Toshiko Akiyoshi is originally from Manchuria. She moved to Japan in 1945 and later to the United States in 1956 after Oscar Peterson met her and encouraged the move. She attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston studying piano and jazz composition. Her music is greatly influenced by the Far East. The first group she formed, the Toshiko Mariano Quartet, was with her first husband, Charlie Mariano, an altoist in the 1960s. She worked with Charles Mingus for a while in 1962. She played with him and is on the recording for The Complete Town Concert. This is not considered one of Mingus's better works. Allmusic actually calls it "a famous fiasco."Over the next few years she and her Mariano divorced and she went back to Japan for a few years. In 1965 she moved back to New York and formed a quartet with her second husband Lew Tabackin. She also did a radio series during this time. Then in 1972 after moving to Los Angeles she formed the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band with her husband. She tends to write for specific members in her band (much like Duke Ellington). She also plays in a piano trio. In the 1980s she relocated back to New York and reformed her big band there.
Here she is playing "The Village" at her 60th anniversary concert.
This is piece by Kim Clarke and performed by the Kit McClure Band. Clarke also plays bass on the video with Kit McClure on sax, Lilian Day Jackson on vocals, Sue Terwilliger on guitar, Bernice Brooks on droms and Glenna Powrie on keys and trumpet. This piece features vocals, and solos by bass, trumpet, and sax. It begins with a short intro with the rhythm section and a short repeated rhythm in the saxophone, the trombones then add onto this. The tenor saxophone adds another layer, then vocals enter. The form is AAB(long break/solo section)A.
Linda Oh is jazz bassists from Australia (born in Malaysia). I'm not going to do critical listening on her but this video of her is really interesting. She talks about her career and her inspirations. She won teh ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award in 2008 and the 2010 Bell Award for Jazz Artist of the Year. She also received an honorary mention at the 2009 Thelonious Monk competition in 2009. She is already releasing a second album.
Sharel Cassity is another young jazz player. Here she is with her quartet playing "Say What?!"
The piece starts out with a short run by Cassity on soprano sax before the rhythm section enters. Long melodious phrases are interjected with short staccato notes. The form is AB... with the B section placing emphasis on her technique and talent. And then the video is stopped so since that wasn't a full piece for critical listening here is another:
Critical Listening #2
AfroBlue-(by Mongo Santamaria)-The Latin Jazz Women Band
After a short introduction, the flute solos followed by guitar/vocals and then trombone. After the chorus, the trombone has a solo. The chorus between each solo features the whole group. AABA form within verses. Just for comparisons sake here is the original version:
There are of course differences between the two due to one being live and the other recorded. I missed the mallets in the version by the LJW. It seems like covers often don't capture the feeling of the original. There is some extra flute technique, like flutter tonguing that was in the original. Of course covers by no means need to follow the original (see Contrane's version below) but its hard not to compare it the original. There are also versions by:
John Coltrane: Live in Japan-This one takes the original and greatly expands on it
What I really do enjoy about John Coltrane's version is that he didn't try to play it the same. After stating the melody he does his own thing and I admire that. Covers are more unique, entertaining and personal when the artist makes it their own.
Finally here is Lori Williams with her vocal version:
NPR lists the following 6 artists as "trailblazers" in the Jazz world. Some I have already discussed and others should be mentioned before the semester is over!
Mary Lou Williams (See March 26th post)
Shirley Scott
Shirley Scott studied piano as a child and then took up trumpet in high school. She began playing the organ after Jimmy Smith made the Hammond organ popular and a club owner in Philadelphia rented one for her. Over the years she played often with and recorded with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Turrentine (who she married and then divorced after 10 years). After her divorce she made commercial recordings with the Chess label and led/played in a few other trios. She began concentrating more on piano in the late 1980s and led a trio with Arthur Harper and Mickey Roker. Her sextet (with her on organ) played on the Bill Cosby Show. She toured in the United States as well as Europe. She has taught at Cheyney University, led the music program at a church in Pennsylvania and ran a production company.
