteristics
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alto saxophonist
-1943 landed job with Stan Kenton Orchestra when he was 17 years old -next 8 years alternating between Orchestra and army -then a freelance musician -1953 first drug bust -Straight Life: autobiography *detailed description of Pepper’s life that was dominated by his drug addiction -spent time in and out of prison; not able to play for long stretches -still able to make beautiful records -1957 Album Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section *second wife Diane arranged session with the Miles Davis rhythm section *she didn’t tell him about the recording until the morning of the session -she was afraid he would sabotage it with his self-destructive tendencies *Pepper was hardly able to get his sax to work after six months of disuse *was nervous and awestruck when he arrived at the studio *however Pepper’s playing was superb; album earned 5 starts from Down Beat -drug problem intensified in 1960’s -spent most of the next decade at prison at San Quentin prison or the experimental and controversial Syanon treatment facility in Santa Monica -playing became harsh -a sort of come back in the 1970’s: album recorded live at the Village Vangard -then wrote Straight Life in 1979 with his third wife Laurie |
Art Pepper; Straight Life
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-although Miles Davis is duly noted for the pioneering work for the Birth of Cool; Lennie Tristano was playing music that arguably could be called cool several years before Davis
-he was a mysterious figure in jazz -his music was hard to categorize; but generally put under cool movement -didn’t record or perform often; but when did it was a select group -blinded shortly after birth -grew up in Chicago and got college degree -1946 (age 27) moved to New York -won Metronome magazine’s 1947 Musician of the Year Award -began recording what are now considered astonishing records *piano-bass-guitar trio *harmonic abstraction recording of “I Can’t Get Started” -formed a sextet |
Lennie Tristano
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The significance of “Intuition” and “Digression”
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*1949: sextet recorded “Intuition” and “Digression”
*two improvised pieces that were spontaneously composed while the tape was running *considered to be the first recordings that can realistically be called free jazz |
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* “Malestrom” and “Turkish Mambo”: overdub as many as three piano parts
*overdub: the process of combining new material with material already existing on tape *first jazz musician to make use of a technique that was new and controversial *commonly used today |
Overdubbing
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*opened in 1951; first school dedicated to the study of jazz in Flushing, NY
*closed school in 1956; but continued to teach privately *taught musicians like Charles Mingus, Phil Woods, and Marian McParthland |
The New School of Music
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The MJQ; the ways in which they incorporated European classical influences; fugue
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-Modern Jazz Quartet immersed itself in the tradition and culture of European classical music
-comfortable in concert hall; not so much night club -adopted European form of compositions and formalities of performances -dressed in tuxedos -evolved in the early 1950’s -played with dignity and seriousness -walked on stage, bowed, played in a well-mannered fashion, and did not interact with audience -often create intricate polyphony between the piano and vibes that was reminiscent of the baroque compositional style of J.S. Bach -used European forms such as fugues and multi-movement suites *Fugues: a formal structure first used during the Baroque era that makes extensive use of counterpoint based on an opening theme or subject -first recording session 1952: produced the fugal “Vendome” |
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a term often used to describe the cool jazz of the 1950s. West Coast jazz and cool jazz are interchangeable terms
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Cool (West Coast) jazz
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Cool (West Coast) jazz: a term often used to describe the cool jazz of the 1950s. West Coast jazz and cool jazz are interchangeable terms
-a jazz style form the 1950s that is characterized by restraint and European influences -light; laid back; lyrical; European; arranged |
crud
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Factors why jazz lost its place in the cultural context of the 1950s
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-television saw explosive growth in popularity in the 10 years following WWII
*number of TV sets jumped from 10,000 to 50 million *this was the source of entertainment *introduced the beatnik character Maynard G. Krebs on The Many Loves of Doby Gillis -the force of rock and roll (attracted many young record buyers) |
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Why cool jazz had no stick in black community and the role of R&B in the emergence of hard bop
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the world of painters, the bohemian, the beat writer and the college student –was a white world
