Music 271: 4/23/07 II: Jazz: Overview of Style and History: (GB: p.81-82) • Blends European and West African traditions • Traceable to beginning of the 20th century • 2 periods: • Jazz as a functional music (c1900 - c1945): A: Chicago, Kansas City, New York B: New Orleans style (NOLA) (c1900 - c1930) C: Chicago style (NOLA style brought north) (c1920 - c1930) D: Swing (Big Band Jazz) (c1927 - c1945) • Jazz as an Art Music: (c1945 - Present) • New York was the center of innovations • Styles in Chronological order: A: Modern Jazz (c1945 - c1955) B: Hard Bop (c1955 - present) C: Free Jazz (c1959 - present) D: Fusion (Jazz Rock) (c1968 - present) E: Post-Modern mixtures (c1970s - present) • No single style of Jazz • Initially favored Band instruments (reeds, brass) • Importance of Improvisation (Signifyin’) • Distinct instrumental voice • Jazz swings III: The practice of Signifyin’: (GB: p.82) A: A definition: To use the language in a very personal and individualized way and to use the sound of your voice as a way of adding emphasis B: Musical Signifyin’: How it works: • Borrows, restates, and varies pre-existing material • Transforms that material by commenting upon it in a way that reflects the personality of the performer whose goals may include demonstrating respect for the original, poking fun at it, parodying it • This May be done at all sorts of levels from commenting upon a style, to commenting upon an individual performer, to commenting upon the nature of improvisation itself C: A Demonstration of Signifyin’: IV: Ragtime and the Blues: two principal antecedents of Jazz: • Ragtime began as improvised music in the 19th century • 1893: Worlds Fair in Chicago: White band began to play Ragtime • 1st of four African-American styles that would shape American Vernacular music • 3 basic categories: Ragtime songs, pieces that are based upon other works that are swung, Piano Rags (structure taken from a march) (AABBA, Trio, CCDD) • Blues is older then ragtime, part of the oral tradition, continues to exert an influence on music even today The Four Principles Styles of 20th-Century African-American Vernacular Music 1. Ragtime: c1893 - c1920 2. Jazz: c1917 - c1950 3. Rhythm & Blues: c1945 - present → Rock ‘n’ Roll: c1955 - present 4. Rap → Hip Hop: c1980 - present