A few clips of her playing live in San Francisco:
Marian McPartland
McPartland began playing at an early age and learned mostly by ear. She learned jazz much the same way; attempting to copy jazz pianists she heard. She attended the Guildhall School of Music for a short time but then left to pursue a career in professional ensembles. She married Jimmy McPartland in 1944 after meeting him in Belgium. She eventually moved to America but retained her citizenship in England. She led her own trio which debuted in 1950 at the Embers Club in New York. Members included Bill Crow, Joe Morello, Mousie Alexander, Bob Carter and Vinnie Burke. She also played with Bud Powell in 1954. Since she has devoted time to introducing jazz to schoolchildren, writing essays on jazz musicians for several magazines/newspapers and even founded her own record company, Halcyon. She hosted several radio shows including a piano jazz show on WBAI in New York and "Piano Jazz" on NPR. In her "Piano Jazz" show she invites both jazz pianists and other jazz artists. She often plays with them as well along with the interview. She continues performing and teaching at school and colleges.
Her performance of "In a Mist"
Geri Allen
Geri Allen is another impressive piano player. She began playing piano when she was seven and was exposed to jazz from an early age. She studied with Marcus Belgrave and John Malachi. She played in a trio in Pittsburgh led by Cecil Brooks III while receiving her MA from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation with a degree in ethnomusicology she fully began her recording and performing career. She worked with many well known jazz artists (too many to begin naming here) and toured in Europe with her own quartet in 1984. She recorded her first album as a leader the same year. She played in a rhythm section with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette on tour with Betty Carter. She recorded Ornette Coleman and performed with Coleman's New Quartet at the San Francisco Jazz Festival as well as on a couple albums. She has worked in jazz education at Howard University and the New England Conservatory. She played Mary Lou Williams in Kansas City (a film by Robert Altman) and won the Jazzpar award in Denmark the same year (first women to win this award).
Geri Allen Trio-"Dark Prince"
Regina Carter
A jazz violinst, she began playing violin at four and later studied jazz with Marcus Belgrave. She studied classical music as well as jazz at the New England Conservatory and later at Oakland University. In 1987 she joined Straight Ahead a pop-jazz quintet. In 1991 she joined the String Trio of New York and then Steve Turre's sextet in 1996. She tours with various groups and continues playing.
Tiny Desk Concert
I especially enjoy how she pulls in inspiration from so many different cultures and adds such variety to her bands. There are parts in the Tiny Desk Concert from NPR that just amaze me. She creates such a unique and personal sound. Who would have though a kora, accordion, and violin could work so well together!
Maria Schneider
A composer, arranger and big band leader. I talked about her a bit in one of my first posts. Her albums have been nominated for Grammys. Another fantastic role model for aspiring jazz artists.
Roberta Piket is from Queens, NY. She grew up in musical family and first received piano lessons from her composer father at age seven. She received a BA in computer science from Tufts University and a BA in Jazz Studies at the New England Conservatory of Music. She studied with Fred Hersch, Stanley Cowell, Jim McNeely, Bob Moses, Richie Beirach and Sophia Rosoff. She has her own trio which has toured in the US, Japan and Spain. She also performs on the B3 organ. She is also a composer and was finalist in the Thelonious Monk BMI Composers' Competition. A look at her recent album, Sides, Colors:
Her trio in action:
Kait Dunton graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Jazz Studies. Her album, Real & Imagined, consists of her trio playing pieces she composed. Not only did she write the track but released it, produced it and arranged the album. She is from and still lives in Southern California. A few live recordings:
Hiromi Uehara is from Shizuoka, Japan. She has released five albums that she lead. In addition she recently played with Chick Corea in Duet and appeared in the Stanley Clarke Trio's Jazz In the Garden. She attended school at Berklee School of Music and released her first album while studying there.
Kait Dunton
"While the City Sleeps"
Piano, Bass Drums
Piano is main solo instrument. The bass and drums provide the background rhythm.
The longer phrases form an A section (beginning to 1:30) followed by a 30s B section and then back to the A idea. This is followed by a C section marked by more runs on the piano and a more upbeat feel to the solo. She works her way back to the A section after entering into a section that feels similar to the B idea.