-virtually all the musicians who played cool jazz were white *except Miles Davis, George Russell and the members of MJQ -as the 1940’s wound down, bebop had no stick either -the people who developed jazz (blacks) were now losing interest in the music -the black consumer audience had increasingly been tuning into Rhythm and Blues *R&B: a more dance-oriented and commercial evolution of the electrified urban blues that first emerged in Chicago in the 1940’s *often used electric instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, and Hammond organs *jazz musicians considered it simpler than jazz *primarily built upon 12-bar blues; boogie-woogie bass line and a honking tenor sax *high-energy, driving, and had vocals *not a Billboard chart for it until 1949; also the year that the term R&B was coined -should blacks stick to their principles and continue playing jazz; or start playing R&B |
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The role of race and politics in the emergence of hard bop; Brown vs. Board of Education
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-postwar years were a time when black Americans were becoming more politically active about changing status quo of race relations
-wanted to change the segregation and discrimination that was common, blatant, and legal -late 1940s and early 1950s small gains were made in court cases, especially in public education -civil rights movements gained real momentum after Brown vs. Board of Education *landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court *dismantled racial segregation in public schools -heightened expectations of change; fueled demonstrations, strikes and more court cases -rising expectations also had an effect on black music -not coincidental that the first hard bop recordings and the first records in the new black pop style and soul were made within months of the Brown ruling |
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-introduced by Columbia Records in 1948
-called the LP (long-playing format) -an improvement over the previous 78 rpm standard -made from vinyl (not shellac) -improved fidelity and reduced surface -allowed 23 minutes on each side -could record several songs on each side instead of just one |
33-1/3 rpm album
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-a new hybrid style was emerging that embraced both the tones of bebop with the music of black popular tradition
-this new style was known as hard bop; it became the new mainstream sound of jazz in the 1950s -R&B was only part of the story behind the rise of hard bop -race and politics also helped this movement -hard bop embraced gospel music, the blues, and R&B -black roots -simpler harmonies, rhythms and melodies than bebop -jazz had been “hot” or “cool” -hard bop was intense, soulful, simple, pulsing; too agitated to be “hot”; too moody to be “cool” -Characteristics |
Characteristics of hard bop
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: hard bop relies heavily on 12 bar blues progressions, blue notes, call and response patterns and gospel “Amen” chords
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Soul
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: horn players tend to play with power and an edgy, brassy tone. Rhythm section players “dig in” and play with great forcefulness
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Power
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: hard bop musicians concern themselves with the technical mastery of their instruments. Like bebop, the focus of the music is often on the improvised solo
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Virtuoso
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the typical instrumentation in hard bop in taken from bebop combos: trumpet/tenor or alto/piano/bass/drums
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Quintet
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-hard bop was an urban, East Coast music; foundation was NYC
-NYC was home to the “big four” independent labels that specialized hard bop *Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside, and Savoy -Blue Note was the most respected *founded by German immigrants Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff -developed a well-earned reputation for its meticulous standards of preparation and production -Lion produced the sessions; had uncompromising standards -Wolff was the photographer; his black and white photos were the covers of the albums *his pictures became almost as famous as the albums -Blue Note’s hard bop recordings had a distinctive sound thanks to Rudy Van Gelder |
Blue Note Records
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-Davis had expanded his group to a sextet (adding an alto and Coltrane was back)
*sextet’s first album: Milestones -the album’s title track was Davis’s first venture into modal harmony *Modal Harmony: harmony that is compromised of scales rather than chords -Davis wrote Milestones after spending an evening with composer/arranger George Russel *Russel’s book “The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization” outlined his theories on the relationships between chords and scales and the use of modal harmony |
Modal harmony
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How jazz musicians made political statements in recordings and performance in the late 1950s and early 1960s
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-Charles Minus and other musicians during the hard bop era became politically involved
-part of hard bop was formed by the political and social realities of being a black musician -as the civil rights movement intensified so did the rhetoric and activism against segregation -hard bop musicians were keenly aware of the implications of these acts on their music *played their music to match the feelings of the era -black musicians showed their support for the cause by releasing a spate of civil rights themed recordings |
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-one of the civil rights-themed recordings by drummer Max Roach and singer Oscar Brown Jr.
