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.