I find that I really enjoy avant-garde jazz music, so I decided to explore some of the music for my blog post this week. Female avant-garde jazz artists are few and far between. But there are several who excel in the field. Here I will discuss Matano Roberts and Julie Tippetts.
Matano Roberts is from Chicago and grew up surrounded by musical mentors. She tries to speak through her music to address the issues int the world today.
Here is how her website describes her: Matana (m(a)-ta-na\) Roberts; internationally documented, chicago born saxophonist/improviser/ composer/sound conceptualist; working in various mediums of performance inquiry; has created alongside visionary experimentalists of this time period in various areas of improvisation, dance, poetry, visual art, theater; as a saxophonist, documented on sound recordings as collaborator, side woman and leader. some recent work focused on the place/problem of memory/tradition as recognized, deciphered, deconstructed, interrogated through radical modes of sound communication, alternative styles of musical notation, and multi genres of improvisation; based in new york city.
To me this sounds pretty accurate for one who wants to pursue avant-garde jazz. She is also a member of the Association for the Advance of Creative Musicians.
Julie Tippets was born in London. She was initially a 60s pop diva but then became interested in jazz. I find it hard to really characterize avant-garde jazz, or define what makes it avant-garde or if a piece falls within the genre. That said I find this piece really cool whether its avant-arde or not!
Critical Listening:
Keith Tippet, Julie Tippetts with Louis Moholo and Minafric Orchestra
"Viva La Black"
Video above
Form ABA
Begins with bass then drums enter. Trumpet comes in with screeching notes and the rhythm section fills out. Vocals begin while the trumpet continues with its solo. The rest of the horn section comes in backing up the trumpet and contributing to the rhythm section The vocals become more prominent and flowing. They begin to flow with the trumpet. Following the chorus played by whole ensemble section, the trombone takes a solo. The horns reenter with accents part way through the trombone solo then the vocals reenter. The main melody is restated.I enjoyed the whole piece. The solos were interesting and I liked the latin infusion.
Carla Bley was born in 1938 and began learning piano at very young age. She moved to New York when she was a teenager after dropping out of school after the tenth grade. There she worked as cigarette girl at the Birdland jazz club and was exposed to jazz nightly. She also met Paul Bley while working there and moved with him to Los Angeles where she began writing music. When she and Paul moved back to New York, others such as George Russell, Jimmy Giuffre, and Tony Williams began playing and recording her music. She also met Michael Mantler and founded the Jazz Composer's Orchestra with him (she also left Paul for him, they later had a daughter: Karen). Since she has continued composing major jazz works, has founded a music label with Michael Mantler, WATT, the Carla Bley Band, the Carla Bley Sextet. After duetting with Steve Swallow just for fun after awhile they began to do so professional. She moved with him after she and Mantler separated in 1991. She has toured all over Europe and has continued recording with her Big Band and Steve Swallow.
The Very Big Carla Bley Band: "Who Will Rescue You"
Carla Bley and Steve Swallow: "Sing Me Softly of the Blues"
Instruments: Piano and Guitar
Form: AABA
Begins with solo guitar then piano enters after first statement of A section. The piano and guitar sound disharmonious with each other when they hit chords together but each part by itself is beautifully played and the dissonance is quite effective. The interplay between the two instruments is very moving and gives the piece a distant and almost surreal feel.
Piano is one the popular outlets for female jazz artists. Learning to play the piano has long been encouraged for young girls although at times the pursuit of a jazz career was frowned upon by their family. There have been many pianists that have impacted the jazz world, some of whom will be discussed here over the next few weeks.
Mary Lou Williams is known as the "First Lady of Jazz Piano" and has been influential not just as a jazz pianist but also as a composer/arranger and mentor. She joined the Andy Kirk band with her first husband John Williams and aided the group in becoming popular with her arrangements, compositions and piano playing. She also wrote music for Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellignton and Dizzy Gillepsie. Her long career as an artist and composer gives credit to her ability to follow the current trends in music without losing her distinctive style. She was mentor and inspiration to many young jazz pianists including Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell
Here is Trumpets No End, a piece she wrote for Duke Ellington's Band
A track from her Zodiac Suite album, Scorpio:
Finally Mary's Idea a swing-band score by Williams for the Andy Kirk band
I believe she was still with the band when this was performed so that should be her on the piano.