-most significant of these type of recordings -the multi-movement suite was inspired by an incident in a Greensboro, NC -Woolworth’s lunch counter (cafeteria) refused service to 4 black students *then there was a wave of sit-in protests -Roach wrote the music and Brown wrote the words; songs with themes of slavery and emancipation -Roach employed a Nigerian percussionist, a horn section that included Coleman Hawkins and singer Abbey Lincoln (Roach’s future wife) -music is powerful and intense -portrays the anger of the time with great emotion |
We Insist! The Freedom Now Suite
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-protest at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival @ Freebody Park
*so packed that 10,000 young fans were turned away *drunk-angry they preceded to riot, throw beer cans, overturn cars, and smash windows -the rest of the festival was cancelled -although most to attendees were white; most performers were black -there was also a payment policy that rewarded popular artists over more innovative and ambitious ones -these issues were at the heart of the other protest at Newport in 1960 *the Cliff Walk Manor “anti-festival” *staged just three blocks away from Freebody Park *this festival was organized by Charles Mingus and Max Roach *they were in control of building stages, promotions, erecting fences, and collecting contributions from the audience *the idea was to sidestep the festival and the entire jazz industry |
The Cliff Walk Manor “anti-festival”
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-in his late twenties he was an optometrist (early 1950s)
-his hobby was making records for friends and local musicians in the evening -he used his parent’s home in New Jersey as his studio *the living room was the recording room and the kitchen was the control room -1952 introduced to Lion, was impressed by Gelder’s quality of work -1959 he gave up optometry and went to work full time in a new recording facility -worked for Blue Note and other labels -now 82; working on 24-big digital re-masters of many of his original classic Blue Note albums |
Rudy Van Gelder;his unique story as hard bop recording engineer
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-founded in 1954 by drummer Art Blakey and pianist Horace Silver
-became the virtual academy of hard bop -young and up-coming musicians were mentored in the ways of music and life until they were ready to go out on their own |
The Jazz Messengers; the important role this group played
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-led The Jazz Messengers
-moved to NY in 1942 and made his recording debut in 1944 as the drummer for the innovative Billy Eckstine Orchestra (broke up in 1947) *played with Parker and Gillespie -traveled to West Africa; converted to Islam; took the name Abdullah Ibn Buhaina -some of his young followers knew him as Buhaina or just “Bu” -freelanced, recorded with Monk, Parker, and Miles Davis -developed a powerful drumming style *loud, aggressive, and relentlessly swinging; a signature part of the Jazz Messengers *dramatic changes in dynamics -Feb. 1954: put together a quintet to play at NY’s Birdland; recorded by Blue Note *first edition of the Jazz Messengers -Nov.: first studio album for Blue Note; Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers -after Silver left the group, Blakey began adopting his policy of hiring promising young musicians and letting them go once they “were ready” -these musicians went on to important careers in jazz, and most credited Blakey with not only being a mentor but a father figure as well |
Art Blakey
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-most prolific songwriter of the hard bop era
-many jazz standards include “Song for My Father” “Nica’s Dream” and “Sister Sadie” -made his recording debut in 1950; on a Stan Getz album *he was an in demand musician in the early 1950s (before the Jazz Messengers) -co-led The Jazz Messengers until 1956; he left to start his own group -the first album title reflects the important role Silver played in the band’s formative years -he wrote 6 of the other seven songs from the album *including first hit single “The Preacher” -brought a distinctive and funky piano style that helped define the sound of the Messengers -after leaving he put together his own quintet, modeled the Messengers in both instrumentation and sound -2005: he received the Presidential Merit Award from the Grammy Awards |
Horace Silver; his piano style
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-only lasted for 2 years
-left a legacy as one of the hardest swinging hard bop combos of the era -characterized by fiery playing and Brown’s compositions and innovative arrangements of jazz standardized -by the time the band formed (1954) Roach’s career was already well-established -at only 23; trumpeter Brown was just beginning -during 2 years, the group was in the studio frequently -often recording Brown’s own compositions * “Daahoud” “Joy Spring” and “Jacqui” |
Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quartet
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-college educated; attended Maryland State University
-studied composition and arranging -abstainer of drugs and alcohol -by late teens already playing with top musicians in NY -early twenties he was being called “The New Dizzy” -career was put on hold for a year when he was involved in a severe auto accident that put him in a full body cast in 1950 -after recovery, he toured Europe and Africa -participated in the Feb. 1954 live recording of the Art Blakey Quintet at Birdland -later that year he went to LA to form new quintet with Roach -June 1956: in a rainstorm on the Pennsylvania Turnpike *his car slid off the road down a 75-ft embankment *killed Brown, pianist Richie Powell, and Powell’s wife -Brown’s death caused his co-leader Max Roach to plunge into an extended period of depression and heavy drinking that took years to overcome |
Clifford Brown; characteristics of his music, his tragic death
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-Recap
