Benjamin O. Davis

Many know the story of the Confederate States of America and how this nation was created by slaveholders who wanted to protect their property. From the novel Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in The Civil War South we are able to gain an insight on how the ideologies that the confederacy were based on contributed to its downfall. These slaveholders might have created a powerful empire but they did not realize that they had excluded most of their population of white-women and slaves. The…

comparison of “Koko” and “So What” “Koko” as well as “So What” are two of the most influential and famous pieces pertaining to Jazz. With “Koko” being composed and performed by Charlie “Bird” Parker and “So What” being composed and performed by Miles Davis. These two musicians are no doubt heavily involved in the development of jazz and are two of the most renowned musicians in the world. “Koko” was composed in the early 1940’s, where as “So What” was composed in the late 1950’s. Although these…

In the beginning of the 1970's, a fresh America was going through a culture change. The Beatles breaking-up within the first year, the peace-loving hippies of the 60's were dwindling down to past fantasies, and Rock and Roll was about to have a new kind of monster pierce the ears of the youth. That monster was none other than the acclaimed "Hottest Band in the World", Kiss. Which would be absent idea without the thundering thump of the stick-wielding drummer Peter Criss. Peter Criss (George…

This Documentary concerning American jazz trumpeter as well as singer Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong's (known as Satchmo or Pops) basic declaration to his initial life is a fun and incredible read. Composed with extraordinary realism, Louis conveyed a rousing story starting from his origination, to his existence with his grandmother, to his initially cherish (which was extremely disagreeable), to his initially separation (which I believe was beneficial for him), to his initially enterprise…

Charlie Parker also known as “Yardbird” or “Bird” was born on August 29, 1920 and died on March 12, 1955. He was one of the most important and influential saxophonists and jazz players of the 1940’s. A legendary figure in his own lifetime, he was idolized by those who worked with him, and he inspired a generation of jazz performers and composers. Charlie had a magnetic personality; wherever he would walk into he would change the feel of the room. He started studying music in a local school in…

Although while he is playing in the moment, his concentration is less on what he was playing but more on the technique and strategy of how the music was delivered to his audience. The musical development and growth of Miles Davis stems from the many years of practice and performances with jazz greats of his time. His high level career performance was constructed through the combination of these motivic strategies such as repetition, embellishments, inversions, transpositions…

What is Cool? Groovy,tubular,brisk and relaxed could all be considered synonyms for the same word but with very different meanings behind them. The word cool is used describe such vast variety of things from people,places,events and feelings. “Grab your jacket honey, it's cool out there!” Mom exclaims as he is walking out the door to catch the bus on that first crisp cool morning of November. Then he had responded by saying “its cool mom, I will be alright” explaining how nonchalant and feeling…

The concet I attended is called Azesu (Maria Marquez) held in the California Jazz Conservatory. Azesu is comprised by Grammy winners David Pinto on bass, Omar Ledezma on percussion, Sheldon Brown on reeds, Alan Hall on drums and Jonathan Alford on piano. They plays songs from the Latin American Songbook and originals which represent the diverse musical heritage of its members. Featuring the vocals of Maria Marquez and Omar Ledezma, Azesu is a true hybrid group combining the rhythms of the…

What a great show from the veteran super group The Cookers. They presented their magnificent repertoire in two sets at the Nublu Jazz Festival. The band comprises an inflammatory frontline composed of Billy Harper on tenor saxophone, Donald Harrison on alto saxophone, and trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss. The respectful rhythm section brings us George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. For tonight’s concert, pianist David Bryant, 33, replaced the…

CONCERT ATTENDANCE REPORT My taste of music varies from rock to pop, but mostly I gravitate towards rap music. So have a strong taste in rap I have attended a few shows and also seen many live instrument performances as well. Not until I took this class have I considered attending a jazz concert. When I looked on the pages given to us on events nearby, there wasn’t any that seem to catch my attention. Until I heard that CGCC was holding a small jazz comb. I thought I’d give a shot and plus it…