Mary Lou Williams is truly an inspiration to all jazz pianists and composers. Not only was she an outstanding musician but also a humanitarian. She took several years off from performing to pursue charitable interests. Today the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz festival celebrates women who excel in the world of jazz.
Starts with congos and bass then piano enters. Halfway through she begins introducing dissonance and plays chords rather than single notes. She then moves back and forth between the lightness of the single notes and the heavier chords. The rhythm sections keeps a strong and relentless beat in the background. She stops playing toward the end and lets the drums and bass fade out. This piece reflects her desire to incorporate religious music into her composition.
All women jazz bands have been a part jazz history since very early on in its formation. They allowed female jazz instrumentalists a chance to play among peers who viewed them as equals and focus on simply playing good music rather than fighting against gender issues. In the 1930s, WWII gave women the opportunity to come to the forefront in jazz. Several all female bands were created including the International Sweethearts of Rhythm (the first female band to be integrated) and Sharon Rogers All Girl Orchestra who played on the USO circuit. The end of the war and the end of the big band era produced a decline in the number of female jazz artists. Pianists and vocalists were still popular but the female jazz instrumentalists had a hard time finding jobs. It wasn't until the 1960s that all female jazz bands again opened the door for many aspiring female jazz artists. There were also several women band leaders for example Toshiko Akiyoshi and Carla Bley both led big bands. Marie Schneider has also become a very popular jazz orchestra leader.
Today women find it easier to pursue a successful career as a jazz instrumentalist but there are still a few all female jazz bands. One of these is Sherrie Maricle and The Diva Jazz Orchestra. The group was started by Stanley Kay after hearing Sherrie Maricle play drums in a band he conducted. They havesince become one of the best jazz bands in the world and have played numerous festivals and with other impressive artists at equally impressive venues. Rather than copy and past the list fo them all here, they are mentioned on the bands website which is sited below.
Critical Listening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94fcqEkPmSk&feature=related
The International Sweethearts of Rhythm-"Jump Children"
AAAB form
A short introduction followed by vocals ( I believe this is Anna Mae Winburn). She repeats 3 verses in the same style/rhythm before breaking into the B section. She then enters a call and response section where she repeats the question" Do You Want to Jump Children?" several times each time answered by children off camera. This is followed by a saxophone solo and then the whole band ends the piece. This is a full jazz band and every member is female.
The discussion this last week made me want to research tuba and euphonium jazz artists. I tried looking for a female artist within the group but apparently combining two underrepresented populations of the jazz community makes for frustrating research. But this blog is more about recognizing those that haven't gotten the recognition they deserve than simply only talking about female jazz artists so I figure a slight detour isn't so bad!
I find it interesting that despite the tuba being one of the initial standard instruments for the rhythm section it faded out of the jazz scene and is now to the point where an artist pursuing jazz on tuba is somewhat of a novelty. They are still popular for outdoors events and New Orleans brass bands utilize the sousaphone. In these cases though they generally fill in the bass line and only occasionally take solos. The euphonium has never truly been part of jazz. Trombones cover the part that a euphonium might otherwise play and the ability of the trombone to play with a sharper and more focused tone is important for jazz (plus the cool glissandos!). But I find that people who choose to play euphonium are used to over coming difficulties (most the solo music we play is "stolen" from another instrument) and so of course there are those who will play jazz anyway.