*heroin addiction *back on track with Birth of Cool and Walkin’ *1955: breakthrough at second Newport Jazz Festival “Round Midnight” -this spurred critics to write great reviews -then able to put together a steady working group for the first time -beginning of the first Miles Davie Quintet (sometimes called the “50s Quintet”) Characteristics of his style; Harmon mute *in contrast to Coltrane, Davis was concise and economical, brooding and melancholy *used a Harmon mute pressed closely to the microphone and staying in the middle register of the horn, he created a sense of great intimacy and drama |
Miles Davis
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*Davis and Coltrane’s contrasting styles
*Columbia Records began pursuing Davis after his appearance at Newport *but Davis had a long-term deal with smaller record co. Prestige -he still owed them 4 albums *so Davis decided to record enough material to fulfill his obligation to Prestige in two marathon sessions in 1956 (May and October) *resulting albums: Workin’, Steamin’, Cookin’ and Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet *the songs were mostly first takes; capture the quintet as if they were in a club setting |
The First (50s) Quintet: its ability to change its sound; the story behind Workin’, Steamin’, Cookin’ and Relaxin’ (miles davis)
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*Columbia started a huge marketing campaign for Davis
*Prestige slowly released these four albums to take advantage of Columbia’s marketing *together they made a huge star out of Davis *he became the epitome of cool; very very wealthy *first Columbia release “Round About Midnight” came out in 1957 |
miles davis His emergence as jazz superstar
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*often called the first modal jazz album (more figurative than literal)
-only a couple songs from the album are actually modal * “So What” is constructed from just two modes (scales) set half step apart from each other; there is no other conventional harmonic movement -the bass plays the melody * “Flamenco Sketches” a composition built on a series of five scales *the two sessions for the album were models of efficiency with Davis presenting rough outline sketches of the songs to the musicians *they sight read them and without prior rehearsal recorded the first takes *captured spontaneous and inventive performances *the group broke up a month after it was recorded |
miles davis Characteristics and significance of the LP Kind of Blue
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Why he left the Davis Quintet
*didn’t last long with group *battling heroin addiction *left to check himself into a drug treatment facility in Louisville, KY *after release, he played with the Brown-Roach Quintet Saxophone Colossus; thematic improvisation *overcoming his addiction enabled Rollins to embark on an intensely creative period *during this time he recorded two landmark albums -Saxophone Colossus and Way out West *Rollins made extensive use of a technique that he would become famous for called “thematic improvisation” or melodic development -developed themes and multiple variations of them during his solo improvisations *also introduced his calypso composition “St. Thomas” -today is still one of the most popular jazz standards Why he left the music scene in 1959 and the significance of the Williamsburg Bridge *he withdrew from the music scene to further develop himself musically (not drugs) *he created one of the most enduring and iconic images in all of jazz *the lonely saxophonist practicing on an urban bridge late at night *he practiced on the Williamsburg Bridge *when he eventually returned to gigging and recording in 1961 *recorded an album appropriately title The Bridge in 1962 |
Sonny Rollins (tenor sax)
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-after Rollins left Davis’s Quintet, he turned to his second choice, John Coltrane
His early years; religious upbringing, playing in R&B bands, heroin addiction *religious family (both grandfathers were preachers) *began playing alto and attended the Ornstein School of Music *brief stint in the Navy *then worked his way into the music business (Philadelphia to NY) *played in a variety of bands -R&B bands and Dizzy Gillespie’s big band (switched to tenor) *became a junkie so Dizzy let him go *in years leading up to joining the Davis Quintet, he struggle to make a living Characteristics of his style and the critics reaction *Coltrane developed a huge, penetrating sound that one writer described as “the hardest iron and the surface of brightly polished metal” *played solos that were technically adventurous but somewhat unfocused *gave the Davis group dramatic contrast within the context of one song *played with all registers and filled his solos with as many notes as seemingly possible His spiritual awakening *Davis was becoming very successful and was tired of Coltrane’s drug problem *so Davis fired Coltrane in 1956 *Coltrane sunk into deep depression *in spring of 1957 he had bottomed out *guided by a life changing religious epiphany, Coltrane stopped using heroin and alcohol *Coltrane joined the Monk Quartet for a 6-month engagement at the Five Spot Café *embarked on a self-discovery that allowed him to experiment with new rhythmic and harmonic ideas Sheets of sound *playing with Monk influenced Coltrane’s creativity *with ever increasing focus and technical mastery of his horn, Coltrane’s solos began to resemble tidal waves of notes *one critic labeled this “sheets of sound” -“Black Pearls” -“Traneing In” 1957 -1957 Coltrane recorded his only Blue Note album *Blue Train: featured original compositions -1958 Davis asked Coltrane back to the group, he accepted Characteristics of the LP Giant Steps *after the group broke up *Coltrane signed with Atlantic Records, a sign he was also becoming a star *first solo release for the label was Giant Steps -culmination of his fascination with complex chord structures -the title track is a minefield of chords and keys played at nearly 300 beats/minute *today the master of the harmonic complexities of “Giant Steps” is a benchmark by which jazz musicians measure themselves |
