Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis
“Summertime” by George Gershwin in a song from the opera Porgy & Bess. Gershwin composed Porgy & Bess in 1934. The libretto was from DuBose Heyward’s novel Porgy. Over time it become a widely known opera and one of the most frequently performed operas. Many great pieces of music were in Porgy & Bess but “Summertime” was one of the most well-known pieces to come from the opera. Because its melody is so strong and its cords so complex, it became one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century with a wide variety of versions. The musicians Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis well be discussed in this essay, as well as their version of “Summertime”.
Louis Armstrong was one of the first soloist in jazz history. …show more content…
The duet was released by the Verve record label founded by Norman Granz. Armstrong and Fitzgerald made the jazz element of the song stand out. The song begins with Armstrong performing a trumpet solo that could easily be described as regal. Both Armstrong and Fitzgerald perform vocals. Fitzgerald’s pronounces each word clearly and has been described as smooth and creamy. Armstrong then performs a vocal solo. His voice is more gravely. When Fitzgerald starts singing again the melody is slightly different and Armstrong performs some of his well-known style of scatting. The strings of the orchestra give the song a light breezy feeling.
Trumpet musician Miles Davis collaborated with Gil Evans to create another creative version of “Summertime” in 1958. Miles plays the muted trumpet, Paul Chambers performs on base, and Jimmy Cobb plays drums. Miles version of “Summertime” is a more easy-going version. His performance allows the folk origins of the song to stand out as well as the original symphony aspects of the song while still getting the jazz to come through strong. The performance is made more strong by the flutes, bass clarinet, and French horns that accompany from the …show more content…
In the late 1940s he was part of the style of jazz that was known as the Transition to Cool and West Coast. Cool jazz is a type of modern jazz that has a sound that is softer than the bop form of jazz. In the 1950s Miles Davis was known for his hard bop style. Hard bop is a style of jazz that fuses blues, gospel music, and rhythm and blues. In the late 1950s there was another transition style that Miles Davis was a part of. It was known as the Transition to Modal Jazz and Free Jazz. Modal jazz is a style of jazz that uses musical modes instead of chord progressions. “Milestones” by Miles Davis embodied the style of modal jazz. Free jazz was developed when musicians started disposing of fixed chord changes and tempos. The late 1960s was yet another transition. Miles Davis was part of the transition to Jazz-Rock. Musicians, such as Miles Davis, began to combine the improvisation and harmony of jazz with rock, funk, Latin jazz, and rhythm and
“Summertime” by George Gershwin in a song from the opera Porgy & Bess. Gershwin composed Porgy & Bess in 1934. The libretto was from DuBose Heyward’s novel Porgy. Over time it become a widely known opera and one of the most frequently performed operas. Many great pieces of music were in Porgy & Bess but “Summertime” was one of the most well-known pieces to come from the opera. Because its melody is so strong and its cords so complex, it became one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century with a wide variety of versions. The musicians Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis well be discussed in this essay, as well as their version of “Summertime”.
Louis Armstrong was one of the first soloist in jazz history. …show more content…
The duet was released by the Verve record label founded by Norman Granz. Armstrong and Fitzgerald made the jazz element of the song stand out. The song begins with Armstrong performing a trumpet solo that could easily be described as regal. Both Armstrong and Fitzgerald perform vocals. Fitzgerald’s pronounces each word clearly and has been described as smooth and creamy. Armstrong then performs a vocal solo. His voice is more gravely. When Fitzgerald starts singing again the melody is slightly different and Armstrong performs some of his well-known style of scatting. The strings of the orchestra give the song a light breezy feeling.
Trumpet musician Miles Davis collaborated with Gil Evans to create another creative version of “Summertime” in 1958. Miles plays the muted trumpet, Paul Chambers performs on base, and Jimmy Cobb plays drums. Miles version of “Summertime” is a more easy-going version. His performance allows the folk origins of the song to stand out as well as the original symphony aspects of the song while still getting the jazz to come through strong. The performance is made more strong by the flutes, bass clarinet, and French horns that accompany from the …show more content…
In the late 1940s he was part of the style of jazz that was known as the Transition to Cool and West Coast. Cool jazz is a type of modern jazz that has a sound that is softer than the bop form of jazz. In the 1950s Miles Davis was known for his hard bop style. Hard bop is a style of jazz that fuses blues, gospel music, and rhythm and blues. In the late 1950s there was another transition style that Miles Davis was a part of. It was known as the Transition to Modal Jazz and Free Jazz. Modal jazz is a style of jazz that uses musical modes instead of chord progressions. “Milestones” by Miles Davis embodied the style of modal jazz. Free jazz was developed when musicians started disposing of fixed chord changes and tempos. The late 1960s was yet another transition. Miles Davis was part of the transition to Jazz-Rock. Musicians, such as Miles Davis, began to combine the improvisation and harmony of jazz with rock, funk, Latin jazz, and rhythm and