There are several Tuba/Euphonium groups that play jazz and push the boundaries of what is expected of this type of group. In 1968 the first all tuba group was founded by Howard Johnson and named Gravity. In the 1970s Rich Matteson (a jazz euphoniumist, discussed in class) and Harvey Phillips created the Tubajazz Consort. Tubajazz Consort was made up of Rich Matteson, Ashley Alexander, John Allred and Buddy Baker on Euphonium; Harvy Phillips, Dan Perantoni, and R. Winston Morris on tuba; Frank Mantooth and Tommy Ferguson on Piano; Jack Persen on Guitar; Lou Fisher and Billy Michaels on Bass; Rick Kirkland and Steve Houghton on Drums. Today one of the forefront jazz tuba ensembles is the Modern Jazz Tuba Project. This is a group based in Nashville, Tennessee and consists of 3 euphoniums (Billy Huber, Barry Green, and Marcus Dickman), 3 tubas (Joe Murphy, Winston Morris, and Richard Perry) and a rhythm section (Steve Willets and Kevin Madill on "keys", Paul Binkley and Mel Dean on guitar, Jim Ferguson on Bass, and Bob Mater on drums).
In the solo world Jim Shearer and Jim Self are both professional jazz tubists. They both have numerous CDs available Ray Draper collaborated with John Coltrane on a CD entitles "A Tuba Jazz". The members of Gravity, TUBAJAZZ, and the Modern Jazz Tuba project are also well respected Jazz soloists.
Modern Jazz Tuba Project
My Favorite Things
http://www.mjtproject.com/Sound%20Files/MyFavoriteThingsFULL.mp3
Overall AABA theme
Intro of horns playing off beats then rhythm section comes in and takes over for a few bars. A tuba solo enters with the melody. This is handed off to a second tuba after a short bridge. The piano then comes to the fore front. The horns enter into variations on the melody. A euphonium takes an improvisational solo. followed by A second euphonium taking a solo. The rhythm sections weaves in and out of the solo line. The whole sections enters back in briefly and the guitar is given a solo. The guitar centers around the melody much more so than the horns. The drums and horns enter a sort of back and forth section. The ensemble starts to move back to the original theme. A drum solo and high notes from the euphoniums end the piece without ever actually restating the original melody.
I also really enjoyed "Swing Swing Swing" but I can't find a copy online for you to listen to.
Other tuba/euphonium jazz youtube videos
TubaJazz Consort:
Spoofy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwSGVXWUXuk
Sotto Voce
Manhattan Suite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L25BF5_nh8w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2n9eNS1O5o&feature=related
Vi Redd was born in Los Angeles on September 20, 1928. Her father was a drummer and was one of the reasons she became interested in jazz. She began playing saxophone when she was 13 years old and played throughout high school and community college. She graduated from Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences and spent a few years employed as a social worker before being recognized as an important jazz soloist. In the early 1960's following several gigs (including Shelly's Manne-Hole, the Las Vegas Jazz Festival, and an episode on the "Jazz Scene USA" entitles "Vi Redd Septet") she toured with bands playing saxophone and singing. The bands included Earl Hines' and she led a bop quartet that included her husband "Richie Goldberg" on drums. She toured overseas for awhile and held a position at Ronnie Scott's in London where she played with many other noteworthy saxophonists including Coleman Hawkins. She even toured with Count Basie in Africa and Europe. By 1970 Redd was back in Los Angeles working as an educator and playing locally on the side.
12 bar blues with an introduction followed by two A sections and a B section. Redd sings the lyrics to the song then plays a solo on saxophone. She ends with a recap of the B section. She is backed by a full jazz orchestra composed of a rhythm section (drums, guitar, bass, and piano) saxophones, trombones, and trumpets.