John Coltrane (tenor sax)
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-shortly after the recording of Davis’s “Milestones” he brought pianist Bill Evans to replace Red Garland and replaced drummer Philly Joe Jones with Jimmy Cobb
-Evans had worked with Russell before joining the group -had an exclusive academic background -relatively new to NY jazz scene and was white -Davis received some criticism from black musicians for hiring a white man -Evans played with great intensity and drive -however he never felt comfortable with group and quit by the end of the year -but Davis brought him back in 1959 to collaborate on one of the most influential jazz albums in history, Kind of Blue |
Bill Evans
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Three facets of his life and career
*most independent thinker of the hard bop era *iconoclastic figure who did things the way and under his own terms *compared to Duke Ellington *created music that was varied and unique, yet always bore his unmistakable mark *unfair to even categorize him, but his peak creative years were during hard bop *Three facets that stand out -his music: which included some of the most adventurous compositions and arrangements of the era -his entrepreneurial ventures: through which he fought the status quo of the white controlled jazz industry *3 record labels, 2 publishing companies, a jazz collective, and a “School of Art, Music and Gymnastics” -his combative, confrontational and unpredictable personality: which made him “jazz’s most persistently apocalyptic (destructive) voice” His upbringing; how racism and the Holiness Church influenced his life and music *Mingus’s black father was lighter-skinned and his mother was of Chinese decent *not accepted by black or white classmates *as a result the issues of race and racism would become central to his adult life and music *mom died when he was an infant *his stepmother gave him an early introduction to black gospel music by taking him to the Holiness Church -the blues: moaning, shouts, cries, call and response *started on the trombone and moved to the cello, but settled on the bass as a teen *after high school, worked his way up the local music scene *early twenties he was gigging with Louis Armstrong, Lee Young, and Lionel Hampton *became an in-demand musician; recorded frequently *began writing adventurous music *uncompromising nature began to emerge; fired by Hampton *instrumental in getting the segregated black and white LA musician unions to merge *1950 put together a trio: Red Norvo and Tal Farlow; at the Haig *summer of 1951 moved to NY The Jazz Workshop; Mingus Ah Um and the significance of the song “Fables of Faubus;” Black Saint and the Sinner Lady *in NY he was gigging and recording with Parker and Miles Davis -performed at Parker’s disastrous final gig at Birdland *1952 Mingus founded Debut Records with drummer Max Roach -first of his various business ventures -tried to control his economic destiny *founded the Jazz Workshop; became his working band -usually in the form of a medium-sized ensemble -a musical laboratory for experimental new compositions -members were forced to endure long, demanding rehearsals and uncompromising standards of Mingus -Mingus wrote specifically with his players’ abilities in mind -he encouraged an interactive and spontaneous performance environment *next ten years were a period of intensive creative output for Mingus *recorded 10 albums in 1957 *1959 Mingus recorded what is often considered his best album; Minus Ah Um -explores the balance between the spontaneous and the pre-composed -contains several of his enduring masterpieces *including “Fables of Faubus”: a biting and musically comical critique of Arkansas Governor Ovrville Faubus’s attempt to block the entry of the first black students into Little Rock’s Central High *political activism surfaced again in 1960; co-staged the “anit-festival” *1963 recorded Black Saint and the Sinner Lady -an epic 37-minute ballet written in the form of a six-part suite -arguably Mingu’s finest work as a composer and arranger -written for 11 musicians *sometimes improvised soloists, sometimes collectively improvising, and other times scored in rich, thickly textured orchestration -created a sense of great emotional tension and release through the use of blues tonalities and the increasing and decreasing of tempos -there are several “open” modal sections where Mingus later overdubbed solos -this and his liberal use of editing make the recording one of the most advanced of its time in its use of studio technology What happened at the 10/12/60 Town Hall Concert *Mingus attempted one of his most ambitious endeavors, a big band recording in front of a live audience at Town Hall in NY *by show time, with the under-rehearsed music still only partially copied, a team of copyists sate at a table on stage, feverishly copying parts and rushing them to the players as they performed *the performance was a musical train wreck for the audience -more like a rehearsal or recording session than concert *the promoter offered to give everyone’s money back *producer George Wein was still able to salvage the best parts of the 2hour recording and make a surprisingly good album -Mingus took out his anger on audiences that were not attentive *one incident at the Five Spot he threw is bass across the floor and stomped on it -1971 autobiography: “Beneath the Underdog: The World as Composed by Mingus” -1970s taught at State University of NY at Buffalo; honorary degrees and grants -diagnosed with lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease); died after experimental treatment |
Charles Mingus
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-singer for the We Insist! The Freedom Now Suite
-became Roach’s wife -sang in powerful songs that reflected the political activism in the era -in one song she erupts in primal screams |
Abbey Lincoln
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: a fusion of classical music and jazz in 195y
-Gunther Schuller coined this phrase |
Third Stream
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