JAZZ. THE AMERICAN ARTFORM THE ORIGINS OF JAZZ

1. JAZZ. THE AMERICAN ARTFORMTHE ORIGINS OF JAZZ

2. ‘Whose music is it anyway?’ and other stupid questions • Approaches to jazz history: • Tracing cultural influences • African influences • European influences • West Indies influences • Tracing social trends which influenced jazz history • Tracing demographic trends which influenced jazz history • Jazz – in its early history often referred to as ‘race music’ IS NOT ‘race music’, which is not to say race did not play a part in its creation and evolution • The American artform

3. New Orleans • Most ethnically diverse and racially integrated American city of the 19th century • Part of Lousiana purchase • French and Spanish influences • Descendants of French and Spanish colonists and African slaves – Creoles of Color – the largest non-slave Black population in the South • Significant presence of Carribean culture

4. African influences in jazz • Slavesongs and dances • OriginalAfricanrhythms / Syncopation • CongoSquare, New Orleans • Plantationworksongs • BaptistChurch’s Gospel spirituals • Call and response • Ring shouts • Blues • Simple chord structure – threechords • Stressonindividualperformer’sskill and aptitude – technique and thefeeling • The story (upliftingratherthandepressing)

5. First confusions: Minstrelsy • Minstrel shows • White performers with ‘blackface’ to pass for Black performers • At times Black performers blacked to pass for white performers blacked to pass for Black performers • A wide repertoir of hugely popular songs (including ‘Jim Crow’) • Original American popular culture • Strengthening racist stereotypes

6. European influences • Military bands popular in New Orleans after the Civil War • Dixieland • European instrumentation • European folk music • Further confusions: • Creoles of color – classically trained musicians, playing ‘European music’ for mostly white audiences • This changes after Civil Rights Cases of 1880’s and after Jim Crow laws are introduced in Lousiana • Creole musicians are now forced to seek new audiences and look for new artforms • Ragtime (the most popular music of the turn of the century)

7. Further confusions: Creole culture • Mardi Gras parade • introducing the Brass band • Ragtime • Scott Joplin • Creole musicians combine brass band tradition with new syncopated music (ragtime), the blues, West Indies influences – earliest jazz • roots of the traditional New Orleans Jazz Band

8. Before jazz was jazz Territory bands Jass bands Further confusions – ‘inventors of jazz’: First ‘recorded’ jazz (or jass) Original Dixieland Jassband (1917) Massive commercial success Other recordings follow Jelly Roll Morton

9. The Jazz Age (1920’s) Migrations to thenorth - twodirections: Chicago, New York Prohibition Era TheSpeakeasy Louis Armstrong scatsinging (HeebieJeebies 1926) Duke Ellington ‘junglemusic’ first broadcastfromtheCottonClub – jazz goes national

10. The Blues Besie Smith Ethel Waters

11. The Swing Era • Jazz primarily dance music • Charlston • Foxtrot • Swing • Strong swing rhythm – strong rhythm section • Improvised solos • Benny Goodman • Count Basie

12. Towards freer improvisation – jazz is no longer about dancing • Virtuosity • Louis Armstrong • Art Tatum • The birth of Bebop • Usually fast tempos (although the blues returns as a major inspiration) • Virtuosity • Improvisation (against a strong rhythm section, following simple chord progressions taken from swing melodies or blues) • Shifts of tempo, departures from the theme • Coleman Hawkins, Body and Soul • Dizzie Gilespie • Charlie Parker • Clifford Brown