Valaida Snow also known as "Little Louis" and "The Queen of the Trumpet" has been compared to Louis Armstrong and was one of the pioneers for women jazz artists. Snow was born in 1904 in Chattanooga Tennessee and was taught by her mother to play multiple instruments including cello, bass, banjo, violin, mandolin, harp, accordion, clarinet,
trumpet, and saxophone. She ultimately became famous on vocals and trumpet. Valaida Snow toured and performed mostly in Asia and then Europe but did stay in the US in 1931 when she toured with Rhapsody in Black (with Pike Davis's Orchestra) and then in 1933 she joined Earl Hines' band in Chicago. She then moved on to front her own all female jazz band with the dancers the Berry Brothers. She had married Ananias Berry in 1929. For the next few years she jumped back and forth between the states and Europe (she was very successful in a production of Blackbirds in London). She also made a few films in Hollywood with her husband in the mid 30's. Her marriage with Ananias Berry came to an end when her previous husband claimed that she was still married to him (the marriage had only lasted a few months and the divorce had been finalized) and she was arrested for bigamy. The stress of the court proceedings and the disapproval of the public (Berry was quite a few years younger than her) took its toll on the the marriage. She then went back to Europe where she toured for a few years and appeared in a few French films. In 1939 during a stay in Denmark she was arrested by the invading Germans and spent 18 months in a German prisoner of war camp at Wester-Faengle. She was ultimately released and returned to the United States where she remarried to Earl Edwards and continued performing until her death. She is not as well known in the states as in Europe due to the lack of recordings made of her in the US and also because she did not stay in the United States as long as she did in Europe. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage that occurred at the Palace Theater in New York in 1956 at 52 years old. References:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/J418900?q=valaida+snow&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
Valaida Snow is singing and plays trumpet. She is backed by a full jazz orchestra. The form in AABA with 12 bar phrases. The piece begins with an introduction by the orchestra then Snow enters with vocals.After singing through the song she enters with a solo on trumpet. The solo has an improvisational feel to it. The orchestra's part becomes freer as well and branches out from its repeated beat that backed Snow while she was singing. Toward the end you can here a few growled notes from Snow on the trumpet, and the notes become sharper, softer and more syncopated.
Carol Kaye is one of the most prolific and talented jazz bassists of the past few decades. She grew up in a musical family; both her parents were professional musicians. Guitar was her first instrument until the hired bassist failed to show up to a recording session at Capital Records. Kaye stepped in playing the electric Fender bass and since has been in high demand. She keeps a rough schedule, working seven days a week, but looking at her discography it seem to have paid off. She has played bass for many well known film composers and shared stages with the likes of the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Simon and Garfunkel and Frank Sinatra just to name a few. Not only does she share her music through performances but she reaches out to help younger players. She has published several bass guitar method books and taken on pupils that have become notable bassists in their own right such as Monty Budwig and Max Bennet.
Critical Listening
This piece starts with Carol Kaye playing solo on the bass, then drums come in, followed by guitar. The A section repeats 3 times layering in the new instruments. Then the B section comes in followed by a solo on the guitar. The drums and bass lay down the beat and rhythm while the guitar flows in and out of the texture. The guitar then fades out, followed by the bass and finally the drums end the piece.
I also really enjoyed listening to the bass line in this piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Y0O6-TzJw&feature=related
There is sort of a similar style in the layering of the instruments. I like how it allows the bass a chance to shine prior to the other instruments entering.
Within the world of jazz guitar there are many influential and noteworthy artists. While researching female jazz guitarists one name was consistently repeated: Emily Remler. Despite only living to see 32 years she made a lasting impression on the jazz community.
Emily Remler was born in 1957 in New York City. She picked up the guitar at age 10 and enjoyed playing and was inspired by hard rock and popular music. It was not until she attended Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts that she fell in love with Jazz. Upon graduation she moved to New Orleans where she worked as the house guitarist at the Fairmont Hotel and also played in several small groups. This helped her get noticed as she accompanied several big names like Nancy Wilson, Michel Legrang and Robert Goulet. After Herb Ellis heard her play he introduced her at the Concord Jazz Festival in 1978 and her career rose to a new height. In the next years she spent time touring and playing in small ensembles. She was first recorded as a band leader in 1980 with her album The Firefly. Her talents and interests spanned many genres of Jazz including bebop and latin jazz. In 1986 she created two instructional videos entitled Advanced Jazz and Latin Improvisation with Emily Remler and Bebop and Swing Guitar with Emily Remler. Unfortunately Remler suffered from heroin addiction. In 1990 she died of a heart attack in Australia, cutting her life and career much too short.
