Jazz

characteristic features of Dixieland, The contribution of “Gothan Jazzzmen” to the genre, and an overview of the concert. When it comes to the origin of jazz, people tends to have some mixed opinion about its birth place although most research agreed on New Orleans being the motherland. It surprised me to hear from one of my classmates that Jazz could have been born in Asia. More surprising are those researches that claim this birth place to be in the big northern cities such as New York,…

Although one cannot pinpoint exactly where the term “hipster” originated, the most common knowledge is that the word “hipster” was used first in the 1940s used to describe jazz music enthusiasts. The link between white middle-class American youth and black urban working-class during this era is heavily grounded in the jazz music scene, and black culture is a major determining influence in a large amount of subcultures in America, particularly…

to American songwriters” (Sewell, Lesson 6). Fitzgerald was one of the most famous, influential female jazz singers. Thus, in her interpretation of “I Get a Kick Out of You,” she is backed by a quartet. One which was popular in that era would have included a guitar, piano and base drums, whereby creating a more intimate feel. Although, Fitzgerald comes from a church and gospel background in jazz, we’re not hearing any of the gospel influence on her interpretation of the song. Fitzgerald’s voice…

and inspired by a gospel song “It Must Be Jesus” by the Southern Tones. Ray Charles was able to take the gospel song and add a jazz and rhythm and blues to it. Though, this recording was not a cup of tea for everyone, it was able to sell in two different markets of music and be a success. This analysis will look at the genius Ray Charles who combine the elements of jazz, gospel, and blues structure to create this top-charting recording. Firstly, Ray Charles recording of I Got a Women music…

the turn of the twentieth century, jazz was still in its early phases. While there are many musicians that are credited with making jazz into what it is today, one of the earliest attributors was the “King of Ragtime,” Scott Joplin. Joplin earned his title due to his success—despite racial barriers—in developing the sub-genre of ragtime in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Joplin’s sound and style created a crucial link in the history of jazz and laid the foundations for future…

many important works, many of which are performed to this day (ABiography.com (Eds.), n.d.). His music has resonated throughout the world from his time to our time. Louis Armstrong was one of the most prolific jazz artists of the 1920s and 30s and had a profound influence on future of jazz. Louis Armstrong was born to a single mother on August 4, 1901 in New orleans, Louisiana. The area he was born in was so poor, it was nicknamed “The Battlefield.” His mother often times turned…

The genius of the ingenious New York city-based jazz trio The Bad Plus can be heard again on their twelfth studio album entitled “It’s Hard”, a collection of covers that originally inhabited the pop, rock, country, jazz, and electronic music universes. Its concept contrasts with the last year’s mandatory album, “The Bad Plus Joshua Redman”, whose tracks were composed by the members of the quartet. The album opens with “Maps”, an original song by the American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs,…

Originally from London, the saxophonist Will Vinson is a frequent presence in the fervent New York jazz clubs like the Smalls, where he recorded a live album in 2012 with a quintet that included the guitarist Lage Lund, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Marcus Gilmore. For his latest release, “Perfectly Out of Place”, Vinson not only convenes a new quintet but also extends it by adding a few guests for the strings, vocals, and percussion. The cats that follow him are also…

For me, I tended to concentrate on what melody on the song and tone of her voice rather than the instruments playing. Both the cornet and piano accompaniment exemplified the practice of call and response which is a popular thing during the Urban Jazz era. Throughout the song I noticed that both instruments tended to change melodies and become more heard after a lyric was sung. I think the addition of the call and response technique made…

our culture, that kind of music is what majority of our society listens too and enjoys. In the duration of the course, Jazz and the type of music I listen to are very different in terms of tempo, beat and the flow. In the music I listen to today, they have lyrics and we understand the meaning through the words that are being said then just the music playing in the background. In Jazz music, there is rarely any lyrics and the feeling is mainly understood by the instruments conducting the music. I…