Discography
The Firefly (Concord, 1981)
Take Two (Concord, 1982)
Transitions (Concord, 1983)
Catwalk (Concord, 1985)
with Larry Coryell Together (Concord Jazz, 1986)
East to Wes (Concord, 1988)
Compilations
Retrospective Vols. 1 & 2 (Concord Jazz, 1898)
various artists Just Friends: A Gathering in Tribute to Emily Remler Vol. 2 (1992)
This is Emily Remler's cover of Tenor Madness. The original is posted as well. This is an example of 12 bar blues. The A section repeats twice at the beginning for a 24 bar introduction. The guitar then takes over (the tenor saxophone in the case of Sonny Rollins' original with John Coltrane). The guitar plays several phrases that can be broken down into 6 12 bar phrases or 3 longer 24 bar sections which is how it feels to me. The piano then takes a solo followed by the guitar again. The A section repeats to close out the piece. The ensemble consists of a guitar, a bass guitar and piano and drums. In the case of the Sonny Rollins Quartet, the tenor sax takes the lead and is replaced by the guitar in Emily Remlers rendition. Her version is slightly faster and more upbeat than Sonny Rollins'. It moves quicker and is not as laid back. It is also cut shorter and does not cycle through as many soloistic guitar/saxophone sections.
For my blog project I am going to research female jazz artists. To start off I want to give an overview of the impact of female jazz artists and the history of women in jazz. During the semester I will then look at the contributions women made to each instrument in a typical jazz band, vocals, and composers.
Jazz is largely composed of male artists. Yet women have been involved in jazz, both on the forefront as lead singers and instrumental soloists and in the backup bands, even the composer behind the music, since jazz became an art form.
In the beginning African American women actively participated in blues, spirituals and gospel music all of which funneled into and influenced jazz. They contributed largely to the classic blues of the 1920s.
The other acceptable form of jazz participation for women was piano. The ability to play piano was prized for both African American and European American women. The families of the women involved, either from black or white families, did not always view playing jazz lightly. But this did not stop the determined from pursuing a career as a jazz pianist; these include Dolly Adams and Emma Barrett from New Orleans and Lil Hardin Armstron and Lovie Austin from Chicago.
During this time women also contributed to other aspects of jazz. They played horns along side men or in all women bands. All women bands such as Bobbie Howell's American Syncopators and Bobbie Grice's Fourteen Bricktops were the most common outlets for women jazz artists.
This pattern persisted until World War II when the draft pulled many eligible men from society. The lack of men gave women the chance to enter more fully into the jazz scene and women artists and all female bands became more popular. They maintained this foothold until the women’s liberation movement of the 1960s and 70s offered them even more prestige. The first women’s jazz festival was held in Kansas City in 1978 and was followed by one in New York the same year.
While women jazz artists especially those in lesser known horn, percussion, and guitar sections have increased over the years they are still a minority within the jazz world. This semester will be about learning more about these great artists and discovering how they have influenced jazz over the years.
This piece has a calming yet surreal feel to it. It begins with a percussion intro/transition from the prior piece. Vocals and clarinet then come in with the melody in the A section backed up by the rest of the ensemble. In the B section the melody is changed slightly and the piano joins in. The highest point (both in dynamics and register) occurs in the C section. This is the arrival point of the piece. The A and B sections are then repeated with slight modifications (A’ and B’) A’ is strictly instrumental and vocals are intermittent in the B’ section. The C section then repeats. Flugelhorn comes in for a virtuosic like solo for the next third of the piece. After a few minutes of solo the horn and vocals reenter intermittently and begin bringing the piece back to its central theme arriving at 5:10 to a recognizable recap of the B section. A new idea follows this recap. The vocals are softer and more flowing. A deeper clarinet is introduced (contra?). It is hard for me to definitively organize it into sections. The first third appears to be ABCA’B’C with roughly 8 bar phrases. The second third consists of the flugelhorn solo, which is hard to characterize into sections. I would almost say that it is a D section where it is the horn with rhythm section followed by an E section when the rest of the ensemble joins in. There is then a recap of the main theme heard in the first third of the piece. The last third takes a new turn. There is an F section where the instruments introduce the new theme and then the vocals join in.
